by Chloe Lang
“Fuck. Is this about that little prick who saw me with my dogs last night?” Bayless’s tone spoke volumes about his anger. “Listen, Chance, I’ve been training dogs for over twenty years. My methods work just fine. No, they aren’t conventional but my results speak for themselves.”
“So you pride yourself in kicking dogs, do you?”
“I don’t call it pride. I call it a necessity. Those dogs have to know who is boss.”
“We have our methods, too. And if we’re going to pass your dogs on to our clients, you will follow our rules, understand?”
There was a long pause before Bayless finally answered. “Your school. Your rules. I get it. I’ll do what you say. Besides, my dogs are fully trained.”
“Maybe so, but they will be tested by us before we pass them off to our clients. So let’s get my rules started, Bayless. The first change is we’re moving your dogs to our kennels.”
“Now hold on, Chance.”
“No. There will be no more discussion. Are you in or out?”
“Wait a second. Miss Anderson wants to deliver dogs to her clients. That’s what we all want. I’ll follow your rules, but I want to keep my dogs close to the RV. You did lose four dogs, didn’t you?”
Chance wondered what it would feel like to punch the bastard in the face, but he tamped down his rage. “You want your money. Do as we say or take your dogs and leave.”
“Okay. You win.” Bayless’s words didn’t ring true in Chance’s ears.
The guy obviously hadn’t fully surrendered.
Chance wanted to get finished here and back to Jaris, the one man he trusted more than any other. Jaris needed to know what had happened here and also about Bayless’s treatment of his dogs. There was more to his story than the bastard was saying.
“Bayless, let’s go get the dogs and take them to their new accommodations.”
* * * *
Standing on Kaylyn’s porch, Jaris inhaled the pure Colorado air. “This place is quite different from where we came from, isn’t it?”
“Very different.” Nicole had worked the day shift of the sheriff’s security detail, keeping tabs on Kaylyn’s house. “Chicago was never this quiet.”
“Still isn’t.” He patted Sugar on the head.
There were those who said a man and woman could never be just friends, but they were wrong. He and Nicole had been friends for years, ever since they’d been assigned as partners back at Chicago PD. Even after Nicole had been sent erroneously to desk duty, they’d remained close. Still were.
“When do you need to leave for town?” She was going to drive them. Good thing, since Nicole was the sheriff’s second-in-command.
“Kaylyn is in the shower. She’ll take another thirty minutes to finish getting ready. I’d say we should leave in about an hour. That’ll get her onstage in plenty of time for the band’s mike checks.” Thinking about what had happened at last night’s performance, his jaw tightened. “What’s the latest on Potter?”
“Ethel thought it was best to postpone his trial to next month. The sheriff agreed. We all want him and his buddies as far away from town as possible. There’s enough on our plate with the influx of people here for Dragon Week to deal with. Moving the trial to next month is best. Potter and his buddies left town, promising to return to Destiny on the appointed date.”
“That’s unusual but a good plan.” If Potter tried to skip bail, Jaris would definitely join in the hunt to bring the son of a bitch back to town and to justice.
“Jason gave them a police escort all the way to the county line.”
The sheriff had gone the extra mile to make sure Potter left the county. Wolfe didn’t trust Kaylyn’s shooter any more than he did. Potter’s apologetic outburst last night hadn’t made any sense.
“Would you like me to fix you something to eat, Nicole?”
“Thanks, but no. I don’t want to ruin my appetite. I promised my guys that I would have dinner with them at Blue’s.”
“How are Sawyer and Reed?”
“Doing wonderful. Did you know that we are up to over two hundred head ourselves?”
He laughed. “I never dreamed of you being a cowgirl, but look at you.”
“And I’m still an officer of the law.”
“Yes, you are.”
“And so are you. I’m glad you accepted the sheriff’s offer and joined our ranks. We can certainly use you. Plus, it will be like old times.”
He heard her voice crack and knew she still had some guilt about the loss of his sight. “Yes it will. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Sure does seem so. Kaylyn must have a lot to do with that.”
He nodded. “I love her, Nicole. She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.” He grabbed his former partner’s hand. “So you see if I hadn’t taken that bullet, I would’ve never found the woman of my dreams. Don’t feel sorry for me and don’t feel guilty. This was meant to be.”
“Always seeing the silver lining to everything. Same old Jaris.” Nicole squeezed his hand back. “I will never give up believing that your sight will return, no matter how slim the chances.”
“And you call me positive.” He didn’t argue with her, not wanting to quell her hopes, but he knew the odds were slim to none of that ever happening.
Jaris heard a vehicle he recognized approaching. By the sound of it, he estimated it to be about two miles away up the road. “We’re about to have some visitors.”
“We are?”
“The Boys Ranch bus is less than five minutes away.”
“Your hearing has certainly improved.”
“Not really. Just my focus.” Chance is coming back. “Nicole, how do your guys make it work?”
“What do you mean?”
“Sharing.”
“Ah. My guys are from Destiny. They’re brothers. They always imagined a life sharing one woman. Lucky for me, I am that woman. But I’m betting you’re asking because you and Chance are both in love with Kaylyn and she wants you both. Am I close to the truth?”
“On the nose, Deputy.”
“I’m not sure how to help you. It’s easier for me, even though like you and Chance, I’m not from Destiny either. I don’t have to share.”
“I see your point.”
“What I can tell you is a woman can love more than one man. It’s very easy for us.”
“I know you’re right about that. Kaylyn has made it clear that she loves us both.”
“Jaris, you and Chance are close. You’ll work this out.” She took a step off the porch. “I can see the bus now. Cody Stone is driving.”
“Chance is with him, right? And I bet so are the boys, since they are the cleanup crew of Dragon Week.”
“You’re right. I see them.” As the bus came to a stop in front of Kaylyn’s house, she stepped back on the porch, leaning in close to him. “Are you and Chance both having issues with this?”
“Me? I was concerned about the idea of a polyamorous relationship, but not now. I believe we have something special.”
“And what about Chance?”
Jaris heard the bus door open. “Remains to be seen, but I’m not going to give up on him so easily. He loves Kaylyn, and he loves me like a brother.” Listening intently, he could tell that Chance and Annie were exiting the bus. “It will work.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
“Hi, Nicole.” Chance’s tone seemed softer than it had been this morning when he’d left so quickly. Had he reconsidered everything?
“Hey, Chance.” Nicole bent down and patted Chance’s companion on the head. “Hi, Annie. Fellas, I’m going to check the perimeter one more time. When you three are ready to head to town, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Deputy. For everything.” Jaris was glad to have such a good friend in his corner.
“Where’s Kaylyn?” Chance asked after Nicole had walked off.
“Getting ready. She should be out in about thirty.”
“Good. T
hat’ll give you and I time to talk. First I want to talk to you about this Bayless character. Are you sure about his credentials?”
“Jena, Sean, and Matt are still digging into them, but they’ve found nothing out of the ordinary so far. Why?”
“Something happened at the ranch. The guy is a total prick when it comes to his training style with his dogs. Lyle saw him kick one of his dogs. I confronted Bayless about it and he didn’t deny a thing but became very defensive about his methods. The bastard wanted to keep his dogs in cages by the RV that Emmett provided for him, but I put my foot down. Reluctantly, Bayless gave in. His dogs are in our kennels now.”
“Fuck, I had a feeling there was something up with Bayless. What about the dogs? Are they trained?”
“Actually, yes. They are very well trained. Lyle and I ran some preliminary testing on them. They passed with flying colors.”
“That’s one good thing at least. Until we know the full story on Bayless, we need to keep close tabs on him at all times.”
“Lyle and the Stones are on it.”
“Perfect. Another good thing in our favor is Potter left town this morning.” Jaris recounted to Chance what Nicole had said to him about Kaylyn’s shooter.
“Maybe Potter and his friends are telling the truth.” Chance’s tone told him that he was still unsure. “Any sign of our four dogs?”
“No. Jacob Phong and his cousin Josh are still searching. The sheriff had to pull the rest of the team back to security detail for Dragon Week.” Jaris was losing hope that Rex, Blue, King, and Rosie would ever be found. Their disappearance remained a mystery.
“I still believe with Lunceford’s psychotic obsession and hate of Destiny that the monster is going to make a move during Dragon Week. I know he’s gunning for Belle. Shane and Corey will make sure she remains safe. It’s our job to make sure the same is true for Kaylyn. I don’t want her to get hurt in any crossfire. I want to be with her during the rest of Wolfe Mayhem’s performances. Onstage. Jaris, you and I need to stay close to Kaylyn.”
“I completely agree.” Time to get straight to the point. “Have you given any thought to what Kaylyn wants?”
“That’s about all I have thought about, buddy.” Chance sighed. “Talk about a crazy place. Destiny is like no other.”
He grinned. “That’s something you can bank on.”
“You know about Phase Four, right?”
Jaris couldn’t believe his ears. Had Chance picked up on Kaylyn’s desire to experience BDSM? “Yes. What about it?”
“Did you know that a big majority of citizens are members of the club? Where else but Destiny?”
“Does that bother you, Chance?”
“Not at all. I just find it unusual. Hell, why should I? The normal family makeup here is not the traditional one man and one woman. Poly relationships are the standard.”
“That’s true, though there are examples of couples living in Destiny, too.”
“Yes, but they are few and far between, just like those who don’t practice BDSM.”
“No one judges here, Chance. That’s what is great about Destiny. Black or white, gay or straight, couple or poly, BDSM or traditional, it doesn’t matter here. All are welcome. But you’re skirting the issue.”
“I guess I am. Don’t get me wrong, Jaris. You’re like a brother to me. There isn’t another man alive who I care more for than you. It’s just that sharing Kaylyn was never something I ever dreamed of.”
“But you did have dreams of her, didn’t you? Lots of dreams. Before you even confessed your true feelings, I could sense them, no matter how silent you were on the topic. Kaylyn, too. She loves you.”
“And she loves you. That’s the crux of it, isn’t it? I talked to Dylan about this on the drive to the ranch this morning. You know he’s a card-carrying member of Phase Four, too.”
“I do.”
“He thinks this whole issue would be solved if you and I got trained as Doms. What do you think about that?”
“I think that’s a fantastic idea. Kaylyn and I talked some after you left. She mentioned having desires about the BDSM lifestyle.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Not at all. Listen, Chance. I know this is hard, but you and I both know Kaylyn is worth it. I don’t intend to give her up and I’m sure you don’t either. So we’ve got to work this out together.”
The door opened, and Kaylyn joined him and Chance on the porch.
“Hi, baby.” He pulled her in close and gave her a kiss.
“Hi, Chance,” Kaylyn said sheepishly.
“Come here, sweetheart.”
Listening to them embrace, Jaris knew everything was going to turn out just fine. Chance just needed a little more time. He thought about Dylan’s suggestion about Dom training. That would be a good first step.
Kaylyn asked, “Are you really okay, Chance?”
“Jaris is right. You’re definitely worth everything. This is all new to me. I have a ton of questions and concerns. I can understand how the short term of this kind of relationship works, but it’s the long haul that still has me questioning. I’m still not sure about this, but I’m willing to give it a try.”
“That’s all I need to hear.” Kaylyn’s tone of hopefulness filled Jaris with warmth. “Whatever questions you and Jaris have, we can figure them out together.”
“I know, sweetheart.” Chance sighed. “No matter all the answers we discover together, what if it’s just not in me for this kind of relationship? What if I am not enough for you? I know if we start down this path, there will be no turning back. And if I still can’t find a way to make this work?”
“You will find a way,” Kaylyn said. “I know it.”
“Sweetheart, you are everything I ever wanted. I don’t want to end up hurting you again.”
“You may not know it yet, Chance, but you aren’t going to hurt me.”
“She’s right, buddy. The three of us will be a family.”
“I hope you both are right.”
Jaris could hear the struggle in Chance’s tone. “But you will try, right?”
“Yes, buddy. I’ll try.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kaylyn hit the final high note of one of her favorite songs that Mitchell had written for the band.
The crowd jumped to their feet, applauding like crazy.
Godric leaned over. “You have them in the palm of your hand, love.”
“Yes, she does,” Big Jim added.
“With pipes like hers, who wouldn’t?” Hank was grinning ear to ear.
Mitchell hit the snare, starting the next song in the set. This one, she sang backup, coming in only during the chorus, while Mitchell sang lead.
As Mitchell began the first verse of the song, she glanced over at Chance and Jaris, who were only a step away from her, one on each side. Jaris had made it clear he was more than willing to share her with Chance. God, I love him.
I also love Chance. She knew she was walking a fine line with him. Yes, Chance had agreed to give the relationship she dreamed of a try, but he had also made it painfully clear he was still unsure he could make it work for him in the long run.
She came in on the chorus, singing harmony to Mitchell’s lead. “Can’t you see I’m the one for you? You hold my heart in your hands.”
Will Chance come around? She couldn’t bear losing him again.
“Our love is strong. Our love is true. How do I make you understand how much I need you?”
As Mitchell launched into the second verse, she saw a commotion in the back of the audience. Several of Jason’s newly deputized temporary officers were talking to Nicole, who was using her two-way radio.
She looked over at Chance and Jaris and saw they had their radios out, too.
What’s happening?
When the song ended, she stepped up to them. “Guys? Is everything okay?”
“No,” Chance stated flatly. “Jaris is on the radio with the sheriff now. Listen.” He held up his radio so she
could hear.
Sheriff Wolfe’s voice came through loud and clear. “Their horses came back fifteen minutes ago.”
“Whose horses?” she asked Chance.
“Jacob Phong’s and his cousin Josh’s.”
Her gut coiled into a knot. They’d been looking for her four missing dogs.
Jaris spoke into his radio. “Did you find anything out of the ordinary on the horses or their condition, Sheriff?”
“We found blood on one of the saddles. I need all deputies to come to the front of the stage. Patrick, are you on?”
Oh God. No. If anything happened to Jacob or Josh she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
“Yes, Jason.” Mr. O’Learys voice came through. “I’m here.”
“We need to cut tonight’s activities short.”
“I agree. I’ll make the announcement now.” Without hesitation, Patrick picked up a mike and began addressing the audience. “That’s the end of our day, ladies and gentlemen…”
As the dragon expert gave the rest of the announcements about upcoming activities, and the sheriff continued giving instructions to the security detail over the radio, she started trembling.
Chance placed his arm around her shoulder. “Sweetheart, Jaris and I are here. Everything is going to be okay. Don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry, Chance? Jacob and Josh were looking for our four dogs. I can’t bear it if something happened to them during their search.”
Mitchell and the other band members came up, asking about what was going on.
Chance filled them in as the crowd began to disperse and Jason’s deputies began gathering at the front of the stage.
Jaris came over with Sugar. “Kaylyn?”
“Right here.”
He walked to her and pulled her into his arms. “I want to get you home as soon as possible.”
“I want that, too.”
“Once Jason finishes his briefing, we’ll go back to your house.”
* * * *
Jaris held Kaylyn tight. The news about Jacob and Josh had stunned all of them. She was trembling and he realized she felt responsible.