Chance caught the tear that escaped her with his forefinger.
“I couldn’t be mad at her, and I didn’t want to argue with her. It was a loving way to reject me…Us.”
Chance took the tray out of her lap.
“Come here, Zee.”
She snuggled up against him.
“What did you say in return?” Sam asked.
“I told her I was proud of her for speaking up and that no matter what we disagreed about, or how often, I would always love her, too.” She reached across Chance and snagged the napkin off the tray and blew her nose.
She looked at both men. “What else could I say? I mean, that was really freaking brave of her to say. I am proud of her.” She gulped. “It just hurts, you know?”
She looked at Chance, then at Sam, waiting for them to say something.
“What are you going to do?” Chance finally asked.
“Well, I’m sure as hell not giving up on us.” She said with a fierce smile.
“Hallelujah,” Sam murmured.
“I think I might have the start of a plan.” Chance said.
Chapter 27
After Josie finally finished everything on her tray, she settled in for a nap. Sam and Chance walked out to the dock to have a couple of beers.
“I don’t know how you drink that swill,” Chance gave Sam a pitying look.
“One day when you run out of money, you’re going to regret having changed your palate to only accept expensive beer,” Sam warned.
“You know, you have a hell of a lot of money, too. You don’t have to be drinking that crap.” Chance used his bottle to point to Sam’s.
“That portfolio you set up for me doesn’t count. Hell, Chance, I only have money because you made me invest it in your company. I haven’t touched any of it. It doesn’t feel like it’s mine.”
“You’re an idiot,” Chance said, without heat. “The initial money was yours. I just helped you to multiply it a hundred fold, so that’s yours, too.”
“Still doesn’t feel like I earned it,” Sam groused.
Chance leaned back on the dock, admiring how clear the day was now that the clouds had dispersed. “Did you ever consider the possibility that you might have an inferiority complex? That somehow your parents fucked you over into believing you weren’t worthy of anything good? So, whenever something bad happens, you blow it out of proportion and let it justify your underlying belief system?”
“Jesus, Chance, are you planning on putting out a shingle? I already have a shrink.” Sam took a long pull from his beer and reached for another.
“Nope. I just figure it’s time I said my piece, because this relationship important, and I want it to work. You and Josie fit because you both come from the same fucked-up childhoods. You can really relate to one another and help one another. I fit, because I can lighten the mood. You both need me. Not to mention the fact that neither of us is going to let the other one have her to himself.”
“There is that. You try to take her away from me, and they’ll never find your body,” Sam said in a pretty serious tone that made Chance laugh.
“You could try, brother. You could try,” he said, still laughing.
Sam looked over at him and realized it might not be as easy to take down Chance as he would like to think. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve thought about why I have a glass-half-empty outlook,” Sam admitted.
“No, you don’t have that at all. You always see the good in others. You see the good in a lot of different situations. But when it comes to yourself, you have a broken mirror. You, son, don’t think you are good, nor do you think you deserve anything good.” Chance paused, letting his words sink in. “Do you want Josie?”
“I’ve had Josie,” Sam said with a great deal of satisfaction.
“Do you want Josie for the long haul?” Chance asked. Sam took another swig from his beer, trying to picture his very long life without Josie in it.
“Yeah, I want her. But I don’t know how I can do it.”
“Remember how we were talking one day at a time?” Chance asked.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Try this. Spend some of the money,” Chance urged. “And you have to spend it on something for yourself, something that you want. Something that really matters to you. Something selfish!”
“You’re sounding a little like my shrink,” Sam warned.
“Jesus,” Chance opened another one of his Belgian ales and took a long pull. He looked out over the water. They were silent a long while, enjoying the peace and quiet. This was a large part of the reason that Chance chose this property to build his house.
“So, what are your thoughts about Becca? It doesn’t sound like we can just woo her like you were thinking,” Sam said.
“The more I hear about those girls, the more I think I’ll love them. It hurts my heart, can you imagine? I’m counting on Sarah. I’m betting she’ll make a difference with Becca,” Chance said thoughtfully.
“I’ve been thinking, too,” Sam said with a slow smile.
“There’s my old drinking buddy. The one I used to get in a fuck-ton of trouble with. Whatcha been thinking about, Mr. Booth?”
“We have one secret weapon and then we have the nuclear option.”
“Oh shit, why didn’t I think of that,” Chance sat up. “Butch and Betty. Hell, with Betty she can smooth out anything.”
“Why didn’t you think of that?”
“Uhhhhhh, Josie was only wearing your t-shirt without a bra?”
Sam burst out laughing. He looked at his beer and saw his was empty.
“I think we need to get back in there and check on her.”
“You’re probably right.” Chance picked up his empty bottles and gave Sam a hand up. They took a last look over the lake and headed back.
Josie was in the kitchen rooting around the refrigerator when they got back to the house.
“You must be feeling better,” Sam grinned.
“Well, my appetite is definitely back.” Josie pulled out some leftover pizza, which Chance promptly put back into the fridge.
“I think we can do a little better than that.”
“Shouldn’t you be wearing your brace?” Sam admonished her.
Josie sighed. “I’ve had such bad body aches from the flu, I don’t know what is pain from that and what is normal back pain.”
“Let’s you and I get you taken care of, and Chance can fix you something reasonable to eat. I think pizza is a little drastic,” Sam said as he took her arm and led her out of the kitchen.
“Do you want to take a shower?” Sam asked as they got into the master suite.
“Oh God, I probably should! I haven’t showered since I was in my apartment,” Josie said. She sat down at the foot of the bed, and Sam could see that she was once again tired out. She looked up, a little lost. He crouched down in front of her.
“Honey, are you feeling a little worn out?”
“Darn it all, I only walked to the kitchen and back!” she complained.
“Baby, two days ago we were thinking about taking you to the hospital,” Sam told her seriously.
“You were? It couldn’t have been that bad,” she protested.
“Your temp was a hundred and three. Chance called Betty and she said if it stayed like that for twelve hours, we had to take you in. So, of course you’re still weak. Do you need me to carry you into the bathroom?”
“No, I just need to lean on you.”
“How would you feel about showering together?” Sam asked.
Josie felt her body heat, and it wasn’t due to the fever. The idea of seeing Sam all wet and naked turned her on.
“I like the idea of us showering together. A lot.” She smiled up at him.
He reached to pull her shirt over her head.
“Nuh-uh. You first. If we’re doing this, I want as much naked Sam time as I can get. I’ve been sick, this is my treat.”
Sam gave her a long look, and then nodded at her, and then a grin broke o
ver his face. He pulled off everything but his boxer briefs.
“So, me naked is a treat, huh?”
“Oh, yeah!” she crooned. “I even daydream about you naked.”
“Do you ever think about me when you’re in your bed?” He watched as she slowly nodded.
“What do you do in your bed, when you think about me naked?”
Josie felt a flush creep up her face. He looked at her intently.
“I can see your nipples hardening, Josie. Answer me,” he said in a sharp, deep voice.
Oh God, he could get her motor running from zero to sixty in less than two seconds. That voice of his, and his hooded gaze. She put her hands to her face, trying to cover her reaction. He pulled her hands out to her sides, which only made his shirt that she’d worn to bed tighten across her chest. He looked down at the evidence of her arousal.
“Josie,” his voice was deep and dark. Velvet over gravel. “What do you do when you’re in bed alone, thinking about me naked. Have you ever touched yourself?”
Holy hell!
Reluctantly, she nodded.
“Do you touch your breasts?” He let go of one of her hands and cupped her breast. “Like this? Do you?”
She nodded again. Speaking was beyond her abilities.
His thumb. His big, callused thumb brushed over her nipple, then back again. “Did you touch your nipple?”
She gasped at his divine touch and nodded.
Carefully, softly, perfectly, he pinched her nipple. “Did you do this. Did you pinch this nub?”
She whined and gasped, “Yes. But not like you, Sam.” She wailed his name.
He let go of her, lifted her onto the bed and then knelt in front of her. He tried pushing her legs apart, but she was frozen.
“Josie.” Again, that voice. That sinful voice that commanded her. She parted her legs.
“You weren’t wearing panties. You good naughty girl.” She saw beautiful green eyes smiling up at her.
His fingers sank into the plush flesh of her thighs as he pushed her legs apart even farther. “I dream, too. Your skin drives me wild. How soft it is, how supple, the lushness of you fucking kills me, Josie. I need to know more about your dreams.”
I can’t. I’ll go up in smoke. I catch on fire if I tell him.
“Josie!” Her gaze jerked up from his mouth to his eyes. “Do you touch yourself between your legs? You’re so beautiful here, how could you not?”
She wiggled in his hold. Not to get away from him, but because she was so turned on. And he saw it in her eyes. He saw it everywhere.
“Ah, Josie, you’re impossible to resist.”
Sam reached down and grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off. He sighed at the sight of her heavy breasts unencumbered by any bra. She was such a treasure.
He picked her up and she moaned. He knew it wasn’t in pain, at least not from the flu. He smiled as he carried her to the shower.
“Open the door, Baby.” She did, and he leaned her into the shower stall. “Turn on the water.” She turned the knob and tested the temperature. When they went in, he let her slide down the front of his body to her feet. He slid off his wet briefs and tossed them onto the floor of the shower. He groaned at the feel of her soft, womanly flesh gliding against his raging hard-on.
“Now you’re going to just hold onto me and let me take care of you.”
“I’m okay, you don’t have to do that,” she protested.
“This is my pleasure. You’re not going to deny me my pleasure, are you, Baby?” He watched as her curls got wet and ended up straightening to the point that they reached midway down her back. He took his time washing the silky mass, enjoying how it felt like wet satin against his fingers. He was careful that no suds got into her eyes, and then he conditioned the beautiful strands, massaging her scalp. He beamed with satisfaction when she sighed in pleasure at his ministrations. Taking care of Josie had become his life’s goal.
He got her out of the shower, sat her down at the vanity, and spent time blow-drying her hair. She told him how to do it so that she wouldn’t have to go through the process all over again. He didn’t know what she was talking about. He was pretty sure that she would still look beautiful even if she did look like a poodle, but he did what she asked. He helped her get ready for bed, but this time not in one of his damned t-shirts. First, she was going to wear a corset so that she was properly braced.
He really loved his brother as he looked through the dresser. God, that man sure knew how to pick out women’s clothing.
He tried to talk her into wearing a thong and nightie out to the dining room for dinner. He got the side-eye-roll, which was pretty damn funny.
“So, what are you wearing?” he asked.
“The more stupid suggestions you make, the more layer of clothes I wear.”
Sam knew to keep his mouth shut. She rewarded him with a sundress. But dammit, she wore panties. Not a thong, either.
Chance had made a chicken dinner with some kind of sauce that looked like it would be gentle on Josie’s tummy.
“Chance, this smells great,” Josie smiled.
“It’s one of Mom’s recipes. I cut down on the chives though for tonight. It should still taste good.”
“Are these chairs new?” she asked.
“We just wanted you to be a little more comfortable,” Sam explained smoothly. Josie thought Chance looked uncomfortable, then Sam gave her a slight shake of his head, so she dropped it. The chairs had more padding, just for her. She was dumbfounded, but obviously Chance didn’t want a big deal made from it, so she took Sam’s lead and didn’t say anything.
“Josie, I know this is probably the wrong time to bring this up, but I don’t know when is going to be the right time.” Chance paused and took a long sip of his wine. Josie took a deep breath. She knew this was going to be big, and she hoped she was going to be able to handle it.
“Can you move in with us until your sisters arrive?”
Yep, it was a big one. She looked over at Sam.
“Sam?” she prodded.
“Yeah, we’re both on the same page. We want you to move in until Becca and Sarah get here. We really think that the three of us need this time together to see if this is really going to work, especially before Becca arrives.”
“Why before Becca arrives?” Josie asked, curious.
“Honey, two reasons,” Sam answered. “I want the three of us growing as a triad. I really thought about what you said this morning, and I think this has a chance. A real chance. No fucking pun intended.” He glared at his friend who was laughing.
“I want the three of us as solid in our relationship as possible so Becca can see how good we are together. Does that make sense?”
She was ecstatic that it was Sam who said all that. He’d really heard what she’d said before her nap. But…
“You think in three weeks’ time, we can determine if we can make a lasting commitment, like Dale, Lola, and Jace?” Josie was flabbergasted.
“I do,” Chance said firmly. “I know both of you. When you make up your minds, it’s forever. Time really isn’t a factor.” Sam and Josie sat still, both lost in thought. Sam broke the silence.
“Yes or no, you’re right. When I make a decision, I make a decision. But it’s going to be after the girls leave. Not before they get here.” There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in his voice.
“I’m sorry, Chance, that’s asking too much. Deciding for the rest of my life in three weeks’ time…I can’t do it. Even if my sisters are all right with everything. But I do agree to stay here for the next three weeks. I think that’s smart.”
She watched as Sam and Chance smiled at one another in satisfaction.
Chapter 28
Josie’s temperature was back to normal the next day. But she waited until Wednesday before returning to the bakery, to ensure she didn’t expose Elise or any of her customers to the flu. Neither Chance nor Sam was happy with her decision, thinking she should wait until at least F
riday to resume her busy schedule. Elise and Rob had done a great job keeping everything going in her absence, and Josie made a note to put an extra something into both of their paychecks.
“So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Josie asked Elise.
“I think that’s a question I should be asking you. It seems that you’ve made yourself at home over at the Reynolds-Booth household. What’s that all about?” Elise smirked good-naturedly.
Josie felt a strong kinship with Elise from the beginning. The only reason she hadn’t come out with her, Kara, and Lola on girl’s night, was that someone needed to babysit Sweet Dreams Desserts.
This morning they had time to talk since they didn’t open for another hour, and Josie needed some advice. “How long have you lived in Fate Harbor?”
“I was born here.”
“This thing with two guys and a girl…” Josie waved her hand, centering the cake on her workstation.
Elise turned on the mixer for the cake batter she’d been working on, and then started kneading some of the dough for the cinnamon rolls. Josie watched her gathering her thoughts before replying. “I’m sixty-seven years old. That means I grew up in the sixties, free love and all that, but poly-relationships were already well-established here at that point. Our unique little social dynamic was really a by-product of a significant population imbalance, i.e., too high a ratio of men to women due to the logging and fishing industries founded in this region. When I grew up, there were kids in my school who had parents who were in triad relationships, so it was accepted.”
Elise got more flour and sprinkled it on the dough. “My parents never raised an eyebrow, so I never thought anything about it. It wasn’t until I was in third grade that I heard some girl telling my friend that her parents were going to go to hell, because of how they were living. I had gone to sleepovers at her home, and I knew her mom and dads and I didn’t want them to go to hell. So, I went home to my parents, crying about what this other girl had said to my friend. They had to explain to me that some people didn’t think it was normal to have two dads.”
Theirs To Treasure: Happily Ever After (Fate Harbor Book 1) Page 20