She turned to Gabe. “She called you Diamond Jim. Are you rich? Since when did you get rich?”
Gabe had always done okay making furniture, but he’d never been what you would call wealthy. He’d usually spent any extra money on his Harley or his truck.
Gabe shrugged, obviously uncomfortable. “I wouldn’t say I’m rich. I made some good investments the last few years. Starting a new business can be expensive. I’ve been lucky the community has embraced Original Sin.”
Mark laughed. “Nothing this town loves more than sin. You’re being too modest. That parking lot is filled to the brim every night you’re open. Are you thinking of opening up seven nights a week?”
“No way,” Gabe shook his head. “Five nights a week is enough. God only needed one day of rest, but I’m a mere human. I need at least two.” He turned to Sami. “Becca’s right. You should open the B and B back up. It’s a sure thing.”
She would love to do that very thing. “It was run-down when I left. You said it’s being tented for termites. It would need too much work,” she protested.
“We’ll help,” Jason pointed to himself and Gabe. “The structure is sound. Some paint, refinish the floors, upgrade the furniture and you’re in business.”
“It sounds expensive.” Sami had about fifty bucks in her purse.
Gabe pursed his lips in thought. “I’d be willing to invest in it. After all, I’d be getting a chunk of the benefit from it.”
“Do you have the money to invest?” she gaped.
“I don’t think it will be as expensive as you’re imagining.” Jason put his hand over Sami’s. “I can help out with money if need be. It would be a good thing for you and a good thing for Plenty. We could talk to Zach and Chase about doing any of the real heavy work.”
Becca laughed. “Sounds like it’s a plan. I love it!”
Even baby Noah was clapping his hands together and grinning, two pearly white teeth just breaking through his gums. Sami didn’t know what to say. She wanted to stay more than anything. She wanted to find a way to be with these two amazing men, find forgiveness for all of them. Could she really hide from the ugliness in Orlando?
“It’s something to think about,” she replied softly. She’d majored in business in college. Running the B and B would be right up her alley.
Travis wiped off Noah’s hands and face with a napkin. “I realize I’m a newcomer here, but as a member of the town council, I’d like to urge you to think about doing this. We’ve spent the last several meetings talking about a lack of lodging in Plenty for the people who visit. We’re losing revenue to Tampa and Orlando, and the tourists aren’t happy about having to make the long drive back and forth. If money is an issue, we could probably arrange a small business loan for you.”
Five pairs of eyes were focused on her expectantly. They’d swept away all her objections and paved the way to making it even easier than she’d ever imagined. Her heart wanted to stay in Plenty. She’d never wanted to bring trouble there, but perhaps she could keep a low profile. He might give up and leave her alone now that she was gone.
“I’d like to,” she said slowly, looking at Gabe and Jason. “If you’ll help me.”
Both men grinned and high-fived above her head. “Excellent,” Jason crowed. “We can start tomorrow getting things cleaned up and making plans. I have the day off.”
Gabe nodded. “I’ll help, too. We’ll make sure the club gets closed promptly at two and head home to get some sleep so we’ll have the energy to tackle this.”
Becca arched an eyebrow. “We? Are you working at the club, Sami?”
Sami lifted her chin. “I am. I’m helping Gabe out while I’m here.”
Becca leaned across the table. “We’ve been a few times. It’s hot, if you know what I mean. Your boyfriend knows his way around a flogger.”
Becca’s voice was low but not so low the whole table couldn’t hear her. Sami felt herself flush when Gabe was referred to as her boyfriend. She peeked up from under her lashes and he had a smile on his face. “I like the sound of that, Becca. Samantha’s boyfriend. Hmmmm…it has a ring to it.”
Sami dragged her gaze away from Gabe and back to Becca. “You’ve been to the club? You’re a mother.”
Becca giggled. “I’m a mother, I’m not dead from the neck down. We took Gabe’s Bondage for Beginners class. It was fun. Everyone was having a good time and it’s not like my boys had never tied me up before.”
Sami slapped her hand over her face. “That’s a visual I could do without.” She turned to Gabe. “And you? Bondage for Beginners? I’m afraid to ask what else you teach there.” He started to answer, but she held up her hand and shook her head. “No, I’ll just be surprised. I’m getting used to all these surprises.”
Mark chuckled and wrapped his arm around Becca. He looked at her with such love, Sami almost melted. She wanted to be loved and cherished that way. “I think what my beautiful wife was trying to express is that there’s nothing wrong with a little spice in the bedroom, married or not.”
Jason raised his glass. “Here, here. I’m all for spice.”
Sami smiled and raised her glass. She could surprise people, too. “I agree. Here’s to spice.”
Sami sipped her ice tea and took in the friendly vibes all around her. She might be making a huge mistake trying to get the B and B open again, wanting to stay in Plenty. There was a small voice inside of her telling her she’d never be free of Ray. He’d find her and he’d make life miserable. There was a much bigger part that believed in the love she’d found in Plenty again. Somehow she’d lost her way and believed him when he’d said no one would protect her or love her.
She was loved by the people in this town. Lord knew she loved them. They would take her side and protect her, she was sure. If she was really lucky, she could start her life all over again.
* * * *
Sami’s stomach was full and her heart happy when the three of them returned to the house after Charlie’s. She still wasn’t sure staying in Plenty was truly feasible, but after being with her friends, and with Jason and Gabe, she wanted it more than she could imagine.
“Go upstairs and put some jeans on. The night’s not over yet.” Gabe waved her towards the stairs. Both men had a shit-eating grin on their face and she knew from experience they had something up their sleeves.
“Why would I do that?” She’d learned not to give in too easily, otherwise the men would think they could get away with anything and everything.
Jason sighed. “Can’t you do anything without an argument? You’ll like it. Trust us.”
She didn’t really want to watch television or read a book. If they wanted her to put on jeans it could only mean one thing. They would be outside and the night was too beautiful to ignore.
“Fine. Give me five minutes.”
She flew up the stairs, changed clothes, and was down with two minutes to spare. Gabe grinned in approval and handed her a heavy leather jacket.
“We’re going for a ride.”
Her heart leaped with excitement. She’d loved being on the back of Gabe’s motorcycle. Gabe had already been dressed in jeans and had a leather jacket on as well. He pulled a helmet out of the foyer closet.
“What about Jason?”
Jason smiled and shrugged into a leather jacket. “What about me? Think I’m going to stay home and watch reality television? I’m going with you.”
Sami frowned. How were all three of them going to ride Gabe’s motorcycle?
“She’s confused.” Gabe laughed. “Let’s get her outside so she can see what we’re talking about.”
She followed them out the back door and saw while she was changing they’d pulled not one, but two motorcycles from the garage at the back of the house.
“You have one, too?”
Jason nodded. “Yep. Got mine when Gabe came back in the spring. Isn’t she a beauty?”
“She is, not that I know a thing about cycles.” She turned to Gabe. “Is yours new? It
doesn’t look the same.”
Gabe nodded and placed a helmet over her head. “It isn’t the same. I bought a new one after an accident wiped out the old. Are you ready to ride? You can split time with each of us.”
Gabe helped her on to the back of his motorcycle before mounting up and starting the engine. It rumbled to life between her legs, the power only increasing her awareness of both these men. They took off and headed straight for the roads out by the quarries.
It was a mild evening and the wind whipped at the hair that hung below the helmet. The sound of the engine, the vibrations underneath her, and the motion as they took each curve lulled her into a sense of peace. She leaned against Gabe, her arms wrapped around his waist. At one point, he took a hand and reached back and patted her thigh as if to soothe her but she was already relaxed and exhilarated at the same time. It was like flying and she closed her eyes and let the sensations wash over her until the bike finally slowed down and then stopped.
She opened her eyes and found the men had driven her to the clearing where they’d first proclaimed their love. Her heart squeezed in her chest as the memory of the night swamped her. She’d been so young and so in love, and it seemed so very long ago. She mourned her innocence but there was no going back. She was a new person now and people would have to get used to that fact.
She lifted the helmet off her head, hooking it on the back of the bike. Jason was pulling a big blanket from a saddlebag and shaking it out before laying it down for them to sit on. They settled on the blanket without saying anything, simply listening to the crickets and the rustle of the trees.
Gabe pointed into the sky. “Look. This is why we brought you here.”
She looked up and the sight almost took her breath away. It was a full moon, big and bright in the night sky. With the helmet she hadn’t been able to see it, but here in this clearing the moonlight shone down on them like sunshine at midday.
“It’s a harvest moon,” Jason said.
“It looks orange.” Sami couldn’t take her eyes off of it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d stood still long enough to notice the moon.
“It does,” Jason agreed. “The harvest moon often has an orange cast. It’s the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Gabe swept her hair back with his hand, stopping to caress her cheek. “You’re beautiful. I’ve thought about you every day that we were apart. I know you only arrived in Plenty, but we’re laying our cards on the table. We want you, Samantha. We know we can’t go back, but we can go forward.”
“It’s so complicated.” Sami’s voice broke. She didn’t want to mar the moment by talking about her ugly past. She wanted to savor this time, snug between the two men she could never forget. They’d haunted her but now they were real. She soaked in their warmth and strength, content to just be with them in this place.
“We first told you that we loved you here.” Jason placed his hand over hers, stroking her fingers.
She shook her head and smiled. “That’s not how I remember it. This was where I told you I was in love with you. I did it first. You did say it, but don’t try and tell me you’d planned to say it because I wouldn’t believe it. You looked shocked when I said it.”
Jason picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles sending heat to every corner of her body. “We would have said it long before then but, dammit, you were so young. We didn’t want to push you into something you weren’t ready for. We wanted you to make the choice to be with us. When you said that you loved us it was the best day of our lives. Of course, we said it back. I know we didn’t say it first, but it wasn’t because we felt any less for you.”
“You were always trying to take care of me.”
Gabe held her other hand, his strength and warmth filling her heart. “Probably too much. We didn’t let you stand on your own two feet and let you grow up. We coddled and spoiled you. We won’t make that mistake this time.”
“I’m certainly not spoiled now.” If they only knew how she’d been living these last few years, they’d see she was a long way from spoiled.
“Maybe we’ll spoil you a little.” Jason chuckled. “But we know you need to be independent. We won’t smother you.”
“You never smothered me. Let’s face it, I didn’t always act very mature. I guess I wasn’t ready to grow up.”
“Because you didn’t need to.” Gabe shook his head. “We made that unnecessary.”
She let the silence enfold them, not sure how to say what she needed to say.
“I’m not sure I can stay in Plenty. I know I said I would reopen the B and B, but there’s so much you don’t know. It might be a bad idea to move back.”
Gabe tilted her chin up so she had to look them in the eye. They didn’t look angry, only sad. Gabe pressed a soft kiss to her lips, leaving tingles when he lifted his head. “You’re not leaving again. I can see you’re scared of something. That’s easy to see, sweetheart. But running isn’t the answer any more. It’s time to face your demons. Trust me, it will be worth it.”
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Give us a chance, sunshine.” Jason’s voice was soft and cajoling. “Give yourself a break. Every decision doesn’t have to be made at this very moment. All we ask is you open your heart to the possibility of us. We want a second chance, Sami. Can you take a chance with us?”
Wanting them was stronger than her fear. With them she felt safe, after all. They were a haven in the storm her life had become. She couldn’t deny them, or herself, this one thing.
“I will. You may be sorry I did, but I will.”
Gabe kissed her again, slowly and thoroughly. She gripped his shoulders like a lifeline and let the goodness of being with them seep into her bones. When he was done, Jason kissed her. His lips were soft, but his kiss was hot, with a leashed passion and a hunger she could recognize. Both kisses were a promise of a future she desperately wanted to believe in.
Jason lifted his head, his expression unbearably tender. “We’d only be sorry if you left again. You complete this triangle, sunshine. We need you, and you need us.”
That’s what it all came down to in reality. She needed them. Even if she’d found success in Orlando, it wouldn’t have mattered. Her heart had a hole only they could fill.
She’d been fooling herself to think she could leave Plenty now that she was actually here. Plenty was home and so were Jason and Gabe.
Chapter Five
“It needs a lot of work,” Sami sighed. “A bunch.”
Jason looked around the living room of the large Victorian home that had housed Plenty’s one and only bed-and-breakfast for almost a hundred years. It needed some love but the bones of the house were in great shape.
“It won’t be that bad. Paint, floors, some new furniture and it will look almost new.”
Gabe strode in from where he was checking out the kitchen. “Put new appliances on the list. They work but they look at least twenty years old. If you’re going to have guests here, you really need to have a modern kitchen.”
“If they work, we shouldn’t replace them,” she protested. Dollar signs were whirring in her head as she calculated the cost for renovations.
Gabe had already moved on and was now checking the new floorboards that had been installed a few years ago just before she left. “They did a great job replacing the wood in here that was damaged by the busted pipe.” He looked up at Sami. “You do need new appliances. New ones will be more energy efficient and will save on the power bill. In fact, I’m going to head to the garage and see how old the air conditioning in the house is. It might be better to replace it.”
Gabe headed out to the garage and Sami turned to Jason. “Does he do that a lot now? Be bossy and take over? He didn’t used to do that.”
Jason laughed and grabbed her hand to head up the stairs. “He does. That Dominant training taught him confidence in making decisions and taking control. Personally, I’m happy. I don�
�t have to be the one in charge all the damn time anymore.”
Sami remembered well that Jason was always the level-headed one who made the major decisions. She and Gabe had been happy to follow along, although looking back Gabe had made his preferences known if he felt strongly about something. It’s too bad she hadn’t had them making decisions for her these last few years. Things might have gone much better for her. It certainly looked like their lives were better than ever, and hers was a big hot mess.
“Did Gabe follow in the Army?” She hadn’t been able to talk to Gabe much about his experiences in Iraq. He’d been too angry, but she assumed he’d talked to Jason.
Jason chuckled. “Sunshine, Gabe was never a follower. Although there is a clear chain of command. I wasn’t with him day to day, but he always had this inside of him. The confidence you see now was simply brought out of him, not created.”
They walked in to the first of four bedrooms on the second floor. “You have a lot of confidence. I think you were born to be a lawman. Always calm and in control.”
Jason checked the windows. “You make me sound boring as hell. I hope I have more to my personality than that.”
“That’s not boring. It’s a good thing.”
He crossed his arms across his wide chest with a wicked grin. “Women like bad boys. Like Gabe. Maybe I should get some leathers like he wears at the club.”
She wrapped her hands around his wrist, his skin warm to the touch. “I like you just the way you are. You would look hot in leather pants, though.” She closed her eyes. “I can see it now. Very hot.”
His lips touched hers, the heat searing her soul and sending her arousal twisting in her belly. No matter how she tried to deny it, run from it, or plain ignore it, Jason was her man. If he wanted her, she was his. It was that simple and complex.
He pulled her closer, his hard body pressed close to hers, his tongue demanding entry past her lips. He took his time, as if this was the first time he’d ever kissed her, exploring her mouth and making her ache.
Plenty of Chances [Plenty, FL 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5