Love of Steel [The Callens 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  “That’s the idea.”

  Someone had set the table and she scooted in first. Parker poured a heap of salad dressing on his greens before handing her the bottle.

  “So, Logan. What were you doing while Parker and I were enjoying Mother Nature at its finest?”

  He salted his meat without tasting it. “Buying a factory.”

  He’d said he wanted to do some renovations. “Really? Which one?”

  “The old button factory on the edge of town.”

  She passed it almost every day. It was huge but in bad repair. “What’s its condition like inside?”

  “Like you’d expect. It would need a total gut job, but the possibilities are endless. It has ten thousand square feet inside and a bricked patio in back. What that was used for, I have no idea, but the view of the mountains is fantastic.”

  “What are you going to do with it? Make it into condos or something?”

  “I haven’t decided. I thought maybe you could give me your opinion.”

  She was flattered he’d ask for her help. Now that her place was nearly complete, she wouldn’t mind conjuring up another awesome space. “Sure, as long as I don’t have to hand finish the floors or walls.”

  He bit into his ribs and got sauce on his face. “I’m betting once your imagination goes wild, you’ll be wanting to help.”

  She could see it now. Every free moment would be spent with Logan rebuilding the shell. She turned to Parker. “What’s your stake in this?”

  “That’s up to you.”

  “What does that mean?” Her men were up to something, only she couldn’t tell what.

  Both men shrugged. Clearly they meant for her to wait for the real answer. The rest of the dinner conversation centered around the plays, both the current production and the one that was about to go on.

  She hadn’t thought through her time commitment. Once the play mounted, she’d have to be there for the entire show. If she could just finish the staircase for Logan, she could relax.

  After dinner, Parker escorted her into the living room while Logan cleaned up. “I can help with the dishes.”

  “You’re not your mom. Men help, too.”

  She liked his attitude. While they waited for Logan to finish, she and Parker talked about her work and where she saw herself artistically in five years.

  “I’d like to do some outdoor sculptures, but I don’t have a big enough space to create the designs.”

  Logan waltzed in drying his hand on a towel. “Can I get anyone an after-dinner beer?”

  They both said yes in unison. Once he returned with their drinks, Logan sat opposite them on the couch.

  He drank several gulps then held the bottle dangling between his legs. “We wanted to talk to you about the three of us.”

  Acid ripped through her body. She should have been thrilled, but when she had to expose her underbelly of emotions, her body went into a clench. “Us?”

  “We’re not here to pressure you into making any decisions. We want to let you know what’s in our hearts.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. She only had to listen. “Okay.”

  Logan began peeling the label off the bottle with his thumb. “I think you can get the sense that we want you in our lives.”

  Parker picked up her hand. “We love you.”

  She waited for him to give her some restrictions, but he seemed to be holding his breath. “I love you two, too.”

  Parker raised his beer. “I suspected and even hoped that was true, but you’d never voiced the words.”

  She lowered her head for a moment. “I’m not all that good with telling people how I feel.”

  “We like actions better, and your actions tell us you are the one for us.”

  Logan placed his bottle on the coffee table between them. “There are a few little details we’d like to clear up.”

  “Like what?” Her ribs ached, making it hard for the air to trickle into her lungs.

  “Children.”

  Her stomach dropped. “I like children.” Just not now.

  Logan grinned. “Are we talking one or six?”

  Her dad’s words rang in her head about Logan wanting her as a breeder. This couldn’t be true. “Do I have to say yet?”

  “Hell, no, darlin’. Parker and I don’t want any misunderstandings between us.”

  “Nope. No misunderstandings. That would be bad.”

  Parker wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “You know your bed is a bit small for us big boys. Would you consider moving in here?”

  She often worked during the middle of the night. “I’m not sure that would work.”

  Logan’s cheeks deflated. “Why not?”

  “I work at odd hours. If I can’t sleep or something, I fire up the furnace and work through the night. I have a very busy schedule, and when I get behind, I can’t sleep much.”

  Logan slapped his thighs. “Cut down on your work. I can support all of us. You could just do the pieces you fancy.”

  More of her father’s words rang through her mind about what she did merely being a hobby. Bile tinged her mouth. She rubbed her stomach.

  “I’m not feeling very good. I need to go.”

  Knowing the men would try to stop her, she practically ran out before they had the chance. Once in the car, the tears streamed down her face. Here she thought they understood her, but apparently all they wanted was a woman they could fuck all day and night and then give them a legacy. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. At least not right now.

  Once home, she headed straight into her workroom to let off some steam. There was nothing better than to pound a hammer against hard, stubborn steel. She placed the staircase pieces on the table, ready to finish. This chore was almost done and none too soon. Logan had promised her a lot of money for this piece. Had she not needed the money, she would have tossed the damned thing away.

  After setting up, she got to work. The first hit vibrated up her arm. “This is for you, Logan Smithfield. I loved you. Why couldn’t you love me for who I am and not for who you want me to be?”

  Ping, ping, ping.

  Her shoulder rebelled. She switched hands. Thank goodness her body had balanced power. Aiming for the glowing red metal, she hit it hard. “And you, Parker Brandt. I thought you knew me the best. Boy, was I wrong. I love creating my stuff. Why couldn’t you have put yourself in my shoes, as you so nicely put it? So much for fucking paradigm shifts, whatever the hell they were.”

  Bang, slam, smash.

  The tears wouldn’t stop nor would the images of the men she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

  * * * *

  “What the hell just happened?” Logan paced in front of Parker.

  “She said she loved us, but now I’m not so sure.”

  Parker had stretched out on the couch with his arm over his eyes. “I know she wants us.” He jerked up. “Shit. Maybe she wanted a wedding ring to show we were serious.”

  Logan tried to process the information. “We asked her to move in.”

  “To your house.”

  He didn’t get it. “Meaning?”

  “A woman wants a place that is uniquely hers.”

  Logan shook his head. “I’m not moving into that tiny warehouse that I bet is drafty as hell in the winter.”

  Parker bit his bottom lip and stood. “What about your warehouse you plan to buy?” He began to pace, too.

  “I signed the papers this morning. What about it?”

  “Hire Callen Construction to come in and renovate the whole damn thing. Jade could have five times the space on the first floor for her workroom. The front used to be a big store. She could sell her wares there.”

  “What about her place? That’s still her baby.” She’d made it clear she didn’t like his home.

  “She could rent it out.”

  The idea sounded good in theory, but he doubted Jade would go for it. “You think that was the real reason why she freaked?”

  P
arker polished off his beer. “I don’t think so.”

  Logan continued to pace and drink. The last time he’d run into her dad, Spencer had asked about when the three of them were going to have a child. “Oh, fuck.”

  Parker stopped in midstride. “What?”

  “Just to get on Spencer’s good side, I said I’d like to settle down in the near future and have a half dozen kids.”

  “So?”

  “Jade probably thinks that’s all we want from her.”

  Parker set the bottle on the kitchen counter. “She’s too smart for that. I have no problem waiting a few years to start a family. Hell, I’d prefer it. I want to have some alone time with her.” He glanced up. “You’d be invited, naturally.”

  “Fucking A. Plus, I bet she doesn’t think we take her job seriously.”

  “Then we build her the biggest and best workroom in the state.”

  The idea intrigued him, but she’d want input. “Maybe I’ll consult with our architect about fixing the top two floors and leave the bottom floor for Jade to work out.”

  “If it means she’ll be ours, I’m up for it.”

  “Now all I have to worry about is getting through the play. Kissing her every night for the next six weeks and not being able to love her might kill me.”

  “Then worrying about her will be a moot point.”

  “Thanks for having my back.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  At 6:00 a.m., Jade finally put the finishing touches on the staircase for Logan’s model home. The open house was scheduled at the end of the week, not that she cared. She just wanted this damned thing out of her workroom.

  A shower needed to come first, and then she’d go in search of food. Conflicting images kept bombarding her. At one point in time, Logan really seemed to understand how important her work was to her. Why else would he have flown her to New Orleans? When she’d spotted some wonderful piece of work, he’d taken the photo with his better quality camera and then emailed the image to her.

  Parker had braved the world of Spencer Callen and asked where her favorite place was to visit. While he wasn’t much of a camper, he’d purchased a really nice tent for their one-night stay. No two men could have treated her better.

  She peeled off her sweaty clothes and stepped into the shower. As much as she loved getting clean, no amount of water could wash away the sick feeling in her stomach.

  Parker had hinted that she was more comfortable with steel than people. Maybe he did know her well. She could hear Dakota in her head asking if she wanted to be sleeping with a hunk of steel for the rest of her life instead of her two hot-blooded men.

  The answer was no. Logan and Parker were more important than her job. She did want a family. It was just that she had something to prove to herself for a few more years. Aargh. Men.

  Once she cleaned up, she needed food. Her first thought was eating one of her mom’s breakfasts. She always cooked scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Her folks’ espresso machine made the best coffee.

  Jade hurried out and drove over to the family ranch. She bet her mom would be quite surprised at the visit. Just as she knocked and walked in, the fourteen-year old came down the stairs.

  “Hey. What are you doing here?”

  She loved Sarah, but sometimes her curious mind got the best of her. All Sarah wanted to talk about was boys, which was the last thing Jade could speak about. “I’m hungry.”

  “Mo-om! Guess what the cat dragged in?”

  “Yikes, you don’t need to yell.”

  From inside the kitchen came the familiar cheerful response. “In here.”

  They trudged inside. “Jaden!”

  It’s Jade. “Mind if I mooch some food?”

  “You’re always welcome, dear. You know that.”

  The rest of the family filtered in and managed to eat most of the food her mom had probably been up since five preparing. When the horde left for school or their various activities, she stayed around to help clean up.

  “Something bothering you, dear?”

  She never expected to hide her feelings. “In fact, yes.” She told her about Logan and Parker’s proposition.

  Her mom put down the sponge and gave her a hug. “I think that’s wonderful.”

  “They act like they just need me to cook, clean, and have kids.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “I get it. You’re afraid you’ll turn into someone like me.”

  Ouch. Yes. “I don’t think I’m in the same position as you were.”

  “No. You have a career.”

  Thank goodness someone around here appreciated all her hard work. She pulled out the stool at the counter and sat. “I’m not ready to be a mom. That’s a big responsibility.”

  Her mother smiled. “Yes, it is, but when it comes along, you’ll deal with it just fine.”

  “Do you ever regret having had so many kids when you were young?”

  Her mouth opened. “No. Being is mom is who I am. I love all of you so much. I can’t tell you how much joy you’ve all brought to my life.”

  She figured her mom truly believed that, and it was nice to hear her voice it. “Listen, I’ve got to get a project to a client.” She stepped over and kissed her mom on the cheek. “I’ll stop by another time.”

  “Love to see you.”

  Jade left the house a bit more confused than when she’d stopped in. She wasn’t sure why she was so against having kids. “Because I want to decide how many and when.”

  She quickly glanced around, hoping no one had her talk to herself. In the car, she pulled out her cell and called Dustin.

  “What’s up?”

  “Do you think some of your men could stop by my workshop and pick up the railing for Logan’s model home?”

  “It’s done?” She didn’t appreciate the relief in his tone.

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll be right over.”

  “I’m on my way back from Mom’s now. Give me fifteen minutes.”

  She debated calling Logan and telling him the job was finally complete, but tonight at rehearsal would be soon enough. Being with both men held little appeal, but if she called in sick again, it might disrupt the flow of the show.

  Colby and three other men were waiting for her at the back door when she arrived.

  She smiled and gave him a hug. “How’s it going being a father?”

  “Ugh. I’m tired but thrilled at the same time. I never believed I’d like it, but now that my son is here, I never want to leave him.”

  “And Tracey. How is she doing?”

  “Wonderfully. She insisted on going to back to work already. It’s crazy, but the schedule seems to work. She brings little David to work, so I get to visit a few times a day. When she needs to care for him, she does.”

  That gave her a new perspective on being a working mother. “Well, come on in. The staircase is inside.”

  The three men had no problem getting it loaded in the truck. “This is going to look fantastic in the model. I bet a ton of buyers will want one.”

  She laughed. “I’ll have to locate a clone.” Colby slipped into the driver’s side. “Give my love to Tracey.”

  “Will do.”

  Once they drove away, she went back into the workroom. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she only had small projects to work on. Despite the need to get them out of the way, she didn’t feel like creating something. Her arms were tired from working all night on the staircase, and her heart was too heavy.

  The only thing big left to do was her monthly finances. She trudged up the stairs to her office and got to work. The numbers seemed to blur together. Taking a nap might be smart, but she wanted to give the budget one more try.

  A lot of people wanted her work. That wasn’t an issue. Once wealthy clients saw her ironwork, she bet she’d get even more jobs. The problem was that she needed help with the mundane items. That would require a larger space, something she didn’t have.

  She dropped her head on
the desk for a ten-minute snooze and awoke with a start when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

  “You okay?”

  Leave it to Dakota to come find her. “Yes. Shouldn’t you be manning the store?”

  “Parker called then Logan. They said you weren’t answering their calls.”

  She patted her hip and extracted her cell. “Damn. I must have turned it off. I’ll call them back in a minute. How’s it going?”

  “Don’t how’s it going with me. You look like shit. What’s up?”

  Jade dreaded having to live through her pain again. “It’s a long story.”

  “How about we sit in the store and you can tell me. If someone comes in, you can scram.”

  Maybe having another ear would be a good thing. “Let me make a pot of coffee. I’ll be right down.”

  Dakota pinched her brows. “You better.”

  Moving slower than usual, Jade made the coffee and added an extra heaping of sugar. Today would be rough to get through. She exited through her workshop. Dakota was sitting on the bench, her foot tapping out an unrecognizable rhythm.

  “Spill.”

  That got a chuckle out of her. “You always do cut to the chase.”

  She began with the flight to see the Grand Teton. Dakota’s eyes went all dreamy on her.

  “I’ve always wanted to hike in them.”

  “Well, we didn’t do much hiking, if you know what I mean.”

  Her friend laughed. “That sounds wonderful. What’s the problem then?”

  She told her about the conversation at Logan’s. “They acted like I’m just a way to get kids.”

  Dakota didn’t act indignant like she thought she would. “Tell me exactly what they said.”

  “I can’t remember word for word, but they asked how many kids I wanted.”

  “That sounds reasonable. Couples need to have that conversation. Do you remember Donna and Tim from school?”

  “Yeah. They got married a few years ago and then got divorced not long thereafter.”

  “Right. Because Donna assumed Tim wanted kids like she did. Only he didn’t and they’d never discussed it.”

  She wracked her brain for the exact words Logan and Parker had said, but everything was too fuzzy.