My Choice, My Chance: Men Of Crooked Bend Book 2

by Taylor Rylan

  We were packing for our trip to California for Sean’s wedding and I was really glad that Jasper was more the let’s-elope kind of guy rather than the let’s-have-a-huge-wedding kind of guy. I’m sure the wedding was going to be beautiful but there had been so much stress, even with the wedding planner they hired helping out.

  Collin moved out last weekend and although it’s been great having the entire house back to just us, in a way, I miss him. He really was a great houseguest. Hopefully, we were good hosts, too.

  I had missed the frotting sessions on the couch, the blow jobs in the kitchen, and the fucking on the stairs. Pretty much whenever the mood struck Jasper, he was on me and I had no complaints about that. We hadn’t been able to do that with Collin in the house.

  Sean and Simon were leaving tomorrow for California and as soon as Collin arrived to house sit, we would be leaving ahead of them. It seemed odd to help him move out last weekend only to have him come back this weekend to stay for a couple of days, but Hemingway was already comfortable with him and it just seemed like the most logical thing to do. We trusted him. With both the house and our fur baby.

  “Liam! Have you seen my dress shoes?”

  Ah, the joys of married life. I didn’t have any real complaints though. Jasper was just stressed because of the wedding. I knew exactly where his shoes were, so instead of yelling back down the hall, I put Hemingway in his kitty tower and headed toward our bedroom.

  “Yes, I’ve seen your dress shoes. They're exactly where you left them; they’re in their box on the shelf,” I told him as I walked into our room. All I saw was Jasper’s back as he walked into the closet.

  “Ah-ha! I must have looked right at them at least a dozen times. Seriously, what would I do without you?”

  “Let’s not find out, okay?” I was pulled away by my phone ringing in the office. I must have left it on the desk. It was Rhett’s ringtone and that meant something was up because he was going to see me in just a few hours.

  “Better see what Rhett wants. I have to finish packing.”

  Ding-dong

  Jasper seemed in a right state, he jumped when the doorbell rang. “Shit, that’s probably Collin. Why is he ringing the doorbell? He lived here until last weekend. He still has a key!”

  “How would I know? Either answer the door or text him and tell him to just come in,” I said as I ran out of the room trying to reach my phone before it stopped ringing.

  “Hey, Rhett. You there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. Everything okay? You sound winded. Please tell me I didn’t interrupt you and Jasper. Is that all you two ever do?”

  “Shut it. No, you didn’t interrupt. I was in the bedroom helping your brother find his dress shoes and I left my phone in the office. I’m going to see you in just a few hours, so what’s up?”

  “Nothing, I just needed to vent. Logan called. He said he’s not coming today and that he’s waiting until Saturday night now. Basically, I’m not going to get to spend any time with him at all. Seriously, Liam, do you think he’s worth it? I get such hot and cold feelings from him and I just don’t know anymore.”

  “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Do you think he’s worth it? I can’t really answer that question for you, Rhett. I don’t know him all that well. I do know he’s insanely busy. Right now they’re doing fall cuts with their cattle so maybe that’s why he’s not coming today. Hey, at least he told you. He could've just not shown. Do you remember back in February what you told me about Jasper? How if I had the chance to take it? If he’s willing, Rhett, I think you have a chance and I think you’d kick yourself later if you didn’t take it. Did you ask him why he’s not coming until Saturday?”

  “He said he was busy. That’s it. He didn’t give much of an explanation, just that he’s busy and can’t get away until then.”

  “Well, then I'd guess that he’s busy and just trust that. Hell, Rhett, they have something like fifteen hundred cattle, don’t they?”

  “I think it’s more. That’s not the point. The point is I want to see him and I am being a whiny bitch and you’re supposed to be my best friend right now and just let me vent, okay?”

  I smiled to myself and changed my tone. “Got it. Please continue.” Before I knew it, we were both laughing into the phone.

  “Okay, that’s what I needed, really. Back to the reason I called, I’m just, I don’t know. I’m confused. I mean, I like him. A lot. He doesn’t seem to like me as much. What would you do?”

  “Honestly, I’d just give it a try and see. Think about it, Rhett. You’re living in Northern California. That’s a long-ass way from Wyoming. He can’t just pick up and come and see you every weekend. He has a lot of responsibilities here. Kind of like the situation with me and Jasper. I was more mobile than he was. I still am. He has a job here and lots of people depend on him. He can’t just up and leave. Seriously, this would be so much easier if you lived here, Rhett.” One of those cartoon light bulbs lit up above my head. “Hey! Maybe that’s what you need to do. Did you ever think about that? Maybe that’s why he’s hot and cold. Maybe he doesn’t feel that there is really any chance because you’re so far away.”

  I heard a groan through my earpiece. “Well shit, Liam. Why didn’t you say that months ago? Alright, I’m coming back with you guys. You don’t mind if I bunk with you for a while, do you? I don’t want to ask Sean because he’ll be a newlywed and all.”

  I tried to hint to Rhett that Jasper and I were newlyweds, too. “What? I’m not?” He didn’t seem to pick up on the hint.

  “Dude, you’re not getting married this weekend. They are.”

  “Yeah, I’m not getting married this weekend. I’m more of a newlywed than they are. They’ve been together since last year, Rhett. I’ve only been with Jasper since this year. My relationship is definitely newer, but moving much faster than theirs.”

  “Seriously, are you going to let me stay there or not? Because if you’re not...”

  Exasperated that my best friend couldn’t get my obscure hints, I interrupted him. “Of course I am. You know that. You get to be the one that tells your brother you plan on crashing here. We just got rid of our houseguest. He’s rather enjoyed not having one again.”

  “Shit, I didn’t think of that. Well, you two will just have to go back to fucking in a bed. Like normal people.”

  “Do either of us strike you as normal?”

  Rhett chuckled. “Now that you mention it, no.”

  “Okay, anyway. I’ve gotta get off of here. Collin is here to house sit for us and I need to get to the airport. I’ll see you in a few hours and we can talk about this more.”

  “Good. I think I need all the help I can get.”

  “You’ll be fine, trust me. Just be you.”

  “Yeah, well, since Mike…”

  “Stop. Rhett, Logan knows you. He knows what happened. He knows and he still seems interested so let it go. What Mike did was not your fault in any way. If any man has a problem with your scars, either the physical or mental ones, then he isn’t worth your time. Got it?”

  “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Good. Now, I’ll see you in a few hours, alright?”

  “Yeah. See you. Have a fun flight.”

  “I’ll try.”

  I hung up and went in search of Jasper and Collin. I found Collin with Hemingway on his shoulder.

  “He missed you this week. What did you do to steal my cat away from me?”

  “Nothing. You realize cats love to be in high places, right?”

  “No. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Liam, I’m almost a foot taller than you. Hemingway just likes to be on my shoulder because I’m so tall. You’re still his favorite, I’m sure. Are you ready for the big day?”

  “I’ve already had my big day. What are you talking about?”

  “Okay, are you ready for Sean’s big day?”

  “No. I don’t think Sean is either. The last time I saw him
he was so stressed. I swear the man is only thirty but he’s headed for a stroke if he doesn’t relax.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. You should've seen him at the office this week. Jasper and I finally convinced him to just go home.”

  “Well, hopefully he’s in a more relaxed mood once he gets to California. I’m looking forward to seeing Rhett again before everyone else arrives. We have a few last-minute details to take care of but otherwise, everything is set.”

  “Are you going to tell your fathers-in-law that you two are married?”

  “Not until after the wedding. They’ve already started hinting that I was going to be next. Let me tell you, I’m going to take great pleasure in telling my dads that I’m already married and that there’s nothing they can do to get me to go through the hell that Sean’s gone through,” Jasper said when he finally joined us in the office.

  “You ready, Liam? We really need to get to the airport.”

  “Yeah, my bags are by the front door. Thanks so much, Collin. I’ll feel better knowing he’s only going to be alone for the day you’re at the wedding.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Liam. Hemingway and I are just going to chill and watch TV.”

  “Seriously, thanks for watching him,” Jasper said while patting Collin on the shoulder as he walked out of the office with his bags.

  “Okay, see you Saturday night,” I said while following Jasper.

  “Yep. Have fun, you two.”

  We made it to the airport in almost no time. Since we were flying on Stealth Securities’ company jet, we didn’t have to check our bags. Which was a blessing. I didn’t know James and Taylor had a jet. It wasn’t until we were already airborne that I realized that we were the only ones on the plane besides the pilot and copilot. When I asked Jasper where the attendant was he said he told his papa that we didn’t need one for such a short flight. I found out exactly why shortly afterward when Jasper grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the back of the plane.

  “You ever join the mile high club?”

  “No,” I replied.

  “Well good, you’re about to.”

  35 — Jasper

  There were so many times I wondered if I'd ever get to join the mile high club. It only took thirty years for me to finally be inducted. I loved that it was with Liam. It was a great way to kill the couple hours we had on the flight to California. By the time we landed, Liam was once again well fucked and I was a very happy and satisfied husband.

  We were headed to my dads’ place first to finish up some last-minute details for the wedding and honeymoon. We’d be traveling to the vineyard by car as it was only a short drive. It was unusual for me to go so long without seeing my dads or Rhett but life had been especially hectic since Christmas and the timing just never worked. Sure, there was all the work we’d done. There had not been that much time off, but I'd be the first to admit that I’d been equally busy with Liam.

  We decided to give a relationship a try and then we were almost immediately living together. Our arrangement probably wouldn’t work for most people but it worked for us. I had no regrets except that we were married and hadn’t told anyone. I wanted everyone to know. I talked to Liam and he agreed, it was definitely time to tell my dads. They needed to know.

  The closer we got to the house, the more nervous Liam got.

  I reached over and patted his knee. I could feel the tension in his muscles. “Don’t worry about it. Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart. You know my dads and they already love you so what are you so worried about?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe because we’re already married and didn’t tell anyone? Are you sure you want to tell them? Wouldn’t it be better to wait?”

  “Liam, we’ve been over this. We need to tell them this weekend. It’s better to tell them in person rather than wait until after we leave and then we have to tell them over the phone. It’s also better to tell them sooner, rather than later.”

  “Yeah, but if we tell them over the phone, then Taylor can’t hurt me.”

  I felt so bad for doing so, but I laughed at that. I got it. I really did. To someone as small and petite as Liam, Papa could seem quite intimidating. He was tall and had broad shoulders and very defined muscles. I could definitely see Liam being intimidated by him, but Papa was a marshmallow and Liam knew it. I looked over at my husband and saw he didn’t think it was funny, at all. “Do you honestly think Papa would hurt you?”

  “No, but couldn’t you have a less intimidating Papa or something? Why did James have to go and marry a giant?”

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Rhett the same thing? He’s got a thing for Logan and he’s just as big as Papa. We don’t all choose who to love.”

  “Okay, let’s just get this over with. When exactly are we going to tell them?”

  “I’m not sure. How about we just play it by ear and see?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.”

  We were pulling up to the gate so we decided to end the conversation for the time being. I was positive that the correct time for our conversation would present itself, I just didn’t know exactly when that would be.

  We were greeted by Rhett running out the door and flinging himself at us. I really missed my little brother and it was so wonderful to see him back to his old self.

  “Well, I’d ask how your flight was, but you’ve got a quite relaxed look on your face so I don’t need to, huh?”

  “Well hello to you too. Do I seriously have a just fucked look?” Liam looked a little concerned. “I don’t want to see your dads looking like that.”

  “Liam, it’s you and Jasper. When don’t you?”

  “He’s got a point, Liam. Anyway, we can’t change the way we look. Here they come now so let’s go say hello.” We headed toward our dad and papa. “By the way, hello little brother. How are you?”

  “I’m good. I really need to talk to you two so can we talk later?”

  “Sure. Everything alright?”

  “Yes and no. Later.”

  “Jasper, Liam. I hope your flight was good?” Dad said while wrapping me in a tight hug. Liam had wrapped his arm through Rhett’s and didn’t appear willing to let go anytime soon. I didn’t get why he was so nervous.

  “Hello, Liam. How have you been?”

  “Hi, James. I’ve been good. Busy, but good. Hi, Taylor." He sounded so polite and cordial. That made me worry a little. Finally, Liam gave both of my dads a wave that I found comical. It appeared that they did as well because Papa just smiled at Liam like he knew what was going on.

  “Alright, grab your bags and let’s get inside. We have a lot to talk about,” Dad told us after he released me from his hug.

  “We do? I thought there were only a few things left to take care of for the wedding?” Liam responded.

  “Do you really think that with the wedding being in a few days that we wouldn’t have everything taken care of yet, Liam? We wanted you two to come a day early because we needed to talk to you two.” He pointed from Liam to me.

  Liam fidgeted in place. My baby was so uncomfortable. I walked up and put my arms around him and kissed his temple. I whispered that it would be okay before I pulled away. I knew he was nervous and Dad wasn’t helping. I also knew that Dad was probably doing it on purpose to make Liam squirm.

  I took Liam’s hand, and walked to the back of the SUV to get our bags.

  “Hey, look at me.” I looked down at my husband. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. Do you know why it’s going to be okay?” I asked while forcing Liam’s eyes up to mine with a finger under his chin.

  “Because you love me.”

  “Yes. That’s all that matters. Trust me, it really will be alright.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t sound particularly assured. “Let’s go before your dads decide we need to sleep in separate rooms or something.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “I sure hope not. I don’t know how well I'd sleep without you beside me at this p
oint. I’m quite spoiled.”

  “Well, it’s not going to happen so don’t worry about it.”

  When we walked through the door, I led Liam upstairs to my old room. It was more a guest room now as there was nothing personal left but it still had the same furniture I used growing up and it was drastically different from what Liam and I had at home.

  After we dropped off our bags, we made our way back downstairs but stopped short when we heard arguing. It took me a minute to figure out that it was Rhett and Papa. I was shocked because I couldn’t ever remember Papa ever yelling at us like that before. Tugging Liam behind me, I quickly made my way into the kitchen to see what was going on.

  “I’ve already told you, you’re not going,” Papa yelled at Rhett.

  “I’ve already told you that you can’t stop me. Papa, I love you, but I’m an adult. If I want to move, I’m going to move. You can’t keep me here for the rest of my life. I need to leave.”

  “No. Absolutely not. You aren’t moving to Wyoming. Period.”

  “Are you two at it again?” Dad asked coming in the room. “Jasper, Liam, maybe you two could talk some sense into your brother. For whatever reason, he’s got it in his head that he’s going back to Wyoming with you two after the wedding.”

  “That was the plan,” I told Dad and Papa and they both just looked at me like I had a third eye.

  “What do you mean that was the plan? Whose plan? Rhett’s not moving to Wyoming. Period. He needs to stay here where we can keep an eye on him,” Papa said while glaring at Rhett.

  “You two can’t keep him here. He’s an adult. He’s already moved once. Liam, you said you wanted to talk to Rhett when we got here, why don’t you two go out back and talk?" I needed to get Rhett away from Papa who looked like he was about to explode.

  “Alright, let’s go, Rhett.” Liam gave me a small peck on the cheek as he walked by on his way outside with Rhett.

  “You want to explain to us why it is that your brother seems to think he can just up and move to Wyoming?” Dad asked.