by Jane Jamison
“We heard it was a safe town for white weretigers.”
Purdy slid a bottle in front of Ford then in front of him. He opened Eden’s beer and poured it into a glass. Obviously, Eden had drunk her fair share of drinks at Roar and Purdy knew she preferred her beer in a glass.
“You heard right.”
“We had another reason.” John leaned closer to Eden and snaked his arm around her waist. “We came to meet our mate. You know Eden, right?”
Purdy blinked, not once but twice, then leveled his gaze at Eden, unblinking. “Sure. I know…Eden.”
She tensed and kept her head down. She’d never been so subdued.
“Darlin’, is there a problem? You’re acting kind of strange.”
“I’m fine.”
She was anything but fine. Guilt covered her face and clouded her scent.
She even smells different than she did in our bed. Why didn’t I notice it before now?
He didn’t like pulling the big weretiger into their problem, but if it would help, he’d damn well do it. “Do you have a problem with Purdy? Have you two fucked?”
Ford sputtered his drink then wiped his mouth with his hand. “Damn, John. Just say what you mean.”
Eden tried to spin around on the bar stool, but he caught her, placing his hands flat on the stool to capture her. “No, darlin’, you’re staying put.”
Ford clamped a hand on her shoulder. “I think it’s time you tell us what’s going on.”
“I don’t know what you mean. I—I need to leave. I just remembered. I have the early shift at the diner tomorrow morning.”
“Tell us, darlin’. We’re going to find out sooner or later. It’ll be better coming from you.”
Purdy glared at John. “Back off. If Mariah doesn’t want to answer, then she doesn’t have to.”
John reared back, stunned. He’d expected almost anything, but he hadn’t been prepared for his mate to have a different name. “Who the hell is Mariah? One of you better start talking.”
“Girl, I don’t know what you’ve been trying to pull, but you’d better ’fess up.” Purdy shook his head. “You’ve been caught with your paws in the catnip jar.”
Eden—Mariah—shirked off Ford’s hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to go this far.”
“What the hell’s going on?”
John couldn’t blame Ford for being angry. He was pretty damn pissed, too. His tiger growled, hating the idea of being tricked. But her having a different name didn’t explain away the strange lack of a connection.
“Tell us everything.” He met her gaze and held it, making sure she understood how serious he was. “Don’t leave anything out.”
She dragged in a breath, took a drink of her beer, and then started laying it out for them. “My name is Mariah Provost. Your mate is my twin sister, Eden.”
“Twin as in identical twin?” asked Ford.
“Unless you’ve known them as long as I have, you can’t tell them apart.” Purdy filled the glass Ford had just emptied. “Until they open their mouths. They sound alike, all right, but their personalities are worlds apart.”
Mariah glared. “Thanks a lot, Purdy.”
“Now, girl, I didn’t mean that either one of your personalities are bad. Just different, is all.” Purdy picked up a towel and started wiping down the counter, moving away from them. “Just holler if you three need anything else.”
Twin sisters. It was starting to make sense now. “Go on. Why’d you trick us into thinking you’re Eden?”
The sadness in her expression was enough to make him forgive her. Not that he’d tell her before she finished spilling her guts.
“Our parents called to say you were coming.” She wiped away a tear. “I just wanted to know what it would feel like to have two men want me for their mate. I knew you wouldn’t actually fall in love with me.”
“Because we don’t share the connection.” Ford took another long drink.
“Right.”
But they had shared it with the real Eden. They’d felt it while in bed with her. Eden was their mate and their connection with her was real.
Still, John needed to make sure. “You didn’t have sex with us today.” He’d said it like a statement of fact, but it was still a question. One he prayed he knew the answer to.
At least Mariah had the decency to look shocked. “Of course not. Hey, I may like to joke, but I’d never betray my sister by having sex with her mates.”
“I still don’t get why you’d do this. It’s more than just pulling a joke.”
He couldn’t be angry with her any longer. Ford had mellowed just as he had. With one look, he knew his friend felt sorry for her, too. “Go on. You can talk to us.” He bent his head lower to catch her attention and smiled. “After all, we’re going to be mates-in-laws pretty soon.”
“Eden’s lucky. She always has been.” She sighed. “I’ve always been jealous of her. Growing up, it was always ‘Eden this’ and ‘Eden that.’ I was the troublemaker and she was the one everyone liked. For once, I wanted to be the one who came up the winner. I mean, if it weren’t for the connection, you could’ve fallen for me. I’m just as pretty as she is.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Mariah, but it’s not the outside that attracts a man for the long haul. It’s the person on the inside. That’s what makes the connection so strong.” Ford put his hand on her shoulder, but this time his grip was lighter, meant to be comforting.
John lifted his eyebrows at his friend. “Wow. I couldn’t have said it better.”
“Shut the fuck up. I have my sensitive moments, too.”
Mariah and John chuckled, but he wasn’t letting her off the hook yet. “Where is Eden right now?”
“We told her to meet us here, remember? Earlier?” Ford shot a wary glance at Mariah. “When she stopped by Lena’s? That wasn’t you, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t me.”
John heaved a huge sigh. “Good to know.”
“Then where is she? She should’ve been here by now.” Ford glanced at his phone, checking the time.
“Oh, shit. So she’s coming here?” Mariah slid off the stool. “I have to leave. Please, don’t tell her. I’ll tell her everything tomorrow. In fact, I’ll even plan a romantic dinner for the three of you at Lena’s tomorrow night. Please?”
“I don’t know.” John was more than a little surprised when Mariah flung herself at him and hugged him.
* * * *
Eden hurried into the parking lot of Roar. She was a few minutes late, thanks to Roberta once again giving her a lecture for getting back to work late from lunch. The lecture had gone on longer than it would have due to Eden’s inability to keep from smiling, further irritating her boss. Since she’d spent the time with her new mates, she didn’t regret it one bit.
Their pickup was parked, but there was no sign of them. They’d told her to meet them outside and yet, they must’ve decided to wait inside with a cold beer. Using the side mirror, she checked her makeup and hair then strode toward the front door.
She was in love. Although she’d dreamed of falling in love, the real thing was so much better. With the connection bringing them together, they’d soon fall in love with her, too. If they weren’t already.
Taking a big breath, she readied herself to see her mates again. She couldn’t have kept the smile from her face even if she’d tried.
The first moment she stepped inside Roar, a horrible feeling hit her. The connection was there—after all, she’d sensed their presence as soon as she’d arrived—but a layer of another feeling swept over her.
She stared at the threesome at the bar. Mariah was hugging John. Her arms were around him and her body pushed against his. Ford stood behind them with his hands on her shoulders, his mouth close to her ear.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
An older woman seated at a nearby table tapped her on the arm. “Young love, honey. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
Love?
Ford and John love Mariah?
Had she gotten it all wrong? Was the connection they had not with her, but with her sister?
Horror filled her. Was that why they’d acted as though they already knew her? Had she only been a substitute for Mariah in their bed? Had they known or was it an awful mistake? What was Mariah doing?
Eden couldn’t feel anything any longer. Her mind and her body had gone numb. Acting on instinct, she spun around and ran out of the bar.
Chapter Six
“Just leave me alone.” Eden pushed Mariah out of her bedroom then slammed the door. As soon as she could, she’d find a new place to live. How could she go on sharing a house with a sister who’d betrayed her?
“Eden, will you listen to me? Lena needs you to come to her place.”
“What for?”
“Will you open the damn door so we can talk face-to-face?”
“No.” Eden had rushed home the night before and gone to her bedroom. After calling in sick and getting yet another Roberta lecture, she’d come out of her bedroom only to get food. She couldn’t face Mariah. What would she say anyway? Either Mariah had stolen her mates away or she’d unknowingly slept with her sister’s men.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you hiding all day?”
“I’m not hiding.” Until she was ready to move out, she’d never let on that she’d seen Mariah with Ford and John. But whose mates were they? “I’m sick. Call Lena and tell her I can’t help her.”
“You’re not sick. I saw you when you came out at noon.”
Eden could sense her sister leaning against the door.
How could you do this to me, Mariah?
“Please, sis, tell me what’s got you so torn up. You were crying. Don’t try and deny it. I know what I saw.”
“Just call Lena for me.”
It’s the least you can do.
“You know it won’t do any good. She’ll come and get you if you don’t go.”
She was right. The last time Lena had asked for her help she’d actually been sick. Lena, however, hadn’t believed it until she’d barged into her bedroom and seen for herself. Weretigers rarely caught an illness, and when they did, it didn’t last long.
“Are they…” She couldn’t bring herself to say Ford’s and John’s names. “Does she have anyone staying at the bed and breakfast?” It was better to pretend she’d never met them.
She waited. At last the answer came.
“No one’s there except Lena.”
The long pause between her question and Mariah’s answer meant something, but she couldn’t ask. Had the men left, deserting both of them?
“Please, Eden. For Lena.”
She hadn’t known Lena very long, but she already considered her a close, dear friend. If Lena needed her, then she had to go. “Fine. Tell her I’ll be there around seven. Now leave me the hell alone.”
* * * *
Eden knew she shouldn’t have come. She’d spent so much time crying she’d actually made herself sick. Her stomach was in knots and her eyes still burned, but if she had any hope of getting past the loss of the men she loved, she had to face her problems dead on. Coming to Lena’s aid would help her make the first step toward her new future.
Yet still the questions remained. Had she really felt the connection with them? Or were they meant for her sister?
She strode up the steps of The Rocking Porch Bed and Breakfast and knocked on the front door. No matter what the older woman said, she’d keep it together.
“This had better be worth it, Lena,” she mumbled.
When the door flew open, it wasn’t Lena who greeted her. John and Ford grinned at her. “Hey, baby, we’re glad you came.”
She couldn’t help it. As soon as she saw them, the knot in her stomach changed into butterflies. Her heart skipped a beat and joy swept away her gloom. The connection stormed back to life, taking her on a quick, passionate ride.
Yes! They’re my mates. Not hers. But then what had Mariah been doing with them last night?
Damn, but they look good.
Both men wore dark suits. Their crisp, white shirts played up their tanned skin. John had his shirt open at the top letting the dark hair to peek out. Ford’s shirt was buttoned up with a red tie slightly askew. Her gaze dropped to their feet and she held back a smile. Although dressed in nice suits, they still wore their worn boots.
“Come on inside, darlin’.” John pushed the screen door open.
She hesitated, logic having a wrestling match with her craving.
“Baby, we don’t know why you didn’t show up last night, but you’re here now and that’s all we need.”
A flash of memory hit her straight in her gut, ridding her of the butterflies. “Oh, I showed up. Just in time to see you with my sister.”
No matter how strong the link between them was, she wouldn’t, couldn’t forgive them. She whirled around and stormed down the steps.
She was fast, but they were faster. Ford snagged her arm, spinning her around. “Eden, hold up.”
“Let me go.”
“Not a chance. Lena and your sister helped us get this night planned for you. You’re not walking away from us.”
Her sister had helped them? But why? If Mariah wanted them, she wouldn’t help out in any way.
“Darlin’, you aren’t going anywhere.” John took hold of her other arm.
She tried to get free, but together, the men lifted her off her feet. They carried her up the steps, threw open the door, and hefted her into the foyer. As soon as she was back on her feet, she spun around and tried to race past them.
Ford’s arms wrapped around her. “You’re not going anywhere until you give us a chance to explain.”
“You’re our mate. It’s the least you can do,” argued John.
“I swear if you don’t turn me loose, I’m going to shift and scratch your eyes out.”
“One tigress against two males? Not likely.”
Ford was right, but she didn’t care. “One really pissed-off tigress against two low-down dirty males.”
“No sane man would bet against her, guys.” Lena walked in from the hallway. “But, honey, you need to calm the hell down. Your mates weren’t with Mariah last night. At least, not at first. They thought they were with you.”
“With me? But why would they think—” Her eyes widened as she realized what must’ve happened. “I am going to kill my sister.”
Lena put her arm on Ford’s, urging him to let Eden go. When he did, she slipped her arm around her waist and pulled her along with her. “You know how Mariah is. She couldn’t resist pulling the old twin sister switch routine. Honey, don’t go telling her, but I think part of the reason was that she was just plain old green-eyed jealous. Your mates came and tracked you down. She’s probably afraid she’ll never find her men and wind up an old spinster like me.”
“You’re not an old spinster and you’re sure not an old anything.” Eden meant every word. Any girl would be proud to become half the woman Lena Fortran was. “Besides, you found your mates.”
“I sure did and I loved every moment I had with them before they passed on. And I’m having a good time now, too. Just because I’m not interested in taking another mate, doesn’t mean I’m not having fun.”
Eden was too busy listening to notice that the woman had taken her into the dining room. When they stopped, she finally took a good look around.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
The dining room wasn’t usually anything fancy with its old, scratched mahogany table and mismatched seating for six dinner guests. Like the rest of the B&B, the room was cozy and welcoming.
But the room had been transformed. Vases filled with various flowers from daisies to tulips gave the room a fragrant aroma. Candles set in crystal candlesticks rested on the white tablecloth and around the room. The simple overhead chandelier had a gauzy pink scarf draped over the lights transforming the room with a soft, romantic glow.
“Your men did
this for you. Not for your sister. For you.”
Lena winked and turned her loose to let her walk around the room. She took everything in as Lena passed through the swinging doors. “Y’all let me know when you’d like me to serve the appetizers.”
“We didn’t know we were seeing Mariah until last night.” Ford picked up a single tulip and handed it to her. “When we finally found out, then we understood why we’d get the connection one time and not the next.”
“That’s the way it was, darlin’. We were confused as hell until last night.”
She had to know just how far her sister had gone. “Did you…” Yet, she couldn’t bear to say the words.
“Did we have sex with her?” Ford pulled out a chair to seat her.
She sat down, her pulse pounding. Everything depended on the answer they gave.
“No.” He brushed her hair back and placed a sweet kiss on the curve of her neck.
She trembled, relieved as her inner tiger jumped to life, demanding she ready herself for her mates. But the human part of her had to know the whole truth before she could give her body to them. “Do you care about her?”
She’d once heard a woman say that the emotional aspect of her husband’s affair hurt more than the fact that he’d slept with his mistress. She hadn’t understood how that could’ve been true until now.
John took the seat to her right. “We didn’t feel anything for her. Not the way you’re thinking. Sure, she’s a fun girl and all, but there was no connection.”
“But there was with you.” Ford remained standing. “We were confused as all get out.”
She drew in a long, slow breath, taking in their wondrous scents. If she had to identify them in a crowd of a hundred shifters, she could do it with her eyes shut.
“There never was anything between us and your sister. Not emotionally or physically.” John leaned closer and took her hand. “She’ll tell you the same thing.”
Eden dropped her gaze to his large hand covering hers. She knew her sister too well to doubt what they were telling her. As afraid as she’d been, she’d known deep down her sister would never betray her by sleeping with her men. “You’re my mates. Not hers.”