Rogue Seduction [Seducing Them 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Cara Adams

  They all talked generally over the meal, and he was pleased how easily Reuben, Stone, Indigo, and Summer fit in to the group. They all seemed like nice, friendly people. Besides, the more he looked at Summer, the more he heard her speak, the more he liked her. Not that he planned to make a move on Kevin’s sister any more than he would have touched Kevin’s wife. She’d be going home again soon enough, and he didn’t need to make trouble for himself. But she was cute. Smiling and friendly, talking and laughing with the group. He liked her. He liked them all.

  “That crossroads, where the Roxburgh sign is, how much traffic goes through there in a day?” asked Summer.

  Roland just stared at her. He had no idea but maybe one of the others in the group might make a guess.

  “It’s nowhere near as busy as Junctionville,” said Stone.

  Roland had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but Indigo answered quickly, “It doesn’t need to be that busy. It doesn’t have to be the entire support of a family. Just a little added income stream.”

  “An added income stream? How?” asked Chris.

  “Yes, what do you mean?” asked Roland.

  Stone explained their thoughts. “Just like you people are living in what I assume was the old Roxburgh, and the new one is where the tracks intersect half an hour away, that’s exactly like my family home. My family used to live at Old Junctionville, and then a highway was constructed half an hour away where two tracks intersect. My parents built a store and gas station at the new Junctionville, and it’s gradually been added to so it supports the entire family. That’s happened over forty years, mind you, not overnight.”

  “Are you saying we could put a store and gas station there? At the crossroads?” asked Bryan.

  “You’d need official approval I imagine. I expect the Alpha would be able to tell you how to go about all that,” said Reuben.

  “But it’s an idea Indigo and I had. If you had a store and gas station there, even just a tiny one, likely you could claim discounted food and supplies and gas. So it’d be a small income stream for you and a tax deduction and a cheaper way of getting some of the things you need,” said Summer.

  “It wouldn’t solve all your problems, but it would be one way of helping you,” added Indigo.

  “We find the locals almost always stop to buy something and hear the news. They tell us what they’ve heard in Towler or Burton, wherever they’ve been, and then catch up on the news other people who went in the other direction have heard,” said Stone.

  “I see. That way we become the heart of the community. Or, if not the heart, an accepted part of it at least,” said Roland thoughtfully.

  “I like that idea. Not that I have the faintest idea of how to start a store or a gas station,” said Chris.

  “We could build a fair bit of it ourselves. It’d only be small at the start. One gas pump and a few things people constantly run out of, maybe some coffee and snacks. Or Bryan’s soup. That’d keep hot in a slow cooker all day. As a mechanic, likely I could help enough to get people into a real town if someone broke down,” said Kevin.

  “And we could eat the leftovers of the food at night while Bryan makes a new pot of soup,” added James, to laughter.

  Suddenly everyone was talking about the idea, but Roland was wondering whether they really wanted anyone driving down those tracks to know they were there. That was the first question to ask the Alpha. Or maybe it was time for them all to swear allegiance to Wolfric. They all had decided that they were staying here. None of them was going back to Idaho and their old pack.

  * * * *

  Chris was really pleased with how the meeting was going. He’d been a little worried that the people sent by the Nevada desert Alpha might be critical of his people and their efforts to make a home here. He knew they were learning as they went along. They weren’t desert people by birth, but they’d become desert people by choice and planned to make a success of their lives here. They’d already made comfortable homes for themselves. Three houses were completely renovated, and they were about to begin fixing up the fourth one.

  That would take longer, as they would have to buy more materials. The first two houses had been refurbished completely from items already in the settlement. The third they’d had to buy all the bathroom and plumbing needs. They were still assessing the final house. There was enough good lumber left around the settlement to fix the walls, doors, and cupboards, but other things were going to take more work. However, there was no hurry. Their aim was eventually to have each ménage in its own house, but the likelihood of everyone finding a woman soon was nil.

  Now that he’d met Reuben, Stone, and Indigo, he wondered if they’d be able to stay here longer. If they stayed, Summer might stay as well, and he liked the look of Summer. A woman who went hunting for her missing brother was the kind of woman he could respect. Besides, she was vivacious and pretty. He’d definitely like to learn more about her.

  Unfortunately it was probable she’d be gone in a few days, or when Indigo left at the latest. Right then and there, Chris decided he’d work hard to make sure Summer stayed the full two months. Two months was plenty long enough to see if she was the woman for him and Roland. He was interested in her, but if it turned out Roland didn’t like her, or she didn’t like them, there were three other pairs of men here who she might potentially fall in love with.

  She was the first unattached female wolf he’d met in a very long time, and getting to know her seemed to be an essential step to take. If she’d let them. Hell, if Kevin let them near his sister.

  Chris went and fetched a notepad and pen, and they all sat around the long tables brainstorming questions to ask Alpha Wolfric about setting up a store and gas station at the Roxburgh crossroads.

  “Let’s name it Roxburgh Junction. That way it distinguishes it from here, which is Roxburgh, and it pays tribute to the people from Junctionville who inspired the idea,” he said.

  “Good idea.”

  “I agree.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  Chris smiled. These men were now his closest friends, and they were an amazing group to work with. They hardly ever complained about anything, and there was plenty they could have complained about. Not having air conditioning for a start. That was one of the first things on their must-buy list. A large air conditioning unit for this big room. If it got too hot at night, then they could all bring their sleeping bags and bunk down in one cool room, instead of staying in their own rooms and sweating.

  “It’s damn hot here already, and it’s only July. How hot does it get in August?” he asked the visitors.

  “Don’t answer. I don’t think I want to know,” groaned Roland.

  “You do want to know because July is the hottest month. August is usually a fraction cooler,” said Summer.

  “Really? Well, that is good news. It’s not too bad right now. I can take it a few degrees hotter,” said Roland.

  “You’re not the one stirring food on the hot stove,” said Bryan.

  Everyone laughed. Chris stopped to think. Should they maybe air condition the kitchen as well? But no. That wasn’t sensible. A little of the cool air would drift out there, but it’d cost too much to cool the kitchen properly.

  “Photovoltaic cells,” said Kevin.

  “Huh?” asked Chris.

  “Photovoltaic cells. We need to get them on all the roofs to make our own solar electricity. That’ll cut our electricity bills by a huge amount, and that’ll be important once we get air conditioning. That really sucks power.”

  Everyone started talking about that and about storage batteries for solar power. Chris didn’t know much about it, but it seemed Kevin did. That man was amazing. He’d met up with them, joined them, and fit in so well it was if he’d grown up with the pack. He was as much a pack brother to Chris as any of the others except Roland, with whom he had an especially close bond.

  If he and Roland mated Summer, that would make Kevin truly their brother. Although that was getting rat
her ahead of himself. He hadn’t even had a conversation alone with her yet. She might turn out to drive him crazy with her habits. Or he might drive her crazy. He was by no means perfect.

  However, his mind was made up. As long as Roland agreed, they’d do their best to get to know her and see if she was their woman. Everything he’d seen about her so far appealed to him. He hadn’t seen any signs that Roland didn’t like her. So hopefully, maybe, possibly, they might have found their mate.

  * * * *

  Summer was excited by this small community and their hopes and plans. She’d been stunned to see Kevin here. She’d hoped that these people might have met him in their travels and could give her some ideas about where he might be, but she’d never expected to see him living here, happily at home in this community.

  But now, having talked to the people and heard their dreams and hopes for the future, she was filled with enthusiasm as well. This was a tiny tribe who knew what they wanted out of life and had set out quite intentionally to make it happen. Okay, so their first plan had tanked, but that was fine. They’d picked themselves up and were working on new plans.

  She could see the huge amount of work it’d taken to renovate this building. It was apparently their community center where they ate and relaxed. She supposed the other refurbished buildings were their bedrooms. They weren’t just resting after what they’d done though. They were already moving on to the next project.

  After lunch one of the men showed them the vegetable gardens. They grew all their own herbs and some vegetables. Reuben was going to talk to them about that. His family had a cactus farm, and he was already deep in conversation with a couple of the men about drip watering systems, whatever they were.

  Stone was talking with Bryan and another man about the local wildlife and how to hunt various animals and how to stay out of danger from predators. She’d never been close to a mountain lion, but she’d seen them several times in the distance when she’d been out in the desert late at night, and it wasn’t unknown for them to approach small communities in times of drought.

  The water here was in a covered well, not a soak, so animals were unlikely to try to get to it, but if there was a bad drought, they might. Anyway, Stone seemed to be taking that side of their education in hand. She guessed they were already hunting small animals. Since this area had been uninhabited for years, there were probably plenty of those nearby to add to the cooking pot.

  She looked around for Chris. He was definitely the leader of this community, and he was a damn attractive man. He was organized and authoritative, but he didn’t push people around. He asked their opinions. She liked that. She didn’t have a problem with dominant men. Many wolves were natural Dominants. But she didn’t like arrogant, pushy, domineering types. He wasn’t like that at all.

  He was also mighty fine eye candy, and so were several of the others. Chris had short, wavy brown hair and bright sparkling hazel eyes. All the men were tanned, likely from working outside getting everything established. But they all seemed to wear hats every time they stepped outside, which was interesting. She wore a hat if she was going to be outside for any length of time as well. The desert was hot, and sunburn wasn’t a good look. But she didn’t put her hat on every time she moved, the way these men seemed to do.

  From watching the men interact, she was reasonably certain Roland was his second-in-command. If they were planning to share a woman, which seemed to be what was happening mostly these days, she assumed Chris would share with Roland.

  Summer liked Roland. Well, she liked everyone. They were all polite, friendly, and welcoming. But Roland was a warm person, and that appealed to her. His hair and eyes were brown, and he moved lithely and gracefully. It was very obvious to her that he was a shape-shifter. He was too quick and well coordinated to be human.

  The afternoon passed in a flash as people divided up to learn new skills, discuss plans and ideas, and report back to the Alpha. After supper Chris and Roland came up to her.

  “Would you like to go for a walk outside and see Roxburgh? We won’t go too far, but there’s a hill back a way that gives a really nice view of the area,” said Chris.

  Summer suspected it was where she’d driven into the area, rounded the rocks, and seen the tiny settlement, but she was more than happy to walk with these men, so smiled and agreed.

  Now that the sun had set, it was a little cooler, although the sand and rocks would retain their heat for several hours. Still, it was pleasant walking, and the stars were just starting to come out. They were very bright here so far away from a major town.

  They strode out across the desert in the direction she’d guessed they’d take, heading to the low hill she could already see. It was only a mile or so away, not far at all, but Summer enjoyed the walk, having spent hours in her truck driving here this morning.

  “What are your interests, Summer? Do you work or have hobbies or other responsibilities?” asked Chris.

  “That’s a very diplomatic way of asking me that question. I do some freelance web design. I haven’t been doing as much as usual for the past six months, as Kevin asked me to take over his job of driving the school bus while he was away. He used to do that, as well as work as a mechanic. It’s school holidays now, but just before the pack gathering, I quit the bus-driving job. The older boys were too unruly, and I decided I didn’t need the stress. So I have to settle down when I get home and find some more web contracts and get busy.”

  “Could you do that anywhere, or do you need special tools?” asked Roland.

  Again she hid a smile at the tactful way the men were questioning her. “I do need reliable Internet. Some things I can do offline, but there comes a time when I have to test the pages out online and in different browsers and so on. A website needs to work not just on a desktop computer but also on a tablet, a phone, a Blackberry, and so on. Apart from that, I have my favorite design programs, but they’re all on my computer.”

  Talking contentedly, she let them lead her up the hill until they stood on the ridge. They weren’t all that high up, but it was enough to have a panoramic view over an amazingly large piece of the desert.

  “In daylight I expect you can see the crossroads from here.”

  “Yes you can. It’s the perfect lookout spot. I’ll probably come and sit here from dawn to dusk one day soon and count the number of cars that pass on the various tracks. That way the drivers won’t notice me, and I won’t disturb them, but I should still be able to get all the data I need,” said Chris.

  “Remember that dawn and dusk are when the predators come out to eat and drink. Coming here alone at that time might not be a good idea,” she warned him.

  “Why don’t the three of us come together then? We could bring food and water, and maybe even a tent for a bit of shelter from the sun,” said Roland.

  Summer jumped right in, not needing to think. “We can come in my truck, then. My tent’s in the back of it from the pack gathering, and it’d be crazy to carry a day’s water for three people in a backpack when the truck is available.”

  She’d just offered to spend all day alone with two men she’d just met. It went against everything her mother had taught her, but she felt quite comfortable with the idea, and with the men.

  * * * *

  Roland could hardly believe his good luck when Summer agreed to walk with them. It was more than he’d expected when they’d only met her today. And then when she calmly offered them the use of her truck and her tent for an all-day survey of the traffic through the crossroads, he felt as though his team had just won the Super Bowl. He was so excited he wasn’t brave enough to open his mouth in case he shouted and jumped up and down with happiness.

  He forced his excitement down and spoke as calmly as he could. “Is tomorrow too soon? Likely we should collect all our facts together before we speak to your Alpha.”

  “Tomorrow is good. You should probably do a count on two different days of the week in case there are regular travelers who go past on certain d
ays for a reason.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Chris.

  “People who work in town and go home at weekends for example. Or pensioners who go to town midweek on the cheapest days to shop. There might even be a school bus that passes here. I don’t know this area.”

  “Damn. You’re right. We really ought to watch for a full week to look for patterns. That’s going to be hellishly boring,” said Roland. Although maybe if Summer is with us, we can find some things to do to help pass the time.

  “You could set up a spreadsheet the first day with the time of day going down the page and the days of the week across it, and then add in vehicle descriptions in the appropriate places. That way if there are regulars, it’d be easy to cut and paste them into the file. Also, after the first day the basic data file would have been created, and people could take it in turns to watch for a couple of hours each on shift.”

  Roland nodded. Summer was smart. That was a good idea.

  “What about the tent? My inclination would be to pitch it on the hidden side of the hill so passersby don’t think we’re spying on them. We’ve maintained our privacy quite seriously since we came here. Do you think we should change that or wait to see if we do set up a store?” asked Chris.

  Roland watched Summer’s face. That was a good question, one that opened up several important issues. They were very new to the area and had no idea whether or not they’d be welcomed by the locals, even though the Nevada pack Alpha was working with them. They did need to swear allegiance to him sooner rather than later, though.

  “Since you’ll be here for several days or an entire week, I’d hide it. Us standing here for a few minutes wouldn’t interest anyone at all. Even if we were here for an hour or so locals would think it was just travelers having a picnic or something. But a week? No. People would stop to talk to you, and then you’d have to mention your plans. Better to keep silent until you know what your plans really are. If you do go ahead with the idea of a store, then it’ll be time to get the locals on board. You’ll need to ask them what kind of facilities they’d like and so on.”