Absentminded Angel [Divine Creek Ranch 20] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  Presley Ann looked back at Jared and Kendry with trembling lips. “I–I’m so sorry, guys. I–I really do need to talk to him.” She gazed at them as if waiting for a response and then turned back to True. “There…there are things I need to tell you.” She was obviously still in shock, and it was gratifying when she latched on to Jared’s arm, as if she was drawing strength from him. Jared nodded and moved with her toward the bus.

  Paul put a beefy hand out and latched on to his shoulder. “Only her. You two stay out here.”

  Jared and Kendry both argued with Paul, rejecting the idea of letting her out of their sight with these strangers, most of whom had greeted her with hostility. They didn’t know for sure how many people were on the bus and he didn’t like the thought of her being unprotected. True looked like he wanted to argue, too, but Presley Ann held up a hand. “Stop. This is getting us nowhere.”

  Paul let out a growl as he looked at his watch.

  True said, “We can spare a few minutes, Paul. Just give us a little privacy, guys?” he asked, looking directly at Jared and his brother.

  Jared wanted to refuse to let her out of his sight but Kendry grasped his forearm, nodded at Presley Ann, and leaned closer. “Give them a few minutes and I’ll tell you what I know.”

  He hated the out of control feeling as Presley Ann looked up at him with regret and then followed True to the bus’s door. It felt too much like he was letting her go for good. He turned to his brother. “What do you know?”

  “Presley Ann talked to me last night. I meant to mention it today and forgot while we were making other plans. Let her go. It’ll be okay.”

  You hope it’ll be okay, Jared thought as he eyed True. He was staring at Presley Ann, and Jared knew the look in his dark eyes. Knew it well. An aching void threatened to open in his chest. It was happening again. She hadn’t cheated on him but he was losing her just the same.

  They both watched as Presley Ann stepped onto the bus.

  * * * *

  Presley Ann’s eyes bounced around the interior of the luxury motor coach like a pea in a whistle. It was all black, shiny, and designed for comfort on the road. It smelled new—and expensive. Whit burrowed against her shoulder and that was when her gaze finally met Truehart’s. That was his name. But they also called him True.

  The two brothers were utterly identical, except for the difference in their expressions. Noble was hostile. True was still in shock. That was the only way she’d been able to tell them apart earlier. The man she’d known ten months earlier hadn’t shown a single inclination toward anger. His brother evidently didn’t mind showing that part of his nature.

  She turned to look out the window and saw Jared and Kendry standing outside the bus. Kendry was talking, using his hands to express himself. The glass was darkly tinted but she could see the desolation in Jared’s posture as he listened, head down and hands on his hips. She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but he was keeping his eyes on the bus the whole time, as if he wasn’t about to let it leave.

  True placed a gentle hand on her elbow. “Have a seat on the couch, if you’d like. Can I get you a bottle of water or something…” He raised his eyebrows in inquiry and she realized he still didn’t know her name.

  “Presley Ann Woodworth.”

  “Presley Ann,” he murmured as he looked into her eyes and smiled. “How perfect.”

  She opened her mouth, unsure what to say or where to begin, when Noble charged forward from the back of the coach.

  His anger seemed to grow as he noticed their proximity to each other and he pointed his finger at her. “I don’t know what your game is, but if you think that we’re setting you and this little bastard up for life, you’d better think again.”

  True turned to his brother, astonishment in his expression. “Do you realize what you’re saying? Do you know who you’re talking to?”

  Noble shuttered his eyes for a moment but then lifted his gaze to his brother. “I’m looking at the person who’s about to change everything. I’ve worked damned hard for this, True, and I won’t allow her to fuck everything up.”

  True shoved his brother a good three feet back down the aisle. “It’s you who are fucking everything up right now. You owe her. You fucking owe her everything!”

  Whit whimpered and began rooting and Presley Ann backed up until she bumped into a hard body behind her. She jumped away and looked up into Paul’s grim face.

  “Little girl, I don’t know what your game is but you and this little brat are not welcome here.”

  She should be scared of him. She should be petrified of the ice in his eyes, instinctively knowing he’d do just about anything for those two men—but then his words registered. The brothers still argued behind her but she didn’t pay attention to what they were saying to each other. Instead she focused on the hulk in front of her as her blood heated and the mama bear roared to the surface.

  “I don’t have a game and right now you’re on my home turf.” She punctuated her words by poking at his beefy pectorals. “And if you or anyone else refers to my son in an insulting way again I will not be responsible for what I do to you. You’re not even a part of this discussion, and I don’t want a single thing from your bulky, overbearing ass.” He glanced over her shoulder and then surprised her when he actually backed up as she kept advancing, his eyes showing amusement as she kept poking him in the chest.

  The quiet behind her told her she had all three men’s attention and she scowled at Paul one last time before turning back to the brothers.

  True was pointing at the door. “Both of you get off the bus.”

  Paul grunted negatively and said, “Not a good idea, True. She’ll smile and bat her eyelashes and you’ll give her whatever she wants. It’s my job to—”

  True removed his hat and dragged both hands through his long hair. “So help me, if you don’t get the hell off this bus and let me talk to her alone, I’m firing your pushy ass.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Check my contract. I can.”

  “True, she—”

  “Not another word. Ride with the others. You, too, Noble. We’ll talk afterward.”

  “But don’t you see what she’s doing? She sees an easy ride and you’ll give her—”

  “—whatever she wants. I know!” Taking a deep breath, he maneuvered Presley Ann past his brother toward the couch in the middle of the bus. “You don’t get it. I’ll explain later.”

  Noble shook his head, his jaw flexing as if he was grinding his teeth. “I know you think you owe her but you don’t. I don’t. She was an easy lay, that’s all—”

  True startled all of them when he snarled and used his fist to cut off Noble’s words. Paul caught him as he fell back. “Shut the fuck up and get off this bus before you say something else you’ll regret later.”

  “Shit. Come on, Noble,” Paul muttered as he turned to the door. “We’ll ice your lip and give him time to cool off.”

  She hugged Whit closer to her as she glowered back at Noble before they disappeared down the steps.

  True turned to her. “The driver is up front in his compartment. It’s only you and me now…and this little one,” he said as he walked toward her. Her legs were suddenly weak as they hit the back of the couch and she plopped down rather gracelessly. Her heart pounded as she looked up at True. His gaze rested on the baby and there was a tender smile on his face. His hands flexed on his knees and one lifted as if to reach out to touch the baby but he paused. “What did you name him?”

  “Whitman Merritt Woodworth. We call him Whit.”

  “We?” he asked, before he looked through the tinted bus window, in the direction she knew Kendry and Jared still stood, or hoped they did. “Those men…” She could hear the questions in his voice. “I suppose it’s too much to hope that they’re your brothers?”

  Averting her eyes, she shook her head. “They’ve been there for me since before Whit was born.”

  “You’ve changed,”

&nb
sp; Heat crept into her cheeks and she was painfully aware of how much space she took up on the couch as she sat opposite of him. “I was on a strict diet when I met you. I put on weight when I was pregnant with him—”

  His hand was warm on her wrist as he interrupted. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember, honey. I wasn’t complaining at all. What I’m talking about goes beyond your appearance. You have a glow about you.” His sincerity was in every velvety syllable he spoke, making her heart thud almost painfully.

  Whit began whimpering louder and she felt utter mortification. “I know this is really awkward, but he’s hungry and he’ll only get louder. I need…”

  “Does he need a bottle?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry, hope you don’t shock easily.” Whit needed to be fed and True’s sensibilities might need to stretch a little. She opened the blue silk pashmina and flipped it over her shoulder and trapped it against the back of the couch as she reached beneath and into her blouse to unsnap her nursing bra. As if it was a signal, Whit began rooting in earnest, knowing his meal was at hand, and he let out a little happy grunt as he latched on and grew still. She smiled to herself as she looked down at his chunky little form and thought that this should juuust about run the cowboy off before they could even have their talk. She rubbed her forehead, all kinds of feelings and thoughts running through her mind before she lifted her eyes to True’s.

  She’d expected confusion, and maybe even a little judgment. He was entitled to however he felt. But it surprised her when she looked up and saw the ear to ear smile on his face.

  “It doesn’t surprise me at all that he comes first. You obviously take very good care of him,” he said as he reached out a tentative hand and gently squeezed Whit’s roly-poly thigh. His smile widened and he surprised her when he drew a slightly shaky breath. He was even more gorgeous than she remembered, almost angelic in his dark beauty. He sat back and said, “I wish I’d known, honey. If I had, you can bet I would’ve been here. Although…” He looked to the other bus with his fingertips to his lips. “It would’ve been complicated.”

  Heated conversation drew their attention to the windows and True groaned as they watched Paul and Noble share angry words with Kendry and Jared. Kendry put a hand to Jared’s chest and held up the other, evidently trying to be the voice of reason.

  Shaking her head, unable to help that situation, she turned back to True and saw the stark emotion in his eyes. She looked down, thinking it might be easier to deal with this if he was angry.

  “True, you have to believe me. I was on the pill. I thought I was protected against pregnancy.”

  “Honey, I should’ve used a condom. You trusted me and I could’ve exposed you to any number of diseases.”

  She smiled and shook her head, even though she knew it was supremely naïve. “My gut instincts about you were right. There were no worries there.” The words, in light of the world they lived in, made her feel even more stupid. Should’ve kept that thought to myself. Now he probably thinks I’m an idiot.

  “That was the last time I went without a condom because the thought of doing something like that to someone so sweet was…I’m shutting up about that now,” he said with a chuckle, and she smiled when he flushed.

  “We’re a pair, huh?”

  “Noble would say I’m an idiot. He probably is right now,” he replied with a gesture out the window.

  “I was just as shocked when I found out I was pregnant as you are now.”

  “He’s adorable. How old is he?”

  “He’ll be two months old in a week. He was born in early November.”

  True nodded as he handled Whit’s chubby little foot, grinning when Whit flexed it against his hand. He flicked his dark, seductive gaze up to her and she remembered all over again why she’d been entranced by him in the first place as he said, “I thought about you a lot. Wondered how I’d find you if I ever came back this way.” She looked away from him. Her heart belonged to others now.

  “So…you’re famous?” True’s smile was bittersweet as he nodded. She could see subtle changes in him from last spring. The twinkle in his eyes was tempered by the shadows beneath them. He was tired. But his smile lines were also deeper. He reached out, and a tingle zipped up her spine as the calluses at the tips of his fingers traced over the top of her hand that rested on Whit’s hip. She smiled and said, “Your calluses. I remembered them. I should’ve guessed that you were a musician.”

  True looked at his hands and chuckled. “Noble and I are an up-and-coming duo in the country and western music scene. We live in Nashville. You’ve never heard our music?”

  Regret filled her because she had a feeling she’d have recognized his voice right away if she’d ever turned on a country station. “I’m sorry. I remember you singing something to me when we…when we were together later that night. I thought you had a beautiful voice but I never made that connection. I…” Embarrassment filled her and her throat closed as tears flooded her eyes.

  “Honey,” he murmured as he stroked her hand comfortingly.

  The tears coursed down her cheeks. She had to whisper past the knot in her throat. “I’m so sorry, True. I regretted my choice to keep things anonymous but by then you’d fallen asleep. I planned to at least tell you my name when we woke up in the morning. I wanted to know your name—I wanted to know you. You were so sweet to me and…” She looked out the window, regret filling her heart as she watched Kendry and Jared watch the bus, like sentinels, waiting and protective. She didn’t doubt that they’d put themselves in front of the bus if the driver tried to move it.

  True cleared his throat as he held her hand in his, gently palpating the small bones under the skin. “You were like a little angel, sleeping in my arms, when I woke up during the night. I couldn’t stop watching you. I knew if you woke up, I’d break our deal and tell you my name, maybe even beg you to come with me. But I was headed to Nashville, to meet up with Noble. We’d been signed by a recording label just a few weeks before I met you and I was on my way cross-country. You…you changed everything.”

  Whit unlatched and let out a replete sigh, ready to be switched, and she did so without looking up as she said, “I changed everything? How?”

  True seemed to weigh his words, before looking over at the guitar resting on the cushion, propped at the end of the couch. He reached for it and drew his fingers across the strings. Whit reacted, putting a hand out, nearly knocking away the drape before she caught it, still focused on True.

  He struck a chord, softly playing as he sang the verse of a song, the lyrics speaking of love, yearning, and regret, and more tears filled her eyes before falling. Whit let go for a second as if he sensed her emotions, before he patted her breast and latched on again. She watched True’s long, nimble fingers as he played, and some memory tickled at the back of her mind as he sang the chorus.

  “I’ve heard this before,” she whispered, tingles going over her spine. She’d heard part of it one night when she’d been at the Dancing Pony. The night Leah had invited her out. The same night she’d met Kendry and Jared.

  “I write all of our songs. I wrote that song that very night. Couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. I tapped the lyrics out on my smartphone note-taking app while you slept. I wrote several more songs in the coming days. Our current hits were all inspired by you, honey.”

  True smiled at her as he sang and played softly, emotion vibrating in the soft huskiness of his baritone.

  She remembered light caresses at her nape and her shoulder as he’d sung her to sleep. She closed her eyes on the tears and the crushing pain in her heart. She licked her lips and tasted tears. This was all so confusing.

  How did this happen? What have I done?

  He stopped playing and reached out a hand to her. “Honey, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I wish I’d woken you up and told you everything. I don’t know if it would’ve made a difference back then. I talked Paul and Noble into swinging through Divine, jus
t on the off chance… Our next stop was the Dancing Pony. I thought maybe if I stopped back at the same places, that if it was meant to work out, I’d find you.”

  She knew that her other friends who were in relationships with more than one man had overcome obstacles and preconceived notions about how love worked but somehow doubted that any of them had ever been in the same quandary she was in.

  “I hate to say it but Paul was right. We do have a travel schedule to adhere to. I have a million questions and there’s so much left to say. Would it be possible for you to come with us to Houston? We have a show tomorrow night. I’d provide you with whatever you need for the duration. Please?” His dark gaze was exactly as she’d remembered it all these months.

  “Oh, True…”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jared accepted everything Kendry told him. It didn’t make a difference how he felt about her…or Whit. Like a pathetic sap, he watched the interplay of their shadows through the tinted glass, thankful for the setting sun on the other side of the bus that defined the profiles of the two inside as they talked.

  A burning ache grew in the center of Jared’s chest as he realized Truehart Strong was handling his guitar. True was billed as the sweet angelic one while his brother was promoted as the impulsive sensualist. And the guy could sing. Perfect. The Neanderthal inside him didn’t like that another man was obviously wooing his woman.

  “Jared, it won’t do any good to watch them. When she’s done, she’ll get off and we’ll talk.”

  “If she gets off.”

  Kendry moved into his line of sight and shook his head at him. “You know her better than that.”

  Jared ignored him and kept watch anyway. She lifted the baby to her shoulder, going through the motions of burping him, and he growled. She’d had to feed the baby in front of True. Worse than a stranger. An absentee father, who obviously, by the way he looked at her, didn’t want to be absentee. It was clear he had feelings for her.