by Marla Monroe
Why were they dogging her every step? They acted like someone she knew, but she couldn’t quite put her fingers on who it was. It bothered her all during her shower. Who did they remind her of? She fell asleep thinking about them and, of course, dreamed about them.
The next day she woke up feeling refreshed but starved. She searched her refrigerator but couldn’t settle on anything to eat and thought about going to the diner in town to get something. It was nearly noon. They would be packed. She really didn’t feel like dealing with a bunch of people.
A knock at her door startled her. Who could it be? She didn’t know anyone in town for it to be a friend. Maybe it was her next-door neighbor wanting to complain about her bike. She sighed and opened the door without even looking to see who it was.
Standing in her doorway were Gage and Maverick holding several sacks. Something smelled delicious wafted from one of them.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stepping back to let them in without even thinking about it.
“Brought food, woman,” Gage said.
“And new locks,” Maverick said.
“I thought I told you I’d get the locks changed myself,” she snapped.
“We told you we’d handle it. So we’re handling it,” Maverick said.
“Come over here and let’s eat first,” Gage said. “We can argue over the locks later. I’m starved.”
Since she was just as hungry as Gage said he was, Shay sighed and walked over to the little island and peeked into the bag to see that they’d brought hamburgers and fries. He pulled out the three burgers and spread out three large fries on the paper for them to share. She sank her teeth into the burger and moaned at how good it was.
“Hungry?” Gage asked.
“Yeah. I was deliberating between going to the diner and fixing a grilled cheese sandwich,” she said.
“Diner was packed,” Maverick said. “Crafts show outside of town going on,” he said.
“I heard about that. They said that’s why the bar is so busy this weekend,” Shay said.
“They have one at the beginning and the end of summer,” Gage said.
“Sounds like it’s a big deal,” she said, taking another bite of her burger.
“It is. Lot of people around here make things that they sell or take commissions for during the show. There are some furniture builders up on the mountain. Make some damn fine pieces. They can’t keep up with the orders they get,” Gage said.
“Are there a lot of people who live up on the mountain? I guess I didn’t realize anyone lived up there. I haven’t been in town long enough to know,” she said.
“We live up there. There are about fourteen of us up there,” Maverick said.
“The town is bigger than it seems I guess. I was thinking it was a tiny little thing, but I’m finding out it’s more than that. There are little shops in town that I wouldn’t have thought would flourish in a small town like Cozy,” she said.
“People from some of the outlying areas come to town to shop here,” Gage said.
“That’s good for the town,” she agreed.
“Do you like waitressing?” Gage asked.
“It puts food on the table,” she said.
“That’s not what I asked,” he said.
“It’s okay. I don’t really like it. I’d rather do something else like work in a store, but I do what I have to, you know?” Shay said.
“So if you had something else to do you’d take it?” Maverick asked.
“Well, yeah. If it paid for my rent and my food. I’d take it. Being a waitress is hard work. Not everyone can handle it,” she said.
“Let’s get those locks put on,” Maverick said, standing and grabbing the bag with the locks in it.
“I’ll go get the drill out of the truck,” Gage said.
She watched him walk out the door with the slight limp and wondered what happened to him. Maverick opened the bag and pulled out the deadbolt. He used a knife from his pocket to open the package then folded it up and slipped it back in his pocket. She noted again the massive scarring of his hands and knuckles. He looked like he’d been in a fire. Again she felt like they’d been in the armed forces and had to have been injured overseas.
They made short work of installing the deadbolt and the chain slide. She demonstrated that she could use them to their satisfaction. They quickly cleaned up the mess they made then nodded and left her to the rest of her day before she had to get ready for work at four. The little house seemed empty without them in it now. They’d been such a huge presence in the tiny place. Now she felt completely alone and set afloat in a giant sea.
What was up with that?
Chapter Five
She’d just thought Friday night had been busy. Saturday night was wild. Like Wild Kingdom wild. The bouncers were just as busy as the waitresses were, and there were two bartenders trying to keep up with the bar and the waitresses’ orders. Shay’s feet were killing her by nine to the point that she wanted to take off her shoes and go barefoot. Yeah, she was investing in a new pair of shoes as soon as she could find them.
Sure enough, at nine fifteen, Maverick and Gage showed up. They somehow managed to get a table in her section as always. She had no idea how they managed it, but didn’t want to know how. They were dangerous-looking men though they’d been nothing but nice to her. Maverick with his damaged hands and stern almost angry face would scare most men off. Drunk men? Maybe not so easily though.
“The usual?” she asked.
“You got it,” Gage said.
Shay turned and made her way back to the bar to pick up their order. When she returned, Gage and Maverick were deep in conversation, but they stopped when she appeared with their beer.
“We want to take you to the craft show tomorrow before they close it down,” Gage said.
“Huh?” she asked, not sure she heard him right.
“The craft show,” he said. “We want to take you to see it.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Thanks, but…”
“We’ll pick you up at ten. I know that’s early, but they start packing up at two. We want you to see most everything before it’s all gone,” Gage said.
She opened then closed her mouth. Shay looked over at Maverick who had leaned back in his chair with a stubborn look on his face. She wasn’t so sure he was on board with the idea. Why? she wondered.
“Let me think about it,” she finally said.
“Ten,” Gage said.
Shay just rolled her eyes and threaded her way to the next table to take more drink orders. Gage was pushy. He wasn’t going to let it go until she said yes. She could already tell that. Maverick was stewing over something. Didn’t he want her to go? Or was he angry that he hadn’t gotten to ask her? Wait, were they both planning to take her? Had she missed that? Yeah, he’d said “we want to take you” and “we’ll pick you up.” What was up with that?
She was too busy the rest of the night to think much about it. She spent all her time filling drink orders, wiping down spills, avoiding roving hands, and sidestepping fights. By the time they’d cleaned up the bar and were walking to their rides, she was almost giddy on her feet and ready for bed.
Sure enough, Gage and Maverick were waiting next to her bike in their truck. She just nodded toward them and accepted that they were going to follow her home. They were making it a habit. It wouldn’t do any good to try and talk them out of it, and frankly, she didn’t have the energy to spare tonight.
She started the bike after putting on her helmet and drove out of the back parking lot toward home. They followed behind her. When she parked her bike in front of her duplex, they parked behind her and got out of the truck. She hoped they didn’t think they were going to come inside. She wasn’t having any of it. She was too tired for that.
“Look, guys. I’m really tired,” she began.
“Just seeing you inside. That’s all,” Maverick said, frowning.
“Unlock the door,” Gage said.
; Shay sighed and unlocked the door, liking that the new deadbolt moved smoothly with the key. She switched on the inside light and stepped in before turning around.
“Thanks for the escort home, guys.”
“We’ll see you in the morning at ten, Shay,” Gage said. “Wear something comfortable. It will be hot out there.”
“Guys. I really don’t think this is such a good idea.”
“It’s a great idea. You need to see it. It’s part of Cozy. We’ll pick you up then. Night, Shay,” Gage said.
Maverick grunted and nodded his head. They both nodded at the door for her to shut it.
Shay sighed and closed the door then locked up, including the slide. She leaned against the door as she listened to their doors shut and the big truck back out of her drive before driving away. What was she going to do about them? They were inching their way into her life no matter how hard she was trying to keep them out. She was asking for trouble by letting them do it, too.
Nine was too early to get up the next morning after the night she’d had, but she forced herself out of bed and quickly dressed in shorts and another tank that was slightly more modest than what she wore to work. She barely had time for coffee before the guys were knocking on her door. She glanced at the clock and moaned. It was a quarter till ten. Why were they early? She opened the door with the slide in place and glowered at them.
“It’s only nine forty-five,” she snarled.
“We come bearing breakfast sandwiches,” Gage said, holding up a bag.
“Hold up.” She closed the door and slid the chain off then threw open the door and waved them in.
“Thought that would get us in,” Gage smirked.
She frowned at him. “You’re lucky I’m hungry.”
He handed her one of the sandwiches, and she peeled open the wrapper to take a bite.
“Hmmm. So good. You’re almost forgiven,” she said.
“Ready to go? We can eat on the way,” Maverick said.
“Okay.” Shay grabbed her cross-body bag and her keys. She locked up behind them and slipped her keys in her bag before letting Gage help her up into the big truck. She realized too late that she was going to be sitting between the two men on the bench seat. The close proximity had her skin heating all over, especially her cheeks. She couldn’t hold herself away from them. They touched from knees to shoulders. They were big men and spread out when they sat down. Just sitting that close to them after the erotic dreams she had about them had her pussy wet.
Dear God. What am I going to do with them all day?
Shay was going to go crazy. That’s what she was going to do. They oozed sex appeal. They were hard men. Just the kind she needed to stay away from, and here she was spending the better part of a day with them. What had she been thinking?
It wasn’t like they’d given her much of a choice. She’d tried to say no. Not very hard though.
Gage stretched his arm out across the back of the seat so that it caged in her shoulders. She tried to relax, but every area of her body that touched some part of theirs was on fire. Her breathing came in gasps as she tried to still her racing heart. She was going to hyperventilate if she didn’t calm down.
“So what kind of crafts are there besides furniture?” she asked in a breathy voice.
“Quilts, clothes, jewelry, stuff like that,” Gage said.
“I bet this pulls in a lot of business for the town doesn’t it?” she asked.
“It does. People from all around the region come to the show, and once they find out what Cozy has to offer, they keep coming back all through the year to shop here. The town is growing. One of the women on the mountain is wanting to open a ladies’ lingerie shop, but she needs someone to run it for her. Someone else wants to open a bakery,” Gage said.
“Sounds like it is growing,” Shay said.
“Here we are,” Maverick said as he pulled into an open field to park.
Shay was astonished at the number of cars and trucks and trailers already parked in the huge field. Off to one side there were tents in a long line on both sides of a mowed area with people milling down the center. Gage helped her out of the truck, and immediately she could smell cotton candy and hamburgers.
The two men led her through the throng of people to the first tent where there were quilts hanging over bars in every color and shape. She admired them and let the guys pull her to the next tent and the next as they made their way down one side and up another. She stopped in one where furniture was made and fell in love with a bookcase.
“Like it?” a woman asked.
“I love it. The lines are soft. Not something you normally see on a bookcase,” she said.
“I know. One of my husbands made it,” she said.
“Um, one of them?” she asked.
“Yeah. Kyle builds things. Mostly he does smaller things, but he builds shelves, too. Quinn is a writer,” she said. She held out her hand. “I’m Diana.”
“I’m Shay. Do you live here in Cozy?” she asked.
“I live up on the mountain,” Diana said.
“I see you’ve met Diana,” Gage said.
“She was telling me about her husbands,” Shay said.
That’s when it hit her what Gage and Maverick reminded her of. The two men in the book she was reading. They reminded her of the ménage book. Yeah, she was in all sorts of trouble.
“They call it Ménage Mountain down in town,” Diane was saying.
“Why?” she finally managed to ask.
“Because all of the families up there are in ménage relationships. There are a few bachelors still up there, but otherwise, they are all ménage,” Diana said.
“Wow. I’ve never heard of an actual ménage family let alone an entire group of them,” she said. “It really works?”
“Sure does. Several of us have children, as well. I have a little boy. One of the other women is watching him for me today. I could never keep up with him down here,” she said.
Someone called for Diana, and she excused herself to speak with a customer. Shay just stood there for a few seconds trying to get her head around what she’d learned. Gage nudged her.
“Ready to keep going?” he asked.
“Uh, sure.” She followed him to the next stall
There she found some intricate carvings of animals and nature such as trees blowing in the wind. She couldn’t get enough of staring at a tree that looked to be bending under a wind storm that you couldn’t see but knew was there.
“Wow, this is amazing.”
“It is, isn’t it,” Gage said. “Maverick made it.”
“Maverick?”
“Fuck, Gage. Did you have to tell her that?” Maverick demanded.
“Well, sure. It’s damn good.”
“You can almost see the wind even more than the tree,” Shay said, looking at Maverick in a different light.
A pretty young woman walked up. “Sorry, that one is already sold. There are others to look at though.” She pointed at other selections around the tent.
“Most of them aren’t Maverick’s though,” Gage said. “Looks like most of his are already sold.”
“You’ve got a real talent, Maverick,” Shay said.
“Helps me calm down when I’m having trouble focusing,” he said.
“What do you do?” she asked Gage. “I guess I haven’t asked you guys many questions.”
“I create computer games,” he said.
“Like those shooter games?” she asked, wincing.
“Yeah, but not shooting people. I have them killing aliens only. My version of a little cleaner game,” he said.
They took her through the rest of the tents until they’d made it back around to the beginning once more. It was close to two since all the tents were beginning to come down and they were beginning to pack up to leave.
“I’ve really enjoyed this. Thanks for asking me,” she said as they walked toward the truck.
“We’ve enjoyed it, too,” Gage said.
“Glad you had fun,” Maverick finally said.
“You guys aren’t thinking about a ménage with me are you?” she asked before she could stop herself as they stopped next to their truck.
Maverick jerked to a stop and stared at her. He looked like he was going to say something, but Gage beat him to it.
“Yes. We want a chance at dating you, and maybe it will turn into something permanent,” he said.
“First, I’m not looking for anything permanent. Second, a threesome will never work. I like you guys, but I’m not into sticking around for long,” she said.
Yeah, she couldn’t stay long here either. So much for putting down roots in Cozy. She’d be tempted to try with them, and that wasn’t happening. Eventually they’d break her heart and she wasn’t about to let that happen again. She’d had too many failures in her life. Maybe she’d fuck them and get them out of her system because she had them in her system, she acknowledged that, but that was all she would allow. No long-term relationships.
I can’t allow them to get a foothold on my heart. Sex without strings. I can handle that just fine. They’re men. They can handle that even better than I can.
“How do you know until you’ve tried it?” Maverick asked, frowning. “For all you know it’s even better than you imagined a regular relationship was.”
“I don’t have much faith in a regular relationship, so that wouldn’t be saying much,” she said.
“Someone’s done a number on you,” Gage said. “Why are you so bitter about dating?”
“There’s nothing wrong with dating, but anything more than that just isn’t for me. It’s better that you know that up front so you don’t get your hopes up. Okay?”
Maverick looked at Gage. “Yeah. I get that.”
Gage nodded and shrugged. “If that’s what you’re willing to give, fine.”
“So, how about going to the steak house with us Tuesday night?” Maverick asked.