by Eileen Green
Brock knew that the two were close from when she worked in Denver. John Drake had walked Lyndee down the aisle at the group wedding last December, but Drake had brought his wife with him. That meant the bond was strictly work-related. As Lyndee looked up at Drake, he could see she respected the man.
“Blair has agreed to do whatever it takes to get Perez off her back,” Lyndee announced. “We need to figure out how we are going to take care of this and still let Blair stay here. Any ideas?”
“What we end up doing will need to be drastic,” the man named Frank put out there. “How far are we willing to go?”
Silence blanketed the room for a few moments before Lawrence Whitaker spoke up. “I don’t mean to be racially discriminant, but since most of Perez’s people are going to be Hispanic, why don’t we utilize the police chief in Ronan? The one who helped us when that lunatic Owen was trying to get to Angela. I’m sure that he could pass as a hit man.”
Connor shrugged as he agreed, “It couldn’t hurt to ask. But how would this work?”
“We have to try to get as many people as possible here in on it, so they know that it’s not a real hit. We also need people to be on the lookout for any strangers in the area,” Lawrence informed them.
It was going to take an effort of a town to help save Blair, and Brock prayed that they could do it.
* * * *
Everyone began to talk around her again. They were trying to arrange for her to be able to stay here, and as she listened to them, she knew Lyndee was right. Here, in this small Montana town, she had found a family.
Blair also was reveling in the strong arms that were holding her. Having Brock hold her brought back memories. The time that she had spent in Texas with her two men was the happiest she had been since her family had been killed. They loved her and showed her that she could trust them, something that was foreign to her while being in the program.
While living in New Orleans and Sacramento, there had been too many people, too many faces, to relax. She couldn’t trust anyone although she had managed to have one friend.
Taking a chance, she looked at Brock and found his eyes on her. His eyes were like emeralds with flecks of gold in them. When he was aroused, his green eyes glowed like a jewel. Otherwise, they were closer to a new grass color.
There was a lot they were going to have to talk about, but she knew they both had some interest in her remaining in their bodies. Tanner’s hard prick on her back while he held her earlier, and now, Brock’s eyes were in their aroused state. With everything that was going on, would she be able to trust her heart to them?
“Blair?” She heard someone say her name. “Blair?”
Damn. She had been so intent on looking at Brock, she had missed whatever someone had said to her. “I’m sorry. What?”
“How’s your acting?” Agent Drake asked, no indication of irritation in his voice. At least she didn’t have to feel embarrassed by her faux pas.
She shrugged. “I can’t say that I’m an expert at it. But I have been acting like someone else for a long time.”
Laughter erupted around the room at her words. Even Brock was chuckling, his chest heaving against her shoulder.
Heavy footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor from the dining room. Looking around, she saw Tanner entering. He grabbed a bottle of water and went to sit on the stone hearth near the fire. Blair noticed he wouldn’t meet her gaze, as if he were ashamed or embarrassed to look at her.
Brock moved slightly and pulled a bottle of water out from between his leg and the arm of the chair. Somehow, he managed to open it while still holding her, and then he handed it to her. “Drink up,” he said quietly. “I’m sure you need it after all that running you’ve been doing.”
The others must have heard him, for another round of laughter sounded again. She tried to hide her face in his chest, but he whispered in her ear, “They are not laughing at you, sweetness.”
That was the second time he had called her by the nickname he had chosen for her so many years ago. Raising the bottle to her lips, she drank nearly half the bottle before lowering it again.
“I’m going to talk to Victoria and see if she can call a meeting at the high school tonight. We’ll put out a text message letting people know the importance of the meeting and announce our intentions then,” Connor explained.
“Do you really think it’ll help?” Blair asked, hope blooming in her chest for the first time in years, yet guilt lay there also. At least two people that she knew of had died because of her, and she didn’t want it to happen again. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
“It’s a danger we all have to worry about, Blair. However, life is uncertain. We aren’t given a guarantee,” Lyndee said from where she stood. “We have to live our lives to the fullest, love the people that we meet along the way, and hope they love us enough in return to help us when we need it. And if there is one thing I know about this town, it is that they care about their neighbors.”
“Sugar,” Tanner said as he stood and moved next to the chair she shared with Brock. “You are so fucking strong. You have managed to make it this far in life through this whole mess. I know you can do anything. Let us help you. All of us, so you don’t have to continue alone.”
“You are one of us now, Blair, whether you believe it or not,” Gina said as she waddled into the room. She was so far along in her pregnancy that she had to rest a lot so as not to tear open the scars from when she was pregnant before. “Polson is your home. We are your family. Let us help.”
Tears stung the backs of her eyes. Not wanting to cry in front of all these people, she nodded and laid her head on Brock’s shoulder.
“Good. I’ll call Victoria, and we’ll see everyone at the high school at six tonight,” Connor spoke as he rose to his feet. Everyone else rose also, but Brock wouldn’t release Blair, so she remained where she was, for now.
It was nice to feel the love that both men had for her, and to be truthful, she didn’t want to leave them.
Chapter Six
People were bundled up in blankets and thick coats. Gloves, beanies, and scarfs were worn also, for the temperature was down in the thirties already. The meeting that Connor called was much larger than expected, so they had to move it from the auditorium to the football field.
Everyone was friendly and assured Blair as they left that they would do anything to help her out. Many of them knew that she worked at the diner and had praised her food, which meant they had noticed her when she thought she had flown under the radar all this time.
People had hugged her and given her words of encouragement, some of the women wanting to get together after all this was over to have coffee. Her heart was full of friendship and love by the time Brock and Tanner escorted her to Connor’s sheriff’s SUV.
It had been decided that Blair would stay with Connor and Gina until they knew she was safe. A streak of disappointment had hit her when Brock had told her he would have driven her to the school, but he couldn’t. Then he explained that he still had his old pickup, but he had put in bucket seats a while back, so there was only room for him and Tanner. She felt a little better.
After everyone had left this morning, she and Gina had lunch in the dated kitchen. Gina had told Blair how she had been attacked here in the house and a fire had burned the back bedrooms. Connor had the rooms rebuilt, the master bedroom now being upstairs in which the house had been a single-story one before. They would get around to remodeling the rest of the house next year.
Gina’s business of making corsets was really taking off. She had made some for all her friends, and Ropes and Cuffs’ store, but she was breaking into online sales. However, now that she was so far along in her pregnancy, her work was on hiatus.
“So,” Gina began before taking a bite of her salad. “There were a lot of sparks flying earlier between you and the boys. Do you want to talk about it?”
To be truthful, Blair wasn’t sure what was going on. She knew the boys
seemed interested, but she was afraid at some point anger was going to be expressed. It already had been said when Tanner caught up with her last night, and she didn’t blame them.
Last night seemed like an eternity. She had tossed and turned, sleep eluding her. Anger was in their eyes when they had first seen her as was shock. While they ate dinner, the two kept swiping glances at her from across the table, though she couldn’t tell if it was anger at that point, or curiosity or interest.
Guilt had consumed her, a repeat of the year after she had to leave them. Blair hadn’t known that they were going to kill her off that day in Sweetwater. She only knew she was having to leave. There were long nights while in Sacramento that she thought about them. Sometimes, she fantasized about the Tillman brothers making love to her like they had when she was with them. However, over time, that stopped. She was never going to be able to see them again, and that tightened her heart to the point she would never love again.
Was she to get a second chance at love here in Polson? Or would both men still hold a grudge against her for something that was out of her control?
Tanner’s body had betrayed him earlier, as Brock’s emotions had. How was she to go about trying to find out if they would forgive them?
Now, she sat in a kitchen with a woman who had made a point of speaking with Blair whenever she went into the diner. Blair had been standoffish, only because she was afraid of getting close to people and then having to leave. It was something that had been instilled in her three times already.
Friends weren’t allowed in her world, lest she bring the wrath of the Perez Cartel down on them. Relationships were off-limits, for it broke everyone’s hearts involved when she had to leave, and it was inevitable it would happen.
Now, a woman, a friend, was interested in her life. Could she allow herself the luxury of friends here? Looking at Gina, she saw compassion in the woman’s sky-blue eyes. There was also love and mirth. Gina Lawson looked as if she really wanted to be her friend.
Blair shrugged, unsure of what to say. Yet once she opened her mouth, the words began to flow.
“I’m not sure what to do about them both. I didn’t mean to leave them the way that I did, but I didn’t have a choice. They were the first men I ever loved, and had ever had…I mean, I was a…”
“It’s all right, honey,” Gina said, coming to her rescue, a small lilt in her voice. “I understand. You don’t have to explain that part of it.”
“Thanks,” Blair said quickly with a giggle. “When I first saw Brock, I had this strange beating in my heart, and my stomach felt funny. It was instantaneous, and I knew I was lost to him. When he brought Tanner to visit with him one day, it was the same feeling all over again. Both men were understanding when I told them I couldn’t come between them, and that’s when they came up with the ménage plan.
“I was totally shocked, but soon we were in a relationship, and I was happy for the first time since my family had gotten killed. While I was with them, I forgot about being in the protection program. All I felt was love and contentment. Then, one day, I opened the front door and was facing a Federal Marshal. I had to leave everything behind, even my purse. I was instructed not to leave a note but I did. My life as Martha Brady was ending at that moment. By nightfall, I would have a new name, be living in a new city, and facing a future of uncertainty again.”
“That must be a horrible way to have to live. I couldn’t imagine what you must have gone through,” Gina spoke as she fussed with the pieces of melon that sat on her plate. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with all this. What I went through seems like child play.”
“Don’t discount yourself,” Blair chided. “Your past is horrible to you, and you made it through with two men who love you, a gorgeous little man, and a baby on the way. We each have our crosses to bear, and I believe that it’s how we carry and deal with them that tells what kind of people we are. All the women that I have met have interesting stories to tell. Mine is just another one added to the fray.”
“Interesting way of putting it. But right now, we’re dealing with your problem, and we’re going to get you through it.” Gina stabbed a piece of cantaloupe with her fork and held it close to her mouth. “I swear these guys are going to kill me with all this food. I feel like a float in the Thanksgiving parade.”
The two ladies laughed at Gina’s joke as Connor and Brock entered from the back door. They each looked at the men and laughed even harder. A small bit of serenity settled over Blair. It was said that laughter was the best medicine. Perhaps it was. Maybe she needed to be here with these people.
* * * *
It was a cold morning, the water for the stock needing to have a shovel taken to the top to break the ice. The cattle and horses breathed out large puffs of steam with each breath. All this was typical in Montana in the winter and early spring.
Brock’s leather gloves kept out some of the cold, but he ignored it. He had a job to do now that a plan was in motion for Blair.
He had a hard time sleeping last night, for her lovely face kept appearing before him. She was still beautiful although so many years had passed. There were fine lines at the corners of her eyes while a small wrinkle cut across her forehead. Her cheeks were a bit hollower than before, which gave the apples of her cheeks a more rounded appearance.
During the time they had spent with Blair, Brock had seen her watching them. He knew how he felt, and he was certain that Tanner felt the same. Tanner had been unusually quiet since they had discovered Blair had been living practically in their backyard for the past year and a half.
Anger was at the forefront of their thoughts. How she had left them, abandoning them, had been hard to deal with. Having her alive was a blessing, but then the memories of that day clouded their joy.
Brock knew that what Blair had been through had to have been heartbreaking. Her life wasn’t her own. She had to abide by the whims of her handlers to keep her safe. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t tell them she was leaving.
It was hard to remember that whenever they looked at her. His love had never died for her, and he had realized that when he was holding her yesterday. She smelled differently than before. Vanilla and spice was her aroma, probably from working in the diner. When she was Martha, she had used a coconut soap. He liked the new aroma better.
“The vet’s here,” Tanner announced as he pulled up next to Brock on his horse.
Blair’s arrival had changed their plans. The vet was supposed to be here yesterday to immunize the stock that was to be bred. He had been called, and arrangements were made for him to come out today.
Climbing up on his horse, Brock began to follow his brother out into the field but stopped, when he noticed Blair walking down the gravel road past the barn. “Hold up,” he said as he motioned with his head toward her.
The two men rode over to the fence next to the gravel road where Blair was. “Hey, pretty lady, what brings you out on such a beautiful morning?” Brock asked with a small chuckle.
Blair turned toward them and shielded her eyes with her hand over her brows from the sun. Steam followed her words. “Beautiful morning? By looks, yes. By the cold, no.”
“The cold helps make the winters beautiful here. It makes the snow fall in a silent shower. The snow on the ground glistens in sun. Ice hangs clear and shiny from the roofs, and the lakes, rivers, and ponds sparkle from where they iced over.” Sometimes when Tanner spoke, he could be eloquent with his words.
Glancing around as if looking for what Tanner had spoken of, she smiled. When her gaze landed back on them, she admitted, “You’re right. When I leave the house before sun up on the days I have to work mornings, I miss all the beauty. I’m always rushing from home to work, or from work to home, that I don’t get to appreciate nature. Maybe when all this mess is over, I can settle down and enjoy it.”
“Perhaps we could show you around some time,” Brock heard himself offer.
Her body stiffened a little before she said, “That
would be nice. Perhaps you can take me riding some time. I miss it, a lot.”
The three of them rode out on the family ranch quite a bit in Texas. There had always been joy on her face when they were out on the open range.
Her smile was large now. Brock realized it was the first genuine smile she had since they had found her.
“We’d love to take you riding, sugar, but we can’t today. The vet’s here, and we’re doing vaccinations. Perhaps tomorrow we can do that.” Tanner had a huge smile on his face as he spoke. Brock now knew that his brother was still in love with Blair.
“That’s all right,” she said. “I’m going to do some spring cleaning for Gina since she’s not able to. I already have a load of curtains in the washing machine. I just thought I’d take a moment to myself while she’s feeding Nathan.”
Brock was happy that Blair had a new friend, and he was glad that Gina had some help. Everyone knew about her previous pregnancy and that she had to be cautious with this one, and she had a whole group of friends and family to assist her.
The bawling of cattle and the shouting of his ranch hands told Brock it was time to get to work. “Don’t stay out in the cold too long, sweetness. We don’t want you getting sick.” Brock smiled at her before he turned his horse to join the men.
Tanner stayed behind a bit longer, doing what, Brock didn’t know. There was no more talk, but he knew that Blair hadn’t walked away either. After about half a minute, Brock let out a whistle and Tanner followed.
The rest of the day was spent in a whirlwind of dirt, cow flesh, and cold. By the time they had moved the small herd and the vaccinations were complete, it was dark, and everyone was tired. Once Brock got off his horse, his ass was sore, and he needed a shower badly.
It was a fight for the shower, but Tanner won. Brock, not wanting to dirty up the furniture in the bunkhouse he and Tanner shared, stayed outside and sat in one of the old metal patio chairs.