by Sam Crescent
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2017 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-1-77339-425-1
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THEIR JUICY WOMAN
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2017
Prologue
“Why do you have two daddies?” Poppy Williams asked. She was shoving mud into her bucket, and she hoped it would make a mud castle. She’d never been to the ocean, so this was the closest to building a sand castle she’d ever get.
“Because both my daddies love my mommy, and she didn’t want to pick, and they didn’t make her pick. They say they’ve got enough love inside them to last a lifetime, and when they die, they’re going straight to heaven to be together,” Shawn Smith said. He sat opposite Poppy. They were both eight years old, and didn’t really know what was going on with their parents.
No one else wanted to play with them. She was the trailer trash kid, and he was the weirdo with too many dads. Poppy liked him though, ever so much. He never pinched her clothes or called her names. Shawn was nice to her. He had two older brothers. Parker was still in school with them, but Casey had long gone. He was, like, ten years older than they were, and he never had time for kids.
“Oh, look, it’s stinky and gross together in the mud.”
She wrinkled her nose as the school bully, Benjamin, came to their little area to taunt them.
Poppy stood up, shook the dirt from her hands, and glared at the bully. He was taller and bigger than she was, even if he did call her fat.
Shawn stood beside her as they faced off with their bully. They held hands as they were both united together. No one could tear them apart, and nothing, or no one would.
“Go away, Ben!” Shawn spat the words at their bully.
She didn’t know why others in their year thought Shawn was weird just because he had two dads. She’d visited the Smith family and it was full of love and friendship, and she felt happy there.
The Smiths owned a huge ranch far off the beaten track. It had a lake, and lots of places to run and hide. Horses, cattle, and so much fun to be had. She couldn’t go there often as her mother didn’t want her to be too overly influenced by the Smith family.
Poppy didn’t see a problem. They always treated her like a princess.
“What are you going to do about it, shorty?” Ben pushed Shawn, who fell down and landed on the ground.
Poppy hated to see her friend hurt, and she rushed forward, standing on Ben’s foot, and then pushing him hard. He grabbed her two pigtails and pulled, making her scream.
He didn’t let go even as she tried to hurt his stomach. Poppy was sure he was going to tear out her hair, and then her mother would be so cross.
So many hours were spent brushing the long, blonde curls. She knew her mother loved her hair so much.
Suddenly the pain stopped, and she heard a little whimper come from Ben. She had started to cry from the pain, and her scalp was hurting her so bad. Looking up, she saw that Parker, one of Shawn’s older brothers, had Ben’s arm. He was putting a little pressure on it, but not that much. Ben was on the ground, though, and she frowned.
Ben was just a big bully who couldn’t stand any pain.
“It’s not nice to pull on a girl’s hair,” Parker said. “Stay away from my brother and Poppy. You got me? Or the next time I’ll pull your hair until you scream like a little girl.”
Parker pushed Ben to the ground, and she watched as the bully scurried away, leaving them alone. He held a hand out for Shawn to take.
“Never go down, and if you do, don’t stay down. Always, always protect the girl.” Parker rubbed her head. “You okay?”
She nodded even as her scalp burned.
“Don’t ever let them see you cry.”
He didn’t linger, and was gone. Shawn pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have stayed down.”
“It’s fine, Shawn. He pushed you really hard.”
****
Six years later
“I don’t get the math,” Shawn said, leaning against her locker.
Poppy giggled. “That’s what you always say.”
She grabbed her bag, and as they turned to go, out of the corner of her eye she saw Ben. Out of everyone from kindergarten through to high school, he was the worst. He liked to make her feel less than what she was, and he always brought up Shawn’s two dads.
Years ago, she didn’t understand why people had a problem with Shawn having two dads. Now, she got why they were confused. A lot of people didn’t understand how two men could love one woman.
She’d seen the way both Mr. Smiths looked at their wife, and one day she hoped more than anything that at least one man would love her. Poppy never admitted the truth to Shawn, even though he was her best friend.
When she was alone at night, staring up at the sky, she often slept outside the trailer where she lived. In the summer heat, it was just too damned hot. She had often dreamed of a man who’d come and love her. Then of course, there were the dreams of three men, three brothers, which she kept as a secret to herself.
No one could ever know that she had a crush on Shawn, Parker, and Casey. The Smith brothers.
There was no way she could have them treating her any differently just because she liked them.
So, she didn’t stare at them when she saw them without shirts on, nor did she fawn over them like other girls did.
Their large, muscular bodies didn’t register to her. She loved hanging around with Shawn, and he was her best friend. She hoped in time they would come to mean nothing to her. These were just the thoughts and fantasies of a teenage girl.
“Well, if it isn’t trailer trash and perv,” Ben said.
Shawn sighed, and she rolled her eyes.
“That’s an improvement from stinky and gross,” she said.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t have much in the way of an imagination,” Shawn said.
Neither of them lingered to see what Ben wanted to say, and they made their way outside.
She spotted Parker and Casey leaning against the car waiting to pick Shawn up. He was going fishing for the weekend, and had wanted her to go as well. She’d told him no. The sight of fish freaked her out. She spotted a group of girls trying to gain their attention, and that was what she never did.
Never would she let them know how attracted she was to them. The last thing they needed was a screaming, infatuated girl around them, so she pushed her feelings aside and treated them more like friends. It was easy to do with Shawn. They were the best of friends, and had been since kindergarten.
“Hey, I’m not done with you two scum!”
Poppy stumbled forward onto the pavement as she was shoved from behind. Her bag pushed up, and as she landed, she hit her head on the hard surface.
She went a little dizzy.
“Hey there,” Parker said, helping her to her feet. When she nearly fell on her ass, he caught her around her waist, holding her up.
“Shawn?” She felt a little weak, a little sick. Hitting her head had taken something out of her. She turned toward the sounds of screams and shouts.
Years ago, her best friend had been pushed, and he didn’t get back up to defe
nd her. Now, he was pounding the fuck out of Ben, slamming his fist repeatedly against his face, and it was making her feel even more ill.
“Stop him,” she said. “I don’t want him to get expelled.”
Casey, the oldest Smith brother, was there and grabbed Shawn. “That’s enough. I think he’s learned his lesson, don’t you?”
“You ever push her like that again, I swear I’ll fucking kill you!” Shawn growled each word. The violence of him shocked her.
The principal rushed over. “What is going on here?”
Parker held her close. She pressed a hand to her forehead and came away with blood.
“Ben decided it was fun to push a young woman to the ground,” Casey said. “My brother took exception to that.”
Casey held onto Shawn as her friend glared at the principal.
The principal glanced over at her, and she saw he was pissed off. He didn’t like her or her mother. She’d seen that over the course of many sneers and reprimands from him. He didn’t like her sort.
“Ben, what do you have to say?”
“Yeah, Ben, what do you have to say? I mean it was assault. My brother was just using self-defense. The cut on her head will be more than enough proof that the sheriff needs to investigate,” Casey said.
“It’s fine,” Ben said. “I shouldn’t have pushed her.”
“What should you say, Ben?” Casey asked.
“I’m sorry, Poppy. It won’t happen again.”
“Right, that mess is cleared up. Off you go home.”
Shawn moved out of his brother’s hold and went to her. He cupped her face as Parker held her tightly.
“You need to go to the hospital.”
“It’s fine. Just a cut. I’m sure.” She pulled out of Parker’s arms. “Have a great fishing trip.”
“Nice try, Williams. Get in the car,” Casey said. “Mom can have a look at your head, and she can decide.”
Even though she didn’t like being bossed around, being taken care of by them felt really damn good.
****
Two years later
Shawn threw a stone into the lake and frowned. He was missing Poppy. Her father had decided to pay a visit to his kid after nearly five years of being absent.
“What’s got you being lazy when shit’s to be done?” Casey asked, taking a seat beside him.
“Nothing.”
“It’s summer. Besides working on the ranch, how come you’re not going out all that much? When I was your age, I was out all around. There weren’t enough chicks for me to be around.”
Shawn didn’t say anything. Casey was a bit of a player; he loved the women, and they loved him as well.
Many times, he’d caught Casey with some girl in the barn. None of the girls seemed to mind that he didn’t want anything but a good screw from them.
“Is this about Poppy?” he asked.
“Last time he came, he made her cry,” Shawn said.
“It’s still Poppy?”
“It will always be Poppy. She’s my best friend.”
“And if it doesn’t work out, what then, Shawn?”
He glared at his brother and headed up the hill, away from him. Casey was following him though. He always did, and it was driving him insane.
“I get that you don’t like her, but I do.”
“There’s no problem liking her, Shawn. Just be the friend that means she can cry on your shoulder.”
“I love her,” Shawn said.
“I know you do.”
“I want to marry her.”
“Really? You’re sixteen.”
“I don’t care. I love her. I want to marry her. I’m going to marry her.”
“Okay, then.” Casey held his hands up. “Whatever you say.”
At that moment, he heard his mother’s laughter, and he glanced toward the barn in time to see Bruce, one of his fathers, catch her around the waist. Seconds later, Elijah, his second father, was there. He watched his parents as they all laughed, both of his dads kissing his mother. The love among them was so absolute. They’d been the talk of the town for years, but it hadn’t stopped any of them from loving each other.
His mother always held her head high, and she didn’t take crap from any one.
“Do you think we’ll be like them?” Shawn asked.
Casey glanced at their parents. “Do you see us sharing a girl? We can’t even share a pie.” Casey ruffled his head. “Come on, you big girl. Let’s get you some chocolate ice cream to mourn your girl.”
****
Two years later
Today was Poppy’s eighteenth birthday, and as a gift, the doctors had diagnosed her mother with cancer. She sat at the Smiths’ lake and just stared at the water. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she felt sick to her stomach. They had to do a lot more tests to determine how fierce the cancer was, and then they had to see if it had spread. Breast cancer, and there was a survival rate, but it all depended on how far it had gone.
“Is that any way for you to be on your birthday?” Casey said, startling her as he walked up behind.
She didn’t look back at him, not right now. The pain was too raw, and she didn’t want him to see her as vulnerable.
He didn’t take the hint and leave her alone.
Casey sat down next to her, and then she noticed he held a box in his hand. “I bought this for you. Happy Birthday, Pop.”
She smiled at his little nickname for her. Staring at the box, she wondered if she could just pause in that moment and not move.
Seconds passed, and feeling rude, she took the box from him and stared at it.
“Normal people open it.”
Tearing into the wrapping, she turned the box over and was surprised to see a velvet case. Opening it up, she saw a silver cross necklace nestled in the fabric. It was stunning, and she’d been admiring it at the mall several months ago for Christmas.
“This is beautiful,” she said.
“I saw how you were giving it the eye. I swear if it was a guy he’d have been all over you.”
She chuckled. Casey was always telling her that she could have any guy she wanted. A few years ago, she had decided she didn’t want to be like other women chasing after the Smith brothers. Now, she just wanted to be their friend. They were attractive men, and she loved them all differently, and that in itself was wrong. She couldn’t love three men.
Shawn would always be her best friend. Parker and Casey would have to be like brothers, even though she didn’t even think anything remotely “sibling” toward them.
Casey took the necklace from her and placed it around her neck. She was aware of his knuckles as they brushed her flesh, but she ignored that awareness of him.
Each brother had a way about him that called to her heart. She hadn’t given anything away, and she never would. One day they’d settle down with wives or one wife, and she’d learn to deal with that kind of pain.
“My mom has cancer,” she said, speaking the words aloud.
“I know. She called a little while ago. I knew you’d be here. This is the one place you’ve always come to help you think.”
Just hearing that he knew her in some way, helped.
“Hey, beautiful, and evil one,” Parker said as he joined them. “Happy birthday, Poppy.” He held a present in front of her. It was long and rectangular.
“You didn’t have to buy me any presents.” She looked at Casey and then at Parker.
“We all wanted to, and we each came up with the right present for you.” Casey spoke up.
“Oh, I’ve not seen Shawn yet.”
“He’ll be along shortly.” Parker sat down on her other side.
None of them spoke for several seconds, and she looked at his present, then realized she had to start opening it. Tearing into the wrapping paper, she revealed another velvet box. Opening it up, she saw a bracelet. On the gold band read the words “For Our Love.” She frowned and glanced at Parker.
“It was the last one on the shelf, and I c
ouldn’t get them to ruin it,” he said. “I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind. Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug.
He took the bracelet from her hands and wrapped it around her wrist. “Every time you look at it, you’ll think of me.”
Which would make her think of all of the brothers.
Time passed, and with the two Smith brothers on either side of her, she felt … better. Nothing was ever going to change the fact her mother had cancer, but at least she had her friends.
Shawn finally arrived with the tiniest box of them all, and a plate with a slice of chocolate fudge cake. “Mom says that if you need her, she’ll always be there for you.”
“Just like we all will, Poppy. You’re not alone in this,” Parker said.
She nodded, tears once again brimming in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Casey wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her in close. He pressed a kiss to her head and she closed her eyes, enjoying that one touch.
“Open your present,” Shawn said. “I’ll hold your cake, and don’t worry, I won’t take any. This is all for you.”
She handed the plate to Shawn and tore open her present. This was a small velvet box, and inside was a ring. A crown on top of a heart, with two hands holding the heart. It was gold, beautiful, and she loved it.
Placing it on her finger, she smiled as it fit perfectly.
“Thank you. They’re amazing.”
Shawn handed her the cake and sat behind her. His hands on her shoulders, he massaged her back and neck, easing the tension from her body.
“We’ll take care of everything for you, Poppy.”
She enjoyed her cake, as she sat there on her birthday with the three men she loved more than anything. Her mother was dying. Her father was useless when it came to responsibility. At least she had this moment. It was all she would ever allow herself to have.
Chapter One
Three years later
