by Marla Monroe
“Don’t try to think right now. It might come back to you once you’ve had time to heal. It doesn’t really matter why you did what you did now. Just don’t go outside without telling one of us from now on. You were completely covered in snow by the time we found you,” he said.
Jet walked back in wearing sweatpants but no shirt. He held up a bandage roll and a pair of sweats for Tanner.
“Here you go. Dress, man. I don’t want to see your junk while we take care of our woman.”
Lacy held back a gasp at his calling her their woman. Then she was gasping for a different reason. Tanner threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, treating her to a full-frontal view of him before he bent over to pull on the sweats. His cock was large and thick and oh so tempting. The rest of him wasn’t shabby either. He had the same tight ass and muscular body that Jet had.
“See anything you like, babe?” Tanner asked as he caught her looking.
Lacy could only gape at him as heat suffused her cheeks.
“Stop teasing her. She’s hurt,” Jet fussed.
“Evidently not enough to be immune to my manly attributes,” Tanner teased.
“Pop your leg out here so I can wrap that ankle before it swells much more,” Jet said.
Lacy held the covers close to her chest but gingerly moved her left leg toward Jet. He pulled back the covers just enough to expose her lower leg. When he touched it, she groaned at the sharp slice of pain that raced up her leg.
“Sorry, darling. This is going to hurt, but we need to give your ankle some stability. As soon as the roads are clear enough that we can get down the mountain, we’ll take you to the doctor to be sure it’s not broken.” Jet began winding the bandage around her foot, working it over her ankle, then up her leg a few inches.
“I could really use that aspirin now.”
“I’ll get them and bring back a Diet Coke for you,” Tanner said.
Lacy slowly relaxed back in the bed, wishing she had her clothes on. She felt so vulnerable lying there naked. Tanner returned seconds later and helped her sit up to take the pills.
“Thanks.”
“Why don’t you try to sleep, babe. We’re going to wake you up every few hours to be sure you’re okay,” Tanner said.
“Could you get me a T-shirt to put on?” she asked.
“I’ll get it.” Jet opened a couple of her drawers and found a large one for her to put on.
He held it open for her to slip into. She couldn’t stop the rush of blood to her face and neck at the fact that both men saw her naked while she slipped into it.
“Don’t be embarrassed, babe. You’ve got a beautiful body. I’m just sorry that you’re hurt,” Tanner said.
“Thanks for taking care of me, guys. I really appreciate it.”
“We’ll see how you feel when we wake you up every two hours,” Jet said with a half-smile.
“I’ll still be grateful.”
“And we’ll still be worried about you. When we saw you lying there in the snow, I thought my heart would stop,” Tanner said. “Expect us to be a little more demonstrative from now on, babe. We want you, and we’re not going to let up until you’re ours.”
Chapter Thirteen
Nearly a week later, Lacy was ready to scream. The guys had carried her everywhere, refusing to let her put any weight on her leg at all. Not only that, but they hovered like honeybees, asking her every few minutes if she needed anything. They were smothering her. While she was grateful for their attempts at taking care of her, she wanted to crown both of them to get them to leave her alone for at least a few hours.
“What’s wrong, babe? You’re frowning. Is your head hurting again? Do you need something?” Tanner asked, walking into the living room where she was confined to the couch.
“I’m fine. I’m tired of being on this couch and you guys asking me if I need anything every twenty minutes. Don’t you have work to do?” she asked with a frown.
“Don’t worry about us. You just need to worry about getting well. We don’t want you to do anything that will make that ankle worse. You had a head injury, babe. We’re not messing around with that. Jet really wanted to take you down to the hospital to get checked out. If it wasn’t for the snow, we’d be in the hospital right now.” Tanner squeezed her shoulder, then sat on the coffee table.
“No, we wouldn’t,” Lacy said. “They’d have checked me out, wrapped my ankle like Jet did, then sent me home with instructions to wake me up every two hours like you guys did.”
“I don’t know about that. Jet can be pretty convincing when he’s in beast mode.”
“Beast mode?”
“When he’s all bossy and authoritative. He usually gets what he wants, and he wanted you in the hospital where they could take care of you.”
Lacy sighed. “Well, as much as I appreciate you guys taking such good care of me, I’m sick of this couch. I need to get back on my feet, so I can do my job.”
“That’s not going to happen for at least a couple of weeks, babe. You need to keep that ankle elevated and stay off it another week. Don’t think that because we’re stuck up here that Jet didn’t call and get medical information to be sure we took good care of you,” Tanner said.
“I can’t believe I have to stay off my ankle for two freaking weeks.”
“That’s what they told us. If it still hurts too much to walk on it after two weeks, we take you in to get it X-rayed,” Tanner said.
“How am I going to know if it’s getting better if I can’t stand on it occasionally?” she asked.
“Next week we’ll let you start to put a little pressure on it to see how you’re progressing. Sit back and let us take care of you, Lacy. We like taking care of you.”
“But I’m supposed to be working for you guys, and I’m not doing that. That’s my job.”
“And you got hurt here on our property.”
“Doing something that was stupid like going out in the snow. I wish I could remember what made me go out there in the first place.”
“Doesn’t matter now. You know better,” Tanner said.
“What’s going on?” Jet asked, walking into the living room.
“Nothing,” Lacy said with a sigh.
“She’s getting antsy to get up,” Tanner added.
“Not yet, darling. You can’t put any weight on that ankle for another week. Then we’ll see how you do,” Jet said.
“Fine, fine. Tanner has already read me the riot act. I don’t need you to fuss at me, as well.”
“I wasn’t fussing at you,” Tanner said, looking very much like a little kid pouting.
“I’m sick of this couch. Can’t I sit in the kitchen so I can see out the back door?” she asked.
“You have to keep your foot elevated,” Jet said.
“Then I can prop it up on one of the other chairs. Please. I’m going crazy sitting on this couch. I’m bored of TV and movies and staring at these same four walls.”
“What do you think, Jet? We can prop her foot up on the other chair with a pillow beneath it. Just for a few hours to give her something else to look at.” Tanner shrugged.
“I guess that would be all right.” Jet looked down at Lacy. “You have to promise not to try to get up and do anything without us there with you.”
“I promise. Let me sit so that I can look out on the deck. Oh, and throw some of that stale bread out there, so maybe I’ll get some birds to look at,” she said.
“You’ve been thinking about this for some time, haven’t you,” Jet said, frowning.
“Thinking is all I have to do. I’m going nuts just sitting here,” Lacy snapped.
“Okay. Tanner go fix a chair for her leg. I’ll carry her in there,” Jet said.
Lacy couldn’t help but grin like a loon. She was actually getting her way. Anything would be better than sitting on the couch for another six hours.
Tanner grabbed a pillow and disappeared into the kitchen while Jet bent over to pick her up. She couldn’t help but a
dmire his strong arms and shoulders as he lifted her off the couch. Since he and Tanner both carried her around pretty much everywhere, she’d gotten used to how muscular they were and reveled in the fact they could pick her up as if she weighed nothing. She knew better. Lacy liked her own cooking a little too much to be considered small.
When he set her down on one of the kitchen chairs, she sighed at the different position and hardness of the chair. Then Jet was lifting her leg to settle it on the cushioned chair across from her. She grinned at the two men. This was definitely better than the couch. The sun coming in from the French doors was warm and friendly feeling.
“Don’t forget to break up some bread and throw it out on the deck. I bet the birds will love it,” she said.
“I’ve got that,” Tanner said. He grabbed the partial loaf of bread and squeezed it to crumble it before he opened the door, letting in the frigid air as he tossed out the breadcrumbs onto the deck.
“Damn it’s cold out there,” Tanner said after closing the door. “Glad I don’t have to go out for anything.”
“Do you need a blanket over you, darling?” Jet asked.
“Maybe I should have one close by in case I do get cold. I’m fine right now though,” she said.
“I’ll get one and drape it over the back of that chair next to you. If you can’t get it on, just call out to us. The door to the office is open. Or, call one of us on the phone,” Tanner said, setting her phone on the table next to her.
Tanner and Jet fussed over her for another few minutes before she finally convinced them she was comfortable, and they returned to their office. She leaned back against the chair and gazed outside at the blanket of white that covered everything in sight. It took nearly an hour but eventually the birds and a squirrel appeared to take advantage of the bread crumbs. She laughed at the antics of the birds as they fussed at the squirrel stealing what they considered their food. Once it was all gone, they slowly disappeared along with the sun as it began to set behind the mountain.
“How are you feeling?” Tanner asked.
“Good. Remind me to put bird food on the grocery list. I loved watching the birds and a squirrel forage through the snow for the bread crumbs,” she said.
“Good idea. Maybe even get some corn for deer. I bet you’d enjoy watching the deer, too,” Tanner said.
“Where’s Jet?” Lacy asked.
“Conquering the world, I think.”
Lacy laughed. “He’d hit you for saying that.”
“For saying what?” Jet asked, walking into the kitchen.
“Nothing.”
She and Tanner both burst out laughing together.
* * * *
“What do you think?” Jet asked as Tanner helped Lacy to her feet a week later.
“The swelling has been gone for several days now. I think she should try and walk,” Tanner said.
“Go ahead, Lacy. Let’s see how your ankle holds up,” Jet said.
He watched as she slowly put her weight down on her left foot. He hovered in case she crumbled in pain. Instead, she smiled and took a step without wincing. He grinned. She was going to be just fine.
“How does it feel?” Tanner asked.
“Good. It still twinges a little when I put weight on it, but it doesn’t really hurt. I think I’m well enough to return to work now.” Lacy smiled.
“With restrictions,” Jet amended.
“What restrictions?” she demanded.
“You have to rest in between doing things for the rest of the week,” he told her.
Jet wanted to be sure she was fully healed before he stopped watching out for her. Hell, he would never stop watching out for her. He’d come to realize when they’d nearly lost her that he loved her. He honestly loved her. He hadn’t said anything to Tanner yet. He was almost positive the other man was in love with her, as well, but they hadn’t really discussed their feelings. That wasn’t something they routinely did.
Lacy rolled her eyes but shrugged. “I can do that. Just as long as I’m freed from the couch and the kitchen chairs.”
“I don’t want you using the stairs alone yet,” Jet said.
She sighed. “Really, Jet. I can hold on to the railing for safety.”
“I don’t care. Until I’m satisfied that you are completely healed, I want to be safe,” Jet said.
“Fine. I’ll play it your way. I won’t need to go up or down the stairs at any point today, so it’s a moot point.”
Jet nodded and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Get dressed, darling. Let’s see how you do on your own.”
He watched as Lacy grabbed her clothes, then disappeared into the bathroom. He watched Tanner as she carefully walked across the floor. His friend looked as if he wanted to follow her.
“She’s really doing well,” Jet said.
“I know. That means we don’t have an excuse to carry her around anymore,” Tanner said.
“That’s right. Nor do we have an excuse to get her out of bed each morning. I’ve looked forward to that each day,” Jet admitted.
“Still, she’s gotten used to us being so close to her. I think we should up the game now that she’s essentially well,” Tanner said.
“How?”
“Touch her more. Kiss her more.”
“I’m all for that, but what if she resists us?”
“I don’t think she will. She’s been checking us out almost since she got hurt,” Tanner said.
“True. I’ve noticed how she looks at you when you’re not looking,” Jet said.
“Same here about you. She’s definitely aware of us as men.”
“So, we’re in agreement to start pressing her to see how she reacts to us?” Jet asked.
“Yes. She’s who I want as my woman. What about you? If you’re not serious about making her our woman, we need to decide that now before we go any farther,” Tanner said.
“I love her, man. I think I’ve loved her since the beginning, but it took nearly losing her to make me realize that she’s that important to me. I nearly lost my mind when we found her unconscious in the snow.”
“Same here. I love her to the point of going insane at the thought of losing her. She’s perfect for us. She’s smart and caring and gets how we are when we’re working. She doesn’t get hurt if we growl when she interrupts us.”
“Okay, that was about me instead of you,” Jet said with a frown.
“Yeah. I don’t growl,” Tanner said.
“So, we’re in agreement that we’re going to actively pursue her now?”
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I’m so glad to get off the mountain, even if it’s only for a few hours,” Lacy said as they pulled into town.
It had been nearly three weeks since they’d last made the trip down. Her ankle was healed, though she occasionally had a twinge when she’d been on her feet for very long. No way she was going to tell them that though. They’d have her at the doctor’s office before she could protest.
“Don’t forget my birdseed, guys.”
“We won’t. We’ll get that while you’re at the department store, then pick you up to grab lunch before the grocery store.”
“It won’t take me long. I just need to pick up a few things,” Lacy said.
They dropped her off before heading to the seed and feed store down the street. Lacy walked inside and sighed. It felt good to be able to move around without one of them always being underfoot. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them being close, but they’d been overprotective since she’d had her accident out in the snow. They really needed to get past that.
She browsed around the store, picking up things she needed as she did. Most of what she needed were personal items and a new pair of house shoes. Hers had holes in the soles now. That definitely didn’t help keep her feet warm. Lacy settled on a pair of fluffy yellow ones that made her smile. She’d have no problem finding them when she got up.
“Hey, babe. You about ready?” Tanner wa
lked up next to her as she dropped the house shoes into her basket.
“Actually, I am. I just need to check out. Want me to meet you outside?” she asked.
“I’ll wait with you. Jet is in the truck.”
Lacy winced. She had really hoped he would wait outside for her. She had unmentionables in her basket and wasn’t comfortable with him seeing them.
Crap. I can’t believe my luck. I have no idea how he’ll react to seeing my tampons.
When it was her turn to empty her cart on the conveyer belt, Tanner further thwarted her by standing in front and getting her things out of the basket while she stood at the back of it. She was sure her face was ten times red when he picked up her tampons and dropped them on the belt without batting an eye. She didn’t know if it was because he hadn’t realized what they were or if he really didn’t see anything personal about them. She prayed he hadn’t noticed what they were.
Once they had her things bagged, he carried them outside and loaded them into the back of the truck before closing the cover.
“Find everything you needed?” Jet asked when she climbed back into the truck.
“Yeah. I found a new pair of house shoes, too. Mine had holes in them,” she said.
“Why did you wait so long to get a new pair?” Jet asked with a frown.
“Because they were perfectly comfortable. Now I have to break in a new pair,” she teased.
“What else did you get?” he asked.
“Just stuff.”
“She got toothpaste, tampons, and hair conditioner,” Tanner supplied.
“Tanner!” Lacy gasped.
“What?”
“I think you embarrassed her by telling me that she got tampons. I don’t know why. They’re perfectly normal for a woman to need.” Jet looked over and squeezed her knee. “Don’t be embarrassed about your period, darling.”
“No more talk about my period or tampons. You’re making me all red.”
“The cold air will cool you back down, babe. Don’t worry.” Tanner squeezed her shoulder from the back seat.
