Changing Lanes (Bounty County Series Book 2)

by Maren Lee

  Chapter 9

  Lane pulled into the parking lot of the Sioux Lodge approximately twenty minutes late for her spa date with the girls. She hadn’t been able to get together with them since Chloe and Justin's wedding almost two months ago. Her caseload had kept her way to busy. Annnnnd, well. There’s Jake. She knew she was going to get shit as soon as she walked in the door, but if being late every day meant she got to spend thirty minutes in the shower with Jake like that every day - oh my hell - she’d make being late a habit. Be late every day? Yeah right. Lane laughed to herself. She was too anal retentive.

  She walked through The Lodge - the memory of her and Jake’s first night together all around her - and headed into the waiting area of the spa. The receptionist escorted her back to the salon area where Chloe, Sierra, and Molly sat. They had had spa shit smeared on their faces. She wouldn’t have recognized them if it wasn’t for Sierra’s inappropriate greeting.

  “Hey bitch! I was worried you might have forgotten!” Sierra stood to give her a hug, careful to keep her mask off of Lane’s clothes.

  Sierra could be a bit much at times, but she was the kind of girlfriend who would always there if Lane needed her. Chloe elbowed Sierra in the ribs, “Loud mouth. This is a fancy place, don’t be so fucking inappropriate.” Chloe leaned in to hug Lane as they all burst out in laughter.

  “Pffffft. This is fucking Montana. There’s no such thing as fancy here.” Lane laughed and took mental notes in Sierra Ramey’s Montana 101 course. I’m fancy as hell, though, Lane thought.

  Molly mumbled something that sounded like ‘hello’ and shook her foot to wave. She was in the middle of having the goopy shit put on her face.

  “Here.” Sierra handed Lane a glass of champagne. “Catch up. This is our second.”

  “Thanks,” Lane took a sip. “Where do I put my stuff?”

  “Behind the fancy saloon-like swinging doors.” Chloe pointed. “There’s a changing room back there. All of our stuff is in there too.”

  “See you in a minute.” Lane tried to hustle away quickly before she received any more flack, but wasn’t quite quick enough.

  Sierra shouted, “We’re now 25 minutes behind on gossip, so hurry your ass up!”

  Lane turned mid stride, flipped her off and then blew her a kiss.

  Her glass was empty by the time she returned. Molly was in the middle discussing the psychiatric practice she started in Imminence a few years ago and her new contract with the Bounty County Jail and Montana State Prison. Lane respected the hell out of Molly’s work and understood Molly’s position of wanting to help people in tough situations. Lane did the same thing as a defense attorney. She felt like they were kindred spirits.

  Lane reached for the bottle and filled her glass as the esthetician instructed her to lean back so she could get the goopy shit put on her face too. When she was done, they all went to the hot tub to soak their feet before their massages began.

  Sierra and Molly sat across from Chloe and Lane, making it so they could all see and speak to each other with their mud masks on. Lane felt like it was only a matter of time before the inquisition began.

  Sierra looked around between the four of them, “We heard what’s new with Molly, I’m up to date on Chloe…” Fuck, here it comes. “Lane, what’s new with you? The Thorngren murder eating up all your spare time?”

  Whew, work. She could talk a little about work. “Practically all of it. Just gettin’ my ducks in a row.” Lane blurted out. Breathe, Lane. You’re not being deposed here. “What’s new with you, Sierra?” Good deflecting.

  “You know, not much. Just quitting smoking for, like, the billionth time. And, as usual, all I want is a fucking cigarette to suck on while I talk to you guys.” She took a deep breath before she continued, “It’s like the worst. I feel like shit because I smoke. So I quit and then I get fat. And then I feel like shit because I’m fat. It’s a vicious fucking nicotine and carbohydrate fueled cycle!”

  Sierra clenched her fists.

  “I’m sorry I’m shouting. The first two weeks are a fucking cunt whore and I hate them. It’s day five and I still have eternity to go.”

  Jesus. Lane thanked God she never took up smoking, Sierra was a fucking mess.

  “Hey, cousin, take it easy.” Chloe said sweetly. “It’s okay to be irritable. We all know you are the nicest bitch around. We still love you.”

  “Just replace the cigarette cravings with masturbating,” Molly added. “It’s helped a ton of my clients quit.” Molly smiled and patted Sierra’s leg.

  “Oh hell, Molly. You fucking think I don’t know that?” Sierra tossed her head back and laughed. “I’ve been masturbating and fucking like crazy to keep my mind off of it! Brenden has started hiding from me! He hides!”

  All four of them burst out into laughter. Chloe was laughing so hard she clutched her stomach. Molly’s laughter was a bit more of the nervous variety. Lane was so glad to have found these girls.

  Lane wondered what it would be like to be so tightly wound that she craved constant fucking. The thought of Jake taking her in the kitchen and the shower this morning made her stomach flip and toes curl. Maybe she was that tightly wound. Mmmmmm.

  “Brenden loves the first couple days, but then after the third day, I’m too much for him. And as usual, I don’t usually take no for an answer. So I threaten to go elsewhere to get some - not seriously, of course, but enough to get him pissed - he gets pissed and steps up to the plate and handles business. It’s a vicious fucking cycle. Literally.” They all giggled.

  Brenden was the opposite of Sierra. Calm, collected, pretty quiet. They were the epitome of opposites attracting. Lane didn’t know how they made it work. But somehow they did.

  “Lane, I heard you and Connor split. What happened?” Molly asked.

  Oh, Jesus. Here we go. “We did. He had other interests. It’s for the best.” Simple answer. Keep it simple.

  “Lane.” Chloe gave her an inquisitive glare. Dammit. “Nobody says that about their ex when they get fucked over hard core like that. His ‘other interests’ were big tittied blondes! He’s a cowboy hat wearing fuck face and it makes me mad that he did that to you!” Chloe looked like she was about to cry on Lane’s behalf.

  “Chloe...hey... really, I’m fine. He is a cowboy hat wearing fuck face, I’ll give you that. But we weren’t that serious. So it’s fine. I’m better off, I promise.” Lane reassured her.

  Sierra looked between Chloe and Molly, then to Lane. “Honey, we all know you’ll be fine. We aren’t worried about you. But, and if I may be so bold to speak for these other two bitches who haven’t said anything yet but I can read their facial expressions, what are you doing, or should I say who are you doing to keep that thoroughly fucked, relaxed posture you’re holding over there? It’s not your usual.”

  Lane felt herself blush from head to toe. Damn pale skin. Always a dead giveaway!

  “I… uh...um.” She brought her glass to her mouth and downed the champagne. “You know…”

  “Oh for fuck’s sake, spit it out, girl.” Sierra demanded.

  Lane lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “It’s just Jake Ham-” She mumbled the rest of his name.

  “What?!” All three of them said at once. Loudly.

  “Shut up, really?” Chloe asked.

  Fuck it. “Yep. Really.” Lane nodded.

  “How? When?” Chloe looked mind blown.

  “It’s been a bit. Like-”

  “Guilty face!” Sierra pointed at her, “Even through that goop I can see your nonsense.”

  “I’m not guilty! We just made things, ‘exclusive’, this morning.”

  “Have you been fucking before said exclusivity was declared?” Molly wondered.

  Lane looked at her sheepishly. “Just once. In October.”

  Chloe covered her mouth as she gasped, “My wedding!?”

  “Guilty. It was right after I caught Connor. Jake found me in the bar. Made me feel better about it and made me forget it all.
So, lose-win-win, right?”

  They all nodded in agreement, though somewhat reluctantly

  “I’m not trying to be a downer here, but Jake is a man whore. Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sierra asked.

  Lane sighed. “No. I get it. I know his reputation. But we’re good. I’ve been given assurances and I believe him. If nothing else, Jake is honest. It’s all still really new so we're keeping things quiet while we figure it out. We have work conflicts we are going to have to deal with too. But since the wedding, neither of us have been with or wanted to be with anyone else. I tried to force him into just a friendship, but that was only making me want to fuck him more, so we said fuck it. All in.” Lane wasn’t going to offer any more explanation. She didn’t need anybody's approval. Chloe gave her a strange look. What’s that about?

  “Well then, I’m happy for you.” Sierra smiled genuinely, “I never thought I’d see the day when Jake Hamilton settled down. He is a good guy, though. One of the best. So I am ecstatic for you both. But Chloe, if you think women were pissy with you when Justin settled down, bitches are going to be upset” she emphasized each syllable “when they find out about Jake being off the market. Especially when they find out you don’t want to share.” Sierra put her glass out to cheers Lane.

  “How many women actually like to share though? Another woman would be a lot to handle.” Lane laughed while on the inside she was reeling. She’d heard the rumors about Jake. But it was not something she’d asked him about yet. She’d only called him out about his Slutty McSlutterson behavior and hadn’t gone into threesome specifics. How many had he’d been a part of?

  “We’re ready for two of you,” the masseuse called.

  “Come on.” Sierra hopped up and reached for Molly’s hand and the two of them followed the masseuse to the next room.

  ➰

  Lane and Chloe moved to the table and chairs just outside the massage studio.

  “You okay, Lane? You look upset.” Chloe set her full champagne glass down.

  “I’m all right. I’m just thinking.”

  “About what?” Chloe asked.

  “Honestly? Jake.” Lane closed her eyes and leaned her head back in the chair. “How many partners do you think he’s had? I mean none of the people I hang out with have slept with him, but there’s an entire city and county of people he knows.”

  Chloe took a deep breath, “Lane, it’s Jake. It’s no secret he's been in situations with lots of people. You can’t let that get to you. You know him. He’s a kind and honest man for the most part. If you trust him, I think you’re just going to have to let this part of his life go.”

  “What do you mean by ‘situations’ and lots of ‘people’? I know he’s had sex with lots of women. Men too? Does he do that?” Lane’s eyes opened wide. Shit. He made a comment about anal sex earlier this morning on the kitchen table with the whipped cream.

  “Lane? What? No. Calm down. I just meant I know he’s had threesomes - who knows! Maybe even orgys!” Lane gulped. Dear God, seriously? Chloe continued “...and guys could have been there. But I've never heard of him fucking another guy.”

  “Oh hell, thank God. I mean I’m not judging him if he has. To each his own. I just don't think I could be with multiple partners. Man or woman. And if that’s what he’s into, I just don’t think I can give him that.”

  “You’d be surprised what you’d actually be able to do if you were open to it.” Chloe stood and walked to the table to grab a water bottle.

  Interesting remark.

  “You not feeling the champagne today?” Lane asked as she took another sip of hers.

  “Nah, haven’t been lately.” Chloe gave her a sheepish smile.

  “Why not? Are you sick or something? That's not-, wait, are you pregnant?!” Lane asked much too loudly.

  “Shhhh.” Chloe laughed. “I haven’t told anyone yet, not even Sierra. I was going to tell you all when we were soaking our feet, but the masseuse interrupted.”

  “Holy shit! That is so exciting! Congratulations!” Lane whispered with enthusiasm and hugged her friend.

  “Thank you. We’re pretty excited. Justin is being a total caveman though. He's so reluctant to let me out of his sight now. He has to make sure I’m okay at all times. Anything I want, he gets it. Anything I ask, he does it.”

  “Hell yeah. Work it Chloe.”

  “Oh I am, believe me.” She giggled.

  “So, how do you feel? How far along are you?” Lane found herself fascinated with the details.

  “I feel tired, hungry, horny, and my tits are so sensitive. I want to scream any time he touches them. At least I finally stopped puking every five minutes.”

  “How far along are you?” Lane asked.

  “Just passed about 13 weeks. We found out right after the wedding.”

  Pregnancy sounded like a workout. So much going on all at once. Lane knew she would be a hot mess. Thank God it’s not me. Lane started to do the math to figure out Chloe’s due date, but she lost track when she thought of Chloe’s earlier comment.

  “Chloe, what did you mean earlier when you said that I would be able to do more if I was open to it?”

  “Nothing really. Just sometimes people do things they never thought or imagined they could do.”

  “You mean sexually?” Lane asked.

  “Yeah. Sure.” Chloe nodded her head.

  “I guess I’ve never been super adventurous.” Lane paused. “Have you ever done anything out of the norm sexually, Chloe?”

  Chloe hesitated before answering, “Once.”

  Holy shit. “With Justin?”

  Chloe looked away from her for a moment and then back, “Yeah. We had a threesome one time.”

  “No fucking way! Really? Who was she? Do I know her?”

  “Lane, it wasn’t another girl.”

  Something in the way Chloe said it made Lane’s stomach drop. Jake. Fuck.

  “Oh. My. God. That’s why you said that. You’ve been with Jake?!” She felt the urge to scream and cry in the same moment. “Are you fucking joking?!” she yelled. Get a hold of yourself, Lane.

  “Before you get upset, Lane, please just listen. It wasn’t something that was planned and I swear to you on our friendship that there were no feelings there and there still are none. It was right after you and I talked and you said there was no fucking chance you would ever let Jake touch you. If I had known you had feelings for him, I would have stopped it. I swear, Lane!”

  Lane was pissed. She didn’t think she was mad at Chloe. She was jealous. And angry at Jake for not telling her and making her look like an idiot in front of her friend. It would have been a nice detail to have known so as not to get caught off guard like this. Like you would have taken it any better coming from him.

  “Chloe, I just...I honestly don’t know what to say. Jake should have told me.”

  “Lane, Jake swore to Justin and me he wouldn’t tell anyone, ever. And I’m glad he’s kept that promise. It’s not something we tell people. You are literally the only person to know outside the three of us. That’s it. Please don’t be mad at him for respecting our wishes. Please?”

  Lane nodded her head. She was going to talk to Jake about it, though. That was for damn sure.

  “Ladies, we’re ready for you,” the next masseuse shouted.

  Thank, God. Lane wasn’t in the mood to talk anymore. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to relax ever again.

  ➰

  “Relax. You’re very tense. I can feel it in your shoulders,” the masseuse told Lane as she dug her fingers into her neck. No shit, lady. Like she didn’t know she was tense. There would be no relaxation now that she knew she’d have to confront Jake about a damned threesome with her best friend! Ugh! How on earth was she ever supposed to have a meaningful interaction with Jake now, knowing that he’d been with her best friend and her husband? Lane was on the verge of another panic attack. She felt nauseous.

  Thankfully the Enya and the essential oils were keeping thi
ngs from getting too out of hand. Lane reminded herself to breathe. Inhale. One, two, three, four, five. Hold. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Exhale. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

  After a few reps, the need to puke passed and Lane felt herself relax more into the massage. But the quiet relaxation just made her think more and more about Jake. Could she handle this? Jake came with a reputation. Lane knew that. She’d already threw it in his face on several occasions. But this time it felt more...damaging. It was her best friend. Fuck, Justin was Jake’s best friend.