by Marla Monroe
Tilly, of course, knew, but that couldn’t have been avoided. They’d told everyone who came to visit her mom not to ever say a word. Thank goodness they all understood it was necessary to pay for her mom’s medications. The majority of the treatment had been covered by the cancer policy her mom had taken out when she’d been working at the local grocery store all those years ago. If not, Jeanie didn’t know how they would have gotten her mom the treatment she needed.
I need to stop even thinking about it. That’s all behind me, and she’s doing well now. We just have to keep a close check on her lab work and watch for signs of infection while she’s still recovering from the chemotherapy.
“I’ll sleep in some, Mom. Don’t worry. Go on to sleep.” She bent over and kissed her mom’s cheek, letting her forehead rest against her mom’s for a few seconds. “I’m going to have some of the soup Sis made and head on to bed. Love you, Mom.”
“I love you more, child. Night.”
Tilly had a bowl of soup and the freshly grilled sandwich on a plate next to it when she returned to the kitchen. Her sister sat down with a glass of tea and smiled.
“She looks good, Tilly. Did you take her by the park on your way home?” Jeanie asked when she’d sat down.
“I did. She sat on a bench and talked with an older woman for a bit, and then I pried her away to come home. I could see she was getting tired. It’s good for her to get out in the fresh air and sunshine though.”
“It is. Once I know my schedule at the bar, we’ll set up a schedule of outings for her. Were you able to find out what we owe on our bill without Mom finding out?”
Tilly nodded but looked puzzled. “When’s the last time you paid on it?”
“It’s been nearly a month now. I was scared to pay when the club shut down, but since I’m still working and know I have a job, we need to pay what we can.”
“That’s just it. We only owe four hundred dollars at the clinic and less than five hundred at the hospital. I paid for the medication this time, like you told me to, but didn’t ask about our balance since Mom stuck close by.”
Jeanie frowned. The last time she’d checked on the bills the clinic was close to a thousand dollars and the hospital was nearly four thousand. She needed to call them and make sure they hadn’t made a mistake when they looked it up for Tilly. What a burden off her shoulders that would be if it were true, but she knew better than to get her hopes up. Bills didn’t up and get smaller on their own.
The big settlement that Kay had negotiated for all of them when the club closed had made it possible for all of them to make it a few months without worry while they looked for another job. When she’d announced that they were going to open a bar and would need them as waitresses and cooks, they’d all been ecstatic.
“The soup is really good, Sis. You’re a great cook. I don’t know how you’ve done it with some of the slim grocery days we’ve had, but everything is always yummy. Maybe you can help with cooking at the bar when they open.”
“What are they planning to serve? Most bars don’t serve more than wings and burgers,” Tilly pointed out.
“I think that’s about all they’re going to have. Maybe fries, nachos, and fried potato skins,” she said as she bit into the grilled cheese.
“Well, cooking is cooking. I can fry with the best of them,” Tilly said with a huge grin. “Who knows, she might decide to offer a little more for a lunchtime crowd later on. There isn’t anywhere in Hickory Hill to eat except the truck stop up on the highway. We could use a place that serves a real meal once a day.”
“You can suggest it to her once the bar seems to be on its feet. You never know.” Jeanie thought it was a really good idea. There were quite a few people in the area who would probably eat there at lunchtime. There had been a small café in town for years that stayed busy, but the owner had died and the children lived somewhere in Texas and didn’t want to worry with the place anymore. It was an empty building now, gathering dust and graffiti.
“So, about those two hunky-looking men. What are their names?” Tilly asked with a grin.
“Tilly,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Erik and Dax. They seem like nice guys, but they aren’t interested in me. They know all about my past.”
“That shouldn’t matter. You did it because you had to. You didn’t have a choice.” Tilly sighed and leaned back. “Hell, half the guys I went to high school with have probably slept with more women than you have men. It’s such a double standard.”
“It’s not just that, Tilly. I got paid to have sex with them. It’s different.”
“No, it’s not. They either took those women out to eat or bought them booze so they’d get at least a BJ out of it. It’s the same basic thing.”
“Let’s agree to disagree, Tilly.” Jeanie got up and carried her empty dishes to the sink.
“I’ll wash up. You should get ready for bed. I swear there’s sawdust all in your hair,” her sister teased.
“Look, I promised Mom I’d read the paper to her in the morning before I have to be at work at eleven. Wake me up by eight or eight thirty, okay?” she asked.
“Sure. I don’t need the car tomorrow. You should take it so you won’t have to worry about a ride. I have enough minutes left on the cell phone that you can call whoever was going to pick you up and tell them you don’t need them to.”
“You know, I don’t think I even asked anyone to pick me up in the morning. I was too tired to think about it. Thanks, Tilly. I’m going to soak in the tub a while. See you in the morning.” She hugged her sister good night and shuffled down the hall to the only bathroom in the three-bedroom house.
Her mind drifted as she turned on the water and then stepped out of her clothes. Why had the two guys offered to take her home? They’d been taking things out of her arms and plucking her off ladders all day. She couldn’t help but think about how good it had felt when Dax had held her steady while she hung the curtains in the kitchen. The feel of his powerful hands had made her warm all over. Even now she felt chill bumps pop up on her arms.
Then there was the feel of Erik’s hard body when she’d slid down it getting out of the truck. She hadn’t missed the massive bulge she’d encountered before her feet touched the ground. Most of the guys she’d been forced to be with had been sadly lacking in that department. But these two were off limits. She couldn’t risk her job by messing around with another employee.
She yawned as she relaxed back into the hot water. She wished she had some bath salts or oil. Instead of dwelling on what she didn’t have, Jeanie let her mind imagine the two men without their clothes and gave them muscles and nice big cocks she could play with.
She smiled to herself as she wrapped her hands around the massive stalks and squeezed. They felt like velvet-encased steel. Her mouth watered at the thought of tasting them. She was sure they’d be perfect, like saltwater taffy. Just the thought of their thick dicks filling her body made three almost-there orgasms she’d given herself feel like beestings. Already her clit was hard and itchy, begging for her fingers to play with it.
If just thinking about the two men touching and fondling her got her this hot, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like if they actually took her. The idea of a threesome with those two didn’t turn her off at all. She was sure they knew how to take care of a woman when the jerks she’d had to deal with before hadn’t had a clue. Dax and Erik wouldn’t hurt her like the others had.
The others. That one thought, and everything dissolved as her past intruded once again. She wasn’t ashamed anymore. She’d done what she’d been forced to do, but it didn’t mean she was proud of it either. The memories stayed locked up, but sometimes, that door they were behind creaked with the weight of them. Like now. She needed to forget about Erik and Dax. They knew her past, and though they were obviously good men who wouldn’t let her walk home alone, they weren’t going to want to go out with her. She needed to remember that before she got her feelings hurt.
As she climbed out
of the tub and dried off, Jeanie couldn’t help but wonder if it was already too late to prevent more than her feelings from getting hurt.
Chapter Four
Jeanie hugged her mom, so happy to see her looking more normal than she had since the chemo had made her so sick. It lifted her spirits and reinforced that she’d made the right decisions over the last two years.
“Love you, Mom. I need to get a move on so I won’t be late. Be sure and eat a good lunch. Tilly fixed a pot roast in the Crock-Pot last night. I can’t wait for a sandwich when I get home.”
“Be careful, Jeanie. I worry about you working so much. I’ll be able to go back to work soon. Then you and Tilly can move on with your lives. I love you,” her mom told her.
“We’ll worry about that later. Right now, eat!” She laughed and waved as she walked into the living room. “Tilly, I’m going to grab my purse, and then I’m gone. You have the spare set of keys, right?”
“I’ve got them. I can always run down and get the car if we need it for some reason. Have a good day!” her sister called from the kitchen.
Jeanie hurried to the bedroom and grabbed her purse. She checked to be sure she had her keys then jogged to the front door just as someone knocked. Thinking it to be either someone to visit her mom or Tilly, she yanked it open with a broad smile. The smile slipped when she saw that it was Erik.
“Um, hi. What are you doing here?” she asked.
He winced. “Sorry. We forgot to let you know we’d pick you up this morning. We thought your sister might need the car. It’s no trouble for us to give you a ride when our schedules are the same.”
All she could do at the moment was stare at him. Then Tilly’s voice broke her stupor.
“Who is it, Jeanie?” Tilly walked into the living room and smiled at Erik. “Hey! Didn’t you bring Jeanie home last night?”
“Yeah. We forgot to tell her we planned to pick her up again, so she wouldn’t have to take the car.” Erik stepped up next to Jeanie and extended his hand to her sister. “Hi, I’m Erik. You must be Tilly. It’s nice to meet you.”
Jeanie tried to breathe past the pressure in her chest at the touch of Erik’s hard chest against her cheek and the obvious outline of his cock against her belly. As her heart leaped into overdrive, he stepped back.
“Ready, hon? Kay’s going to have pizza, and if we aren’t there when it arrives, we might end up without,” he said with a wink.
“Ah, yes. Tilly, I guess the car is yours today. Maybe take Mom on another outing if she’s doing okay. It seems to have been good for her,” she said.
“Don’t worry about us, Sis. We’ll be fine. Have a good day.” Tilly waved then closed the door, leaving her standing on the porch with Erik so close she could feel his breath stirring the hair on the top of her head.
“I’m really sorry we forgot to tell you that we were going to pick you up. I didn’t even realize it until I saw the look on your face.”
“I-I’m sorry about that, but I was completely thrown off by seeing you when I opened the door,” she said, hoping she hadn’t looked hostile instead of just surprised.
“No offense taken. Come on. I wasn’t kidding about there not being any pizza left. We better get a move on.” Erik led her to the truck where he lifted her to the seat before she had a chance to climb in on her own.
“Hey, babe. How are you doing this morning?” Dax asked with a bright smile.
“I’m fine, thanks.” She was at a loss as to what to say next, but Erik saved her when he asked about her mom.
“How is your mom doing? I heard that she was recovering from a serious illness,” he said.
“Yes. She had cancer, and the chemo was really hard on her. She’s much better, thanks. She even sat in the park some when Tilly took her to her doctor’s appointment.”
“That’s great,” Dax said, keeping his eyes on the road. “I know it has to be a huge relief to know she’s really on the way to recovery.”
“It is. Tilly and I weren’t sure there for a while, but I think that’s all in the past now.” Jeanie prayed she was right. Nearly losing her mom with everything else going on had almost broken her.
“Looks like we made it before everyone arrived. Means there’s bound to be pizza left for us,” Erik said, opening the door and jumping down.
Jeanie let the big man help her down from the truck, noticing that only about half of the crew was there so far. The light pressure of Erik’s hand at her back urged her forward. She walked to the front door of what would soon be Creature Comforts the bar. It settled something inside of her she hadn’t realized was bothering her, knowing that a new sign would be going up in the next week.
Dax opened the door for her, and the three of them entered to find everyone milling around talking. There was no sign of the pizza or Kay yet. One of the newer security guards walked over where they were standing.
“Hey, boss man. Kay called and said they were a little late but would be here in about fifteen minutes with the pizzas.”
“Thanks. Everything okay?” Dax asked.
“Fine. Nothing much going on. The ladies are excited that everything is nearly finished,” the guard pointed out.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go talk to Carmen. Thanks again for the ride, guys.” She smiled and hurried off before either of them could say anything.
She needed some space. Sitting between the two handsome men on the way over had been just as devastating to her hormones as it had the night before. Her female parts were all cheering and urging her to make a move on the two hunks. Jeanie was determined that wasn’t about to happen. It would just lead to humiliation when they either jumped on her with both feet for a quick lay or they gently rebuffed her, stinging her pride and possibly breaking her heart.
She’d dreamed about them, and when she’d woken up with her hands between her legs and a wet spot on the bed, she’d prayed her sister hadn’t heard or seen anything. She’d also realized that she was smitten with them. Erik’s easy attitude and the way he always had a smile on his face appealed to her on a basic level. She tried to always look at things with a positive attitude. If she hadn’t, dealing with her mom’s cancer and having to subject herself to pawing men for two years would have killed her.
Dax projected a steady feel that made her think of a rock that would always be there to support her. He made her feel wanted and delicate all at the same time. Together, the two men were hell on her senses, and it seemed on her heart as well. How could she have gotten so attached to them in only a few weeks?
Something about them drew her, called to her as if she belonged there between them. She couldn’t figure it out and didn’t really want to outside of protecting herself from further disappointment and pain.
“Hey, Jeanie. I’m so sorry I didn’t wait on you. I totally forgot to check to see if you needed a ride. Please tell me you didn’t have to walk. I feel horrible.” Carmen looked so upset that Jeanie couldn’t tease her and say she’d had to walk.
“Don’t worry about it. I got a ride. We were all exhausted yesterday,” she said, squeezing the other woman’s hands. “Anything interesting going on?”
“Not really. We’re just waiting on Kay to get here with the pizza. She’s supposed to have a meeting with us to talk about opening and everything.” Carmen smiled. “I can’t wait to find out more. This is going to be so much better than what we were doing.”
“I agree. You know, I haven’t stopped to think if she would have enough positions for all of us, or if we would end up with less money so that everyone got some hours,” Jeanie said. “I think everyone ought to get to work if she has enough positions, but we need to ask about projected salaries. We may have to find something else in addition to this in order to pay our bills.”
“I hadn’t thought about that either. I wonder if Kay has. I sure hope so. Maybe she’ll discuss that at the meeting.” Carmen frowned. “If she doesn’t, we can always approach her later. I’d hate to bring it up in front of eve
ryone and put her on the spot. She’s done so much for us already.”
“I agree. Let’s wait and see what she talks about in the meeting.”
* * * *
“What do you think?” Dax asked, startling Jeanie.
“Goodness! You scared me half to death,” she said. “Think about what?”
“Sorry. I thought you heard me walk over. I was wondering how you feel about the plans Kay has for everyone. I wanted to ask earlier, but we all got busy. This is the first chance I’ve had to catch you without something in your hands,” Dax said with a grin. “You keep busy. That’s for sure.”
“It makes the day go faster,” she said, smiling. “I’m really excited with what she told us. It sounds like everyone is going to have something to do and enough hours we’ll be able to pay our bills. That was a relief to hear. We were a little worried that we might have to keep our hours low to make sure everyone got to work some.”
“Well, it will be touch and go for a few months until all the kinks have been worked out, but she’ll do everything she can to take care of you ladies. You know that, right?” Dax asked, frowning.
“Oh, we know. We’re more than grateful for all she and her husbands have already done. We weren’t going to be upset if we had to work fewer hours, just concerned. We’ve had to live on much less and managed before. We can do it again if it comes down to it,” she told him.
His face transformed once again into the smiling Dax she’d gotten used to. He and Erik smiled so differently. Erik’s smile involved his entire face. Dax’s smiles started in his eyes and moved to his mouth that lifted in a grin.
“Erik and I wanted to take you out for dinner tonight after work is done. Would you let us? We’d like to talk, get to know you better,” he said.
Jeanie sputtered, completely caught off guard. “W-what? Take me out? Why would you want to get to know me better?”