by Leah Brooke
“So it’s true?” She’d love to see the shy, quiet dispatcher and the cool, detached deputies find happiness together.
“Get some rest, Erin.” Ace’s gaze touched on Jared, Duncan, and Reese. “Let me know when she’s home and we’ll get it set up. They want to tape the conversation to see if Cramer gives anything away.”
Erin grinned. “I’ll piss him off.”
Inclining his head, Ace chuckled. “You do that.”
Jared walked him to the door. “How’s Hope? She okay?”
“She’s fine. Just a little rattled. I’m going home now.”
“Good.”
Once Ace left, Erin leaned back again. “Hell, I didn’t even think about that. Hope must have been frantic when she found out what happened.”
Reese offered another sip of water. “I heard she was really shaken up.”
Refusing the water, Erin sighed, her stomach clenching. “I should have told you. I should have let Ace know what was going on.”
Duncan rose again. “Yes. You should have.”
“I just never expected it to come to that. I never expected Wes to come to Desire. Now I know that he came to get me away from where Nelson could find me.”
“And he would have had to kill you to keep his secret. I can’t even think about it.” Cupping her cheek, Reese turned her to face him, his gaze sharp. “Your headache’s gone.”
Surprised to realize he was right, Erin smiled. “It is.”
“Good.” He didn’t smile back.
Reese rose and moved to the window, his expression bleak as he stared into the night.
Unsettled, she looked at Jared, who’d dropped into the seat Ace had recently vacated, his expression thoughtful as he stared down at his hands.
An uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach had her gaze sliding to Duncan.
Leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, Duncan met her gaze with a steady stare.
Swallowing heavily, she gripped the blanket and pulled it higher, suddenly chilled. “What’s wrong?”
Aware that Jared lifted his head and Reese turned from the window, Erin kept her attention on Duncan, knowing he wouldn’t sugarcoat anything.
“I know you didn’t plan on Cramer showing up, but after he called, you should have told us everything.”
“You’re right. I was wrong in keeping it from you. Very wrong.”
Duncan’s brow went up. “Really? Bet those words have an aftertaste.”
Erin shrugged. “I can admit when I’m wrong. Like I said, I never expected it to come to this. We suspected Wes had taken some of the money, but I never would have expected him to take it all and blame me for it. I never expected Nelson to burn your store down. God, I’m so sorry for that.”
Dropping back again, she stared at the ceiling. “Nelson used to be a really quiet man. Boring, in fact. Never raised his voice. Never had a harsh word to say about anyone. That’s why it was so hard for me to believe he was actually embezzling. That’s why it took me so long to go to John with my suspicions. That’s why Nelson was able to steal so much money. I’ve always felt guilty about that.”
Smiling, she glanced at Jared. “I always thought I was cynical. John Ritten made me look like a lightweight. He taught me a lot. Apparently, not enough. I’m really sorry. If I’d realized what might happen, I would have told you everything.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed to slits. “If you thought we were overprotective before, you’re gonna see just how protective we can be.”
Reese nodded. “And I don’t give a damn how much you complain about it. Do you realize how close you were to being killed? Do you know that I would have had to live with the fact that the last time we were together I’d spanked you? Hell.”
Erin gulped again when Reese turned back to stare out the window, her attention shifting to Duncan when he straightened and came toward her.
Not stopping until he reached her side, Duncan took her hand in his, tracing his finger over her wedding band. “And we’d all been arguing. I couldn’t even remember the last thing I’d said to you.”
Jared rose and moved to the foot of her bed, bracing a hand on either side of her feet. “We didn’t exactly part on good terms this morning. I would have had a hell of a time living with that.”
“Don’t you know how much I love you?” Despite their attempts to stop her, she sat up, wincing as she slid her legs under her. “Don’t you know how happy I am with you? Don’t you know that you’re my life?”
By the time she finished, tears streamed down her face. “God. I’ve failed you. How could you not know that loving you changed my life?”
“Oh, baby.” Reese moved toward her, but Duncan reached her first. “We’ve been so scared.”
“Scared?” Lifting the corner of the blanket, she wiped her eyes, looking at each of them. “What the hell were you scared of?”
Reese lowered himself to the edge of the bed again, his hand closing protectively over her side. “Calm down. You’re gonna hurt yourself. You’ve got to stay still so this rib heals.”
“Answer me, damn it! What the hell were you scared of?”
Reese drew a deep breath and straightened, letting it out slowly. “We’ve been worried that you miss the life you had. We wondered if you’d missed the city.”
Erin didn’t know what she’d expected him to say, but it hadn’t been that. “Missed the city? I go to Tulsa whenever I want.”
Jared’s jaw clenched. “You used to live in a big city. You used to live a city life. Now you live in a small town in Oklahoma where we fight to keep things as boring as possible.”
“Boring? Boring?” Erin gaped at each of them. “Do you think being married to you is boring? I love all three of you so much it’s hard to remember what my life used to be like before, but I remember this. It was empty. I had my work, and that was it. I never met a man who didn’t either bore me or make me want to take a swing at him. I never met anyone who ever got me. Yeah, there are times that I want to take a swing at each of you, but you understand me. You know the dark places inside me, but you love me anyway. You put up with my crankiness, and you don’t back down when I get mad. I was so screwed up inside, but you got me.”
A sob escaped. “God, I love you. How can you think I’d be happy anywhere without you?”
Her voice broke, and when they closed in around her, murmuring softly, she lost it completely.
The events of the day and the knowledge that her husbands didn’t realize just how happy she was with them hit her hard, and suddenly, she couldn’t stop crying.
* * * *
Duncan met his parents in the waiting room. “Let me take the baby to Erin.”
His mother stiffened, searching his features. “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want me to go in? Is she hurt worse than you told us?”
Bending to kiss his mother’s hair, Duncan shook his head. “No, Mom. She’s just really emotional. We’re trying to get her settled down.”
His mother’s eyes narrowed in a way that still had the ability to put him on his guard. “What did you do to her? What did you say to upset her?”
His father Wade closed his hands over his wife’s shoulders as he stepped up behind her, his sharp gaze holding Duncan’s. “What’s wrong? What did you say to upset your mother?”
Duncan knew that his other fathers would have reacted the same way.
Amused to realize that he and his brothers had the same protectiveness toward Erin, he allowed a small smile. “I was just telling her that I’ll take the baby in so Erin can feed him. We’ll get some bottles ready, but right now, Erin’s upset. Between the events of the afternoon, hormones, and a discussion we had, she’s pretty emotional.”
His mother’s lips thinned, a clear sign that she didn’t like what she was hearing. “Erin’s not a crier. What kind of discussion did you have that made her cry?”
His father’s eyes hardened. “Good question.”
Cradling his son against his ches
t, Duncan smiled to take the bite out of his words. “That’s private. We could have lost her today.”
He lifted his gaze to his father’s. “How would you be feeling right now?”
His father inhaled sharply, blowing the air out in a rush. “Understood. Just don’t be too hard on her. She’s been through a lot.”
Shaking his head, Duncan sighed. “She’s a hell of a lot harder on herself than we could ever be. We’ve spent the better part of the last hour just trying to calm her down. She’s worn out, and I think she’d be embarrassed for you to see her when she’d obviously been crying.”
His mother looked torn. “Let her feed William and see if she feels better. I’d really like to see her for myself. I promise to keep the conversation light.”
“We’ll see.”
By the time Erin finished feeding the baby and using the breast pump, she seemed to have settled and wanted to see their mom and dad.
Their parents had never been slow on the uptake and, seeing Erin’s exhaustion, took the baby and left within minutes.
By the time Jared came back from walking them out, Erin had already fallen asleep.
No discussion was needed about who would be staying with her.
They all did, but none of them slept very much.
Between checking on her, they dozed, but each time Duncan slept, the mental image of her being held at gunpoint played over and over in his mind.
When it happened for the third time, he jumped out of his seat and went to Erin, straightening her covers.
Sitting on the window ledge, Jared opened his eyes. “I gave up on trying to sleep a couple hours ago.” Getting to his feet, he moved to stand at the other side of the hospital bed, reaching down to toy with the ends of her hair. “I have a feeling it’s gonna be a long time before any of us gets a good night’s sleep again.”
Nodding, Duncan frowned when Erin whimpered in her sleep. Bending low, he whispered close to her ear, “You’re okay, baby.”
His chest swelled when she settled at once, and taking her hand in his, he stared down at her, love for her clogging his throat. “What the hell would we have done if—”
“Shut up. I don’t even want to think about it. Let’s just get through tonight and get her home.” Jared crossed the room, glancing at Reese, who woke and eyed each of them. Dropping into Duncan’s chair, he leaned back and closed his eyes. “I’ll just be glad when this is over and Cramer’s locked up.”
Duncan feared the same thing. “I’m sorry I didn’t beat the hell out of him when I had the chance.”
Jared smiled faintly, not bothering to open his eyes. “You’re not the only one.”
Chapter Twelve
Although relieved to be home, with William settled at his grandparents’ house, Erin paced, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Reese sipped iced tea, his eyes following her. “You okay, baby?” Reaching out when she started past him again, he pulled her onto his lap. “You haven’t been still since we got home. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“No. I want to do it.” She curled into him and immediately felt better. “I’m mad. Frustrated. I’ll be glad when this is over. I’m still having a hard time believing all of this is really happening. I still can’t believe Wes told Nelson that I was the one who stole his money.”
Reese slid his hand up and down her back, a comforting gesture that she’d come to rely on from all of them.
Somehow, they each knew when she needed it.
Firming his massage, Reese sighed. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”
Lifting her head from his chest, she looked into his eyes, unsurprised at the lingering concern she found there. “I’m really sorry I made such a mess of this.”
“I know you are. So do Jared and Duncan.” Cupping her jaw, he raised a brow. “And all three of us are trusting that it won’t happen again.”
“It won’t. It wouldn’t have happened this time if I hadn’t underestimated Wes. I promise, no matter how unimportant I think something is, I’ll tell you.” Pressing her forehead against his, she smiled. “I’ll bore you to death.”
Reese chuckled. “You do that, as long as something like this doesn’t happen again.”
“Yeah.” Erin’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “I guess there’s a part of me that’s not used to having someone to lean on. I don’t like leaning. It’s not something I think I’ll ever get comfortable with.”
Closing his arms around her, he nuzzled her neck. “We’ve got all the time in the world for you to get comfortable with it.” Lifting her chin, he stared down at her. “We’ll help you.”
Nodding, she reached up to wipe away a tear, but Reese beat her to it. “The three of you are turning me into a crybaby.”
Hugging her close again, Reese pressed his cheek against the top of her head. “You’re not a crybaby. Maybe we’ve finally made you feel secure enough to let go. I hope you know that we’re always here for you. You can lean on us anytime you need to.”
Remembering Reese’s words, Erin smiled when Reese and Duncan sat on the sofa on either side of her while the FBI agents set up the recording device on the coffee table in front of them.
The agents had been joined by their supervisor, a take-charge woman with short black hair who was obviously used to giving orders. Almost as tall as the men in her charge, she’d made it clear that Wes Cramer wouldn’t slip through their fingers on her watch.
The agents didn’t bother to hide their surprise at learning that Erin was married to Jared, Duncan, and Reese, but a short, hushed conversation with Ace kept them silent on the subject.
Leaning toward Reese, Erin whispered, “I’d love to know what Ace said.”
Chuckling, Reese kissed her hair. “No. You don’t.”
Watching them finish setting up the equipment, Erin thought about what she would say to Wes, her mouth going dry at the thought of speaking to him again. “I need some water.”
She started to get up, but Duncan patted her thigh and rose. “Stay put. I’ll get it for you.” Smiling her thanks, she leaned against Reese, welcoming his firm support.
Listening to Agent Price’s last minute instructions, Erin stared into Jared’s eyes as he lowered himself into the recliner he favored.
Leaning forward, Jared held her gaze. “She knows what to say. My wife is real good at rilin’ someone up when she wants to.”
Duncan appeared at her side, chuckling as he lowered himself to the sofa next to her and handed her the glass of water he’d brought. “Yeah, she does have a way about her.”
Accepted the glass from Duncan, Erin took a sip and set it aside. “If I can handle the three of you, I can certainly handle Wes.” She looked up at the agents. “Are you sure you’re not going to lose him this time?”
Her husbands chuckled at the question that had the FBI agents stiffening.
Agent Price smiled coldly. “No. We won’t lose him again. We’ve got a GPS tracker on his car, and we’ve doubled the number of agents on him.”
Looking down at her phone, she smiled and tucked her phone into her pocket. “Cramer just got to his office, and all of our agents are in place.”
Lowering himself to the other chair, Ace eyed the recording equipment. “Just stay calm, Erin. Once you make him wonder if his money’s still where he put it, he’ll be dying to go check for himself. Once he does, all of this’ll be over.”
Duncan rubbed her back. “And then you’re going to rest.”
“There’s a lot riding on this.”
Jared, Duncan, Reese, and Ace all turned to Agent Price, her impatient tone drawing frowns from each of them.
Ace rose to his full height, his eyes cold. “If you people hadn’t lost Cramer when he took the money from Stark’s hiding place, we wouldn’t be in this predicament and Mrs. Preston wouldn’t have gotten hurt. We certainly wouldn’t have had to kill Stark. Mrs. Preston’s doing you a favor here. Don’t even think abo
ut blaming her if something goes wrong with your plan.”
Erin picked up her glass and took another sip of water to hide her smile, amused that Ace’s cold stare had all three FBI agents stiffening, eyeing him with renewed respect.
Agent Price lifted her chin, making Jared’s lips twitch as he turned his head, giving Erin a smoldering look. “You’re right, of course. We appreciate Mrs. Preston’s help.”
Wondering what she’d done to earn such a look from her husband, Erin took another sip of water to ease her dry throat. “He’s had time to get to his office where he’ll be able to talk freely. I’m calling him now.”
Setting her glass aside, she picked up the phone, playing the upcoming conversation in her head.
Ace touched her arm. “It would be better if you moved to the other side of the room when you call him. The volume on the recording equipment is turned down, but we don’t want to take a chance that Cramer might hear it.”
Agent Price smiled at Ace. “I was just about to tell her that. You seem pretty knowledgeable about surveillance equipment.”
Ace’s eyes narrowed, his smile cool. “For a small-town sheriff, right? Erin, make the call. The sooner we get these strangers out of town, the better.”
* * * *
Jared crossed to her, wrapping an arm around her and guiding her to the window seat they’d built for her. “Come on, baby. I can see that you’re favoring your ribs even more than you did earlier.” Lifting her chin, he stared into her eyes, seeing the headache she probably thought she could hide. “Your headache is getting worse. Duncan was right. As soon as these people leave, you’re gonna take a pain pill and go lie down.”
“You’re babying me again.”
His wife’s pout, seldom seen, proved irresistible.
After kissing her lightly, he straightened. “I’ll make it up to you by giving you a massage.” He knew her body needed to rest, and a massage would have her falling asleep within minutes.
A sense of satisfaction that he’d learned his wife so well made his chest swell.
