The sounds of moans, grunts, and passion filled the room. Nothing ever felt so perfect, so incredible, and then it hit him. They were all in love and one day soon would be one team, one unit, one family, like they’d always wanted.
Chapter 12
Stella was a bit embarrassed as she quickly buttoned her blouse then pulled on her jeans. She glanced over her shoulder, watching Jimmy and Matt get dressed. Last night was incredible. Completely insane to make love to two men together but incredible.
“You’re a grown woman, Stella, surely your daughters have noticed the way Jimmy and I have been acting around you,” Matt said as he stepped into his jeans. She saw his tattoos, the muscles all over his body, and her mouth watered again. They made love with passion, a fire so different from years ago. Then when Jimmy joined them it added this extra something, maybe a comfort, a stability for both of them to take her together. Stella wasn’t sure, but it felt perfect.
She swatted her hand at Matt and then placed her finger over her lips, asking him to be quiet. Matt shook his head, smirking, and as she opened the bedroom door, Jimmy smacked her ass. She swung her head around to glare at him. He pointed very serious-like at her. Still, standing there shirtless, with muscles galore, made her want to remain in bed a little longer.
Stella headed down the hallway. She heard some noises coming from the kitchen and tried to calm her nerves. She would have to tell Sydney and Ella about Matt and Jimmy.
As she entered the kitchen she saw Ella sitting there looking exhausted.
“Late night?” she asked her, and Ella nodded her head.
“You, too?” Ella asked.
Stella looked at her and squinted. “No. Why would you think that?”
Stella walked toward the counter and began to make some coffee as Matt and Jimmy entered the room.
“Well, you must have been pretty exhausted to not even be able to make the short walk down the other hallway to your bedroom last night. I guess Matt and Jimmy’s rooms were closer,” Ella said and Stella turned to look at her and the little shit was grinning.
Jimmy and Matt chuckled. Matt walked up to Stella and kissed her neck as he ran his hands along her hips.
“I think your worries are unnecessary,” Matt told her, and Ella smiled at Jimmy as he took a seat by the kitchen table.
“Mom, you don’t need to hide your relationship with Matt and Jimmy from Sydney and I. In fact, considering that Sydney spent the night at the Aubrey’s house, I’d say the only woman waking up unsatisfied sexually is sitting right here wearing pj’s and sporting a little hangover.”
“Ella,” Stella called out and Jimmy laughed. Matt, on the other hand, looked unhappy.
“Your sister is involved with all four of them?” he asked.
“Sure is. They showed up last night at the Rusty Horn and she wound up heading home with them,” Ella told them then looked at her mom. Stella knew that Sydney wanted her to wait to tell Matt about her singing there, but now he seemed upset about her involvement with the Aubrey men. Heck, even Stella was concerned. Those four men were older, they were Marines and they were into ménage relationships. She hoped that Sydney could handle that.
“Let me get this straight. Hart, Juno, Orsin, and Atlas went to the Rusty Horn? Of all the places, why did you and Syd pick there to hang out?” Matt asked.
Ella looked at her mom.
“Sydney wanted me to wait to tell you. She wanted to make sure things were working out,” Stella said.
“They are working out, Mom. She was incredible last night. She wants all of you to come out to see her next weekend,” Ella added.
“See her? What are you talking about?” Jimmy asked.
“Matt, Sydney is singing with the band there. She’s very talented and basically got a chance at an audition and nailed it. The owner has booked her the last three weekends.”
Matt looked at Jimmy then ran his fingers through his hair.
“Did the owner know that she was seeing the Aubrey men?” he asked.
“No,” Ella said and explained about Hart seeing Syd in the town of Fisher and thought she was cheating on him. He followed her into the place and heard her singing.
“I can’t believe they went there. They must really care about Sydney,” Matt said.
“Why is that?” Stella asked.
“Because Rusty, the owner, is their estranged father. They haven’t spoken to him or set eyes on him in years.”
“What?” Stella asked. She was shocked.
They talked about the men and how their mom had passed away and how each of them was away serving their country. Matt legitimately seemed concerned over Sydney’s well-being.
“We’ll talk to Sydney when she comes home.”
“When will that be?” Matt asked.
“Well, considering what they’re probably doing and the fact it’s a Sunday, I’d say closer to the evening hour,” Ella teased and Jimmy chuckled. Matt didn’t seem to find the comment humorous. Stella placed her hand on Matt’s shoulder.
“She’s a grown woman, Matt, all we can do is hope that they take good care of her and make her happy. She’ll be just fine.”
Stella went back to making the coffee and thought about her daughters and what Texas had brought them so far. Sydney was living her dream of singing on stage and probably worried about falling in love with the four brothers and having to choose one over the other. She wouldn’t allow Syd to do that. She could have it all, especially since the men were older and retired from the service. If they loved Syd, they would put her dreams, her happiness before anything else. But they were Marines, just like Matt, Jimmy, and Drake. That would make Stella’s belly feel sick, and she worried her daughter might end up like her. All alone with only memories of those deep passionate moments and the illusion that life was perfect and her men would always be there for her. Hopefully the past wouldn’t repeat itself.
* * * *
It was just about nine o’clock in the evening when Hart dropped Sydney off at home. She kissed him goodnight and promised to call him when she returned home from practice at the Rusty Horn.
She was tired, ready for bed, and glad she already showered at their house.
As she climbed the back porch she saw the candles burning and heard the strum of the guitar and some light laughing.
As she approached, there sat her mom with Jimmy’s arm draped over her shoulder and Matt sitting on her other side strumming the guitar.
“There you are. How was the weekend?” her mom asked then gave her that look. She had called her mom, told her she was okay and staying with Hart and his brothers.
“It was good. I’m pretty tired,” Sydney said as she stood there near the couches.
She felt badly for not letting Matt know about her job. After talking with the guys, she realized that she wasn’t being quite fair to Matt. He was trying to make and effort and she was shutting him out and holding onto a bit of a grudge. She needed to let him know that she was willing to get to know him and accept him.
“Um, I’m not sure if my mom told you guys, but I found a job,” she said.
Matt stopped playing the guitar and looked at her.
“Doing what?” he asked.
She glanced at her mom, who looked very happy. It didn’t go unnoticed that Jimmy had his arm over her shoulder either. The thought that her mom may be falling for Jimmy and Matt felt kind of weird. Not that she didn’t think her mom had needs, she just worried that Matt could hurt her again. Plus, they didn’t know too much about Jimmy.
“I auditioned for a singing spot at the Rusty Horn. I performed there the last three weekends. I had to prove that I could handle the crowds and draw in a big enough crowd to be considered kind of a regular.”
“And?” Stella asked.
“I did. I’ll be playing there regularly now, and I was hoping that, if you weren’t doing anything, I mean if you didn’t have plans, that maybe you would like to come hear me sing?” she asked, feeling so nervous it was shocking
her.
Matt smiled. “Sydney, I’d love to come hear you sing,” he said and she smiled.
“Come sit down. Tell us more about it and about the Rusty Horn. Do you like working for Rusty?” Matt asked.
She sat down across from them and told them about how it all happened and some of the recent events, too.
“How do Hart, Juno, Orsin, and Atlas feel about you working for Rusty?” Matt asked her.
“You know about their falling out?” she asked him.
“Yes, but I don’t know what it all stemmed from. Just the guys saying that their father killed their mother, but I know she died of a heart attack.”
“Yes, they said the same thing but I think they feel like their father had something to do with that heart attack. I think maybe they felt he put the business and succeeding before them and their mom. I’m not sure. It’s kind of hard to get emotions out of a Marine,” she said.
“Don’t I know it,” Stella said, and Jimmy kissed her temple. Sydney squinted her eyes at them and then glanced at Matt. He had his hand on Stella’s thigh, caressing it.
“Something you guys want to share with me?” she asked them.
Stella smiled.
“Would you like to share what you’ve been doing the last forty-eight hours?” Stella challenged and raised one eyebrow at her.
Sydney chuckled and shook her head.
“Are they taking good care of you? They’re not moving too fast?” Matt asked her, surprising her.
“They’re good men. You should know, they said you’ve known them for a long time and you know their dad.”
“I do, I just didn’t expect to feel so out of sorts about you dating. It’s a bit intense for me. I hadn’t expected to feel so many things since you arrived. I sure didn’t think I would be talking to you about this,” Matt told her.
“That’s okay, I never expected to be sitting on a back porch in Texas with my dad talking about the guys I’m dating. Even saying that feels funny,” she said and lightly snorted as she lowered her head and stared at her hands clasped on her lap.
“I never would have imagined this either. But I’m so glad that this opportunity has come to all of us. Life is too short to hold grudges, to be angry and ponder over the past,” Stella told them. Matt looked at her, reached up, and caressed her cheek. She stared up into his eyes, and despite the dim light Sydney could see the love shining in his eyes. Matt leaned closer and kissed her lips softly then pulled back.
“Time is a precious thing indeed.” He then turned to look at Sydney, who felt the tears in her eyes. She thought about the brothers and wondered what would come of this relationship. She knew she cared for them so much already. Heck, she probably loved them, and they were already important to her. Even now she missed them. But she knew she needed to slow this down. She was afraid if things happened too fast then it could fail.
“What’s wrong, Sydney? You aren’t upset over Matt, Jimmy, and I exploring our feelings for one another, are you?”
She smiled at her mom and shook her head.
“Not at all. You deserve nothing but happiness, Mom. I guess I’m feeling a lot of different things right now.”
“Like?” Jimmy asked. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth then talked to them about what she was feeling. She didn’t know why she felt comfortable discussing her fears, her dreams, and what could happen in this relationship with the brothers, but she just kept talking.
“You’re in love with them, Syd. You’ve never been in love before,” her mom told her.
“They’re pretty big, intimidating men, and there are four of them, and that’s a lot of attention, a lot of demands on you, but I have to say, you’ve seemed real happy the last week,” Matt said.
“I am happy. I want to be with them all the time and keep learning everything I can about them. But then I worry about moving too fast and losing focus on what I thought my plans of action were. I mean singing, performing on stage at the Rusty Horn and living my dream.”
“You don’t think they’ll support you in that?” Jimmy asked her.
“They say they will. They came there Saturday night. They loved it and complimented me on it, but they also expressed their jealousy and concern over other men being interested in me. We worked it all out, but they still can be intimidating. It’s like pulling teeth to get them to open up about their emotions.”
“They’ll come around. They were hurt before, so they’re being cautious, I bet,” Matt said.
“I know about her. They told me, and I understand their worry, especially now that they know what my dream has been. I think they think I’ll leave them to pursue my dreams. I don’t want to face that decision. I don’t want to lose them because they mean so much to me already. They’re perfect for me.”
“How do you know they’re perfect for you?” her mom asked.
She held her gaze, felt the emotions swirl around her heart and squeeze it tight. “It’s like life didn’t matter so much before them. If that makes any sense. I mean I don’t want to sound dramatic but I’ve waited for them. I held out for a man, and in this case, men, that moved me, touched me deep inside.” She chuckled softly.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’ve never been in love before. Maybe I’m making a mistake. Maybe I’ll regret falling in love with four men. I know that there are lots of things going on in my life right now, but none of it, not the singing on stage, the new potential career, or the new life here in Texas, mean more to me than Hart, Juno, Orsin, and Atlas. Nothing.”
“I think I know what you’re afraid of. Being abandoned once again,” Matt told her and she could see the sadness in his eyes.
Sydney shook her head, reached over, and covered his hands with hers.
“No, Matt. I’ve thought a lot about this. I’ve overthought taking a chance on letting other people into my heart. Sure, I worried about losing them or them leaving me. Hence why I’ve never had a boyfriend, a lover, heck, even a best friend. I’ve learned that life is way too short, like Mom said. We can’t just focus on the past, assume that bad things will happen and happiness will fall apart. I’m not going to let that happen. Everything is working out now, and coming together. I came here with Mom and Ella so I could learn more about you…about my father. The last thing I expected was to get the job on stage singing and loving it, and definitely I didn’t expect to meet four men like the Aubrey brothers.” She smiled then released his hands. She stood up.
“I’m going to head to bed. I can’t allow the what if’s to rule my decisions and congest my normal concerns. Life is about taking chances. Ultimately we’ll see if Hart, Juno, Orsin, and Atlas are right for me. In the meantime, I’ll love them fully and with all my heart. That’s what us Foster women do. Right, Mom?” she said and winked then leaned over and kissed her mom on the cheek, and then she kissed Jimmy on the cheek, and when she went to kiss Matt on the cheek goodnight, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her.
“You’re an amazing woman, Sydney. I hope this doesn’t anger you or not mean a thing to you, but I’m proud to be your father. Your mom did a hell of a job raising you on her own. I missed being part of that.”
Syd pulled back and held onto his forearms as she looked up into his eyes.
“She did, Matt, but I’m still your daughter, and there are things about me that come from you and I’m certain Mom can point them out.” She chuckled as she smiled at her mom. Stepping back, she winked at him.
“Maybe there’s enough of you in me for me to pick up on riding a horse quickly? You think you could teach me?” she asked.
She was shocked when she saw the emotion fill his eyes. He swallowed hard and nodded his head. “You gotcha. Whenever you want to start.”
“Okay, we’ll talk over breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight all,” Sydney said and walked off the porch, wiping the tear away that fell from her eye. Her heart filled with joy and acceptance, and an acknowledgement that her father did love her, he’d just made a stupid decision twent
y-three years ago. She closed the door and looked outside. Mom was between Jimmy and Matt. They were both hugging her and she was smiling wide with tears in her eyes. Nothing ever had looked so beautiful to Sydney before. Everything was going to work out just fine. She knew it.
Chapter 13
Ella was shaking but trying to act unaffected by the stares Bruno was giving her. He gave her a kiss and hug hello, holding her in his arms a few seconds longer than a friendly hello. Graham had looked pissed off, but she quickly went to his side and hugged his arm. That was thirty minutes ago. Now here they sat in some restaurant back room of the Bradford Saloon in Croton. She prayed no one saw her or recognized her. Hell, Ella prayed that no cops were watching these guys or knew they were all drug dealers. She was so screwed, but if she could keep Bruno away from Pearl and Fisher then maybe Sydney wouldn’t find out about any of this.
“So, these are four of my smaller dealers. They cover the towns and cities to Dallas and Austin. Then I have others in the cities of Austin and Dallas who handle just those areas. We’ve been expanding slowly elsewhere, but then it gets a little tricky. We’re interested in the larger supplies of drugs for our locations in Dallas and Austin. They went over the numbers to start with. And you’ve explained your price. When can we expect our first shipment?” Graham asked.
Ella looked at Graham’s associates. Diggs and Dexter looked like cowboys. Good-looking, muscular cowboys she would never expect to be running drugs. Scorpion, on the other hand, stood out. He had tattoos galore, a piercing in his nose and lip, and looked like one mean son of a bitch. He eyed her over several times just as Dexter and Diggs did. Graham even had her sit between Scorpion and Dexter earlier when he was talking specifics to Bruno and his guys. It was unnerving.
She tried not to listen to the details of this first transaction, a test run happening next week. She didn’t want to be any part of this and destroy her future and wind up in jail. She was getting antsy the more they talked. Especially when they argued a little over pricing. Graham was being extra assertive. She had noticed more and more of this aggressive, scary side of him, and she knew she needed to stop seeing him. She could start after this meeting. She was so busy thinking about how she was going to break things off with him she hadn’t heard why the argument started. One of Bruno’s guys was standing up and Scorpion was shoving him. It was a few moments of concern and she really felt sick, but Graham and Bruno got it under control. Or so she thought.
Sing Me a Song Page 17
