by Vivian Arend
She offered a shaky smile. “I’d like to say I made them for you, but I can’t take credit. They were Becky’s contribution.”
Rafe must have spotted Trevor standing at the edge of the gathering because he smirked. “I’ll offer her my personal thanks.”
He gave his mom another quick kiss on the cheek before heading away from the group.
Trevor sauntered casually after his cousin, waiting until they were out of earshot. “Don’t you dare flash that Angel smile at my girl,” he warned.
Rafe tossed a grin over his shoulder. “So, she is your girl. Good to know. I like a challenge.”
Trevor ignored what he knew was a tease, focusing instead on a more important issue. “What the hell’s wrong with your dad?”
“Other than the usual?”
Raphael waited for Trevor to catch up as they headed toward where the girls had gathered near the horseshoe pits. They walked in silence for a moment before Rafe pulled to a stop, shaking his head in frustration.
“My father is pissed off that Gabe and Allison have made a lot of smart changes to the ranch, including setting up operations closer to their house. And he’s pissed off that I agree with Gabe, and he’s just…fucking pissed off all the time.” He turned haunted eyes toward Trevor. “I used to hate him, but I don’t care enough anymore to do that. I wish there was some way to get him out of our hair.”
Which was impossible. The Angel Colemans were finally getting their feet under them again financially because of Gabe and Allison, but there was no way they could afford to buy Ben out.
“I’m sorry he’s…him.” Trevor laid a hand on Rafe’s shoulder. “If there’s anything I can do, ever, let me know.”
His cousin paused. “I’ll be moving back to the ranch house at the end of the month, or at least into the loft over the garage. You can help me haul my shit.”
Trevor’s jaw bounced off the ground. “You’re moving back… What the fuck? You moved out to get away from Ben. Moving back isn’t going to make dealing with him any easier.”
“No, but it’ll make Mom’s life easier…”
Shit. Double shit. “He’s not doing anything stupid, is he?” Being an asshole was one thing. Stepping over the line and hurting Aunt Dana would have the entire family stomping down hard on Ben.
Rafe’s face tightened. “The day he hits her is the day I put him in the fucking ground. No, he’s just a mean old bastard, but if I’m around he’ll mind his manners more.”
Jesus. This was not typical Coleman party conversation, at least not for Trevor. “Offer stands. You need me for anything, you shout. Day or night.”
“Appreciate that.” In a surprise move, Rafe hauled him in for a rib-creaking, back-pounding moment before shoving them apart and tilting his head toward the girls. “I have to go thank Becky for my cookies.”
“You’re going to find those cookies shoved where the sun don’t shine,” Trevor warned, before thinking of another concern. “You do know moving home is going to wreak havoc on your dating life.”
His cousin made a rude noise. “What dating life? Don’t worry about me. I’ll live vicariously while watching you make a fool of yourself over the sweet young thing next door.”
They were steps away from the girls so Trevor didn’t ask about Laurel, but he made a mental note to bring it up later.
He was too distracted by the welcome greeting they got from the gathering of ladies, accompanied by teasing and feminine laughter. Becky looked like a pretty pink flower, her eyes dancing with happiness as he made a beeline toward her.
It was the second most wonderful day Becky had enjoyed recently, out of a surprising lot of wonderful days.
Like earlier in the week when Rachel had stopped in at the shop during lunch break, not only to take her to find pretty clothes, but to give her a used ebook reader filled with all sorts of books. The lesson in how to use the device had gone smoothly, and even though she was still a little worried she would break it, having an entire library at her fingertips was giddy making.
Becky’d stayed up far too late reading that first night before paying for it the following day at work.
And there’d been the evening she’d spent at the Moonshine Colemans, helping clean and tidy and cook for today’s party. Trevor’s mom had shuffled off the men so it was ladies only. Rachel had been there. So had Melody who promised to bring by her horses sometime, with or without the cart, and take Becky for a ride.
Still, nothing could top the afternoon she’d gone to the river with Trevor, or how often she thought back to the pleasure she’d experienced at his touch.
“That’s a sweet smile,” Trevor teased as he slipped next to her and settled his arm around her waist. Yup, she was daydreaming again. About his strong arms and firm grip, and all the lovely sensations he’d caused.
Becky leaned into him, lifting her mouth toward his ear to whisper quietly, “I’m having a good time. Your family is really nice.”
He made a face. “Most of them.”
She’d obviously missed something, but he didn’t give her time to ask. Instead, he whisked her away from the horseshoe game to take her on a tour of the ranch, slipping back to steal tidbits from the table where the snack food had been laid out. The two women safeguarding the table smiled at them tolerantly while in the background, three nearly teenage boys and a couple cute little girls wove at high speed in and out of the family, miraculously not running into anything. Or at least not often.
There was a crowd, but not nearly as many kids as she’d been used to. Another shot of sadness mixed with the joy of the day, but this time she accepted the emotion. There was nothing she could do about missing her sister and the kids—not yet.
Trevor tugged her around the corner to where a hay barn stood next to a straight-as-an-arrow corral fence off the horse barn. He twisted her against the wall of hay then leaned in, resting his forearm beside her head. “You look delicious. I need another taste,” he rumbled as he slipped his finger over her lips.
“You’re going to spoil your appetite.” Becky was as hungry for him, although she didn’t want to say so.
“Too bad.”
And then he was kissing her, and she didn’t care that anyone could be watching. Focusing on the here and now was far more important than worrying about anything else.
Sweet and seductive. He nibbled on her lips before biting down more firmly. A zing of excitement shot through her as he stepped closer, inserting one leg between hers and pressing his thigh forward to make contact.
Now she had multiple points of pleasure to focus on, resting her hands on his waist to feel the firm muscles move as he rocked slowly against her. Time stopped as desire grew, with only a faint voice in the back of her mind cheering as it pointed out how impossible this whole situation was.
She didn’t care. Impossible or not, she was grabbing on with both hands and holding on tight.
With a groan, he pulled away. Staring into her eyes with a heated expression. “And that’s where we’d better stop.”
Her heart rate raced, but she agreed. “Maybe when you take me home, we can pick this up again.”
Trevor chuckled. “Oh, Rodeo, there’s no maybe about it.” His strong fingers stroked along her neckline. “I guess the next part of the tour should involve dinner.”
He escorted her back to the family and took care of her. Helping her fill a plate then carrying it to empty chairs by where Hope and Matt had settled next to another couple.
“Becky, meet Beth and Daniel.” Trevor pointed to them in turn.
“The parents of the whirling dervishes masquerading as boys,” Beth informed her.
“You’re…Six Pack?” Becky asked.
Daniel laughed. “You’re a fast learner. Yup, although I don’t ranch anymore. I just call and taunt my brothers the night before they have early chores.”
She visited for a while, enjoying soft-spoken Beth’s company, and the way the young boys continually checked in with their parents. Th
ere was mischief in their eyes, but they listened when Daniel offered a stern warning, and sounds of family lingered on the air as she excused herself to use the bathroom.
Becky was coming out of the house when movement caught her attention. Just like she and Trevor had snuck away earlier for a little private time, there was a couple in the shadows by the trail leading to the barns.
It was a bit strange to stand and watch, but a heated sensation rose in her gut as the man kissed the woman, his hand cradling her face tenderly. Neither of them showed the darker colouring of the Coleman family—him a dirty blond, and her a gorgeous, sundrenched nearly white blonde—and Becky wondered if they were like her, invited friends and guests.
A moment later she wasn’t wondering anything. She was fighting to keep from bolting.
Another man had joined them, slipping up with a smile to capture the long-haired blonde between him and the other man before the two of them dipped their heads to kiss her.
The woman didn’t complain. In fact, her hands rose so she could catch hold of their necks, but by that point Becky was done. Her feet were moving of their own accord, headed past the vehicles in the private yard toward the gravel road.
Her sandals were thin enough the sharp stones underfoot bit through the leather into her tender flesh, but she didn’t mind the pain. Each stab was a wonderful distraction from the agonizing coldness that had wrapped around her heart all over again. Horrid memories rushed in so hard she tasted bile.
Each step away from the Moonshine Coleman house was a step closer to the rental where she could hide away and deal with the pain. Running was totally rude. Not only toward Kate, Rachel and Trevor, but she’d left Hope without a word. Not a great way to deal with the woman who provided her precarious income.
Right now, she didn’t care.
She made it around the corner, a mile on foot, before Trevor’s truck appeared beside her, his concern clear as he stared out the open passenger window. “Hey, Rodeo. What’s up?”
She shook her head and kept marching, afraid if she spoke the only thing that would come out would be a cry of pain.
He pulled over to the side of the road behind her, his voice rising in volume as he chased her down. “Becky. Stop.”
Trevor stepped in front of her and she broke, jerking to the right and off the road into the field behind her house. Racing not from him, but from everything she feared she couldn’t ever have.
She shouldn’t have even tried.
Chapter Seventeen
The urge to chase after her was there, but whatever was wrong, he didn’t want to compound it by doing something stupid like tackling her to the ground and demanding answers.
He would demand answers, but he knew where to find her.
Trevor raced back to his truck, spinning wheels on the gravel as he gunned the engine and shot forward, screaming into her yard in under a minute. He dropped from the cab and sprinted for the backdoor, making it there seconds after the heavy door slammed on her retreating back.
“Becky, talk to me,” he begged, slipping inside before slowing down—he didn’t want to scare her, but damn if he’d let this drop before she’d shared what was wrong.
He rounded the corner and found her curled up on the couch, the once crowded and junk-filled room now shades of green and white as she’d taken it and begun to make it her own.
Becky refused to meet his gaze. “I’m a fool.”
Trevor approached gingerly, watching carefully as he lowered himself onto the opposite corner of the couch. “We all get foolish at times.”
She made this noise halfway between a laugh and cry, and his heart damn near broke. He reached around her and tugged her in close, satisfaction rising as she accepted his hug, curling up against him as if she were hunkering down for a storm.
“What happened at the party that scared you into bolting?”
Her face was still buried against his chest as she responded. The words were mumbled, but he finally figured out “two men with a woman” in the middle of the clutter.
For fuck’s sake.
His cousin’s unusual two for the price of one relationship had caused all sorts of amusement and scandal in Rocky over the past year, but it was a lot less entertaining now that it was innocent Becky who was upset. Only he needed to tread carefully, because even if she was shocked, the threesome’s situation wasn’t wrong.
“I think I get it. One of them was my cousin, Travis—he’s a bit of an ass, but he’s also got a huge heart. When he fell in love he didn’t find a nice girl to settle down with. He found a nice girl and a nice guy.”
Becky stiffened, sliding back far enough to blink wide eyes at him. “Wait. The three of them are together? You mean the guys are—?”
“The guys are lovers too, yes.” Might as well speak bluntly. They were family, and Trevor wasn’t about to apologize for them. “Travis, Ashley and Cassidy are all in love with each other, and it’s not typical, I know that. But for them, it works. There’s no doubt they are completely into each other, and care for each other like any couple, only with three. Heck, if anything they have to work harder than a couple to keep that extra person happy, but they’re doing it. They’ve been together for well over a year.”
“Wow.”
There was surprise in her eyes, but not disgust. That was good.
“I’ll introduce you to them sometime, but honest, they aren’t that scary.” He stoked his thumb over her cheek. “I’m sorry you were upset.”
She shook her head, her expression tightening. “I’m not upset about them. I mean…if you say they’re happy, I guess that’s okay.” Becky spoke quieter, her lashes dropping to hide her eyes from him. “But I saw them, and it made me remember…something. I thought because I ran away from my past, I could pretend none of it ever happened. But it did.”
“Bad things?” So there was more. Trevor carefully linked his fingers with hers, thankful when she didn’t jerk away.
“Some,” she admitted, “but mostly things that will make a difference to how people will see me. How you’ll see me, and I can’t pretend that all away.”
He stroked the back of her hand gently. “Then tell me everything. I can pretty much promise I won’t think less of you for anything you can tell me.”
She shook her head. “You can’t promise that.”
“Of course I can. I’m complicated, remember?”
His mind raced, wondering what she possibly thought was so bad. And what she could have been reminded of after seeing Trevor fooling around with his lovers.
He could think of things he didn’t want to think of— Abuse? Prostitution?
Nothing his imagination came up with could have prepared him.
“I’m married.”
What the fuck? “You’re what?”
Becky scrambled for words. “Only it’s not real, but it is. Wait, that’s wrong, but—” She retreated to her corner of the couch, wrapping her arms around her thighs, sheer misery on her face. “It’s not real. It was a sham, and I know that, and I’m saying this wrong.”
Trevor locked down his emotions. Put a temporary lid on his questions and his rising anger—not at her, but at this situation that had left his sweet Becky floundering so hard. “Just say it, in whatever order you want. Talk until it’s all out, and we’ll figure out if you missed anything later.”
She nodded slowly. “Where I grew up in Manitoba wasn’t so bad. I mean, the rules were very strict. The pastor and my father talked a lot about how we were evil and headed for hell, but my mom was nice, and my sister, who’s four years older than me, and I were close. Then our church joined with another. Sarah married their leader and moved away, and all we got for nearly two years were letters. And our church turned even more…intense. There were rumours that the government was conspiring to take control of us—crazy things like that.”
He was still stuck on the I’m married bit, but he waited as patiently as he could.
Becky stared straight at the wall behind
his shoulder. “Sarah said she missed me lots, and hoped that someday I could come live closer. Then she wrote all excited to say she’d had a baby boy, and now she was senior wife, and she’d asked if I could join the family. My dad—”
“Wait,” Trevor interrupted, not sure he’d heard right. “Senior wife? What the hell is that? Are you saying…?”
Dull eyes full of sorrow instead of her usual snapping, lively ones met his. “The man my sister married was the leader of what I’ve since been told is a religious cult. Abel already had three wives, but she was the first to give him a son, which made her more blessed than the others. So when she asked for me, he agreed.”
“Your sister brought you into a religious cult.” Goddamn it. He was working hard to keep from shouting, and his words still came out at a dull roar. “And what the hell is going on? Polygamy is illegal in Canada.”
“Still happens,” she said lifelessly. “Legally he married his first wife, and the rest were religious ceremonies only, but that didn’t matter to them. And that’s what happened to me. Sarah asked, Abel arranged it, and my father said yes. I got sent to Paradise Settlement for my sixteenth birthday to be married to Abel as well.”
He was ready to puke just thinking of what had happened to her.
“I know you’re shocked,” she whispered. “It’s not real—that marriage. I never would have kissed you if—”
“Of course it’s not real.” Jesus. He wanted to tear something apart. Someone. A whole lot of someones, but he had to hold it together and not make this worse for Becky. “I’m not judging you, sweetie. I’m sick to my stomach that you had to deal with any of this, because it’s not only wrong, it’s fucked up and wrong.”
“I didn’t want to. I didn’t love him. I mean, things were getting scary at home, so I thought it would be better to leave. There was no place for me with my parents anymore, and Sarah said he was a good man, but—”
“Good men don’t take more than one wife,” Trevor snapped, instantly feeling the need to qualify his remark. “Okay, there are exceptions like my cousin’s situation, but that’s not what you’re talking about. And no sixteen-year-old should be a fourth or fifth wife to a man.”