by Lynn Hagen
“Ask him.” Chauncey pointed to Sterling, looking as if he was having a real good time with this. Sterling was glad someone found it amusing. He, on the other hand, was scared shitless.
“She’s just a baby,” Sterling said softly, unable to look the cop in his face.
The cop pulled back from the window, scratching his fingers over his chin. “I’m gonna let you go this time, only because you are too damn peculiar. Watch your speed and”—he waved at the seat—“get a car seat if you’re going to haul a baby pig into the front with you.”
“Really?” Sterling asked in surprise. He never thought of that. It would be a smart thing to do.
“No.” The cop shook his head as he walked away.
“You’re dyslexic?” Chauncey asked and then fell into the passenger door, hoots of laughter filling the cab. Sterling frowned as he slowly pulled back onto the road, watching his speed very carefully.
They drove into town, without any more incidents.
“I’m going to the feedstore first. I have to get a few things for Bacon,” he said as he parked the truck and unbelted his piglet, pulling Bacon to his chest and climbing out. Chauncey slammed the truck door and joined Sterling on the sidewalk.
“Good, I need to pick a few things up as well.”
Sterling spotted the same flirtatious clerk standing behind the counter, but this time Sterling avoided the man. He was mated now. He was in a solid relationship. No man would ever do it for him except Riley. And his big bear had claimed him. Sterling couldn’t be happier. He walked around with a big goofy smile on his face now every time he thought of Riley. The man was the cat’s meow in Sterling’s book.
Or was that the bear’s…growl?
“Back again?” the man asked, a knowing smile on his lips.
Jeez.
“I just need to pick up a few things for my piglet.”
“Where’s your nonboyfriend?” the man asked as he leaned over the counter, openly ogling Sterling from head to toe. He didn’t like it.
“At home,” he answered and then grabbed a few things from the shelves he thought Bacon would love. Chauncey walked into the feedstore, and Sterling noticed the clerk straighten. He must have realized that Chauncey wasn’t Riley, because he relaxed once more.
“I’ll take these items, please,” Sterling said as he approached the counter, setting down the things he had picked pick out for Bacon.
The man pulled the items closer to ring them up, but grazed Sterling’s hand. The move was slow, intimate, and done on purpose. “I could make going out with me worth your while.”
Sterling pulled his hand back. “No, thank you.”
The clerk set the harness down and grabbed Sterling’s hand, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles. “Are you sure?”
“He said no, dipshit.” Chauncey growled, leaning over Sterling’s shoulder, crowding him, and stared menacingly at the clerk. “Now release his hand before I break yours.”
The clerk quickly released Sterling’s hand and rang his items up so fast that Sterling was finished and out of the door in less than five minutes.
“Thanks.”
Chauncey winked at him as he stored his items in the back of his truck. “You’re family, Sterling. No one messes with my brother-in-law.”
Sterling felt ten feet tall. He had always wanted a big family, and he had one now. He had so many brothers-in-law that he worried he’d go broke come Christmas. But it would all be worth it just to feel the love and camaraderie he felt every time he was surrounded by these men.
“I have one more stop.”
“Anywhere you want to go, shorty.”
Sterling quirked a brow.
“Well, you are short,” Chauncey pointed out.
Chauncey had him there. Sterling laughed as he walked down to the barbershop-slash-nail-salon.
“Getting a haircut?” Chauncey asked as he opened the door for Sterling.
“No, I want to get Bacon’s nails done.”
Chauncey paused, glancing down at Sterling and then at the pig in his arms. “No shit.”
“She’s a girl and should be pampered,” Sterling defended his reason. He didn’t want anyone making fun of his pig, but he knew Bacon would love the royal treatment. This was Sterling’s first pet, and he wasn’t sure if he was taking good enough care of her. Giving her a day of pampered treatment seemed logical to him.
“Hey,” Chauncey said as he placed his hand on the small of Sterling’s back and ushered him inside. “I ain’t said nothing about it. Have fun with Bacon. I’m going to get a trim while I’m here. I have to look spiffy for Curtis.”
“Hello, gentlemen.”
“Hey, Heaven,” Chauncey called out, “one trim job for me and one pampering job for the pig.”
Heaven placed his hands on his hips, eyeing Chauncey like the man was joking. Sterling was starting to think that maybe he would just buy a bottle of nail polish at the grocery store and call it a day.
“I’m serious.” Chauncey chuckled. “Give Bacon the works. Sterling wants his pet looking like a beauty queen.”
Heaven eyed Sterling, and all Sterling could do was nod.
“Okay.” Heaven tossed his hands up. “At least I can add polishing a pig’s nails to my portfolio.”
“Can you give her a pink bow around her neck, too?” Sterling asked once he saw that Heaven was going to pamper his pet.
“Honey, by the time I’m done with your little piglet, she’ll be the talk of the town.”
Sterling wasn’t sure if he liked the way Heaven’s blue eyes sparkled with merriment. Was he making fun of Bacon?
“Have a seat over there, and just as soon as I’m done with Chauncey, we’ll hook Bacon up.”
Chauncey chuckled at Riley’s mate. The man was too much. Not only did the dang pig have sparkling pink nails, but she also had a cute pink bow to match around her neck. Sterling was carrying the damn thing in one of those papoose carriers that belted the pig to the front of Sterling’s chest. The nutty little fella was treating the pig like she was his damn kid.
Never in his life had Chauncey ever thought to see someone treat a pig like a whelp. It was comical as hell, and he was loving every damn minute of watching it.
“Are we done, or do you want to take Bacon for a mud bath?” Chauncey hooted with laughter as Sterling growled at him. For a human, it wasn’t half bad.
Chauncey leaned against his truck, crossing one arm over his chest as he answered his cell phone, which had been vibrating at his hip. He was still chuckling. “Yello.”
“Hey, have you left town yet?” Riley asked.
“Not yet,” Chauncey answered, grinning at Sterling as he stood outside the barbershop talking to Heaven. “Why, what’s up?”
“I’m done repairing the fence Hell Raiser knocked down, but I tore my work gloves up. Can you pick me up a few pair?”
“No problem.” Chauncey waited. He knew Riley wanted to ask how Sterling was doing. His oldest brother had been up at the crack of dawn and was out of the house early. It was late afternoon, and Riley hadn’t seen his mate all day.
The guy was jonesing, and Chauncey knew it.
Fuck, this was priceless.
“How’s…uh…how’s shopping going?”
Chauncey held back the laugh. “Just fine.”
“Did you…uh…get what you needed?”
Chauncey had to cover his hand over his mouth to bite back the laugh. Riley had never asked him about shopping and if Chauncey had gotten everything he needed. He was going to make the man ask.
Damn, this was fun.
“Yep.”
There was a long pause on the other end, and Chauncey just leaned against his truck, snickering to himself as he waited Riley out.
“Well, hurry back with my gloves and drive extra careful.”
“Sure, I wouldn’t want your gloves harmed in any way.” Chauncey couldn’t hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing, placing his free hand on his knee as he bent over, fee
ling tears stream down his face.
“You bastard. Wait until you get back here. I’m going to kick your ass.”
Chauncey stood, wiping at the tears, and then sobered when he saw Sterling pointing up into a very, very large man’s face, yelling at the guy.
“Oh, shit!”
“What!”
“Gotta go save your mate from getting pounded into the ground.”
“Chauncey!”
Chauncey tucked his phone into his pocket, racing toward the barbershop. Sterling looked pissed as hell, and the man standing in front of him looked downright confused.
Oh, hell. It was one of the new shifters, Kenway. The man was fucking bigger than Chauncey. Any other time Chauncey would welcome the challenge. But with his coordination being so off, he might swing at Kenway and accidently clock Sterling on the jaw instead.
And Chauncey would rather face a pack of hungry wolves than Riley when he was really pissed off.
“What’s going on, Sterling?” Chauncey asked as he stepped closer to the small human.
“This…This…man laughed at Bacon and called me a weirdo!”
“I didn’t mean any harm,” Kenway defended. “But you have to admit that carrying a pig around like a baby is stranger than hell.”
Chauncey hated to admit it, but he agreed with Kenway. But what could he do? Sterling was family. Right or wrong, Chauncey had his brother-in-law’s back.
“That’s because you are a big brute who wouldn’t know the first thing about loving something so special!”
Kenway’s features darkened as his fists curled at his sides. Somehow, Sterling had hit a chord in the guy. His deep blue eyes filled with hurt, and Chauncey knew he had to defuse the situation.
“Calm down, shorty.”
“Calm down?” Sterling huffed. “He calls me a weirdo and pokes fun at my pet and you want me to calm down?”
Chauncey didn’t think it was that big a deal. It would have been something he would have ignored. But it was obvious that Sterling was taking the strike against the piglet personally. Chauncey wasn’t sure why, but he knew he had to calm the short man down.
“Why don’t you go sit in my truck while I handle this?”
Kenway’s black brow rose, but Chauncey ignored it.
“I—”
All three heads turned when two trucks, filled with Chauncey’s brothers, came to a screeching halt in front of the barbershop.
Fuck.
Riley was going to hand him his ass for this. Chauncey was beginning to wish he had just continued eating his ice cream and kept his big mouth shut.
Chapter Ten
Riley’s heart was beating so fast that he feared he might have a heart attack when he spotted Kenway, the large buffalo shifter, standing in front of his mate. If that damn shifter touched his mate, he was going to tear the man apart with his bare hands.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Chauncey shouted, holding his hands up as Riley made a beeline straight for Kenway. Riley growled when Chauncey stepped between him and his target. He wanted blood.
“What in the hell is going on here?” his pa shouted as he climbed from the second truck, looking as if he were about to hand everyone in a ten-mile radius their asses. Riley didn’t care. His mate was in trouble, and he was going to make the bastard who fucked with his mate pay.
“It’s just a misunderstanding,” Chauncey said quickly.
“What’s to misunderstand?” Riley bit out as he pushed against the hands Chauncey held against his chest, stopping him from moving forward. “You said that Sterling was about to get pounded into the ground. It sounds pretty clear-cut to me.”
“Son, what’s going on?” his pa asked Sterling, pulling Riley’s mate aside.
Riley stood there glaring at Kenway, daring the man to say one single damn word. If the shifter so much as stepped one toe out of line, Riley was going to make the man regret moving here.
“I don’t want to say,” Sterling said quietly, his eyes snapping rapidly from Riley to Kenway.
“Did you threaten my mate?” Riley snarled, taking a step in Kenway’s direction, but Olsen grabbed him by the arm and helped Chauncey pull him back.
Kenway crossed his big, beefy arms over his chest, twisting his mouth to the side. “I would never threaten anyone smaller than me.”
“That includes just about everyone,” Chance said and then held his hands up when Riley glared at his brother.
“Talk to me, Sterling. What happened?” Pa asked Riley’s mate. “No one is going to harm you.”
Sterling glanced at each and every man standing there. Riley had rallied the posse, bringing every brother with him except Roman, who was working on expanding the rec center. A virtual army of Lakeland men surrounded the area.
“It’s stupid,” Sterling murmured as he adjusted the…was that a baby carrier Bacon was sitting in? Riley wasn’t sure giving the pig to his mate had been such a wise choice. His mate was treating the piglet like a small child.
Maybe he should have given him a goldfish instead.
“Sterling.” His pa said Sterling’s name in warning, but gently.
“He called me a weirdo and laughed at Bacon!” Sterling shouted, his eyes misting. Riley stood there gaping at his mate. All of this was because someone had picked on Sterling’s pig? Riley groaned.
What in the hell was he going to do with his mate?
The man was impossible!
Riley walked over to Sterling, grabbed him by the back of his neck, and hauled Sterling into his arms, planting the biggest kiss imaginable on his mate’s lips. He could feel his face, neck, and ears heating up to the point that it felt like the sun was scorching him when he heard hoots and laughter coming from behind him.
Gods, he wished his brothers would get a life.
This was the first time Riley had openly showed any kind of affection toward his mate in front of his family. He was aloof, moody, and quiet. But for Sterling, Riley would fall headfirst down that road into blissful mating.
“You finally fell on your ass!” Chance hooted from behind him. “I told you it would happen.”
Riley turned his head, feeling a growl vibrating in his chest. Even he was surprised when a chuckle fell from his lips instead. He hugged Sterling to his chest and grinned, enjoying the knowledge that his mate was safe.
Strange, but safe.
“Holy shit!” Gavin said as he took a step backward, his arms going wide as if to ward off trouble. “He’s smiling. I think the world is about to end. Save the children!”
“Shut the fuck up,” Riley shot at Gavin, but he couldn’t stop grinning.
“Did I miss something?” Kenway asked, looking so damn confused that all Riley could do was continue to grin.
“How about you come to dinner at the Lakeland ranch, and we’ll tell you all about it?” Pa asked the buffalo shifter.
“I definitely missed something,” the man muttered, shaking his head in confusion.
“What about Bacon?” Sterling whispered against Riley’s chest. “He made fun of my pet.”
Riley placed his hand on the small of Sterling’s back, guiding his mate toward his truck. “Hon, we really need to talk about this pig of yours.”
Sterling grumbled under his breath as he sat at the kitchen table with the rest of the ever-growing Lakeland clan. He was really starting to get tired of everyone making fun of his pet. So, he spoiled the pig?
So the fuck what?
He got it that pigs usually lived outside in the barn. He knew pigs were for meat. He even understood that he had probably gone a little overboard with the whole baby carrier and pink painted nails thing.
He had just never had a pet before, and he had adored Bacon from the second he set eyes on her. Receiving her as a gift from Riley just made her that much more special. What was he doing that was so wrong?
Riley loved his horse. He created a place in the barn for him and handfed him carrots and apples. He had even bought Warrior a special blanket to wear under hi
s saddle. Was that any different than what Sterling was doing with Bacon?
Sterling frowned when someone else made a joke about the pink nails. He was too upset to pin the voice down, but it had to be someone at the table, which meant it was most likely a family member of some sort.
He couldn’t stand it anymore.
Sterling pushed himself away from the table, grabbed his half-filled plate, and carried it over by the trash can. He quickly scraped the food off into the garbage and then rinsed his plate and set it in the dish drainer.
He paused at the sink, listening. He hoped that someone at some point would stick up for him, but they all just thought he was weird. Not even Riley said anything.
Sick to his stomach with heartache, Sterling walked into the living room and retrieved his pig. Bacon was sleeping peacefully in the soft little cat bed that Sterling had purchased for her. She looked like an angel in pink toenails and a bow.
He really didn’t see what was so wrong about what he had done. He loved his pig. He cradled Bacon in his arms wondering if maybe everyone was right and he was crazy. It was certainly looking like it.
Maybe he should just let Bacon live in the barn like the rest of the animals? Maybe she would be happier in the barn. Sterling walked right out of the living room, which was now full of people, and out the front door. He stepped off the porch steps and headed for the barn.
Was he being cruel to Bacon by keeping her in the house? What did he actually know about pigs beyond what he had read in the book in Pa’s library? Maybe pigs really needed to be outdoors. Maybe Bacon needed to be with her family.
Sterling’s heart weighed heavy in his chest as he walked into the barn and crossed to the pen holding the sow and her piglets. The mama pig was resting but raised her head when Sterling stopped at the railing, as if she knew he was there. After sniffing the air, and making a small piggy grunt, she dropped her head back down to the straw.
“What do you think, Bacon?” Sterling whispered softly to the little piglet as he held her up to his face. “Is this where you want to be?”
Bacon snorted and wiggled her little feet furiously.