by Ruby Shae
She thought back to their conversation. From the moment they’d approached her table, they had been honest about their deceit. They hadn’t asked her for anything except a chance, but she’d lashed out and acted like a crazy person. She knew how hard it was to find someone to share your life with, and yet she hadn’t even tried to know them, or even given them the benefit of the doubt. Instead, she’d treated them with disrespect and disgrace.
“Oh god,” Ava whispered. “I think I might have made a huge mistake.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Bree sympathized. “If you felt something, they probably did too, and that’s good news. It means they’ll be more likely to give you another chance.”
An hour later, she finished her walk down the main strip, and returned to her hotel room.
Bree had done a fantastic job on her hair, and though the change was virtually unnoticeable, she felt lighter, more confident and sexy. Not only had she found a new stylist, but she’d made a new friend, and had been invited to coffee with the girls the following day.
Now she just had to figure out how to apologize to Gavin and Hawk. Even if she never saw them again, she owed them an apology for the way she’d reacted. No one deserved to be treated that way, and she was embarrassed by her behavior.
There were three ways she could contact them, and she carefully weighed her choices. She could send an email, but there was no guarantee they would check the responses from the ad again. She might spend an eternity waiting and wondering if they’d ever received her note.
The second option involved showing up at their place of business, and she immediately crossed it off the list. She wasn’t brave enough to face them in person without a buffer. The third option required more bravery than she felt, but unless their service provider sucked, she’d have a better chance at an instant response.
In their last email exchange, they’d given her a phone number to use if she needed to get in touch with them for any reason before their date. She pulled the tiny sticky note with the number out of her purse and entered the ten digits into her phone.
Several minutes later, she stared at the words she’d typed and retyped to perfection and forced herself to breathe. She thought about Bree’s words, and her own desires for love and a family. There was only one way to know if she’d really judged them too quickly.
She took a deep breath and pressed send.
***
Gavin turned on the dishwasher and leaned against the counter with his arms and legs crossed. After their run, Hawk had prepared two large steaks, and served them with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Because he was more selective about food, his brother did most of the cooking, but Gavin didn’t mind. Cooking wasn’t something he enjoyed, and he preferred to clean up after a meal, rather than prepare it.
His thoughts drifted back to Ava, and once again he wondered if there was something they could have done differently. Her words had been harsh, but he felt certain they were driven by fear and confusion instead of her true sentiments. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure was to send an email and hope for a reply. Over dinner, Hawk had convinced him they needed to move sooner than later, and they planned to reach out to her again this evening.
He checked his watch and cursed. He hadn’t checked his cell-phone in a few hours, and though they didn’t give their personal phone numbers to patients, they did have an answering service for professional calls. Luckily, clients were instructed to visit urgent care or the emergency room if they needed medical assistance and didn’t get a call back within fifteen minutes.
He sauntered down the hallway to his office, sat down at his desk, and entered his PIN into his phone. The screen lit up, and when he saw the symbol indicating a text message, he pressed the box with the speech bubble. The sent from number wasn’t recognizable, but when he read the words, he raced upstairs and banged on Hawk’s door.
“Hawk! Open up,” he yelled.
“Dude,” Hawk growled. “It’s open.”
He burst into the room and found his brother on the bed with his eReader.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Hawk asked, setting the reader aside.
“She texted,” Gavin said, holding the phone out to him.
“What?” Hawk sat up and took the device.
He watched as Hawk read the words he’d already memorized.
Dear Gavin and Hawk,
I’m sorry. Please forgive me.
Ava
“She’s forgiven,” Hawk said, tossing him the phone and standing. “Text her back.”
“Damn, we’re pathetic,” Gavin laughed.
“Maybe a little, but who the fuck cares,” Hawk said.
His brother pulled a t-shirt over his head, and grabbed a pair of jeans out of his drawer.
Gavin sat on the bed and composed a short message. He didn’t have to ask to know Hawk wanted what he did. If she agreed to see them tonight, they’d meet her anywhere.
Dear Ava,
You’re forgiven. Would you like to meet for dessert and coffee?
Gavin and Hawk
Hawk joined him on the bed and they both stared at the screen, waiting for her response.
Dessert and coffee sounds wonderful.
They both sighed in relief.
We’re on our way. You pick the place.
He shoved the phone into his pocket and raced down the stairs to grab his keys and put on his shoes. His phone dinged again when Hawk met him at the door.
I’m still in Bear Canyon and I don’t really know where to go. You guys pick the place.
“She’s still here,” Gavin said.
“In Bear Canyon? Really?” Hawk looked over his shoulder to see her typed words.
“Yeah. Do you think she plans on sticking around for a while?”
“I hope so,” Hawk said, “but there’s only one way to find out.”
He typed a quick text back, instructing her to meet them at the same Italian restaurant from earlier. It was a little bit after eight on a Sunday night, but he knew the owner wouldn’t rush them out at ten o’clock if things went well.
They waited until she replied with confirmation on the location, and then, for the second time that day, they rushed out the door hoping to meet their future mate.
***
Hawk watched as Ava stepped through the restaurant door and glanced around the room. Earlier she’d been dressed in a silky purple shirt and jeans, but he’d only gotten a quick glance at her curves because she’d been sitting during most of their exchange.
He looked his fill while she waited for the hostess.
He hadn’t realized how tall she was before, and his cock twitched at the thought of all the ways he wanted to take her. He and Gavin were six feet, four inches tall and they both preferred a tall, curvy woman over a short one.
Ava looked about five-foot-nine, and unlike earlier, she wore a turquoise capped sleeve cotton top, and a pair of khaki capris. The blue made her eyes sparkle like sapphires and her wild red curls danced around her shoulders playfully. He again imagined wrapping her locks around his fist and his cock throbbed, begging for her touch.
Shit! Stop thinking about sex!
He took a gulp of ice water, but it was no use.
Her ample breasts filled out the top perfectly and he noticed the fabric stretched slightly in the middle, revealing the snug fit. He couldn’t wait to see how the mounds of flesh filled his hands. The capris molded around her thick thighs and he wanted to see her turn around so he could ogle her ass.
He and Gavin had arrived first and asked for a secluded booth in the corner. When the hostess led her to their table, they both slid out to greet her, and he noticed she’d painted her toenails to match her top. She granted them both a tiny smile and thanked the hostess for the escort.
“Hi,” she said, shyly. “Thank you both for agreeing to meet with me.”
He could tell she was nervous, but he admired her bravery in reaching out to them, and her ability to apologize.
“It’s our pleasure,” Gavin said, and motioned for her to enter the booth.
She followed his suggestion and scooted to the center of the seat. They both sat down, sandwiching her between them. He briefly thought of all the ways she could be sandwiched between them in the bedroom, and his dick hardened, making the front of his jeans uncomfortably tight.
He shifted slightly, thankful they were sitting down, and downed the rest of his ice water. A glance at his brother proved the man wasn’t fairing any better than he was, but Ava didn’t seem to notice.
A waitress approached the table with a glass of water for Ava and three dessert menus. When she left, Ava took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
“Before we order, I want to apologize again for the way I acted this afternoon. I’m ashamed of the way I judged you, and of the things I said. The only excuse I have for my behavior is weak and…pathetic. Do you think we can start over?”
“We can definitely start over,” Gavin said, smiling big.
“Absolutely,” Hawk agreed. “We know a threesome isn’t for everyone, but we didn’t list it in the ad because we’d get too many thrill seekers. Some women want two men for one night, but not for the rest of their lives. We’re looking for something more. Do you want to tell us what happened?”
“Not really,” she laughed uneasily, “but I’ll give you the short version.”
She reached for her water and he noticed her hand shaking. He knew she’d never get the glass across the table without emptying half of its contents. He glanced at Gavin and his brother nodded once, confirming he’d noticed it, too.
Hawk gently covered her shaking hand with his own and pressed it flat against the table. With his other hand, he moved the water and set it down in front of her.
“Relax,” he said, softly. “We’re happy you’re here, and you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, and then sucked down half the glass through her straw. “That’s incredibly kind, but I think you guys deserve an explanation, even if it’s not a very good one.”
Her palm looked tiny under his large hand, and her skin felt ice cold. When she moved her glass away but kept her hand under his, his bear growled in triumph.
Mine!
The waitress started to approach again, and Gavin shooed her away. Ava took a deep breath and started talking.
“About six months ago, my boyfriend of three years dumped me for my estranged sister. In an effort to rid myself of the both of them, I sold him my half of our bookstore for a lot less money than it was worth. My sister and I are not twins, in fact we look completely unrelated, and before he left, my ex said some things…,” she took another drink of water.
“I won’t repeat his words, but he said some unpleasant things about my appearance and damaged my confidence a little bit. More than I realized, actually. I not only lost the bookstore, my dream, but I also lost the few friends I still had because all the couples we knew stayed with him. It’s been a lonely six months,” she shrugged.
Gavin handed her a napkin, and she slid her hand out from under his and dabbed her eyes. As she continued to speak, she pulled and twisted the white paper over and over until the thing fell apart in her hands.
“When the two of you walked in…I felt something. I wanted the writer of the ad to be one of you, but when you introduced yourselves as a pair, I remembered all the things my ex said and I thought you were playing some kind of prank on me. When I left here, I ran into the beauty salon and the woman working there listened and trimmed my hair while I talked. She said she met her husband through a similar ad, and so did one of her best friends. She also told me a little bit about twin shifters, and how it’s common for twins to share a mate.”
“Is that what changed your mind?” Gavin asked.
“Not completely, but it was nice to have someone to talk to. I hope its okay, but she figured out who you guys are pretty quickly. She says one of you is her doctor, but she doesn’t know which one.”
She laughed a deep, beautiful laugh, and then she wrapped her arms around her stomach and dissolved into a fit of giggles. Her smile lit up her face and her eyes sparkled with happy tears. The joyous sound wrapped around him, and soon Gavin caught the bug as well.
Hawk smiled as Ava and his brother’s laughter filled the air. He saw the restaurant owner nodding from behind the counter and it was nice to have the old bear’s opinion.
There was no doubt in his mind that Ava was their mate.
“Oh my god,” she said as her giggles dissolved. “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time. That felt amazing.”
“See,” Gavin said, “spending time with us is a good thing.”
“It is,” she said, all humor gone from her voice.
She looked back and forth between them and then studied the dessert menu.
“Do you guys know what you’re getting?” she asked.
“I’m getting the carrot cake, and Hawk is getting the red velvet,” Gavin said.
“Mmm…those both sound fantastic. I think I’ll get the carrot cake, too.”
They placed their order, but Hawk noticed she still had her hands wrapped around her waist.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, taking another drink of water. “My stomach just hurts a bit. It’s probably from laughing so hard.”
Her stomach took that moment to growl loud and long in protest. Ava’s cheeks turned bright red and her eyes widened when the growl seemed like it would never end.
“Oh my god,” she whispered, staring at the tablecloth. “I’m so sorry.”
“Ava,” he said, and waited for her eyes to meet his. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Um, a few hours ago. After I got back from the hair salon.”
“You haven’t eaten dinner?” he asked.
“No, I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until I got your text.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” he demanded.
Gavin shot him a warning look, but he didn’t back down.
To his surprise, neither did she.
“Because I forgot,” she said. “Your text woke me up. I was so excited to see the two of you again, I got ready to go without thinking. It’s not something I normally do, or something I did on purpose. Fortunately, we happen to be in a restaurant and I’m sure I can buy myself some dinner.”
He waved to the owner in the middle of her sentence and the man brought her a menu.
“If you think we’re letting you pay for your own dinner, you’re crazy.”
“Look, I came to Bear Canyon looking for a husband,” she laughed. “The crazy train left a long time ago.”
Gavin burst out laughing, and he and Ava joined in. She was sassy, smart, and independent, but he knew from earlier she also had a soft, vulnerable side. She’d handled his lecture with ease, and laughed with Gavin effortlessly.
When their dessert came, he and Gavin watched as she savored every bite of the carrot cake, and he desperately wanted to slide his tongue inside her mouth and taste her. For her dinner, she’d ordered chicken tortellini with Alfredo sauce, and as Gavin had predicted, they stayed in the eatery an hour past closing.
At the end of the night, they followed her car back to the hotel, and returned home alone.
As much as they each wanted to spend the night loving her sexy body, she still needed time to get to know them, and they needed time to prove they were worth knowing.
After tonight’s dinner, they were off to an exciting start.
Chapter Four
Ava looked around the tiny, plain white office and thought about the last four days as she waited for Gavin and Hawk to finish their work day. Hawk was in the office next door returning phone calls and clearing out his email box, and Gavin was still with a patient.
She smiled when she looked at the pictures on Gavin’s wall. Most of them were photos of both men during all the major milestones in their adult live
s, but she noticed a couple random photos of their parents, and a few candid shots of each man separately thrown in.
She briefly wondered if she would ever earn a spot on the wall, but she pushed the feeling away. The wall was obviously for family, and although the past few days had been fun, she wasn’t sure they still considered her a candidate for a bride, especially after their rocky beginning. The thought of going back home at the end of the week made her heart ache, but she planned to return to visit Bree and the other women. Maybe she could see the guys, too.
Of course, once they found a mate, her relationship with them would be over.
Bree, Dawn and Caroline had filled her in on the dominating, protective instincts of a mated bear, and she knew from their lack of action, neither man felt anything more than friendship for her. When they’d suggested she meet them for coffee after her apology text, she’d been certain they would give her another chance. Four days later, she realized they were just humoring her until she left town, or they found someone better.
When they’d left the Italian restaurant after their first official date, neither one of them laid a hand on her, and the rest of the week had followed in the same fashion. The only touch she’d received from either man had been Hawk’s palm steadying her nerves during her apology. After that first night, they’d both kept a careful physical distance even though she’d seen them at least once every day.
Monday she’d met the guys for lunch and they’d taken her to a fun burger place called Bazooka Burger. The sheriff and the owner of a popular sandwich shop had been at the next table, and after introductions were made, she’d agreed to try the sandwich shop the following day. Later that afternoon, coffee with Bree and her friends had turned into dinner, so she’d met the guys later that night at the popular coffee chain located next to her hotel.
Tuesday she’d visited Well’s Sandwich Shop and picked up their sandwich orders before she met the men at their office again. The owner, Luke, hadn’t been lying about his sandwiches, and she’d enjoyed the oversized hoagie. In the evening, the three of them had gone to see a popular superhero movie. She sat between Gavin and Hawk, and even though their thighs touched the whole time, neither one of them made a move beyond touching her hand by accident when reaching for the popcorn at the same time.
