Buzz

by Munro, Shelley

  “Sebastian,” his mother said, inclining her head.

  This time it was Wayne who froze. It was about time his mother started treating Sebastian better. Honestly, sometimes she carried on like a queen graciously giving a poor man an audience. Wayne needed to set her straight, although it was something he wasn’t looking forward to.

  “Where’s Dad?” Wayne carried a present the three of them had picked out a few days earlier.

  “He’s holding court out the back. Put the present in the front room. He’s going to open them later this afternoon. Come with me. I want to introduce Jen to the rest of the family.”

  “I’ll take it,” Sebastian said, his tone lacking any sort of emotion.

  When Sebastian went to take the present off him, Wayne swung his arm around Sebastian’s shoulder in a swift, reassuring hug. Their gazes clashed and Sebastian gave a faint nod.

  “What are you doing hugging Sebastian?” one of his aunts asked, walking up behind them. “Anyone would think that you’re gay.”

  Sebastian froze. He glared at Wayne’s aunt but to Wayne’s relief didn’t say anything. The last thing they needed today was a shouting match.

  “There’s nothing wrong with gay,” Jen said.

  Oh hell. Wayne waited for the fallout.

  “It’s not right,” his aunt said, scowling. “It’s against God’s laws.”

  Jen pressed her lips together.

  “I’ll see you later,” Sebastian said and made his escape.

  Wayne wished he could do the same. With his hand in the curve of Jen’s back, he ushered her after his mother. Gay discussion diverted. For now at least.

  “Gerrard.” Jen came to an abrupt halt.

  Immediately the tension ramped up inside Wayne again. He’d tried to contact Gerrard for the last week, but he’d been away in Taupo with Stan and Justin. Heck, his mother had said Gerrard wasn’t going to be here today, and she hadn’t been happy about it. Obviously, she’d managed to change Gerrard’s mind. Either that or guilt him to death. Wayne was betting on the latter.

  “Wayne.” Gerrard glowered at Jen. “I need to talk to you.”

  “Later,” Wayne said. “Mum wants to introduce Jen around.”

  “It’s important,” Gerrard said, following them outside. He came to an abrupt halt and almost caused a human pileup behind him. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Aw, hell,” Wayne muttered.

  Jen squeezed his arm. “Sebastian said—”

  “I know what Sebastian friggin’ said,” Wayne snapped. “Fuck,” he breathed. “Sorry. Go and stand with Sebastian. I’ll head off Gerrard before he does anything stupid.”

  “Sebastian and Jen are having an affair behind your back,” Gerrard declared in a loud voice.

  Everyone fell silent.

  “Too late,” Jen said.

  “You! You cheated on my son with him?” Wayne’s mother demanded.

  “Mum, listen to me,” Wayne said urgently. “Gerrard doesn’t understand.”

  “Sebastian, leave my house. Out! Right now and don’t come back.”

  “Don’t be such a drama queen, Mum. I told you. It’s not like that.”

  Sebastian stiffened, anguish chasing across his face before he blanked his expression. “I’m sorry. This was a bad idea.”

  “I’d better go too,” Jen said.

  “That’s an excellent idea.” Gerrard fired dislike at Jen and Seb.

  “No, stay,” Wayne said. “Please.”

  “But Sebastian— No, I’ll talk to you later.” Strain glittered in her eyes, and he watched her hand rise and smooth across her stomach.

  Wayne finally nodded. Jen would be uncomfortable for the rest of the afternoon. Besides, Jen was right. Sebastian needed her more than he did. Despite the audience, he gave her a swift hug and whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry. Tell Sebastian I’m sorry, and I’ll be home as soon as I can.” He plucked his keys out of his pocket and handed them to her.

  “How will you get home?”

  “Don’t worry about me. Take care.” Wayne gave her an encouraging smile and watched her until she disappeared from sight.

  “What is going on, Wayne?” his mother asked.

  Wayne sighed. “Nothing, Mum.” Nothing he could talk about right now with all the friends and relations around. They’d already heard enough to feed gossip for the next month. “I’ll go and say hello to Dad.”

  The hours passed, and all Wayne could think about was Sebastian and Jen. He’d been stupid to expect Gerrard to keep quiet. Idiotic to expect everything to go smoothly at a family gathering. Yeah, fuckin’ dense to believe he could keep his relationship with Jen and Sebastian secret. It wasn’t that he was ashamed. No, the truth was he’d guessed the probable reactions of family and friends. He was happy and he hadn’t wanted to mess with that. Too late.

  Late in the afternoon he managed to corner Gerrard. “You couldn’t have talked to me in private?”

  “I thought you should know,” Gerrard said in a sullen tone. “You shouldn’t shoot the messenger.”

  “The messenger didn’t have the facts,” Wayne snapped.

  “I saw Sebastian kissing Jen, and she was kissing him back.”

  “You should have knocked.”

  Gerrard glared back. “I forgot. I never had to knock before.”

  There was no way around this. “Jen, Sebastian and I are together.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  Wayne stared at Gerrard, waiting for his brother’s brain to fire. “Together in a sexual way.”

  “You?” Gerrard’s mouth dropped open. “You and Sebastian share Jen?”

  Wayne gave a clipped nod, hesitating before deciding to spit it out. “And each other.”

  Gerrard glanced both ways then leaned closer. “You’re gay?”

  “No!” And he wasn’t. He loved Sebastian, but other men didn’t do a thing for him. “Just Sebastian and Jen.”

  “Mum’s gonna have a cow.”

  “She’ll have to deal with it.”

  Gerrard shifted his weight from side to side. “Aw, man. I’m sorry for blurting it out like that. I should have spoken to you in private.”

  “You need to apologize to Sebastian and Jen.”

  “I’ll do it when I drive you home,” Gerrard promised.

  “Wayne. Gerrard. Come and say goodbye to your uncle and aunt,” his mother called.

  Gradually the relatives left. His mother and sisters bustled around cleaning and restoring things to their proper place.

  “Are you all right, son?”

  Wayne started, the hand on his shoulder taking him by surprise. He turned to face his father, a tall, powerful man who still ran several times a week. “I was miles away.”

  “I heard what happened. Do you love the girl?”

  “Yes.” There was no doubt in his mind. He loved Sebastian too, and because of that he intended to tell his parents the truth before he left today. He owed it to Sebastian and Jen. He owed it to himself.

  “Dad, why does Mum hate Sebastian so much?”

  His father frowned, his forehead creasing into a multitude of lines. “She doesn’t hate him.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  His father scanned their surroundings. “I saw you hug him.”

  “Dad, we’re a threesome. Sebastian and Jen weren’t doing anything wrong when Gerrard saw them.”

  The air whistled between his father’s pursed lips. “We’d better sit down, son.”

  Wayne followed his father over to a bench seat at the far end of the garden. “You look good, Dad.” And his father did. He wore his sixty-five years well, his hair still mostly black with a sprinkle of gray at the temples.

  “Before I met your mother, she dated a white man for a few months. One day she smiled at his friend. It was innocent, but the man took exception and thought your mother was cheating. He hit her.” His father took a harsh breath as if seeking calm, and instinctively, Wayne reached for his father’s hand to offer silent com
fort. “And then he raped her.”

  Wayne gasped, feeling as if someone had struck him in the chest.

  “That’s why she couldn’t have children. Your mother is a strong woman. That man, he broke her, but your mother went to counseling, and we’ve had a good marriage.”

  “But I don’t understand what this has to do with Sebastian.”

  “She told me the man who raped her had pale eyes like Sebastian’s. She looks at Sebastian and she remembers things she’s worked hard to forget.”

  His father fell silent, and Wayne swallowed, attempting to hold himself together. He’d never suspected his mother’s past held such violence and pain.

  “She told me I shouldn’t play with Sebastian.” Although he hadn’t been old, the memory of that day had stayed with him over the years.

  “I know, son. She told me and she was deeply ashamed of herself for saying it.”

  “I can’t give up Sebastian.”

  “You were pretty stubborn about it as a child. I wouldn’t expect anything less now.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Don’t do anything, son. Kiss her goodbye as if nothing has happened. I’ll talk to her.”

  “She won’t approve,” Wayne said. It was part of the reason he’d wanted to keep things private.

  His father sighed. “Truthfully, I’m not sure I approve, but life is too short to fight. I will reserve judgment.”

  Wayne understood. He truly did, but now that he was an adult he intended to live his life as he saw fit. While he might have started off without a full plan, he had one now.

  “Jen is pregnant, Dad.”

  “Oh.” His father’s brown eyes twinkled. “That might help.”

  “And if the baby is white with blue eyes?”

  “Will that matter to you?”

  “No.” Wayne didn’t hesitate in his answer.

  “A grandchild won’t hurt. Your mother loves children.”

  Wayne nodded, knowing this truth. His parents had adopted six children in total and fostered others over the years. His mother had a big heart, and he had to pray that she would come around in time.

  * * * * *

  “Wayne’s back,” Sebastian said.

  Thank goodness. Jen needed Wayne’s backup to deal with Sebastian. He hadn’t smiled once since they’d returned to the house.

  “Gerrard is with him.”

  “Crap,” Jen said with feeling. “I don’t want to deal with his dramatics.”

  “It might be all right. They’re laughing at something.”

  Jen stood and turned to face the door, tension swirling within her. She had enough to worry about without Wayne’s family throwing in their opinions. Every time she closed her eyes she pictured her mother and the promises she’d made to her, and she didn’t see how she could keep them now that she was pregnant. And then there was her love for Sebastian and Wayne. She couldn’t refute it—her love simply was, and she couldn’t turn it off even if she tried.

  Gerrard came forward immediately. “Jen, I’m sorry about the way I’ve behaved and what I said today. Please forgive me.”

  “I wish you’d talked to Wayne first,” Jen said, not willing to let him off too easily.

  Gerrard smiled, flashing his dimples. “I’m young and stupid. I have to learn these things as I go.”

  “Yeah, well. You shouldn’t upset a pregnant woman,” Jen muttered.

  “Pregnant?”

  “Yes, and I intend to cry all over you every time I get emotional,” Jen vowed, brightening. “Payback.”

  “But everyone will think that I’m the father.” Gerrard sounded appalled at the prospect.

  “Too bad,” Jen said with a wicked grin. “Payback.”

  “Shit,” Gerrard muttered. “See you next term. Can I tell Stan and Justin about the baby?”

  “Just the baby,” Wayne said. “Nothing else okay?”

  “They’ll ask questions,” Gerrard warned.

  “Tell them you don’t know,” Wayne ordered. “Thanks for the ride home.”

  Gerrard cast a cheeky grin at his brother then shared it with her and Sebastian too. “I know when I’m not wanted. See ya.” He waved and left.

  “Was it rough?” Sebastian asked.

  “No worse than it was for you guys. I could do with a drink.” Wayne grabbed two beers from the fridge. “Jen, what would you like?”

  “Tea, please.”

  “I’ll make it,” Sebastian volunteered.

  “So what happened?” Jen asked.

  “Dad told me some private stuff,” Wayne said, and started talking.

  By the time he’d finished, Jen felt grudging sympathy for his mother.

  “Maybe I should get contact lenses.” Despite Sebastian’s joking tone, Jen could see the grim acceptance beneath his exterior. He thought this was the end for them.

  “Don’t be silly,” Wayne said. “She’ll get used to the idea eventually. Besides, we’ve been friends for years, and I’m not about to let my mother’s experiences color my relationship with both of you. I’ve been thinking about this all afternoon and I’ve come up with a plan.”

  Sebastian swallowed audibly, and Jen’s heart broke for him. Unable to help herself, she stood and went to him. “Let me sit on your knee.”

  “To help stem gossip about Jen’s pregnancy, I think you and Jen should get married.”

  Sebastian frowned. “But what about you?”

  “Nothing needs to change between us. I love both of you guys. A marriage will help people accept the baby. But we can have a second, private ceremony with our friends where the three of us can confirm our love for each other. Do rings and everything. A honeymoon during Jen’s next term break.”

  “I’ll be as big as a house by then,” Jen objected.

  “You love us,” Sebastian declared, sounding much happier.

  “I do. I’ve changed,” Wayne said with a grin. “I don’t fuck just anyone these days.”

  “You haven’t fucked me,” Sebastian said bluntly.

  “But we’re getting there,” Wayne said seriously. “And I want to. When the three of us are together it’s special. And when I’m with either you or Jen alone it’s still special. That’s what I’m saying. I love both of you, and I’m not backing off. No matter what our friends and neighbors say or my family, I’m in this relationship for the long haul.”

  “But marriage?” Sebastian asked.

  Wayne glanced at her, and Jen got it. Of the three of them Sebastian needed security most. A legal marriage would help give him that security.

  “I love you both, and I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Besides, one of you has to make an honest woman of me.”

  A frown creased Sebastian’s brow. “But Jen, what about your studies? Do you want to keep the baby?”

  “Yes.” During her initial panic she’d considered abortion, but she couldn’t do it, and now Sebastian’s approval made her glad.

  “I’ve been thinking about this too,” Wayne said. “Between the three of us we can afford childcare. Jen can still go to varsity. We can get an apartment up in town or we can work out some way for you to commute. Gerrard told me he’s going to varsity next year. If your schedules mesh, he won’t mind taking you with him.”

  “And we’ll do a proper ceremony for the three of us?” Sebastian asked, his large hand covering her stomach in a protective manner. She didn’t even think he was aware of it, but his touch warmed her through.

  “Yes,” Jen said, Wayne’s sincerity winning her over. “We’ll make it extra special so we’ll never forget that the three of us are a unit.” It might not be easy, but if they all pulled together, it might work. “I could look into part-time study too. As long as I’m working toward my degree I’ll feel as if I’m honoring my promise to my mother.”

  “Stand,” Sebastian said, gently shifting her off his lap. “Wayne, come over here.”

  “What for?”

  “Just do it,” Sebastian ordered. When both she and Wayne stood
in front of Sebastian, the harshness left his face, replaced by a tender smile that lit his pale eyes. “Jen. Wayne. I love you both. Will you marry me?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Three weeks later

  “Do you, Jennifer Isabel Alexander, take Wayne Jefferson Garrett and Sebastian Lang as your husbands?”

  Jen gave both men a broad smile. “I do.”

  The celebrant continued, apparently unfazed by marrying three people. Jen glanced at Wayne and Sebastian and her heart swelled with love. This ceremony meant everything to her, even though it wasn’t a legal one. It meant way more than the non-personal one that had married her and Sebastian in law.

  “I now pronounce you men and wife,” the celebrant said, hesitating at this final part. “You may now kiss the bride?”

  Wayne and Sebastian didn’t dawdle. They crowded her, surrounding her front and back before kissing each other.

  In the background Jen heard laughter and cheering, but she was too busy enjoying the moment. The combination changed and she scored kisses from both her men.

  Once the kissing ended, they turned to face their friends. Both men held her hands, and Jen couldn’t have said which man bore the widest grin.

  “Now we party,” Sebastian said.

  It was the cue for everyone to converge on them to offer congratulations. It was the happiest day of Jen’s life.

  Thank you for reading Buzz. Did you enjoy it? If so, please consider leaving a review at your favorite online bookstore. A review would make my day!

  Turn the page for an excerpt from Safeguarding Sorrel, the next story in the Fancy Free series. The eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed that officially Safeguarding Sorrel is part of the Military Men series. That’s true, but this steamy romance is a standalone and it is set in the Fancy Free world. I’ve also included an excerpt from Innocent Next Door, the first book in the Military Men series.

  And if you’d like to keep up with my releases, check out my reader group or follow me on Bookbub or Amazon.

  Happy reading

  Shelley

  Excerpt – Safeguarding Sorrel

  Sloan, a country town in New Zealand