She trembled and cried out, then climaxed.
“Ahhh, Baby. There’s one.” Sam whispered into her ear.
Chance pulled her down for a long lingering kiss. “I want to see you come again.”
“I can’t.”
They laughed.
Sam slowly pulled out as Chance pushed in. Every touch, every scent, every sound wound around her, sending her into sensory overload.
“It’s…It’s…”
Sam pressed deep.
“Sam. More.”
Then Chance pressed deep.
“Chance, please.”
So good. So, fucking good.
She sizzled as they coaxed her even higher. She heard the sounds of their passion and it was intoxicating.
So close.
So close.
Chance’s thumb touched her clit and she screamed. They shouted as she slumped forward. She felt Sam’s lips on her neck, and Chance’s kiss on her mouth. How could her life get any better?
Long glorious minutes later, she was in the bath with her men.
“There she is.”
“Hello, love.” Sam slid the loofah over her breasts.
“Don’t act all smug like I was passed out,” she elbowed Sam. “I always know what I’m doing. I’m milking you for all I can get.”
“Believe what you need to believe, Zee.” Chance grinned. “I’m just amazed Sam didn’t have to carry my ass to the bathtub.”
“We put Epsom salts in the bath, Baby,” Sam whispered against her neck.
“Thanks,” she whispered back into his ear. Chance’s hands caressed up and down her back and she leaned back against him. She luxuriated at being surrounded by her lovers.
Josie yawned.
“The water is cooling. Let’s get you tucked into bed,” Sam said.
“I think I can be talked into that,” Josie mumbled, as she yawned again.
Later, as they all were drifting off to sleep, she realized that she really was home.
Chapter 33
The next day, she took the girls to meet Betty and Butch for breakfast. They were enthralled to hear stories of Josie as a little girl. Josie hadn’t realized they had pictures of her, but they did. They brought out an old photo album that held many pictures of both Josie and Chance. They also had pictures of Sam and Chance growing up together, and Josie was enchanted. If it wasn’t obvious before, the photos made it clear they were the best of friends.
Then Betty, Josie, and the girls met up with Kara and Lola at a day spa for a manicure and pedicure. Afterward, Josie dropped Becca off at the high school gym so she could attend the basketball practice while Betty took Sarah and Josie to some of her favorite shops near the harbor.
After dropping Betty back at her house, they picked Becca up and headed back to the house.
“Oh, my God, Sam is a great coach,” Becca enthused.
“Why do you say that?” Josie asked.
“He’s patient with the boys who aren’t all that athletic. He encourages everyone and gets everyone to play to their potential. He didn’t even lose his cool with the serious ball hog. He just took him aside and talked to him. I don’t know what he said, but the kid started passing the ball. He kicked ass. He was better than most of the coaches I ever had.”
That was very high praise coming from Becca, considering how many coaches she’d liked over the years.
“I think somebody has a crush,” Sarah teased. Becca reached over the backseat and hit her sister in the arm.
“What, are we still ten years old?” Josie asked.
“Yes,” they both answered simultaneously. Josie laughed.
By the time they got to the house, Chance almost had dinner cooked. It was potato-crusted halibut and green beans.
“Hi, ladies! Sam phoned to say he had to drive one of the boys home, so he’s running late. How was your day?”
“It was great!” Sarah answered. “How about yours? What did you do? I mean, what do you do for a living?”
“Josie told us you were loaded,” Becca said.
“I don’t think I put it quite like that,” Josie said as she deposited the green beans on the dining room table. “Anyway, would you please excuse Becca, Chance? She spent the afternoon with fourteen-year-old boys, and I think she reverted back to the same age.”
“Jeez, she’s right, Chance. That was totally inappropriate, I’m sorry. And Josie didn’t say you were loaded, she said something about how you had done well in business and had left corporate America to settle down here…” Becca blushed. Chance put his arm around the flustered young woman.
“Easy there. You had it right the first time. I’m loaded. I was the Chief Financial Officer of a company that went public. I cashed my stock and my stock options in at the trade and made a ton of money. I took the income, paid the taxes, and left the corporate arena, because I was working eighteen-hour days, had an ulcer, and was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I was twenty-six years old and my doctor said I had the heart and the fitness level of a fifty-year-old.” He chuckled at the three sets of surprised eyes that settled on him.
“Chance, you never told me that!” Josie accused.
“No reason to,” he countered. “That’s not me anymore.”
“That’s not true. I’ve seen you get pretty worked up on those calls for your charitable foundations, sometimes.” Josie glanced over at her sisters. “He consults for a couple of charities.” When she mentioned American Humanity Connections among the listed charities, Sarah’s eyes got wide.
“You do work with AHC? I volunteer for them when I have time. I love what they’ve done to computerize all the pantries and shelters, so that people in need can get referrals for services, instead of just floating from place to place, hoping the next spot has a meal or a bed.”
“What do you do, Sarah?”
“I volunteer to teach at two shelters in Florida. I’m teaching the administrators there how to use the computers they’ve received. I don’t do much in the grand scheme of things, just a few hours, here and there.”
“Are you kidding? What you’re doing is critical. We couldn’t accomplish anything without volunteers like you. I want to thank you, Sarah.”
“Let me guess, we’re talking about AHC,” Sam said as he walked into the dining room.
“How’d you know?” Becca asked.
“There are only two things that make Chance sound so lovesick, one is Josie, and the other is his brainchild. Is dinner ready?” Sam looked confused at the dirty look Chance threw his way. “What did I say?”
“You started AHC?” Sarah asked in a reverent tone.
“My foster sister, Olivia, and I founded it a few years ago. Starting a charity that could really make a difference seemed like a great opportunity to give back. I’m on the board of two others, so that I can learn the ins and outs.”
“It sounds like you’ve taken on quite a lot, Chance,” Josie said, pensively. Chance came over and put his arm around her.
“At my last physical, my doctor said I clocked in at my actual age. No more ulcer, no more cigarettes. He did, however, strongly suggest that it was time for me to find a good woman and settle down.” Chance brushed his lips against hers, causing her toes to curl. They went over to the table to sit down.
“I still can’t believe that you founded AHC, that’s pretty cool,” Sarah said as she filled her plate.
“You’re right, he’s very cool.” Josie agreed with a twinkle in her eye.
Later that night, after the girls returned to Josie’s apartment, the three of them sat on the couch going over the events of the day.
“As much as I tease you about AHC, I’m really envious of your involvement with it,” Sam confessed to Chance.
“The door is always open. Olivia and I have told you more than once that we could really use you.”
“Don’t you still have to stay away from computers because of the migraines?” Josie asked.
“Actually, part of the problem was that I
needed prescription eyeglasses. They figured that out on one of my last doctor visits,” Sam explained. “And Chance, while I really appreciate the offer, that’s not where my heart is,” Sam admitted. He shifted closer to Josie on the couch.
“Yeah, I see where your heart is,” Chance said wryly, as he hooked Josie’s leg over his. Sam laughed.
“No, really. As much as it pains me to admit it, I needed to get my ass in to see the doc that Leif recommended. The nightmares happen a lot less, now, and I’m coming to grips with my time overseas. Now, I’m ready to move onto something new. You both have played a big part in helping me see that.” Josie rested her head on his shoulder, content to let him continue.
“Working with the kids on the basketball team is a rush. I’m loving it. It reminded me how much I enjoyed mentoring new recruits in Afghanistan, but the ones I really gravitated to were those that had problems. I feel the same kind of passion about the kids on the team. Tonight, I had to drive Kenneth home because his parents forgot to pick him up for the third time. Things aren’t going well at home.”
Sam bent down and kissed the top of Josie’s head. “You’ll understand this, Baby. He has a younger brother that he feels responsible for, and it sounds like he has taken on some of the parenting role. This team returns something priceless to him, the chance to be a kid. Our drive time home tonight after practice gave him a safe place to vent.”
“Do you want to work with kids as a profession? Maybe teach? Be a coach?” Chance asked.
“Social work,” came Sam’s decisive answer. “I know you didn’t have the opportunity to deal with social workers very much, but I did. Some were good, some were bad. But the good ones really made a difference. I want to make that kind of difference.” Josie gripped Sam’s hand tightly. She understood what he meant, but she also knew the emotional toll that kind of job could take on your very soul, and that worried her.
Sam looked down at her. “What, Baby?”
“That’s a lot to ask of yourself,” she said delicately.
“I’ve talked to my psychologist about it. It’s not something I think I could do tomorrow. I still have some personal things to work through. And even though I have my bachelor’s degree, I’d still need to go back to school to get professional training to learn the coping skills I’ll need to deal with some of the shit I’ll see. But, Josie, this feels right.”
“Oh, Sam!” she reached up and kissed him.
“Sam, that’s tremendous! There’s no way in hell I could do that kind of job. I really admire you.” Chance reached around Josie and clasped his brother’s shoulder. Sam grinned at him.
“I think this calls for a celebration!” Josie enthused, continuing to kiss on Sam. Sam looked over her shoulder to Chance.
Chance shrugged. “If the lady insists on a celebration that might need to happen in the bedroom, who are we to disappoint her?” Chance tickled her from behind, then tossed her up over his shoulder. She giggled with delight, happy in the way life was going with her men.
Low whimpers woke Josie. Then she heard a shattering “No,” but it was in the voice of a child. Both she and Chance sat upright. The lamp crashed to the floor as Chance reached to turn it on.
“Sam! Oh, Honey, wake up. I have you, it’s all right, I have you,” Josie crooned.
Huge shudders wracked through Sam’s body as he jerked awake. He pulled away, his eyes bright with tears. Josie reached across the space he’d created, and pulled him back into her arms, embracing him tightly. She felt him struggle, so she said the words she knew would quiet him. “Settle down, Sam, you’re hurting me.” He immediately stilled, like a deer in headlights.
Chance had gotten the lamp back up on the nightstand and turned it on. In the sudden light, Sam met his friend’s eyes over Josie’s shoulder. He saw love and compassion, and immediately burrowed his face into Josie’s neck. Breathing her in, feeling her soft locks, centered him.
It was time. He gently pushed himself back from Josie, looking into her soft honey-brown eyes, and gave her a soft kiss.
“It’s the kids I’m coaching, and the goddamn shrink I’m seeing. It’s just stirring up a lot of shit that I—apparently—need to deal with.”
He looked at the two people who had become the center of his world, and realized it was safe to tell them. In fact, it was right to tell them.
Josie squeezed his hands while Chance locked eyes with him, and it took Sam back to that time when he had shown him his broken ribs. There hadn’t been pity, just acceptance and love, even back then when they were twelve years old.
“My old man was an abusive asshole, who beat the hell of my mom and me. I was still puny when I was fourteen, and I remember us being dirt poor. He’d beaten me pretty badly, and that’s how I’d ended up with the Hutchins the first time. The second time, he was in prison so I thought life would get better, but Mom hooked up with the same type of guy, and we got it just as bad. That’s how I ended up with the Hutchins the second time.”
He paused and Josie gave him a soft smile to continue.
“When Dad got out of prison, they sent me back to live with them. He was supposedly rehabilitated. Dad couldn’t get a job, so we had no money, and he started taking it out on us again.”
Up to that point, Sam had been telling the story easily, but now he paused and took a deep breath. “One night after he beat the shit out of Mom and me, he invited over an old prison buddy. We were due to be evicted. It’s why he was so pissed off. His buddy was a big guy. He told dad he’d give him the cash for rent if Dad would do him a favor. I was on the couch with my mom when I heard him say that. I hoped they’d try to rob a liquor store again or something and dad would end up in prison. I remember saying a prayer and everything. Mostly, I just wanted them gone, because I was going to try to convince Mom to run away this time. But that wasn’t the kind of favor this guy wanted.”
Sam stopped talking. He stopped moving.
Josie felt her gorge rise. She cut her eyes over to Chance, but it was obvious he didn’t know where the story was going.
“You’re safe with us, Sam. Please tell me what happened,” Josie pleaded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“It’s not as bad as you think, Baby,” Sam rushed to assure her. “I got away, but…” Sam choked. “But Dad agreed to sell me to that fat bastard. He said…he said…after all the money he’d put into raising me, that he ought to make some of it back.”
“Jesus, Sam,” Chance breathed out. He put his hand on Sam’s shoulder, hesitated, and then clasped it. “What happened next?”
“Dad shoved me into my bedroom while they argued over the price. I climbed out the window and ran down the block to a neighbor I knew. He was a Marine. I was pretty beat up. I told him what was going on, and he went to my house and beat the ever-loving shit out of both of them.”
“Did they go to jail?” Josie asked.
“Just the big guy, not my dad.”
“Why the fuck not?” Chance demanded.
“’Cause he said he’d kill my mom if I told, and I believed him. He would have, Chance. But the beating I took got me out of the house and back to the Hutchins for the third, and final, time.”
Josie felt how cold and clammy Sam’s hands were. She pulled up the comforter, wrapping it around his shoulders. He arched an eyebrow at her.
“What?” she sniffed. “If it were me, you’d be carrying me into the living room, building a fire, and plying me with brandy and cocoa. Therefore, I get to wrap your ass in a blanket!”
“What happened to your parents?” Chance asked.
“My mom ended up dying of cancer before my eighteenth birthday. She didn’t want anyone to tell me she was sick. Betty and Butch took me to her funeral.”
“And your dad?” Josie asked.
“He ended up in prison. I know he was released while I was overseas, but I never heard from him.” Josie stroked the part of Sam’s chest that was showing beneath the blanket.
“I thought the nightmare
s were about Afghanistan,” Chance said.
“They have been. This is the first time I’ve dreamt about that in years. Dr. Richardson warned me that this might happen. I’ve been talking to him about this, because I really want the three of us to work, and I’ve been thinking about some of the things both of you have said to me.” He shrugged his right shoulder and pulled Josie to him.
“I want to make a family with both of you. Josie, you’ve been a mirror to me. I really get it when you say you’re not worthy. Hell, I had a father who said I was so worthless he’d sell me like a piece of meat, so I guess deep down I have some self-esteem issues, too.” Josie was heartened to see him give a small grin.
“Glad my lack of confidence could be of help,” she said wryly.
“In truth, it’s the fact that you’re so willing to trust us with your heart that has motivated me to confront my own demons. You’re my role model. I admire you so much, Josie. You’re the brave one.” Sam rested his forehead against hers.
“Fuck, I admire you both. My life was a cake walk,” Chance said thoughtfully.
“I’m thankful for that, Chance. You bring in the light and laughter. I don’t think I could have made it, man. Not without having you in my life,” Sam confessed.
“That’s bullshit. You had Betty and Butch, same as me.”
“Not the same thing. You were my touchstone. You were always there for me, you taught me how to be a kid, then how to be a teenager, and later on, how to be man. I always knew you accepted me, no matter how much I didn’t fit in. You helped me to fit in. You’re the only man I could imagine sharing Josie with.”
“Sam, you might have been quiet and awkward, but you were always solid. I’ve always known you had my back. You know better than anyone what it means to trust your life into someone else’s hands. You did that every day, of every tour you served with your fellow Marines in Afghanistan. Well, it takes the very strongest kind of brotherly trust to share one perfect woman, Sam. You’re the only one I could imagine doing this with, too.”
Theirs To Treasure: Happily Ever After (Fate Harbor Book 1) Page 25