His cell rang and his heart tripped. It was Hailey. “Hey, sugar, thanks for calling me back.” His heart thudded in his chest. Just hearing her voice bolstered his spirits.
“Oh, Tanner. I’ve been so worried. Any news?”
“No.” He told her about speaking with Alice, looking in the barn, and having all the men search for him.
Jackson tapped his shoulder. “Tell her that Cody had his knapsack with him.”
He nodded.
“I heard. That’s a good thing, right? It meant he left on his own.”
“That’s what we’re thinking.” Cody would still be alone and scared.
“Did you check the bus station?”
Christ. They’d talked about it then had gotten distracted. “You really think he’ll try to find you?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a look.” He nodded to Jackson. “Go to the bus station.”
Jackson was approaching the road to town and turned down Sanctuary Boulevard. That was good timing for a change.
“When do you think you’ll get in?” It couldn’t be soon enough. Tanner needed to wrap his arms around her, inhale her sweet scent, and draw on her strength.
“Before dinner, I hope. I’ll come right there.”
“Hailey?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
She hiccupped. “I love you, too.”
“Hurry, but drive safely.” He disconnected, his blood pressure lowering. A smile slowly crossed his lips.
Jackson’s brows rose. “You’re happy?”
“I told her I loved her and she said she loved me back.” All he needed was Cody and the world would be right again.
* * * *
Cody shivered. He was tired and hungry, but mostly he was sad. He missed his mom, and he missed Hailey. She said she’d visit, but when Hailey had hugged him good-bye he knew she never would. It was the kind of hug that felt like the last one he’d get. The night before his mom went to heaven, she’d hugged him like that, too.
He opened his backpack and took out a banana. It was all he’d brought, which was dumb. He thought he’d get up early and make it to Alice’s before she went to school, but when he got there, she was leaving. He was such an idiot. Now he had to wait all day for her.
He ate his banana, neatly folded the peel, and placed it back in his sack. He didn’t want to leave any evidence he’d been here.
Fuck.
Why couldn’t Hailey have stayed? She said she needed to get a job, and he was cool with that, but he’d seen how she looked at his dad and Jackson. They looked at her the same way with eyes that turned sappy whenever she was around. His mom called that look love. Maybe that wasn’t enough for the three of them.
What did he know? He was a loser kid who had to repeat seventh grade—a kid no one wanted.
Cody leaned back against the side of the horse stall and tried to ignore the smell of animal shit. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but he figured the only way to convince Hailey that he wanted her to come back was to run away. If she knew he was missing, she’d come look for him. Then he’d tell her how much he wanted her to be his new mom.
He stuck his hands under his armpits to keep warm. His dad and Jackson would never think to check the McLean barn, but Hailey might. He’d heard Jackson call the McLeans “asses,” but Alice said Mason and Alex McLean were the nicest men she’d ever known.
Stupid adults. People always assumed the worst about others. Just like the kids at school did about him and about Alice. She never gave them crap though when they said mean things about her. He’d heard them whisper about him, too, about how he didn’t have a mom and his dad didn’t even know he existed. Like that was his fault?
Maybe it was. He’d told a couple of kids, and asked them not to say anything, but they told everyone.
Cody rocked back and forth waiting for Alice to get home from school. Once she found out he was here, she’d sneak him food and give him a blanket and maybe even keep him company. Alice had mentioned the McLean house was really big and that she had her own big room on the other side of the house away from her mom and Mason and Alex’s room. Alice said it was really cool to be able to play her music and no one bothered her.
Cody wasn’t sure which one was her room, but it would be easy to find out. She said Mason had given her a stuffed rabbit that she put on her bed. The house was one-story so it would be easy to look in the windows. He’d do that once the coast was clear.
Right now, he had to hang tight and wait for her. Alice, he knew, was the only person who would never let him down.
* * * *
Hailey was a nervous wreck by the time she pulled into the Baldwin’s drive. Where had Cody gone? His aunt said there were no other relatives. Besides, Tanner was the best dad any kid could ask for. She grabbed her purse off the front seat of her car and rushed to the door. Instead of knocking, she twisted the doorknob and went in.
“Hello?”
Footsteps sounded, one pair from the hallway and one racing down the stairs. In a second, Jackson and Tanner had her in a big embrace. Nothing in the world compared to being surrounded by their strong arms.
“Oh, sugar, I can’t believe you’re finally here.” Tanner buried his face in her neck.
Jackson pulled them apart. “Let her breathe. I need a hug.”
He took more than a hug, but his kiss brought her back to life.
Tanner grabbed her hand. “Let me fix you some coffee.”
She wanted some, but she needed to hear more about Cody. Time was ticking. “Tell me everything.”
While Tanner made the hot brew, Jackson detailed what they knew. Cody hadn’t purchased a bus ticket. They’d made the clerk at the depot ask everyone and even check the surveillance camera. She was surprised a town the size of Sanctuary would have a need for cameras, but they probably wanted to do everything they could to keep their citizens safe.
“Did Cody have any money with him?” She didn’t know if Tanner had given him an allowance. Even a few dollars a week wouldn’t be enough to get him to Pleasure.
Tanner’s mouth slightly opened. “Shit. I never thought to look.” He pulled his wallet from his jeans pocket and thumbed through his bills. “Not that I can tell, though he might have taken a twenty.”
She shook her head. “Cody’s not a thief. He might have hitched a ride to town. Maybe he’s sitting in the movie theatre.”
Tanner looked up at her. “You think?”
“You could call them. I bet they’d remember a kid entering the theatre, especially during the school day.”
Jackson shook his head. “The movies don’t open until five during the week.”
She shrugged. “It was worth a try.” She tapped the table. “We’re missing something.” She drew in her bottom lip. Tanner placed the coffee on the table, and the steam poured off it. Her stomach grumbled, and she palmed her belly. “Sorry.” She looked over at Jackson. “I forgot to ask about your dad.”
He told her about the heart attack. “Mom texted me and said he’d be fine with rest. They have to reschedule the cancer surgery for when he’s more stable.”
She blew out a breath. “I’m glad the heart attack didn’t do any damage.” Jackson’s dad meant the world to him. He was his hero.
He placed a hand on hers. “Tell me what happened with you. I thought you were in Boise.”
She hadn’t wanted to discuss this right now. The pain still hurt. “Let’s focus on Cody.”
He nodded. He’d be the first to understand that some discussions were too painful to talk about so soon after they happened.
She’d given a lot of thought to where Cody might be on the long drive home. “Are you positive Alice doesn’t know anything?”
Tanner nodded and told her about Alice’s reaction. “You can’t fake that type of surprise.”
“Maybe she doesn’t know. If Cody didn’t leave until after six thirty, it would take him over an hour to reach Alice’s house. By then she’d ha
ve gone to school.”
Tanner eyes lit up. “Damn, sugar, but you are smart.”
She wasn’t sure about that. Her brain had stopped working as soon as she’d learned about Cody’s disappearance. She glanced at the clock above the stove. “Alice should be home from school. How about if I speak with her? We’ve gotten to be pretty close. Maybe she’ll tell me something.”
Jackson nodded. “You two go ahead. I think she’ll be overwhelmed if I show up.”
Tanner’s chuckle held no joy. “You just don’t want your presence to get us denied access to the McLean house.”
“Something like that.”
Tanner grabbed a banana and handed it to her. “To tide you over.” He picked up her coffee cup and poured it into a mug with a lid. “Here’s your to-go drink.”
Her men were so thoughtful. She’d been such a fool to leave. “Let’s go find Cody.”
The drive to the McLean estate was a quick one. Two cars sat in the drive, giving her hope that Alice was home. She knocked and Sophie answered. She wasn’t standing up straight yet. Tanner had told her about the accident and the bruised hip.
“Hailey! I thought you’d gone back to Pleasure.”
Now wasn’t the time to discuss her past or future plans. “It’s a long story. May we come in?”
“Sure.”
They stepped into the large home. Everything gleamed despite Sophie still recuperating. “We’d like to speak with Alice.”
Her cheer disappeared. “Is it about Cody? Alice said he’d gone missing.”
“Yes.”
“She doesn’t know anything. I asked her.”
Hailey expected her to say that. “She might know more than even she thinks. They might have talked about his favorite place.” Hailey’s stomach fluttered. “We just want to know if he spoke of running away.” She closed her eyes for a second. “God forbid if someone kidnapped him.”
Sophie clamped a hand over her mouth and shook her head, her eyes watering. She was probably imagining the horror she’d be going through if anything happened to her daughter.
“Let’s see what she knows. Alice is back in her room.”
Sophie walked slowly down a long corridor. Alice’s room was at the end of the hall where the music was blaring.
Sophie knocked. “Alice?” When her daughter didn’t answer, Sophie twisted the knob. It was locked. Sophie stood taller then winced. She faced the door again and used her fist this time. “Alice Elizabeth Miller. Open this door.” Sophie’s brows furrowed and her lips pinched. She looked back at Hailey. “I’m sorry. She never locks the door.”
The music shut off and the door opened an inch. A nose peeked out. “You okay, Mom? Did you hurt your—” Her glance moved to Hailey and Tanner. “Oh. Hi.” Her lips twitched.
“Alice, what’s going on?” Sophie asked.
Alice slid out of her room, keeping a hand on the knob. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me, young lady. We’ve always been honest with each other. Is Cody inside?”
Her daughter blushed and her gaze shot to the ground. Hailey placed a hand on Sophie’s shoulder and stepped in front of her.
“May I see your room?” That would let Alice save face if Cody was inside.
She kept her gaze downward and nodded. Alice stepped next to her mom, who drew her to her side. Hailey’s heart fluttered. Alice hadn’t denied he was inside. She opened the door, hoping he hadn’t heard them and tried to escape through the window.
Hailey went inside and searched the room. Had it not been for Cody’s backpack on the floor next to the bed, she might have believed Alice that he wasn’t there.
“Cody. It’s me. Hailey.” Her pulse sputtered as her gaze shot to the closed door that probably led to a bathroom. The seconds ticked by. “I’m here to stay, Cody. I left the job in Boise and drove all the way here to be with you. I realized how much I missed you.” Her heart pounded.
As the knob slowly twisted, her palms sweated and tears formed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Cody stood at the bathroom entrance, his arms crossed. Relief washed over her. True, he was wrong to have run away, but all that mattered to Hailey was that he was safe. Instead of yelling at him, which she really wanted to do, she opened her arms.
When Cody hesitated, she lowered them to her side. “Since when is a man too old for a hug?”
His lips twitched. As soon as he moved forward one step, she closed the gap between them. While his return hug didn’t match Tanner’s or Jackson’s, she’d take it.
“You came back.” His voice cracked.
She stepped away from him and tilted up his chin. “You needed me.” She shook her head. “No. I realized I needed you in my life.”
His eyes widened and glistened. “So you’re really staying?”
“If your dad will have me.”
“I’ll have you, sugar.”
She whipped around at the strong, deep voice. She moved out of the way to let those two hug. Hailey smiled. Life was going to be good—until her bank loans came due, but hey, family was more important.
* * * *
Hailey placed her dinner dishes in the sink. “How long is Cody grounded for?”
Tanner shrugged. “Three days should do it.”
Right after dinner Tanner had sent Cody to his room, and the kid hadn’t even complained. He seemed happy because she was going to stay. In fact, he talked nonstop throughout dinner about how he and Alice made an A on their science project and the class thought it was the coolest one. Hailey wasn’t completely stoked when he said Jackson had taught him how to shoot a gun, but she figured it was good that the two of them were getting along so well.
Tanner’s phone rang and he held up a finger when he saw who it was. “I need to take this.”
Jackson and she finished cleaning up while Tanner disappeared into the living room. The conversation lasted less than two minutes. He walked back in with a wide grin.
Something was up. “Good news I take it?”
“That was Jonathan Hunt.”
“Who, pray tell, is he?”
“Dr. Hunt is the vet everyone uses in Sanctuary.”
Ah, yes. She’d pushed that name to the back of her mind. “He’s the reason why I couldn’t get a job here.”
Jackson had said his dad could use her expertise one day a week, as could they, but she didn’t think two days a week would be enough to live on.
“Dr. Hunt is closing in on eighty.”
His slow delivery was driving her crazy. “And?”
“He said his wife has been after him to slow down.” He grinned.
“Tanner Crenshaw. Just tell me.” She didn’t want to get her hopes up.
“He called to say he’d love a full-time assistant.”
It took a minute for the idea to sink it. The word “full-time” exploded in her brain. “For real?”
“Yes.”
She practically jumped in his arms. “That’s amazing.” Now all of her dreams would come true. Well, almost all of them.
“He was a hard sell at first, but eventually he understood how his life could be a lot better if he didn’t have to get up in the middle of the night to deliver a calf.”
Not every aspect of her job was fantastic, but most of it was. “When do I start?”
“He’ll expect you bright and early Monday morning.”
Endorphins and adrenaline washed through her veins.
Jackson slid behind her. “How about we celebrate in style? You’ve been gone too long.”
She dropped her head back onto his shoulders. “Those are the magic words I’ve been waiting to hear.”
Jackson swooped her up in his arms and she giggled. Who would have thought this morning that she’d be right back in Sanctuary with the men she loved?
He carried her to his room where the bed was neatly made and the clothes put away.
Tanner stepped next to her. “Jackson isn’t much of a romantic. He didn’t light any candles.”
“You fucker. I didn’t have time.” He set her down.
She laughed. “No fighting between you two. Ever.”
Jackson turned her to face him. “You’re right, Pleasure. We want our relationship to be perfect in every way.” He cupped her face and kissed her. When their tongues touched, he tasted of rich coffee, and her body exploded with need.
Right now, she needed him naked. Jackson always wanted to be the one in control, but surely a little push on her part wouldn’t hurt. Before she could undo his belt buckle, he grabbed her wrists.
He leaned back. “Did you forget something, little sub?”
“Come on, Jackson.” She gave him her best pout. “I gave up a surefire job for you. Can’t I suck on your cocks?”
A slow smile spread across his lips. “Since you sacrificed for us, I guess I can bend the rules this one time, but we do it on my terms.”
What choice did she have? “Okay.”
“Tanner and I will get you naked, then you will take off our clothes.”
If that was what he considered his terms, she liked it. “Then what?”
“Do as we say and you will be rewarded. Trust me.”
I do. With my whole heart. “Yes, Masters.” She worked hard to keep from grinning.
Tanner picked her up and sat her on the bed. “Remember to keep your gaze downward as we strip you naked.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to her ear. “Then you can suck on my cock.”
She swallowed her grin while her stomach tightened with need.
Good old Tanner. He tugged off her boots and socks while Jackson lifted off her sweater. Her body exploded with pent-up desire as she breathed in their masculine scent that held a hint of spice mixed with something citrusy.
“Stand up,” Jackson commanded, his Dom persona fully in place.
She loved when he took charge. Her life was now fully aligned. The only thing to make it more perfect would be if she could make love to both men at the same time, but she didn’t want to ruin her chances by begging them. At least not yet.
Tanner dropped to his knees and unbuttoned her jeans then looked up and smiled. “God, but I’ve missed you.”
Pleasure in Sanctuary [Sanctuary, Montana 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 18
