A Trick of the Moon

by Melinda Barron

“Hey, you two, the topic of conversation?”

  Dario turned to him as he pinned Maura's arms above her head. “That usually means what you're talking about, right?”

  “Cut it out,” Declan replied. “I want to make sure we all know this was no trick of the moon, whether we're talking about the Full Moon, the Half Moon, or the true moon, being the big, round ball in the sky at night. What we're feeling, all three of us, is the real thing.”

  “It is for me,” Dario said. “The big question is where do we go from here? I suppose that's the topic you want to focus on.”

  “That's right.” Declan got up, then lay down behind Maura, sliding his body against hers. She was still damp from the shower, and it felt wonderful to feel her slippery skin pressed against him. Dario lay down in front, effectively making a Maura sandwich. “Where do we go from here?”

  “Are we supposed to have an answer?” She turned as much as she could, putting her head on the mattress and dividing her gaze between the two of them. “I'm still at the Full Moon until Dad gets back, and truthfully, right now I'm still your boss.”

  “What, you worried we were fucking you to get a bonus?”

  “Dario.” Declan reached over Maura and pushed at his friend. “That was tacky.”

  “One of my traits, sometimes good, sometimes bad.” He leaned over and kissed her shoulder. “Sorry.”

  For a minute, Declan thought she would tell him to get lost. The Maura he knew always stood up for herself if she was upset, and she seemed that way right now. After a few moments, though, she puckered her lips and then gave him an air kiss. “You're forgiven. This time.”

  Dario inclined his head. “I'll remember that. But I'm still the main spanker.”

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  “We'll see.” Maura looked back at Declan, and he savored the look she gave him. There was surprise there, and it was obvious to him that she'd expected what they had together to stop after their work with the kiva was done. It hurt to think she thought so little of him, but then again he hadn't given her any reason to think he felt otherwise, so he needed to take a big part of that blame.

  But there was also love there, and as she looked back at Dario, the look didn't change. “I don't mind saying this scares me, more than just a little.”

  Even though she expressed nervousness, her voice sounded sure, and Declan loved that about her. “It's hard enough to have a relationship between two people, much less with three. We need to make sure that we're all ready for that.”

  Declan pulled her closer to him, and Dario moved in too. The arousal he'd felt moments ago started to stir again. “People are never really ready, Maura.”

  Behind her, Dario nodded. “If they were, the divorce rate would be much lower than it is right now. We need to go into this knowing that there will be tough times, but we want each other enough to work at it, to keep it going, and to get past our differences and any problems that might pop up.”

  Declan's eyes widened. He'd never once heard Dario speak about relationships in that manner. Most of the time he'd only talked about the women in his life in terms of sex. “Well spoken.”

  Dario placed his cheek on Maura's, then let his hand move to Declan's arm. The sense of belonging was strong for Declan, and he knew the others felt it too.

  “What happens now?” Maura snuggled between them. “My dad is expected back in two weeks, but who knows if he'll want me to stay. And I owe him that.”

  “Understandable,” Declan said. “I'm gone from home sometimes, and so is Dario.”

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  “I'm wanting assignments closer to home,” Dario put in. “The last one kept me near the border for far too long. I'm ready for some stability.”

  “I gave up my apartment,” Maura said softly. “I'd thought about buying at one point, but something always held me back.”

  “We'll find a place for the three of us.” Declan ran his hand over her hip, caressing her thigh before moving back up. “We don't have to rush into things and buy yet, but we can find a place to live and to grow together.”

  “But what about—” Declan put his finger against her mouth.

  “Enough. If we let you, you'd ask 'what happens when' questions all night long. We take it a few steps at a time, and if there's a problem, we discuss it.

  Agreed?”

  They both looked at him, and it was Dario who first said, “Agreed,”

  followed by Maura's whispered, “It sounds too perfect to be true.”

  “Nothing's perfect,” Declan said. “But we'll work hard to make sure that it's damn close to it.”

  They lay together, their arms wrapped around each other; the silence seemed to be keeping them closer instead of driving a wedge between them. It was Dario who sat up first. Declan watched him stand and stretch, then head toward the bathroom. “If you're lucky, Deck, I might leave you some hot water.

  If not, you'll learn to jump toward the shower first.”

  The door shut, and Declan lay still, his arms around Maura. “I might need a cold shower after being this close to you.”

  She gave him a saucy look that made his stomach tighten in anticipation.

  “Maybe we can work something out after Dario is back, and you won't need a cold shower.”

  “Don't tease me.” He kissed her gently.

  “Never. Well, maybe sometimes, but this isn't one of them. Trust me.”

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  Chapter Thirteen

  Maura felt as if the world had dawned anew. Not that things were different physically. She was in a car, headed toward the home she'd always known. But she was sitting between two men. Her men. She'd woken up nestled between Dario and Declan, just as she had for the past week. But today it was different.

  Today they were a couple. She mentally gave herself a head slap, not a couple, a trio. They were together. They'd spent last night making love, again, and then spent hours discussing sex, food, cooking, sex, entertainment choices, and sex.

  They'd also talked about housing, and areas they thought would be the best place to start their new life.

  They'd decided to try for a place in the country. Dario had said he knew people who had property for rent, or for possible sale sometime in the future.

  They'd all decide that renting was the best possible option, for now. There were too many things to work out about buying that they didn't want to deal with right now.

  The plans for now were simple. They would go back to the Full Moon, check the camera to see if any images had been recorded, and then travel to Albuquerque. She was sure Bear would be thrilled to get rid of her for another few days. While they were in Albuquerque they could meet with her father, and she could introduce him to Dario.

  He'd already met Declan, years ago, and had always been impressed with her friend. She was sure he would feel the same way about Dario, although she was reluctant to tell him about her starting a relationship with two men.

  Since his stroke, his health had been fragile, although it was getting much better. There was a large part of her that worried that if he disagreed with her A Trick of the Moon

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  choice, it could send him backward in his recovery, and that would lead to terrible guilt: guilt she wasn't sure she could ever live with.

  They'd discussed it last night, and both men had soothed her fears, going so far as to tell her that, if she thought it necessary, they would wait to disclose the extent of their connection. They hadn't made a decision about it, saying it would be best to wait and see what happened when they went to visit her dad in rehab.

  They were about five miles away from the turnoff for the Full Moon, and she cleared her throat. The ride had been fairly silent until now. She wanted to continue their discussion from last night, which had been short.

  “We need to finish our talk,” she said.

  “You tired us out last night,” Dario replied. “And we're still recoverin
g.”

  In answer she put her hands in their crotches, running her fingers up and down cocks that seemed semihard to her.

  “You don't seem too tired,” she said, shooting both of them an amused grin.

  “Watch it, skipper.” Maura wanted to ask him what she was supposed to watch, but Declan interrupted.

  “As much fun as it would be to park, I'm eager to get back to the Half Moon, see if the camera recorded anything. Don't you two agree?”

  There was a long silence, and then Dario cleared his throat. “Archaeology over sex? That's an interesting turn of events.”

  “I'm wanting to solve a mystery,” Declan said. “I'm not talking about taking archaeology over sex, just postponing it for a little while. Plus we'll be back in our tent, unless one night in a bed has spoiled the boss and she wants to stay at the house.”

  “No, I'll take the tent.” She definitely wanted the tent, which would be away from everyone. They were going to face things together, but she really had 134

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  no desire to have another run-in with Bear. “You shouldn't get too excited about the camera. It may be good equipment, but it's very dark down there.”

  Neither of them said anything, and she focused her gaze on Declan. “What am I missing?”

  “We didn't exactly leave the camera in the kiva.” Declan's voice was tight, and she wondered exactly what they were hiding. “We left it in the truck that was parked near the tent.”

  Her heart dropped. “My truck? So if someone saw something and tried to steal it, they'd break into my truck. No wonder you didn't tell me. When exactly did you do this?”

  “Before we left yesterday,” Dario replied. “You were still sleeping, and we talked about it after we woke up.”

  “Thanks for telling the boss.” She shot them both glares. “What prompted the change?”

  “We decided the camera was easily spotted in the kiva,” Declan said, his voice matter-of-fact. “We did what we thought was necessary.”

  “I see.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “You're fired, both of you.”

  “I like being fired,” Declan said. “Means we can file for unemployment.”

  “After we have sex”—Dario pointed to a road that seemed to lead nowhere—“let's try in there. After that, we'll find the nearest unemployment office.”

  “Bzzz…wrong answer. You're fired after we check on the camera.”

  The two men laughed. “You can't make a qualification like that.” Declan squeezed her knee. “We're either fired, or we're not. Make up your mind.”

  “Fine, you're not, but I'm thinking this means the two of you need to be spanked for lying to me.”

  Dario turned the SUV onto the Full Moon road. “I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I would have noticed a corporal-punishment clause in my employment contract.”

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  “That makes two of us,” Declan said. “I'm thinking she's lying, but we'll let it pass, for now.”

  As usual, Dario drove much too fast over the bumpy road. As they neared the ranch house, Maura wondered if they should stop in and check to make sure things were going fine. She was about to make the suggestion, but her cell phone rang.

  She pulled it out and checked the ID. “It's someone from the Full Moon.

  Talk about timing.”

  A quick flip and she said hello, and then her stomach flopped to the ground.

  * * * * *

  Maura's hand shook as she reached for the doorknob on the Full Moon office door. It stilled a little as Declan put his hand on top of hers and squeezed. Behind her, Dario stroked her back. “Relax,” Declan said. “This is good news.”

  Was it? She wasn't exactly sure it was good news, but then again it might be. Hearing her father's voice on the phone had shocked her, and all sorts of things had gone through the mind. She hoped his being home meant he was done with rehab and was home for good; but she'd also thought that maybe he'd suffered a setback and the people at the rehab center had sent him home, saying there was nothing more they could do for him.

  He hadn't sounded bad, though. His voice had been strong, and he'd seemed happy when he'd asked where she was, then told her to stop by the office before going out to the kiva.

  “Why didn't he tell me he was coming home?” Was her voice shaking? She needed to get a hold on that before she talked to her dad. He wouldn't be happy if she sounded upset.

  “He wanted to surprise you,” Dario said, pushing slightly on her back.

  “Open the door and go inside. It's hot out here, always is when you're around.”

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  Leave it to him to make a joke, she thought as she turned the knob. Then she realized she was smiling and her hands were not shaking as much as they had been just moments ago. Part of it was Declan's strong touch. The other was Dario's jocular mood. It was definitely making things better.

  She walked into the office to find it empty. Voices drifted in from the front end of the house: Bear's voice—and he sounded like he was happy—and her father's. She closed her eyes and let the sound drift over her. He sounded strong and cheerful, like the father she remembered before the stroke.

  It took all her willpower to not bolt to the other room, to see him sitting there, waiting for her. Instead she walked slowly, almost afraid that it would all prove to be a dream. As she stepped into the main room, she saw that it wasn't.

  Her father sat in the chair, laughing at something Bear had just said. A huge grin spread over his face as their gazes met. He stood and held out his arms, and this time she didn't hold back. She practically ran across the room, then threw her arms around his neck. Too soon she realized this might be too much for him. She pulled back slightly, then put her hands on his shoulders.

  “Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?”

  “Because I wanted it to be a surprise. I told Bear, but I asked him to keep it quiet.” He looked over her shoulder and nodded. “Declan, good to see you again. You must be Dario.”

  “I am.” Dario stepped forward and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

  “And you. I hope you two have been taking care of my girl.”

  There was a soft snort from Bear, but Maura didn't think her father had caught it. He was busy shaking Declan's hand.

  “Did you three have fun on your vacation?”

  “Minivacation,” Maura said. “We went to check out actual ruins, to see how they measured up to what we had.”

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  “Bullshit.” Her father winked at her. “You were never any good at lying, little girl.”

  “I've gotten better as I grew up,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

  She'd shifted her gaze to Bear, though, glaring at him, wondering exactly what he'd told her father.

  The old ranch hand stood, and the looks he gave her two lovers were much less hostile than the ones he'd given them before. “I came here to talk with your father about the kiva. I'm the one who's been keeping it clean. My son and his wife are the ones who left the kachina, in hopes of pleasing the gods enough to bless them with a child.”

  The bottom dropped from Maura's stomach. “Why couldn't you have told me that?”

  “Why should I have, so you could let friends use their tools to go in there and tear things up, open it to the public? That kiva has been around for years.

  My great-great-grandfather found it and cleaned it out. He restored it, then passed the task to his son, who passed it to his son, who passed it to me.

  We've kept it clean, and holy, as it should be.”

  She understood exactly what he was saying, but she still didn't know why he didn't tell her that. “So, instead of trusting me to understand what you were doing, you lied to me, you insulted my friends, and you tried to leave us stranded in the middle of your kiva, is that it?”

  “I was hoping to drive you away.” She was happy
Bear had the smarts to appear embarrassed, otherwise she might have to slap him upside the head. He looked at Declan and Dario. “I do apologize for what I said to you. It was wrong, but when I realized that you three were examining the kiva, I knew I had to try and stop you, and then…”

  His voice trailed off, and Maura felt as if she would die on the spot. He was about to say that he'd found the three of them in bed together. She was happy he caught himself before blurting the news out to her father, and thrilled that he obviously hadn't said anything to her father before now.

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  “You're not the man I fought with at the site,” Dario said. “No offense, but he was much younger than you are. You didn't do any of it, did you? You're taking the blame for someone else.”

  Bear's face dropped, and Maura felt pity for him. “That was my son Mikey.

  He'd taken an offering down there with the kachina doll, because the mother of a friend is having a baby, and she's had troubles with pregnancies in the past.

  He wanted to see if praying to the god Kokopelli would help. He's also the one who loosened the ladder.”

  Maura wasn't sure quite what to say. Bear's reasons sounded reasonable, but that didn't change the fact someone had attacked Dario, even if he had taken it in stride.

  “He wants to apologize.” Bear cleared his throat in obvious nervousness. “I hope you won't file charges against him, since you're a cop and all.”

  “No need,” Dario replied, and Maura felt a rush of warmth. “As my mother would say when I got into fights as a kid, if no one's dead, just push the issue aside. That's what I'm doing.”

  “Thank you.” Bear's relief was obvious.

  “What about my camera and equipment,” Declan asked. “We were on our way to check it before you called.”

  Concern spread over Bear's features. “Camera?”