Allister, J. Rose - Displaced Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by J. Rose Allister

  Russell slapped Connor on the back. “Startin’ with askin’ you to join us for supper. Tal’s got a pot of the best stew you’ve ever tasted on the stove.”

  Nash and Connor threw Terra a quick glance, and Nash gave a wicked grin. “Thank you for the hospitality,” he said, “but we have to get back down the hill before dark. We need to unpack Terra’s stuff at the new place.”

  “Next week, maybe?” Connor asked. “Only let us have you over for a barbecue to thank you for your help.”

  “We’d like that,” Talaitha said.

  After farewells, Terra drove the three of them down the mountain while listening to the men discuss the next step in stopping Jayel. It was a good plan, really. Assuming they could find Jayson. And in the meantime, Talaitha had seen to their safety. It wasn’t over, but it was good enough for the moment.

  The conversation soon turned to other, more personal matters, and her thoughts were interrupted when Nash piped up from the backseat.

  “So, now that you’re whiskin’ us off to our new apartment, are you sure you’re ready?” he asked.

  Terra paused while she steered through a curve. “Ready for which part? College, a live-in relationship, or jumping into the grown-up world in general?”

  “All of the above.”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

  “Your mother mentioned a gift on our way out,” he said. “What was it? We were in such a hurry to get up the mountain that I forgot to ask.”

  Terra broke out into a grin. “Check the side pocket of my bag back there.”

  She heard him rustling around and he gave a snort. “Condoms?

  Connor chuckled from his spot in the front seat. “Did you explain to her that werewolves are only fertile three nights out of the year?”

  “Yeah,” Nash said. “During the anniversary full moon of our turning.”

  “I tried. She told me to humor an old woman.”

  “Then I guess we shouldn’t point out condoms won’t do squat durin’ a fertile moon,” Nash said. “The only safe sex then is the hands-off approach.”

  “Not that hands are the problem,” Connor said in a teasing tone. “Or do I need to explain the birds and bees to you?”

  “Ha-ha.”

  In a more serious tone, Connor turned to Terra. “So, was it as hard as you thought? Leavin’ home, I mean.”

  Terra thought over the scene a few hours before. “It was okay, actually. Mom talked about stuff I did when I was five. She cried, I cried, and Dad, well, he didn’t cry, but he commanded the three of us to come to dinner once a week.” She glanced at the man beside her and smiled. “Besides, it’s not like we moved a thousand miles away. We’re twenty minutes from them, right near the campus.”

  “Still plannin’ to pursue a math major?” Connor asked.

  “For accounting,” she said. “Then when you guys shift over from the new construction jobs to running your own contracting business, I can manage the books for you.”

  “A hot cheerleader who’s also got brains,” Nash said, and from the rearview mirror she glimpsed him reaching between his thighs suggestively. “Be still my beatin’ heart.”

  “That’s your throbbin’ cock,” Connor said with a laugh. “Your heart beats above your belt.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Terra quirked a smile at Connor’s rolled eyes. Her heart pounded with affection and need as she drove down the same winding mountain road where she had first met her mates. As she drove them to the home they would all share together. Things had been so hectic between her college preparations and the men’s search for construction work in between hunting excursions for Jayel that she hadn’t seen her lovers in over a week. That time felt more like months as she listened to their much-missed light banter. Their male scents took hold of her while she all but leered at them both. She was a lucky lady. A very lucky lady, indeed.

  “By the way,” she said after they had all been silent for a while, “why were you in such a hurry to get me down the hill? You made it sound like I brought a ton of stuff along for you to unpack. I only have two suitcases and a box.”

  Nash grunted. “We didn’t want to hang around up there. It would have messed up our carefully-laid plans.”

  Connor nodded with a sly grin.

  Terra glanced at them warily. “Plans for what?”

  Connor winked. “Your surprise, of course.”

  * * * *

  Nash’s hands were clamped over Terra’s eyes as he guided her to a stop.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “As ever.”

  He pulled his hands away, and Terra gazed in puzzlement at the front door of their new apartment. “Uh, guys? I thought you said this was a surprise.”

  Connor fiddled with a set of keys. “It is.”

  She laughed. “I hate to break it to you, but I was here when you rented the place. It’s not exactly a secret.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Nash said as the door opened with a whoosh. The scent of fresh paint and carpet wafted out, along with a pleasant, floral scent.

  “What’s going on?” she started to ask, but she was cut off when Connor scooped her up into his arms.

  “Connor!” she exclaimed. She gave a nervous giggle and automatically began fidgeting. “You know how I am about being carried.”

  “This is one time you’ll have to endure it,” he said. “We can’t have you steppin’ across the threshold of your new home on your own two feet. It ain’t traditional.”

  “Since when are werewolves big on tradition? Besides, that threshold thing is just after weddings.”

  He carried her across anyway. “Consider the mark I set on you like me and Nash sayin’ ‘I do,’ werewolf style.”

  Her stomach jumped at that, and she swallowed while he set her down just inside the doorway. She straightened her blouse while she took in the transformed surroundings. Gone were the echoing walls and empty rooms. They’d already moved in the heavy furnishings before coming to get her.

  “Wow, you guys have been busy,” she said.

  She cocked her head at what she was seeing. She would happily bear outdated, mismatched furniture or even no furniture to be with her men, but she couldn’t help wondering about some bizarre touches that caught her eye. For some odd reason, they’d opted to shove the small, maple dining table against the wall, rather than centering it in the space. A moderate-sized disco ball hung from the dining area ceiling. The coffee table stood up on one short end in the living room. And what appeared to be balloons were visible through the sliding door leading to their small patio. Oh, well. Now that she was here, she could give it a woman’s touch. Starting with eighty-sixing the disco ball.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way,” she said, eyeing the mirrored monstrosity, “but I’m not entirely sure I’m sold on the decor.”

  “On the contrary,” Nash said, tapping the disco ball with a wry grin. “The decor is perfect for what we’re goin’ for.”

  She returned his smile. “And what style is that? Modern nuthouse?”

  He and Connor nodded to each other, and without another word, Nash disappeared down the hall. Connor picked up a garment bag that had been draped over one of the maple dining chairs. “You’ll need this tonight.”

  “What is it?” she asked as she reached for the zipper.

  “Put it on in the bathroom,” Connor said. “Then meet us back here.”

  He, too, vanished down the hall, taking the bag with him. She followed in a slight daze and found the garment bag hanging in the bathroom. Connor and Nash had closed themselves mysteriously inside the bedroom.

  “What on earth are those two up to?” she asked herself as she tugged the zipper down on the garment bag.

  A gasp flew out of her at the powder-blue formal tucked inside. She hurried to ditch her comfortable moving attire and slipped into the gown. It was shimmering and silky, and it felt like heaven against her skin. The bodice was sleeveless with a plunging neckline. The skirts fell in
soft folds to the floor. It was bit too loose, but she felt like a princess in it. It was sweet of the guys to buy her such a lovely dress, even though it was definitely overkill for a quiet first night together in the new apartment. She’d be damned if she’d tell them so, however.

  Her hair hung loose around her shoulders as she regarded herself in the mirror. For such a fancy dress she probably would have pinned her hair up, but her toiletries were still packed away.

  After staring at herself and swishing back and forth to watch the satiny fabric move, she washed her face and pinched her cheeks for color. Since sneakers definitely didn’t work as part of the ensemble, she padded back to the main living area barefoot.

  There, she definitely got a surprise.

  “Oh, my God,” she said with wide eyes.

  Both men were dressed to kill in black tuxedos. Connor was fiddling with Nash’s bow tie as Terra came in, and they turned when they heard her voice. From top coat to shiny shoes, both looked like dream dates come true, and she couldn’t seem to close her dropped jaw.

  Their expressions seemed to be a decent mirror to her own, wide-eyed and appreciative as their gazes swept over her.

  “You look unbelievable,” Nash said in awe.

  “Beautiful beyond words,” Connor added, staring as though he’d never seen her before.

  “Same to you,” she said. “I wouldn’t have figured you for tuxedo owners.”

  “They’re rentals,” Connor said, and he went to the kitchen and popped open the fridge.

  “Well, you both definitely get top grades for making a girl’s welcome to the new place special.”

  “This is just the beginnin’,” Nash said.

  “I almost forgot this,” Connor added as he returned. In his hand was a clear plastic box, which he popped open. Inside was the most perfect orchid she’d ever seen.

  “A corsage?” she asked as he slipped it onto her wrist. “You’re going to spoil me if you keep this up.”

  “Ah, but tonight is a very special occasion,” Nash said, moving closer. “Several of ’em, actually.”

  Damn, she couldn’t stop thinking how magnificent Nash looked all cleaned up and shiny.

  “Several of them?”

  Connor thumbed the corsage on her wrist idly. “We figured that before we could truly start our new life together, you had some unfinished business with your old one.”

  “So, Terra Benson,” Nash said, raising his arms dramatically, “this is your life. Or rather, some moments that should have been in your life.”

  She eyed him warily. “I don’t get it.”

  He winked. “You will.”

  Nash went over to the corner while Connor took her hand. “Would you be our date to the prom?” he asked.

  Her pulse skipped. “What?”

  Nash flipped on some music, and Connor led her to the middle of the room directly beneath the mirrored ball. He reached up and gave it a flick so that it spun around lazily, casting sparkling lights around the room. He pulled her against him in a slow dance. The strains of Just the Two of Us rang out from the speakers as they swayed, Connor gazing at her as though they were alone in the world.

  “This is prom?” she asked teasingly as she looked into his glittering eyes.

  “Complete with stiff tuxedos and spiked punch,” Nash said as he came over and handed her a glass. “May I cut in?”

  She nearly spilled the drink as he tugged her to him with a flourish, twirling her once before pressing her to his taut, humming body.

  “Is this song okay?” he asked. “I didn’t know if you liked it slow or fast.”

  She sipped what turned out to be a very strongly spiked punch. “Oh really? I should have thought you’d know quite well how I liked it by now.”

  With a wicked grin, he snagged her drink and took a gulp. “Ain’t you everythin’ a guy ever wanted in a naughty prom date?”

  “Oh yeah? Speaking of which, just who did dapper, young Nash Walden escort to his prom?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t go to public high school. I was too busy workin’ a ranch. So this is my first senior prom, too.”

  She smiled at him. The mix of alcohol and the feel of his swaying body warmed her blood as she listened to the lyrics. “Hm,” she said. “Since there aren’t technically just two of us, I’m not sure this song is quite right.”

  “Good point,” Connor said. He went over and fiddled with controls on the player. “How about this?”

  Billy Idol ratcheted up the volume in the room and was soon belting out a tune about it being a good day to start again.

  “I love White Wedding,” she said. “And it’s easier for three to dance to.”

  The three of them did just that, laughing and dancing until her cheeks were pink and the song ended. She was panting as Nash strolled to the CD player.

  “I can’t remember the last time I danced,” she said, breathless. “Thanks.”

  “And after senior prom came another important rite of passage,” Connor said, and he walked over to the strangely upended coffee table. He bent behind it for a moment and came up again with a scroll in his hand.

  Before she could ask, Nash came up behind her and said, “Here.”

  He helped her slip a long blue robe over her gown, and her pulse began racing as she fastened it. The hat he stuck on her head actually made her stomach do a flip.

  “You aren’t serious,” she said.

  “You may have passed your high school equivalency test,” he said as he playfully shifted the tassel hanging in her face to the right, “but you never got to officially walk.”

  He raced back to the player and hit a button, and Pomp and Circumstance filled the air. A lump actually rose in her throat as Connor stood behind the coffee table like it was a podium.

  “Graduatin’ with special honors,” he said in an official tone, “behind her class but ahead of her time, Miss Terra Marie Benson.”

  Nash went wild, clapping and whistling as she stood there, dumbfounded. He gave her a little push forward, and her cheeks burned as she staggered up to take the outstretched scroll. Connor held a hand out and she shook it.

  “Now move your tassel to the left of your cap,” Nash said through cupped hands.

  She grinned like a fool as she shifted the tassel. Both men were there instantly, Connor lifting her feet off the ground just for a moment as he hugged her tight.

  “Congratulations,” he said, nearly knocking her cap off. “You made it.”

  That brought a sting to her eyes. “I can’t believe you guys did this.”

  “You did it,” Nash said. “You quietly studied and finished up so you could go to college. We just wanted to make sure you know how proud we are that you did.”

  She sniffed back tears. There was no way she was going to spoil the festive mood by crying. “Thank you.”

  “But there’s one more thing,” Connor said. “Come on.”

  “Wait,” Nash said. “Let me go out first.”

  Nash went out the slider door while Connor pulled the graduation cap off Terra’s head and helped her shrug off the robe. Then he took her hand and all but tugged her toward the patio.

  “Now what?” she asked with a giggle.

  “Surprise!” Nash cried out the minute she stepped through the doorway. He followed it up by tooting a party horn.

  She stopped in shock and gaped at the setting. The balloons she’d spotted earlier filled half the space around the patio. The long table had not one, but three cakes on it, each with a lit candle in its midst. Three gifts were stacked on the table as well. Nash wore a funny party hat and an even sillier grin.

  “Whose birthday is it?” she asked.

  “Yours, of course,” Nash said.

  She gave him a puzzled grin. “My birthday was months ago. The day I met you and Connor, actually.”

  “Not that birthday,” Connor said. “While you were asleep in a hospital, I believe you missed some others.”

  Her smile faded. He pulled
her closer to the table, where she saw the cakes all had Happy Birthday Terra scrawled on top of the white icing. The three candles were numeral-shaped. 18, 19, 20.

  She laid her hand over her mouth, but the tears she’d forbidden fell anyway.

  “What’s wrong?” Nash said, pulling his hat off. “Did we upset you?”

  She shook her head, swallowing down emotion so she could speak. “No. It’s perfect.”

  “We didn’t mean to make you cry,” Connor said, lifting her chin. “We wanted this to be a happy occasion.”

  “It is. Happier than you know.”

  She kissed him then, softly and with more than just gratitude. “Thank you so much for coming up with all this for me.”

  “To be fair,” Connor said, “it was Nash’s idea.”

  “Really?” She eyed Nash with a raised brow.

  He shrugged casually, and she pulled away from Connor to walk over to him. She took his face in her hands and watched the way the candlelight hit the gold flecks in his eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Then she kissed him boldly, passionately. His hands went to her shoulders, and she silently prayed to feel them slide down to cup her breasts. Instead, he pulled away gently.

  “You’d better blow out your candles,” he said. “And open your presents.”

  “Don’t forget to make a wish,” Connor said as she turned. “One for each cake.”

  “I’d say my own three wishes are already standing right here,” she said. “Us together.”

  Nevertheless, she closed her eyes and made wishes as she dutifully blew out each tiny flame. She grinned at the men as the acrid smoke of the candles curled around her nostrils.

  “Am I really going to have to eat all this cake?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ll fit into this dress if I do.”

  “Of course you do.” Nash sliced into the first cake and removed a sliver. “One favorite flavor for each of us. I reckon this chocolate is your favorite.”

  “You reckon right,” she said. He picked off a bite and fed it to her by hand. She sucked the sweet frosting off his finger and saw the yellow in his eyes begin to flicker.

  “Yellow cake is mine,” Connor said, pulling a piece off the center cake and adding it to the bite in her mouth.