“Looks like something’s going on,” Jack said, easing off the gas.
Even in the dark, she could see the smoke pouring out from somewhere up ahead. She rolled the window down and was assaulted by the acrid smell of burning wood and plastic. Up ahead, she could see a police barricade across the road. The fog of the smoke made the red and blue lights appear eerie, and Jack slowed down the car.
Abby got a horrible feeling in her gut.
“Stop, Sam. Something’s wrong.” Abby pushed him away.
The minute the Jeep rolled to a stop in front of the barricade, she opened the door.
Sam called out behind her, but she ran toward the lights. The rest of her neighbors were out of their homes, clutching robes around their necks and passing coffee around. She ran past them because it was obvious now where the fire was.
She hit the police line just in time to watch the volunteer fire department putting out the last of her mother’s smoldering home. Fire had gutted the small trailer, and there was almost nothing left.
A cry came from her mouth. It hadn’t been much, but she’d grown up in that trailer. Pure panic raced through her. What time was it? Bingo ended early in the evening. She looked around wildly for her mother. Had she been in the trailer?
Sam’s firm hands came around her, holding her. He pointed to a spot a few feet away. “Baby, your mother is right there, talking to the fire chief.”
Real physical relief flooded her body when she caught sight of her mother shakily talking to the fire chief. Her mother’s eyes were swollen from crying, and she could see the strain on her face. Her mom looked up and held out her arms as she saw Abby walking toward her.
Sam let Abby go, and she ran the last few feet into her mother’s arms.
“What happened?” Abby hugged her frail body. It struck her exactly how much her recent illness had taken out of her mother.
“I don’t know.” Her mom’s voice was shaky. “It was already on fire when I got here. Juan and his wife kindly took me out for a late cup of coffee at the café. Oh, Abby, if they hadn’t…”
The fire chief, who Abby remembered was named Eric Thompson, looked on the women with compassion. “Hello, Abigail. I’m sorry about this. Obviously, it’s a total loss. Mrs. Moore, do you have insurance?”
Abby heard her mother’s quiet no. She felt tears start to fall. Everything her mother had was in that trailer. It was all gone now. She shook at the thought of having to start all over again at her mother’s age.
“The Red Cross has a shelter in Tyler that can take you in,” Eric said.
“Don’t worry about the Moore women.” Jack strode up, his shoulders broad against the lights from the fire truck. “I’ll take care of them. You want to explain to me what happened here?”
The fire chief looked relieved at having an unemotional man to talk to. While Jack dealt with the realities of the situation, Abby felt Sam’s presence at her back. His hands found their way around her waist.
“It’s going to be all right,” Sam promised. “Jack will take care of the formalities. Let him take care of you. It’s what he does. Don’t worry about a thing. This setback just moves up our plans.”
Her mother looked up at Sam. “What plans?”
Sam smiled down. He released Abby’s waist and reached out to take her mother’s hands in his. Abby was grateful for his abundance of charm because Sam was able to calm her mother down. “Abby agreed to marry Jack tonight. She’s moving in with us, and we’re moving you into the guest house. Now, we were planning on doing that before we found out about this fire, so don’t you worry about it. You’ll have everything you need, Mrs. Moore. We’re going to make sure of it. I know we can’t replace pictures or memories, but don’t you worry a bit that you won’t have a roof over your head. You have a home with your daughter. We will always take care of her and the people she loves.”
“You’re a good man, Sam Fleetwood.” Her mother sniffled into a tissue. “I would be very proud to stay in the guest house.”
Jack walked back over, his expression grim. “They think it was faulty wiring. We won’t know for certain until the report is finished. It could be a week or so.” Jack cupped Abby’s face in his hands. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
She nodded and threw her arms around Jack’s waist, loving his quiet strength. She would always be able to depend on him. “I’m fine. Can we go home now?”
He kissed the top of her head, and Sam began to help her mom toward the Jeep. “Yes, there’s nothing we can do here. Let’s get you home and get your mama settled in. It’s going to be all right, Abigail.”
She nodded, even though she wasn’t so sure of that. Faulty wiring seemed too coincidental. She had a feeling there was nothing accidental about her mother’s home burning to the ground.
She allowed Jack to slowly walk her toward the car, hoping all along that she was wrong.
* * * *
The next morning dawned and with it a quiet sense that, even though something terrible had happened, all was finally right with her world. Abby woke up warm and safe in bed.
The previous night, Jack had done his thing and before Sam had even gotten them all home, had made arrangements for a nurse to join Diane full time until she was completely done with therapy. Abby had been able to go to sleep knowing her mother was safe and well taken care of. She’d fallen asleep with her head on Jack’s chest and Sam pressed against her back.
Sometime in the night, she came to the conclusion that she was being crazy. No one would go so far as to torch her childhood home. That would be the work of an insane person. It had to be coincidence. Or maybe, she thought as she woke up cuddled between two gorgeous men, it was just fate.
After hopping over to check in on her mom, Abby joined her fiancés for breakfast in the dining room. There was a small breakfast table in the kitchen, but Jack had been explicit in his instructions. They would use the large dining room. She wasn’t sure why they went so formal for breakfast when she was dressed in one of Sam’s shirts and his robe, but she went with it.
“How is your mom?” Jack asked as she walked in.
Abby walked over and kissed him soundly. “She’s great, thanks to you.” She walked around the table to Sam. “And you.”
After giving him a kiss, she took her seat and a small, older woman walked in carrying a pot of coffee, a ready smile on her face.
“Abigail,” Jack began, “this is our housekeeper, Benita Wells. You would have met her earlier if you hadn’t stolen my truck and run away.”
Abby wrinkled her nose in dismay at Jack before turning to the sixty-something woman with steel gray hair and kind eyes. She shook her head indulgently at the men, and Abby got the feeling Benita viewed herself as a mother figure.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wells,” Abby said.
“Call me Benita, and it’s good to meet you as well.” Benita smoothed down her white apron. “My husband works as the foreman here on the ranch. We live in a small house out beyond the swimming pool. I think you’re going to love it here. I’ve waited a very long time for these two to bring me a lovely woman to work with. I can’t wait to show you around. It’s a beautiful place, though it needs a woman’s touch.”
Sam was busy shoveling scrambled eggs on his plate. “Benita has been bugging us to redecorate for years.”
Benita shook her head sadly as she gestured to the room around her. “I remember the seventies. They should go away.”
Jack winked at his housekeeper. “I’ll call a decorator. Abigail, I’m sure, will get busy shoving the age of disco right out of this house.”
A light gleamed in Benita’s eyes. “We should also discuss updating the kitchen. Much progress has been made in appliances in the last forty years. Were you aware, Miss Abigail, that they now have machines that wash dishes?”
She schooled herself to look properly impressed. Bringing this place into the modern age would be fun, and it looked like Benita was going to be an excellent design partn
er. “I had not heard. We should look into that.”
Benita nodded and walked to the door that led to the kitchen. “Excellent. I’m off, then. I have some grocery shopping to do. I sent some muffins and coffee over to the guest house and asked Mrs. Moore to join us for lunch at twelve-thirty. I’ll lock up as I leave.”
“Set the alarm as well.” Jack took a sip of his coffee. “Thank you.”
Abby poured herself some coffee and decided she might be able to get used to the idea of having a housekeeper. It was rather nice to have breakfast she hadn’t prepared for herself. She did have a few questions though.
“Why are we turning on the alarm in the middle of the day? And why are all the blinds closed?”
The overhead light was on, but outside was a bright, beautiful day. She’d been happy with the gorgeous blue sky overhead as she walked the short distance from the big house to her mother’s place. It was a perfect fall day in Texas. In the distance, she’d been able to see the hands already hard at work. The ranch was bustling and full of life.
“I thought you would prefer the privacy, sweetheart,” Jack murmured. “I know I don’t particularly want my employees to see my future wife naked. Take off the clothes, Abigail.”
She looked between Jack and Sam, but neither gave any appearance that Jack had been joking. Sam was contentedly eating his breakfast and watching her with pointed fascination. Jack’s long fingers drummed against the table, a sure sign of his burgeoning impatience.
“Abigail, when I give you a direct order, I expect you to comply.”
“You said you were only really in charge in the bedroom.” Abby repeated his words from the previous night. She was a little shocked at the idea, but it wasn’t offending her, per se. The idea of eating breakfast in the buff hadn’t occurred to her before.
Jack put down his coffee, and the paper beside him was forgotten. “Then let me rephrase. I’m in charge of our private life. When we’re alone, I want you naked. I’ve done everything I can to ensure our privacy, and now I expect you to keep the promise you made to me last night.”
“He’s serious,” Sam offered with a sigh. “You should really drop the clothes or he’ll take them off you himself.”
It wasn’t anything they hadn’t seen before and he really had made sure they were totally alone. She decided to go with it. In for a penny…in for a whole lot of naked. Her hands went to the tie of the robe, easily shrugging out of it. “I wonder how this is going to work when I’m eighty.”
Jack looked at her with a very serious expression on his face. “Maybe you should think about this. I know we’re demanding a lot from you. You need to understand this isn’t some phase that’s going to pass for me. When you’re eighty, I will still think you’re beautiful. I will still consider your body mine, and I will still want you naked.”
Abby pulled the shirt over her head and blinked back tears. She wondered if he knew he’d said the precise thing to make her comfortable. For a man who didn’t talk a lot, he always knew what to say to her. She sat back in her chair, enjoying the way both men’s eyes had gone slightly glassy at the sight of her naked body.
“So when we’re alone at night watching television or I’m reading a book…?”
“I’ll want you naked and cuddled up with me.” Jack leaned forward, touching his hand to hers. “We’ll sit on the couch and you’ll be between me and Sam.”
Sam had his chin propped on his hand, watching her with a happy grin. “You’re better than TV. I think you’re really pretty naked.”
“Why, Samuel Fleetwood,” she teased, “I had no idea you were attracted to me.”
“Besides the fact that I practically humped your leg the first time I saw you?” Sam teased right back. “I’ll have to be less subtle.”
“Not this morning you won’t.” Jack pushed his chair back slightly. “Come here, Abigail.”
She got out of her chair and realized she was already getting aroused. Just being naked and having their eyes on her got her hot. She wondered when she would get used to them. She hoped never. Jack patted his lap. Abby sat down obligingly, and Jack’s arm went around her waist securely, holding her to him. He offered her a warm blueberry muffin, which she took gratefully. He then proceeded to go back to reading his paper. It was all Abby could do not to laugh. Most men didn’t peruse the paper while naked women ate breakfast in their laps. But it didn’t seem to bother Jack in the least.
“The organic alfalfa we ordered is coming in today.” Jack continued to read as he spoke to Sam. As far as she could tell, it was some article on business.
“Good thing, too,” Sam replied, and then they were off on a discussion of all the work coming up later in the year.
She quickly learned that there were a whole bunch of cows having calves this spring. She didn’t inject herself into the conversation, preferring to listen to the two men talk. Their easy manner with each other was obviously the result of a long, intimate friendship.
After she was satisfied with her breakfast, she let her head rest against Jack’s shoulder and her hands play on his well-muscled chest. Her mind started to wander in a way it hadn’t for a long while. She suspected she’d stopped daydreaming because her life had been filled with too many responsibilities and she’d had no one to share the burdens with. It had not led to hours of fanciful thoughts. It was pleasant to rediscover the joy of imagination.
She let her thoughts go where they wanted. Ideas about what she’d like to do with the house played around in her head. Mid-century modern or farmhouse chic? So many choices. She would be considerate, of course. It was obvious any money Jack and Sam made probably went back into the business, but she had a little put away, too. It would be nice to have new furniture to cuddle on. Fabric would be cozier, but she should probably go with leather given the nakedness to which she was supposed to aspire. Sure she might stick to it from time to time, but it was so much easier to keep clean.
Her eyes closed as visions of the future played out like a movie. They would snuggle on the couch, and then Jack would look down and kiss her. Sam would have to get in on that. His hands were always restless, and they would move over her, stroking her until she was crazy for them. She would spread herself out so they didn’t miss an inch of what belonged to them. It was all right because the belonging went both ways. Jack would growl low in his throat right before he pounced…
“Is she asleep?” Sam’s voice poked through her reverie.
She felt Jack laugh deep in his chest. “I think she’s dozing. Apparently, our in-depth discussion of calving has made her sleepy.”
“Was just thinking,” she murmured.
“About what?” Jack’s voice took on a low, sexy timbre that made Abby suspect he knew what she’d been thinking.
“You and Sam.”
Jack’s hand moved on her thigh, slowly climbing up. “Spread your legs.” Without thinking, she complied. Jack’s fingers met her warm honey and started to part her gently, stroking in and out. “What exactly were you thinking about us? Whatever it was, it seems to have inspired you. Should I take care of this?”
* * * *
Jack watched his fingers slip in and out of her pussy. She was slippery wet, and he wondered exactly what fantasies had been playing out in her head while he discussed feed schedules with Sam. His cock strained against the fly of his jeans when a fresh coat of arousal coated his fingers.
“Please.” Abigail wiggled against him a little. He was playing with her, and she obviously wanted more.
“Up,” Jack demanded, putting her off his lap. He tore open his pants and shoved them down to let his cock free. He pulled it out and stroked it up and down, moving from the thick base to the bulbous purple crown.
She licked her lips as she watched him. The hot look in her eyes made him all the harder.
“Sweetheart, I don’t have a condom. I can have Sam go get one, but I’d rather not have anything between us.” She was so hot and tight around him. It would be heaven to ride her bar
eback. He was a careful man and never took a woman without a condom, but Abigail was different. “I had a physical a month ago. I haven’t been with anyone but you since. Are you on the pill?”
“Shots.” Her voice was breathless to Jack’s ears. “I take a shot every three months. We’re safe.”
Jack gestured her to come back. “Straddle me.”
She climbed on, placing her legs on either side of his hips. Her knees wouldn’t fit on the narrow chair, so Jack used his strength to lift her onto his cock. He kept his head down, watching as his cock sank into the warmth of her pussy. He moved slowly, working his way in, finally allowing gravity to seat him as she moaned and leaned into him.
Jack held her there, enjoying the depth of their connection. His hands stroked up her waist and then cupped her breasts. Her skin was silky and soft. He gently rolled her taut nipples between his thumb and forefinger before leaning over and licking the tight tip. She gasped and slanted back. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she ground herself down on him. He stopped what he was doing. It was time for some discipline.
“Be still,” he demanded.
He brought his hand firmly down on her ass. She tensed slightly and then sighed. When she obeyed, he went back to teasing her nipples.
“I want to come.” She was protesting, but she didn’t move.
“You will, but not until I’m through with you. I want to play for a bit, and you’re going to be a very good girl and let me, aren’t you?”
“The answer is yes, Abby.” Sam’s grin was wicked as he moved his chair so he would have a better view.
“Yes.” Abigail gave him the answer he wanted.
He gently bit down on her nipple and then laved it soothingly with his tongue. All the while he filled her. His cock throbbed inside her, begging to be let loose, but he had rigid control.
He sucked her nipple deeply into his mouth. Abigail moaned. She was being an awfully good girl. It made it fun to play with her, but he could tell she was reaching the limit of her control. Finally, when it seemed like she might go crazy, he leaned back.
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