by Fiona Archer
“His wife and kids left here yesterday. Mitch was from Anchorage. The coroner will release the body today and the service is planned for tomorrow morning.” Tina, Mitch’s wife, had looked at him from the back seat of her dad’s truck, her eyes hollow, as if the center of her world had been ripped away and she was adrift. I’ve loved him since I was twelve, Kane. “His kids, Olivia.” He broke off, blinked furiously against the burn at the back of his eyes. “Two little boys. Confused, scared, and not understanding why their dad wasn’t there.” And surrounded by kind people with sad faces who had packed up their belongings. “They were so fucking lost.” He knew exactly how that felt. He’d been there.
“She has family?”
“Yeah, both sets of parents drove up straight away.” He couldn’t imagine the pain of outliving one’s child, but he had a fair idea after seeing Mitch’s dad crumble into the arms of his wife in the morgue. “She’ll have lots of support. Besides the insurance, Alex and I will make sure she’s taken care of financially.” The extra funds were a small measure in the grand scheme of things, but the security it provided was something, and he’d reassured her dad not to worry.
“Hopefully, the police report will squash the rumors of negligence.”
Rumors that had been started even before the paramedics arrived. His hand gripped the phone tighter. “It better. If I find the son-of-a-bitch that started them, he’ll not only no longer have a job, I’ll fucking ruin him.” He exhaled and forced himself to calm. “The explosion scattered equipment everywhere, which prolonged the confusion. It made for a perfect storm for anyone wanting to stir trouble.”
He dragged a hand through his hair. “That’s enough about me, sweetness, tell me some good news.”
“Are you sure?” Hesitancy filled her voice. “I feel bad chattering away about my plans with everything you’re coping with.”
“Here’s going to be shit no matter what. If I’ve learned one thing with the SEALs, it’s that life goes on. You make the absolute best of any given situation.” He lowered his voice. “Tell your Dom what he wants to hear.”
He couldn’t miss her audible intake of breath. That’s better.
“The preparations for our Community Day are as ready as can be until Saturday. The grounds’ crew has everything looking beautiful. The town’s buzzing. I’ve lined up the Gazette for a two-page spread.” Her voice chirped with excitement.
“Excellent, baby.” She’d been working her ass off for weeks to make Saturday a success. He hoped like hell the day went off without a hitch, if just for her sake. “Now, tell me about you.”
“I’m okay.” Was it shyness or something else that turned her voice soft?
“Did you get to have coffee with Suzie?”
“We were due yesterday, but her boys have come down sick with a tummy bug. I’m hoping I’ll see her on the weekend.”
So no debrief with someone in the lifestyle. Not for the first time he cursed being away from her.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” But he pressed on. “Mike told me you made him and Reagan coffee on Tuesday night.”
“He called you?” Olivia’s voice rose in surprise.
“Yeah, us Doms stick together.” He chuckled at her little huff. “You had a big weekend. Then neither Alex nor I were there with you afterward. I asked Mike to do a quick visual check to see how you were coping since I wasn’t going to be there to see for myself.”
“Oh, he and Reagan came around with some library books for Mom. Mike didn’t give me the impression he was checking up on me, at least about that stuff.” She sounded kind of miffed, as if she should have known better.
His lips twitched. “This isn’t his first rodeo, babe. Mike’s been a Dom for years.” Right after Alex introduced him and Quinn to the lifestyle. “I know Suzie’s your best friend, and she’d be ideal to talk to, but if you needed someone before you see her, I’m sure Reagan would make a great substitute. It’s important you have someone to confide in, ask questions of.”
“Reagan would be a great listener. In fact, she’s offered, and I’m sure in the future I’ll take her up on it, but right now I want to wait for Suzie. She’s my girl, Kane. Together we’ve been through boy crushes, hairstyle disasters, and the devastating sorrow that was the last episode of Friends. It has to be her this time.”
“How can I argue with that?” He smiled, loving her girl logic. “I hope Suzie’s kids get better soon. In the meantime, since you may or may not have a chance to discuss your thoughts, I’m allocating you homework.”
“You’re kidding?” Her voice deepened with amusement.
“No.” He hardened his voice, leaving her in no doubt. “I want you to list the pros and cons for allowing a man to dominate you. At least three.”
“Oh.” She seemed to mull over his dictate. “When do you want this by?”
“Saturday.” Not much time. He didn’t want her to obsess over her answers, but give herself a chance to think through the logic of her beliefs.
“Okay.” She changed the subject. “So, you’re going to the memorial service tomorrow?”
“Yeah, both Quinn and I are going. Then we’ll fly down to Seattle, pick up Alex, and get to King’s Bluff around midnight or sometime soon after.”
“Do you want me to meet you at the lodge?”
God, it was tempting. “No, baby, you need all your energy for Saturday.”
“I’ll want to see you as soon as possible.” A note of defiance threaded her voice.
“Babe, if we find you waiting for us in a bed we’re going to keep you so damn busy you won’t get a minute of rest. I want you exhausted from our sex together, but not when you need to steer the ship a few hours later. Come early for breakfast at the lodge.” He added as a sweetener, “Bring an overnight bag with you.”
“Okay.” He could hear her smile in her voice.
A loud thumping on his room’s door interrupted their call. Only Quinn would dare knock that early.
“Hang on,” he yelled toward the door before speaking into the phone. “Babe, I gotta go. Quinn’s here.”
“I should get moving anyway. Can’t spend the whole day in bed.”
He groaned at the image in his head. “You’ll pay for teasing me, woman.”
Her giggle ended, then there were a few seconds of silence before she said, “Kane, I really, really like you.”
“Same here, sweetness.” He pressed on before he said something that maybe she wasn’t ready to hear. “I’ll see you soon, Olivia.”
“You will, honey.”
He hung up, then rose from the generic beige upholstered chair, with its equally generic wood grain laminated slim desk, and strode to the door.
“What,” he said as he opened the door.
Quinn, dressed in running gear, ignored his sunny greeting. “Move your ass. We’re going on a five-mile run.”
He was tempted to tell Quinn where to shove his run, but maybe building up a good sweat would focus his mind. Stepping to the side, he waved the big guy in. “Give me a second.”
Quinn grunted as he crossed his arms. “You talking to Alex?”
He grabbed yesterday’s T-shirt and dragged it over his head, then a pair of shorts. “No, Olivia.” Snagging his sneakers, he sat on the edge of the bed to put them on.
“Ah.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Quinn’s tawny-colored eyes showed how pleased he was with himself.
“What?” He finished dressing, and then shoved his room key into the pocket of his shorts. “Don’t just stand there looking superior. Spit it out.”
“You like her.”
Kane lifted an eyebrow. “That’s not news, Quinn.”
“No, you like her. It’s in the way you said her name.”
Truthfully, that wasn’t news to Kane either. He was falling in love with Olivia.
That didn’t mean he was going to allow Quinn to claim some special powers of intuition.
“And how did I s
ay her name?”
“The same way I say Reagan’s,” Quinn said quietly.
He went still. Yeah, he didn’t have a comeback for that one.
A slow smile spread over his face. “Let’s see if your old married ass can beat me over five miles.”
“Make it ten and we’re talking.” Quinn shouldered him on the way past, but Kane moved faster, leaving his buddy to close the door. Quinn already had his prize—his wife—and Kane wasn’t going to let him win a race, too. Not when he was fucking envious of the man’s happiness.
As his feet pounded against the road, he made himself a promise. When he got back to King’s Bluff, he’d instigate plans to take this new phase of his, Olivia, and Alex’s relationship up a gear. Mitch’s accident was a reminder life was too damn short.
He just hoped Olivia was ready for whatever was to come.
* * * *
Olivia made her way across the field in front of the lodge’s parking lot, her steps keeping time with the lively beat from a local country and western band. A huge banner welcoming everyone to the Community Day fluttered on the summer breeze. The high squeals of happy children running ahead of their parents mixed with the friendly welcomes called out by locals, some by people Olivia hadn’t seen in years.
Each familiar face, now a little older, sometimes more worn, reminded her how much she’d given up to follow Alan.
“Lovely to see you, too, Mrs. Dwyer,” she called back to her old third-grade teacher.
A sense of peace wrapped around her like one of her mom’s handmade patchwork quilts, warm and comfy and made with love.
It was good to be home.
She glanced at her watch. Close to noon. The day had gone smoothly so far. Fingers crossed, it would continue the same.
She’d worn her old comfy cowboy boots, perfect for a busy day on her feet. Her jeans and chambray shirt suited the mood of the day. Even at the base of the Bighorns, July could get warm, so she’d lifted her hair up in a ponytail. Tiny gold earrings in the shape of horses dangled from her ears.
White square tents dotted the green landscape like oversized cake boxes. Each housed either food stalls or showed off local artists and organizations, including the Women’s Progress Association, where her mom’s baking was front and center.
Olivia stepped up to a table covered in iced cakes, fudge bagged in cellophane and tied with curly ribbons, and every conceivable type of brownie. “You ladies have done a marvelous job. How’s the fundraising going?”
“Made three hundred dollars so far. Not bad for two hours work. Even had a few lodge guests buy some fudge and brownies.” Maggie Fletcher’s bright blue eyes matched the color of her boat-necked top. “I put aside my white chocolate and raspberry cake, Livy. Kane gave us a donation and he chose that one for when the guys bring you home tomorrow afternoon. I’ll drive your truck home since I came here with Penny.”
He’d already met her mother? “I’ll make sure I get my overnight bag out of the back.”
She’d followed Kane’s instructions, taking care to pack her fanciest new lingerie. Not that the guys would let her wear it for long, but the unwrapping was all part of the fun. After a week apart, she was looking forward to some alone time with them.
When Alex or Kane were based at the lodge, she often shared lunch with both of them, or just one depending on who was free. Sometimes they’d go for a walk, once even a horse ride with both guys when they had wanted to show her some of the guest privileges. Now, with their relationship developing into something stronger, deeper, their absence this week had reinforced for Olivia how much she’d missed them, too.
Kane’s phone calls had been quick, usually when he could grab ten minutes away from investigators or in between discussions with Mitch’s family.
And Alex? He’d called her when free, sometimes during the day or late at night when the two of them had the privacy to close their eyes and listen to the sound of the other’s voices without outside interruptions. He’d refused her shy offer of phone sex. No fingers or toys were allowed to play with her pussy until he and Kane had her at their retreat.
She’d argued against such a cruel restriction of her pleasuring herself, which had apparently earned her a spanking. Her answering gasp only made the devil laugh, a full, rich sound that had her bottom wiggling against her bed sheets.
As promised, the guys had flown from Seattle late last night, arriving at the lodge around one o’clock. Somehow after less than five hours sleep, they’d looked refreshed when she’d met them for breakfast in the lodge’s restaurant. She’d used makeup to help her look human at six in the morning. She had treasured the precious forty minutes with them before the logistics of the day took over her life.
“Thanks for taking the truck back, Mom.”
“No problem.” Her mom waved away her thanks. “Kane’s even better looking than his pictures on the Internet.”
It took a second, but she found her voice. “You Googled Kane and Alex?”
“We used my phone.” Penny Gordon bobbed her head and a few strands of titian hair spilled free from her bun. “I liked the one of Kane in a kilt. Maggie found a great shot of Alex in a tux.” She leaned closer, a picture of red in her matching shirt, and lipstick. “We all think it’s fantastic, honey, you finding yourself a couple of fellas.”
Penny, owner of the diner with her two husbands, and mom of Dr. Jackson Gordon, was a warm soul with a heart larger than the Bighorns. She was also a bit of a chatterbox.
“Thanks, Penny. It’s all a little new, so if we could keep things low key for a while, that’d be great.” The guys had both asked Olivia if she was okay with them kissing her in public. She was, knowing that in a town as small as King’s Bluff you couldn’t keep anything like a new relationship—at whatever stage of commitment—a secret. However, she wasn’t sure if either Alex or Kane were prepared for a full-scale announcement.
“Olivia, it’s not gonna stay new for long. Kane said to spread the word.” Penny glanced at her mom, who nodded in confirmation. “I like that in a man. Goes after what he wants and makes it known to the world.”
Okay, so Kane had well and truly taken care of sharing the news.
“Since you ladies seem in the know, could you point me in Kane’s direction?”
“He’s over in the shaded seating area. The Hammond twins cornered him for a chat.”
She just bet they did.
“Thanks, I’ll head that way. And, Mom…” She waited for her mom to look up from fixing a tray of brownies for a customer. “Find other things to Google besides the MacKenzies.”
Her mom threw her a vague smile. “Sure thing, Livy.”
In other words, she’d get right onto that—not.
In search of Kane, she rounded the food tent and caught sight of Mike, Reagan, and Chloe’s husband Flynn, who were volunteering on behalf of the Youth Café.
As she got closer, her mouth started to water. That smell! Oh man, there was something about burgers and onions on a grill that just did it for her. Her mouth watered. Maybe she’d wait half an hour, when she could corral Alex and Kane together?
If she could last that long.
Reagan, wearing an apron stating Librarians, the original search engine, waved her over as she passed pre-cut buns along to some teenagers who were helping out. All the money from the sale of the burgers was going to the Youth Café.
“Reagan, the smell from the grill is just killing me.”
Her friend groaned. “Tell me about it. I’ve already had one.” She jerked her head toward the two men and a slim blond-haired teenager flipping burgers. “Mike, too. Only Flynn and Danny have managed to resist the siren’s song.”
“Bunch of wimps. Right, mate?” Flynn rolled the impressive bulk of his shoulders and winked down at Danny.
“Yeah,” Danny’s face, caught in that boy-to-teenager phase with a strong jawline but still baby-face smooth, turned solemn. “Reagan I can understand. But I expected more from Mike.”
&nb
sp; The kid could dish it out. She liked it.
“Hey!” The big guy turned with grave affront to his companions. “All the best chefs taste their dishes before serving. You guys are hacks.”
“I’m going to leave before I give in to temptation.” She eyed the rows of wrapped burgers disappearing into the hands of hungry patrons. “Just promise me you’ll save a few for the guys and me.” Did her voice really sound that pitiful? She shrugged. So what? Those burgers were awesome.
“Never fear, Olivia. We have stacks of supplies. I can’t believe Alex and Kane paid for everything. Since it didn’t cost Mick a cent, he added bags of chips and the ice for the drinks as his own contribution to the cause.”
This is why she loved living in this town. People mattered. Initiatives like the Youth Café mattered.
Dodging townsfolk whose attention was diverted by the myriad of stalls, pony rides, stable tours, and the band’s performance, Olivia was nearing the shaded seating when just ahead she spotted Lacey talking to Kevin, the young man who had been back at the front desk for five weeks now after his two weeks in “purgatory.”
How strange. Not the fact that Lacey was talking to a fellow employee, but this employee. She detested Kevin. At least, that was what Olivia had gathered from the dismissive looks and snide comments the younger woman continuously sent his way.
Kevin’s gaze landed on Olivia. He stepped back, murmuring to Lacey as he did so, before he turned on his heel and strode toward the stage area, his green polo-shirted back soon disappearing in the thick crowd.
It had been a blissful hour and a half since she’d had to converse with Lacey. “How’s things?” Olivia forced a bright note in her voice.
It fell on deaf ears. “The band wasn’t asked to submit a list of demands.”
“Pardon?”
Lacey jammed a hand on her hip. “A list of the things they want supplied backstage for before and after their performance. I couldn’t find one completed in the paperwork.”
She had to be kidding? “I understand the meaning, Lacey.” Time to put this bitch back in her box. “This is King’s Bluff, not Madison Square Garden. As for any demands Harry, his brother, and three cousins may have made, I’ll admit I’ve done some tough negotiating in my time, but agreeing to as many burgers as the boys could eat, plus a donation of five-hundred dollars to the town’s fire department doesn’t top the list.”