by Eileen Green
Jimmy looked at her face when he spoke to her. Oh, in the beginning, when he first came in because of his sister’s injuries and then after with the kids who had been rescued, he sneaked a peek here and there. However, he would look her in the eyes when he talked to her.
As they sat quietly watching the kids, Jimmy covered her hand with his again on the bench. She liked the gentleness in him. It was hard to say why, but she really liked him, and she wanted more. But could she have it?
And then there was Terence. He seemed as interested in her as Jimmy was. If she truly did want to see where any of this could lead, what was she supposed to do about two men, when she didn’t even know if she could handle one in her situation?
Trying to shift the conversation to something neutral, she said, “They said they were giving Jasper a gentle horse, but look how huge it is.”
Jimmy chuckled. “She. Her name is Elsa, and she is extremely patient and gentle. My housekeeper’s nieces and nephews come out and ride her quite often.”
Amanda couldn’t help but laugh at the horse’s name. “Elsa? Do you have a crush on the Disney character?”
His eyes blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he put his arm around her shoulder again. “Guilty as charged,” he said, his voice sounding as if he was pained. “I can’t believe you found out. Whatever am I going to do?”
Another giggle escaped her as she slapped at his chest. Looking up in his eyes again, she found herself leaning up toward him.
Their lips met, sparking electricity throughout her body. Her body warmed while her cunt seemed to get wetter as they kissed. This was all new to her, and she liked it, a lot.
The scruff he wore on his face scratched at her skin, but she found she didn’t mind it. She could only imagine what it would feel like dragging across her body.
Whoa! Back the truck up! You’re getting ahead of yourself, Amanda!
Pulling back from the kiss, she lowered her eyes, afraid to see what was in his. She didn’t want to seem like a pushover, but she did need to guard herself, so she didn’t get hurt, and neither did she want Jasper to. Whatever kind of relationship she had with anyone would affect her brother also.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she pulled her hand from his. “I…”
“Don’t you dare apologize, Amanda,” he chastised, his voice low and hurt. “There is something between us and has been for a while. I was giving you space before, but now, I am staking my claim.”
“But I’m not sure what I want,” she lied. Then, she added, “What about Terence? He likes me, too.”
“Do you like him?” Jimmy asked seriously.
Amanda shrugged. “I guess.”
Jimmy brought his hand up and caressed her cheek, turning her back to face him. “Don’t worry about him. I know what to do.”
Fear coursed through her that he would do something rash. However, she knew that relationships were all about compromise and trust. She would have to have that in Jimmy if this, whatever it was, went any further.
And, for all accounts, she could be reading this all wrong.
Changing the subject, she inquired, “You never told me how Elsa got her name.”
* * * *
Terence helped move his mother from the wheelchair they had set her in while the nurse changed the bedding on the hospital bed he had delivered. He had wanted his mother to be comfortable in her own home until she passed. And, unfortunately, that day was coming soon.
Frail, she weighed probably all of ninety pounds. It wasn’t hard to move her around. It was hard to see her diminish down to nothing, but the doctors told him there wasn’t much more that could be done. The cancer had returned to her brain, and it was only a matter of a month or so.
For the last year, since he had moved back to help with his parents, Terence knew the end game. It was inevitable with his mother. The doctors had given her a year about a year and a half ago, so they were lucky they were given an extra six months. Now that she was in hospice care, the end was near.
His mother suffered short-term memory loss. However, she told stories of her childhood as if it was yesterday. It hurt when she didn’t remember him or sometimes got him confused with his father from his younger years.
Terence’s father had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about ten years ago. In the past couple of years, he had declined speedily. He was in a nursing home here in Kalispell, for his mother couldn’t handle him before she was diagnosed. She had been falling a lot without any reason. That was when they pushed to have her visit a doctor.
Having both parents near death’s door was difficult for Terence. He had wanted the army to be his career, but when his mother called with the news, he knew he had to leave. Now, he was going to lose them both in probably a short time. As an only child, he felt like the world was balanced on his shoulders, and it was spinning way too fast.
Work had become a sanctuary, especially since he noticed Amanda. She was so special to him even though she didn’t know it. His heart had been stolen by her the moment he saw her, and now it might be crushed by another man.
Settling his mother on the fresh sheets, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. She reached out and found his hand, and held on, as if he was a lifeline, but sometimes he wondered if she did it because he reminded her of his father when they were both young. Terence swallowed the emotions that welled up within him as he smiled down at her.
“I saw Amanda today,” he said softly. He had told his mother about Amanda, hoping to make her happy. She had always been on his case about finding a nice girl to settle down with. “I hope one day I can bring her home to meet you.”
He had almost added, before you pass, but he really hated to think that way, even though it was inevitable. Besides, his mother didn’t need to be reminded either.
In moments like this, the silence was deafening. The nurse was on her dinner break, which gave Terence time to spend with his mother. He spent this time with her, and when he got off work in the mornings, he would go to the nursing home to spend an hour with his father before the activities of the home set in. He had little time to himself between being with them, working, and sleeping. A date would be a welcome change to his life.
Leaning back in the chair next to the bed, he let his eyes close as he thought about Amanda.
He manned the security desk in the lobby of the hospital, which allowed him to see personnel coming and going. That was how he had seen Amanda for the first time. He couldn’t get her out of his head.
She seemed to be quiet and introverted. When she left in the mornings, she would keep her head down and rush through the lobby as if she were trying to avoid people. Terence made it his mission to say hello every time he saw her, and occasionally she would greet him in return. He always had to wonder where she was rushing off to each morning, but he knew he was never going to find out.
When he began to notice the same truck was in the parking lot in the mornings when Amanda got off work, Terence thought perhaps she was meeting with whoever the truck belonged to. When the truck would follow her, he knew he was wrong.
Playing her Sir Galahad that one morning, he thought he could get some brownie points with her. That didn’t work out so well.
Now, he had to wonder if he would ever get the girl. She was the only one for him. No other woman created chaos in his body the way Amanda did.
The vibrating of his phone in his pocket brought Terence out of his reverie. He checked the number and almost didn’t answer when he didn’t recognize it, but then again, it could be important.
“Hello,” he answered, holding the device up to his ear.
“Terence, it’s Jimmy Dempsey. We need to talk.”
Chapter Five
“What?” Terence asked in disbelief at what Jimmy had just explained to him. He hadn’t had enough to drink to have not heard him correctly.
Jimmy and Terence were sitting at a booth toward the back of the Tipsy Tavern. The table was chosen so the two wouldn’t be overhe
ard too much. Both had a beer in front of them, Terence’s from a long-neck, and a draft was what Jimmy had chosen.
“It’s true.” Nodding toward the group of five men, his own ranch hands, Jimmy explained quietly, “They are married to the manager, the lady behind the bar. My sister is married to two men. There are almost a dozen poly relationships in the area.”
“But they are illegal.”
“Yes. That’s why we keep it on the down-low. The woman marries one of the men, usually the oldest, and then they have a binding ceremony to bind her to the rest of them.” Jimmy smiled. “There are only three families who have more than two men in them.”
“How does a woman keep up with five men?” Terence asked as he looked over at Erin Masters behind the bar.
“They work it out. They are my men, and they are like brothers. It was said they all fell in love with her the minute they saw her. Instead of fighting among themselves, they chose to woo her together.” Jimmy’s men were one of the reasons he had to get out of the pit of misery that he had settled himself into. “Some of the families have lawmen in them, firefighters, paramedics, men from different backgrounds.”
Terence looked back at Jimmy, still in what looked to be shocked. “So, if I said yes to your proposal, how do we go about getting Amanda?”
Ah, the man’s interest was piqued, Jimmy thought. He took a drink of his beer, letting the bitterness spark his taste buds.
“I met up with Amanda, quite by accident, yesterday afternoon. She has a secret, but that’s her story to tell. I can tell you that she is interested in you, and me. However, with the secret, she doesn’t have a lot of time to herself, or at least that’s what she is telling herself. My thoughts are, if you are interested, we go after her and show her that she will have time for romance.” Jimmy thought about Amanda’s predicament. “She could also use help in her life that will allow her to have a normal life again.
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about being in a ménage.” Terence was going to take some convincing, and that was the first step. After that, they would work on Amanda.
“I have arranged for my sister’s husbands to meet with us tomorrow afternoon. They’re on duty tonight, but they said they could meet with us at their house. Lily can help answer questions from a woman’s point of view also.”
Terence was still looking at Jimmy as if he had lost his mind, but at least he hadn’t run yelling and screaming into the night.
Erin arrived at their table, a plate of nachos in her hand. After setting the dish on the table, she smiled at Jimmy. “Here you guys go. Do you need more beers?” she asked cheerfully.
“I’ll have one more,” Jimmy responded.
Holding up a hand, Terence declined. “I’m working tonight, so I’ll have a soda.”
“Okay. Will be right back.”
The change in Erin since her ordeal last year was remarkable. Before, she was all business, not holding hardly any conversation with anyone, especially her men. Now, she was friendly, surer of herself. It was amazing how degraded and demoralized a domestic violent relationship could be to a person. It was almost as if she was a new person.
As she walked away, Terence observed, “She seems happy.”
“She is. Now.” Jimmy knew it was all right to share her story. Besides, her former boyfriend had just been convicted of murder in the first degree for the death of his mother, attempted murder of his father, holding Ruth hostage, and several counts of abuse. Paul Green would not see the light of day outside prison again. “She too pushed her men away. There were secrets she hid also. It wasn’t until she landed in the hospital that she gave into my ranch hands. They’re all really happy now.”
Horror blanketed Terence’s face. “Amanda’s not being abused, is she?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. She’s had it hard for the past six and a half years and has made the best of it. But she’s lonely. I want her to be happy, and I believe if we work together, we’ll win her over. It’ll take a lot of patience and understanding.”
The two picked off the platter of chips, melted cheese, and other items adorning the dish.
“Are you sure she’ll be up to me joining in?” Terence asked before slipping a chip into his mouth.
“When we spoke yesterday, she was concerned about your feelings. I told her I would take care of it. I think she might have been afraid I was going to hurt you.” Jimmy had seen the moment of fear in Amanda’s deep blue eyes when he had told her he’d take care of Terence. He had to contain the chuckle that wanted to escape that she would think he would hurt someone.
“Does she know about these relationships?” Terence asked before biting into another chip.
“Yes. She’s been around the hospital enough in the past three years or so to see them happening. So far, most people have been accepting of them.” Jimmy took a drink and then leaned forward. “I wasn’t in a good place to start a relationship until a few months ago. But I did get to observe people. What I saw was that men seemed to outnumber women around here. If the men work together to make a woman happy, then where’s the harm?”
Terence paused for a moment, as if pondering Jimmy’s logic. He then nodded. “Sounds reasonable. However, we’re not friends, or relatives. How’s that supposed to work?”
Raising his mug, Jimmy announced, “Here’s to the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
A chuckle escaped Terence as he picked up his long-neck. “Here, here. And to getting the girl.”
The two men clinked their drinks together in a toast. Jimmy liked Terence. He had been protecting Amanda the other morning, and that in Jimmy’s book was a gentleman and it showed he cared.
* * * *
“Why can’t you be happy?” Genny asked as she sat on the love seat across from the couch where Amanda was sitting. “Eventually you are going to have to do something about him. He can’t live with you forever.”
Amanda knew Genny was right, and she was glad Jasper was out in the garage working out. The thud thud thud of his fists against the heavy bag hanging from the ceiling spoke volumes.
The bag had been suggested by his therapist as a way of letting off some steam. Amanda still believed it did that, but it also kept him fit since he didn’t leave the house. A weight bench was out there also, along with a treadmill. She had splurged on a treadmill that had a program on it that took him along paths in various places in the world.
Jasper usually worked out in the evenings, which gave Amanda a chance to talk with Genny. Tonight, Amanda was off, so she was enjoying a glass of white wine as she sat near the fireplace. Genny was indulging in a glass of merlot.
“I know,” Amanda admitted. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
“Well, both men sound like they are hot. How are you going to choose?”
“What do you mean choose? I can’t get involved with either one of them!” She really did want to, but knew it wasn’t in the cards to be happy. Her father had seen to that. If he had gone to therapy like he was supposed to, perhaps they wouldn’t be in this situation.
“You’ve got that, ‘I’m stuck like this for the rest of my life’ look on your face,” Genny observed. “Have you even talked to Jasper about this? You may be surprised about his reaction.”
Shame swept over her. She hadn’t. There was no sense. Her brother was too afraid to leave the house except to go to his therapy sessions. Going to horse therapy had been several weeks in the making. He had been adamant about not going. He thought it was stupid, and he didn’t want to be stuck with a bunch of handicapped kids.
She had laid into him about his attitude and his choice of words. It was his self-seclusion that had him being nonsocial, and Amanda had to find a way to end it. He was too old for his actions. And she needed to have her own life back.
“Has he said anything to you?” Amanda asked Genny. The two did have some conversations when Amanda was at work, of course Jasper signed to Genny who knew sign language because of a brother who is d
eaf. It wasn’t that Jasper hid in his room the whole time.
Genny shook her head. “No.” She held up one finger before Amanda could rebut. “But he has been communicating with someone online.”
“How do you know?” Amanda was surprised by that declaration.
“When I went to tell him lights out last Saturday night, he didn’t answer the door, so I peeked in. He had earbuds in, so I went in to get his attention. He couldn’t close the window fast enough on the computer. She was cute.” Genny seemed sheepish about what she had done, but a small smile was on her lips.
“I’ve told him the dangers of talking to strangers online. I hope he’s being careful.” That was all Amanda could say. When a person was socially inept, they were often set upon by internet predators. She had talked several times to him about it, and he assured her he would be careful if anything ever came up.
Now, it appeared he was having some kind of friendship, but he didn’t want to talk to her about it because he hid it from Genny. Looked like they were going to have to have another conversation.
“I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Amanda said before taking a sip of her wine. “I don’t think either one of those men is going to give up. I have to hope they don’t start fighting over me.”
“That would be so cool,” Genny gushed.
“What?” Amanda asked with indignation. “Why would you say that?”
“You have two men interested in you, right?” Genny didn’t wait for her to answer. “If they fight for you, they’ll rain you with gifts. They’ll take you places that you have only wanted to go to just to outdo the other man.”
Genny was still young. She looked at the fun of a relationship and not the seriousness of it. Love had to be involved.
Turning her gaze to the fire, Amanda thought about both men as she watched the bluish-orangish flames fed by gas dance merrily as if to their own music.