by Eileen Green
Turning, he came face to face with Patti, who was wearing pink scrubs, her stethoscope hanging around her neck. As usual, her dark hair with its contrasting white streaks was pulled back in a ponytail. For a brief moment he wondered what she looked like with her hair down.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking past him at the empty room.
“Where’s Gwen?” Andrew asked trying to control the panic lacing his voice.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Jake must not have gotten a hold of you.” Patti took his arm and directed him out of the room. “We moved her to a regular room. Doctor Anderson said she was well enough to leave intensive care so she is on the third floor.”
Andrew hated that his emotions were so exposed as he released the breath he had been holding. He felt the muscles he had let tighten in his shoulders and neck loosen as he nearly swayed with relief. “Thank God,” he murmured under his breath. Then, catching himself, he cleared his throat. “Thank you, Patti.”
A chuckle emerged from the woman before she caught herself. “Boy, you have it bad, don’t you?”
Eyebrows knitting together in confusion, he asked, “What do you mean?”
A giggle this time emanated from Patti as she turned and walked down the hall. Andrew contemplated the woman’s words and actions as he watched her disappear into a different room, the door closing behind her. If it was what he thought she meant, yes, he did have it bad.
Heading for the elevator, Andrew was aware of the looks he was garnishing from the female staff. It was always the same thing whenever he and Jake roamed the halls of the hospital. Not only did they wear a uniform which seemed to be a big turn-on for women, but both of them were handsome and muscular. Before Gwen came along, they would date, but when they found that the woman was only interested in them for their looks, they were gone before she knew it.
Actually, it had been nearly ten months since their last date. They had been lucky. They had been out on the first date with the woman at the Tipsy Tavern. Andrew was dancing with her while Jake was waiting at the table for their return. Two of their off-duty police officer friends who had been sitting across the room when the threesome had arrived made their way over to the table. They had noticed the woman and wanted to let Jake know that she only went out with men in uniform and that she had a history of being a stalker. Policemen, firemen, paramedics, and even park rangers had issues with the woman.
Jake hadn’t said anything to Andrew while they were out that night. He had waited until they had dropped the lady off at home and listened to her whine about not even getting a kiss at the door and were on their way home. Andrew had been a bit angry at Jake’s quick dismissal of the woman, which had caused a rift between the two for a few weeks, even after Jake had explained the situation. Their work relationship suffered during that period to the point their commander nearly separated the two.
Then, one day Andrew was at the bank and noticed that same woman openly hitting on the security guard there and realized the truth. It was difficult to swallow his pride and apologize to his partner, but after he had done it, the two sat down and discussed what they wanted in a woman and out of a relationship. Oddly enough, they had decided to wait before dating again, concentrating on work, and believing that if the right woman came along they would know it. She appeared in the form of a near-frozen woman they picked up on a mountainside after a gunfight with a madman.
The minute they caught sight of her beautiful face and curvaceous body as they helped pull her out of the loggers’ shed, they both knew she was the one they were waiting for. They worried that she might not make it through her ordeal but when she did, they began slowly to woo her. Flowers were taken to her room every day during her recovery, to her and her daughter’s surprise. Gwen tried hard to dissuade them from pursuing her but neither of them of gave up.
Once she was released from the hospital, they continued to visit with her though once she went back to work, it was difficult between their schedule and hers. It had been a week since they had been able to visit her before this most recent accident as she had been putting in extra hours at work to help cover for one of the bookkeepers who was on her honeymoon.
Now, the two men were stronger than ever in their friendship and they would do everything they possibly could to bring Gwen into the triad they wished for. Andrew was confident for the first time in a relationship and he felt as if he may have done some growing in the past few days. Now, they needed to keep Gwen safe and happy and hopefully everything would fall into place.
Stepping from the elevator, Andrew noticed some familiar faces sitting in the waiting room. Anita jumped up as soon as she saw him and rushed over, her three men following behind her. “Hello, Andrew. How is she?”
“She’s doing better. We went through some scary moments, but the cardiologist said things are looking better. I went out to run some errands and came back to find they had moved her to another room,” he said as he hugged the woman who had become Gwen’s friend. “She’ll be happy to see you.”
Releasing Anita, he turned to shake hands with Dave, Kevin, and James before turning to the others of the group. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember the name of the woman that stood with the three other men from the Circle G.
As if she knew what was going through his mind, the petite woman with the long blonde hair stepped forward and offered her hand. “I know that both nights we met it was pretty hectic. I’m Lyndee Dwyer,” she said as he shook it. “And, I think you know my men, Storm, Trey, and Austin.”
“It’s nice to put a name to the face, Lyndee. And, yes, I remember.” Turning toward the three, he shook hands with them. “Thank you for coming to visit Gwen. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see all of you.”
“Can I ask what happened?” Anita asked as she slipped her hand into the crook of Andrew’s left elbow leading him to one of the chairs.
Sitting, he watched the others gather round them. He explained the comical errors that had taken place up until Gwen locked her keys in the car and started walking.
“I’m sorry she had to go through that. I think we need to make her some extra keys for her and put one on the car somewhere she can find it. Also, perhaps, keep an extra set in her purse,” Storm said. “Have you picked up her car yet?”
“No. We haven’t left here long enough to do that,” Andrew said quietly. “She was just released from ICU.”
“We’ll have Brian Hawthorne meet us at her car. He’ll be able to get into her car and then we’ll have it towed to her house,” Trey said, digging his phone out of the sheriff’s uniform shirt he wore. “I didn’t bring my pickup with me this morning. Give me Gwen’s address and we’ll deliver it for you.”
Sheepishly, he looked around at the group of people that he knew would become their friends. “I’d rather it be taken to my house. Gwen’s not going home by herself. She has too much recuperating to do and we don’t want her to go back to work before she should, like this last time.”
“What?” several people said in unison.
“You mean she wasn’t cleared to go back to work?” Anita asked in astonishment.
Nodding, he looked at the beautiful woman before him. She was so different from the shy woman he had met two months ago. Confidence exuded from her. “Gwen convinced Dr. Anderson to release her before she should’ve been because she said she had to work. That’s not going to be happening this time.”
“Well, we came here to visit and to offer a position with a project we are setting up. She refused to go back to the logging office even though Virgil no longer is around. Now, we have a position that she shouldn’t be able to refuse.” As Anita explained what they were there for, the men and Lyndee all agreed with her.
Andrew was unsure of letting Gwen go back to work at all even after she was released to full duty. Again, as if Lyndee was reading his mind, she spoke softly. “Actually, in the beginning, she’ll be able to work from home. Why don’t we go talk to her about it so you can listen to our proposal at
the same time?”
“Is Jake with her?” Anita asked as she stood, holding her hand out to him.
Standing, he looked at the three men that stood behind her and swallowed hard. “As far as I know he is. We’ve been trying not to leave her alone.”
Enthusiastically Anita took his hand and headed down the hall, leaving her men and the other foursome to follow behind them. Thankfully Jake exited the door to one of the rooms, for in his rush to make sure Gwen was all right, Andrew had forgotten to get the room number.
Surprise registered on the blond’s face as he saw the entourage that was with Andrew. “What’s up?”
“I went to the other room but found out Gwen had been moved. On my way here I found these nice people here to visit our lady. Anita here thinks they have a way of giving Gwen a job and keep her safe from harm.”
Anita let go of Andrew’s hand and hugged Jake in greeting. As she pulled away, she glanced back at her three men. “You remember Dave, James, and Kevin, don’t you?”
“Sure.” Jake smiled, reaching out to shake each one of their hands. Then he turned to Lyndee and her three men, shaking hands with each of them. “Nice to see you all again. Come in. I was just going to get Gwen something to drink. She was wanting something besides water. Would you guys like to go with me to the cafeteria while the ladies have some alone time?”
“That sounds great,” Dave said before leaning over and kissing Anita on the cheek. James and Kevin followed suit as Lyndee’s men did the same to her.
Andrew joined in the group even though he would have preferred to go see Gwen. He knew this would be a good time to talk to other men who were in a polyamorous relationship. They started for the elevator and he noticed that every female eye was on all of them. They must have made a formidable buffet of eye candy.
* * * *
Gwen heard voices in the hall outside her door after Jake had exited. She had really hoped for some quiet time without either man near her, for they were driving her stir crazy. Straight thoughts vanished from her while they were around. She knew she was falling for them harder and harder with each passing minute which was going to make it more difficult when the time came to move away.
The door opened and instead of Jake or Andrew entering, she was surprised to see Anita and Lyndee enter. Embarrassment enveloped her as she saw the stunning women before her. She knew her hair was a matted mess from not being able to shower and even though she had sponge baths given to her by the nurses, she was afraid she still smelled dirty.
Lyndee and Anita both looked beautiful in their blue jeans, their hair clean and nicely brushed and put back. Lyndee wore a purple sweater while Anita wore a light-green button-up shirt with a darker green down vest over it. They both wore cowboy boots. Minimum makeup was worn by both women, as their natural beauty shone through.
“Hi, Gwen. How are you feeling?” Anita asked, stepping toward the left side of the bed. Lyndee stepped to the right.
“I’ve been better,” Gwen quipped as she tried to push her hair behind her right ear.
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to be embarrassed. I’ve been where you are and we all understand when you don’t feel your best.” Anita was smiling and it looked genuine to Gwen.
Looking at Lyndee, she found the same genuine smile and compassion in her also. “Believe me,” the petite blonde said, “we’ve all been at our worst one time or another in front of our men and others. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. If the men weren’t here to support you then that’s when you should worry.”
“It looks like those two have really taken a shine to you. They are worried about you.” Anita pulled up the chair close to the bed as she spoke.
“But I don’t want them to be.” Gwen sighed.
Lyndee pulled up the other chair and sat, a worried look on her face. “What do you mean? You don’t like them?”
Gwen could feel the blush rising on her chest and neck. She knew her face would be next and she hated the feeling. “I like them but I am not intending to stay around here. When Heather graduates I will be moving away. Some place warm. I can’t take the cold anymore.”
“Answer me this, Gwen. Is it the area you don’t like anymore, or is the predicaments you have been in the last couple of months?”
Looking at Lyndee as she asked the question, she wasn’t sure. This was her home. She had been born and raised here. This was the only place her daughter knew as home until she went over to Helena to go to college. Yes, the memories hadn’t been all that great, but it was home. Truthfully, she would miss it.
Could she overlook the bad that had happened to her and take a chance at making a decent future for herself? She knew that it was possible that Heather would move away once she graduated, that she wouldn’t want to come home to live. Was it possible that she was more afraid of being alone than of the trials she had already faced?
The realization was like a slap to the face.
“Gwen, are you all right?” Lyndee said, taking her hand in hers.
Tears filled her eyes as her thoughts processed in her head. Nodding, she was afraid to speak. It was too early to declare any feelings for Jake and Andrew especially when she hadn’t said anything to the two of them yet.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, then sighed. “I’m so confused.”
Anita took her other hand in hers and spoke quietly. “I know this can be overwhelming for you. It was for me not too long ago. I had no idea what to think when those three men of mine started being friendly. I had just lost Craig and all of a sudden they were there for me. I knew they were interested in me but I fought them. I was confused but they slowly showed me that they loved me and I finally gave in. In fact, it was while I was in the hospital that I realized that I loved them.”
“It’s a hard thing to deal with at first,” Lyndee said, her hand stroking Gwen’s. “It was hard for me to believe that three men wanted me at the same time, but my biggest problem was that I lived in Denver at the time. I didn’t want to leave my home or my job, but I realized that I didn’t want to leave the men that I had fallen in love with. So, here I am.”
“Is it being with two men that frightens you?” Anita asked.
Shaking her head negatively, she didn’t want to admit that she couldn’t live with the cold weather. She could see how strong these two women were, especially Lyndee. She was such a tiny thing but she was a federal agent. She had gone up against a maniac who wanted to rape her and kill her. Anita had stood up against Virgil when he had tried to kill her along with herself and James. A shiver ran through her at the thought of that night.
Perhaps it was time she become the woman she had tried to be for the past nineteen years. These two ladies before her were younger than her but more woman than she was.
The tears spilled at the realization and she hung her head in shame. Anita stood and sat on the bed next to her, putting her arm around her shoulders. “Oh, sweetie. It’s okay. We didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“It’s not that,” Gwen seemed to blubber. “I’m not woman enough for them.”
“What do you mean?” Lyndee asked.
“I…you see…you know…” She wasn’t sure where to start. Pulling her hand from Lyndee’s, she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Anita said, “but it helps to talk about it. Lyndee and I have both learned that.”
Lyndee spoke gently from her chair. “We are both seeing someone to help us with our pasts. I have post-traumatic stress disorder. I was undercover for a long time and seen a lot of things I wish I hadn’t, but I finally learned I had to confront the past so I could move on to the future.”
“I had to seek help also after Craig’s death. I mourned for him, but not enough to help me get past it. Even after I had my men, I had to get help otherwise I was going to ruin what I had with them,” Anita explained, patting her on her shoulder. “Perhaps if you talk about whatever the problem is, it’ll help.”
/> Pulling her hands away from her face, she looked first to Lyndee’s kind face, then to Anita’s concerned one. Would they laugh at her or would they understand? Realizing they were probably right, she nodded her understanding.
“I have a twenty-year-old daughter.” Gasps from both women sounded at the announcement. “There was this boy I liked when I was fourteen. He convinced me he loved me so we went under the bleachers during a football game and I let him make love to me. He didn’t call me at all that weekend and when I approached him on that Monday, he laughed at me and told me he didn’t like me, that he had only said he did to fuck me. I was so humiliated. Then two months later, I was getting sick every morning before school and went to the doctor only to find out I was pregnant. I didn’t say anything to my parents until it was too late because I knew they would make me have an abortion. When I told them, they kicked me out of the house.”
“Oh, my God, sweetie,” Anita said sadly. “You were only fourteen?”
“Fifteen by then,” Gwen said with a sniffle. “I looked older than I really was so I convinced a man to give me a job in a fast food restaurant. I worked there in the evenings while still going to school. I wore baggy clothes to hide that I was pregnant until summertime, then I had two months left. I would be able to have the baby and then go back to school. I was afraid to go for help because I thought they would take the baby away so I stayed by myself. I slept in alleys in cardboard boxes. I was lucky that I had a job in a restaurant so that gave me something to eat at least once a day.
“Right before I had Heather, the owner of the restaurant found out what was going on. I thought he was going to fire me but instead he told me he had a camping trailer he didn’t use very often and that I could use it if I wanted to. I would need to find a place to park it and pay for the space but it would work for the time being. I had saved some money and he helped me get a spot at the RV Park and to get an old car to get around in.”
“God, I had no idea,” Anita said softly. “You’ve had it rough, haven’t you?”
