“Good morning.”
He smiled. “Good morning to you. How wonderful is this to wake up next to you?” He leaned over and nuzzled her neck.
“I need to get up.”
“Another minute.”
Brody never was any good with constraining his urges. His hard-on tented the covers. She giggled and pushed away.
“You’ll have to wait until another time.”
Though when that would be, she was uncertain. She assumed the men wanted her on a regular basis, but if their intent was merely to be entertained, they had something coming. For her, living together implied eventually getting married, or she wasn’t interested.
Once she dressed, she headed out to the kitchen, where the wonderful aroma of coffee and eggs greeted her. Sparks must have been hiding because halfway into the kitchen, his big arms wrapped around her from behind. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
“How are you this fine morning?”
He’d obviously had his coffee this morning. “I’m a little sore but good.”
He spun her around. “Can’t have that. You’ll have to rest for a few days. I can see we’ll have to build up your stamina slowly.”
“That’s what it’s called? Stamina?”
Evan carried the meal over to the table. “Everyone sit.”
There was no discussion of last night’s event, but the fact both men were in such good spirits implied they were proud of what happened. Hopefully, that meant a repeat performance in the near future.
After breakfast, Evan shooed them out of the kitchen. Their hours were flexible, but hers were not.
She kissed each of them good-bye. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Not wanting to disrupt Brody, she left. She was bursting to tell someone about her good fortune, but in case they didn’t want something permanent, Brittany kept her mouth shut. Explaining her failures scared her to death.
The clinic was only mildly busy for much of the day, and she would have welcomed a distraction from one of the men. Unfortunately, not one of them called. Most likely both Sparks and Evan were on the slopes working their jobs, and Brody was resting. Still, a simple phone call would have been great.
At five, she said her good-byes to Tanya and the receptionist. Doc was out on a house call. Not feeling like fixing dinner, she stopped at the Mountain View for a to-go box and headed home. The wind was howling and another storm was threatening to hit. Her house was damp and cold from not being used for the last few days.
As soon as she put her suitcase in her room, she placed wood in the fireplace to heat up her home. Before her dinner got cold, she opened the box and ate the chicken casserole right from the container.
Since the day she’d moved in, her cabin had seemed cozy. Tonight, the place made her feel lonely, as if it lacked life. While her job fulfilled her, being with her men completed her happiness.
Around eight, a knock sounded on her door. If it was Sparks or Evan, surely they would have called. She peeked out the window. Sparks’s Jeep was in the drive and thrills raced through her. She whipped open the door.
A puppy was snuggled in Sparks’s arms, and Evan was grinning.
“Come in.” The adorable golden retriever opened his eyes and looked up at her. “He’s beautiful. Or is he a she?”
“This is Badger and he’s all male.”
Sparks set him down, and the puppy went straight for her legs and sniffed. “Where did he come from?”
“The pound. He’s for you.”
The gift overwhelmed her. “I’ve never had a dog.”
Evan took her hand and led her over to the sofa. “We need to talk.”
She wasn’t sure she liked his tone. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Brody?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. We want to make sure you’ll be safe when you’re not with us, so we got Badger for you.”
She picked up the puppy and placed him on her lap. His little body shook, and she hugged him. “He’s so cute.”
“There will be days when Brody is in Great Falls or Bozeman checking out his stores and we’re on a rescue mission. Badger can be trained to keep you safe.”
She loved the idea of having a dog, but she’d thought they’d all be together. So much for her dreams. “I appreciate that.”
Sparks and Evan moved to her side. “What’s wrong?”
Dare she tell them? “I guess I was kind of hoping we’d all be together.”
“We will be, but even if you’re staying at Brody’s, we might all be gone for the night. While Pleasure doesn’t have much crime, one never knows when some lunatic comes through town.”
Her heart jumped. “Are you saying you want all of us to live at Brody’s?”
Sparks pulled her into his arms. “You think we only want you as a play toy to use when we want?”
She buried her head in his chest. His strong body gave her such support. “Maybe. You guys never said what happened next.”
He lifted her chin. Damn tears streamed down her cheeks. “Oh, darlin’. We all love you so much, but we wanted to wait for Brody to heal before popping the question.”
“The question?”
He grinned. “Don’t tell Brody, but he’s going to propose for all of us.”
Her heart stopped for a second. “For real?”
“For real.”
She hugged him first then Evan. “I can’t believe it.” Reality slammed into her. “Uh-oh, my parents are going to have a fit.”
“Why? It’s not like it’s uncommon here for three men to marry one woman.”
“I know, but it’s who I’d be marrying that’s the problem.” Tough. She wasn’t going to let her parents’ prejudice prevent her from being happy. “Tomorrow I’ll speak with them and see if they’ll be reasonable.”
Evan took her hand. “You want us to come with you?”
“That might make it worse. I need to do this alone.” She needed to exorcise her demons once and for all.
* * * *
Evan and Sparks left after delivering the puppy. They said since she was sore, she needed to rest. Fortunately, they’d purchased a week’s supply of food along with a cage and some other pet apparatus. Brittany didn’t like leaving the poor puppy alone on his first day, but she had to work. To avoid accidents from happening, she put him in the back room where the freezer resided and blocked off the exit.
Once she finished work, she wanted to rush home to him, but she had a date with her parents. All day, her stomach had been upset, but if she didn’t face them now, things would only get worse.
She knocked and her father answered the door. She’d called earlier to let them know she’d be stopping over.
“Brittany.” Her father kissed her forehead.
“Is Mom up?”
“Yes, she’s in the den waiting for you. So what do you need to speak with us about?”
“Stuff.” What a shame her relationship with her parents had gone south because of one indiscretion. Her mother looked up and smiled. That was a change.
“What did you need to see us about, dear?”
Maybe this wasn’t the best time to add stress to their lives, but if they found out from others, it would be worse.
“I came to tell you that I’ve fallen in love.” With three men.
Both of her parents’ eyes lit up.
Her mom patted the sofa seat. “Sit next to me and tell me all about it.”
Brittany’s legs seemed to be filled with lead as she walked over and sat next to her mom. “I’m not sure how you’re going to like it, but I’ve been seeing Sparks Langston—”
Her mom grabbed her hand. “He’s such a nice boy. Why, I always thought you should have gone out with him.”
“Yes, well, you were right. But there’s more.”
Her father still hadn’t taken a seat. “More?”
“I’m also in love with Evan Thomas.” If they could get over the surprise of her loving two men, adding one more shouldn’t be such a chore.
Her father took a seat. “So you’ve decided to embrace the Pleasure lifestyle.”
She waited for the recrimination, but none came. “Yes.”
“You seem happy.”
“I am.” She twisted her hands. She inhaled. “There’s something else. I love Brody, too.”
“All three?” he said.
“Yes.”
Her father straightened his shoulders. “You know what we think of that boy.”
“He’s a man. He’s changed. I bet you haven’t spoken to him in seven years.”
“Dear,” her mother said. “You know what the boy did to you.”
“He didn’t do anything to me. I wanted to make love to him. I was the one who said we didn’t need to use a condom because I didn’t like how it felt. Brody would have married me if I’d ever told him the truth.”
Her mother’s lips pressed together. “Your father has become a lot more liberal in his views on marriage since coming here. I still believe it should be one man with one woman, but if it makes you happy, I won’t stand in your way.”
Her heart soared. It might not have been a resounding endorsement, but at least they hadn’t threatened to kick her out of the family.
“Thank you.” She should do something more, like hug them, but they might not be receptive.
“Just be sure that your word is the last one with your men.”
Just like it was in their household. “Got it.”
* * * *
Brittany drove home to feed the puppy, flying high. She never ever expected her parents to be so open. She needed to talk with her men. Once she stepped into the home, Badger barked. She opened his cage and he raced out, jumping and licking. She squatted to pet him. “Come on, Badger. We’re going for a ride.”
She still had extra supplies at Brody’s house, so she only packed a change of clothes.
She put the leash on the puppy, but once he got outside, he seemed to want to go everywhere but in the car.
Finally, she picked him up and placed him in the backseat. He would definitely need some training. She drove down the mountain as slow as she could so as not to have the puppy fly off the seat.
She could have called ahead, but she figured Brody would be home. She knocked then entered. She let Badger off his leash and he darted around.
“Hello?”
Sparks and Evan came out of the den. “Didn’t go so well, did it?”
“Brody in the den?”
“Yes.”
She called for the puppy to follow her. When they were all seated, she began. “Actually, they were better than I thought.”
Evan smiled. “They’ve been living in Pleasure for ten years. The town’s philosophy was bound to rub off.”
“Dad seems okay, but my mom is a little iffy, especially toward Brody. I tried to explain that it was my fault I got pregnant, but she really didn’t want to hear it.”
“But they didn’t say never to visit again, right?”
“No. She said she won’t stand in the way of my happiness.”
Sparks held up his glass. “I say that calls for a victory drink!”
He always had a way of making her see the bright side.
Most of the talk during dinner was about when to get married and where. They were halfway through dinner when the doorbell rang. Evan held up his hand. “I’ll get it.”
People often stopped by, but usually not during the dinner hour. When Evan returned, her father and mother were right behind him.
Brittany jumped up. “What are you doing here?” She was instantly sorry that her tone came out so harsh, but the shock of seeing them removed all manners from her brain.
Her father waved a hand and backed away. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner. We can come back another time.”
“No. Stay.” She was sure it took a lot of effort for her mom to get out in the cold and drive over here.
The puppy started barking. “Badger, shoosh.” She picked up the dog.
Brody pushed back his chair and grabbed his crutches. “Let’s go into the living room where we can be more comfortable.”
He came across as civil and gracious. They followed him into the other room. “Can I get you two something to drink?” Brody asked.
“No, thank you. This won’t take long.” Her mom faced her. “We just came to apologize to Brittany and to all of you.”
Her knees buckled. She grabbed the arm of the nearest chair and dropped onto the seat. “Excuse me?”
Her father helped her mother to the chair opposite the sofa then took the one next to her.
Her mom spoke up. “Brittany, you know all I’ve ever wanted for you was to be happy. I know I came across as a bit harsh, and I’m sorry.” She turned to the men. “I want you three to know, I will embrace all of you into the family.”
Brody nodded. “Ma’am, I’d like that.”
Brittany swore her mother blushed. “You can call her Margaret. No woman likes to be called ma’am.”
His response was a grin. Did she love him or what?
“Dad?”
His smile reached his eyes. “You’re my little girl and always will be. I just want what’s best for you.”
Sparks stood and smiled. “I say this calls for a toast.”
Brittany grinned. “I’ll drink to that.”
When Sparks poured a round for all, her dad stood with a glass in hand. “Then I’d like to make another proposal. Margaret and I would like to take all of you out to dinner to show the town that we bless this match.”
Her mother smiled. “Tell them what else, Robert.”
“You tell them, dear.”
“Well, I’ve always dreamed of having our daughter’s wedding at our house. Would you all be in favor of that?”
Tears streamed down Brittany’s face. She jumped up and hugged her dad. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, princess.”
Her mother held out her arms and Brittany went to her. “You’ve made me very happy.”
Evan and Sparks joined in on the congratulations. For the next hour, her parents told stories about what she was like growing up, before they moved to town.
By the time the evening was over, they all were one step closer to resolving their differences.
Her father stood. “I need to take your mother home.” He faced her three men. “Now take good care of my girl.”
“Yes, sir,” they all said in unison.
After her parents left, she sat down next to Brody. “I don’t know what to say. I’m overjoyed.”
He hugged her tight. “I say this calls for some loving.”
The other two surrounded her and kissed her silly. She’d never been happier in her life.
Epilogue
Three months later
Brittany couldn’t believe she was going to be married today. She stared out of her bedroom window to the backyard. The entire town of Pleasure must have been there.
“Stand still, Brittany.” Her mother’s health had improved to the point where she was able to organize the whole affair. Her mom zipped her up. “Now turn around.”
She did. Her mom’s eyes watered. “Don’t cry.”
“I can’t help it. My baby is getting married.”
“It was bound to happen sometime.” Dumb thing to say, but she still wasn’t very good with dealing with her parents.
“Knock, knock.”
Her dad pushed open the door. “We’re ready.”
“You look so handsome, Daddy.”
“So do you, sweetheart.”
In the last few months, her relationship with her parents had improved. She decided she was the one who needed the attitude adjustment, not them. She had assumed they hadn’t changed, when in fact they had.
“Mom, if I haven’t said it before, thank you for all you’ve done. This day couldn’t have gone any better.”
“Well, it’s not over yet.” She and her dad both laughed.
While it wasn’t California balmy weathe
r, it was nice enough to have the wedding outside. Chairs were lined up on either side of the aisle. Her mom loved pink, so the backs had pink bows on them. At one end was a small stage with a large arch, covered in flowers. The best part was her three men, all dressed in matching tuxes, and all smiling.
Brody was the oldest of the three, and as per Pleasure tradition, she would marry him with the understanding the rest of the men would be bound to her for life.
Having her dad on her arm meant the world to her. Tanya was her bridesmaid. While she had other friends, it was too hard to decide who to pick, so she thought she’d go with just one female.
The orchestra teacher from the high school agreed to play the organ. When the music began, her father walked her down the aisle. She didn’t know the two little kids her mother chose, but they smiled as they threw flower petals in front of her.
When she reached the altar, her father handed her off. Reverend Jeffers was the minister. Since he led a rather unconventional church, he’d asked that they write their vows.
He pulled out the paper and gave a brief speech before conducting the ceremony. It was short and sweet.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
“I’ve been waiting for this for nearly a lifetime,” Brody said.
With that, he kissed her. It was soft at first, and then it turned more desperate.
Next thing she knew, Evan had pulled him away and was kissing her. Sparks butted in and had to have his kiss, too. Now she was officially Brittany Thomas, and she couldn’t be happier.
The music struck up, and then someone announced the father-daughter dance. All three of her husbands wanted to be on the dance floor with her, but she shooed them away.
“You’ll get the rest of your life to dance with me.”
She laughed and went to her dad, where they had a wonderful dance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brody asking her mother for a dance. She actually smiled, and Brittany knew life was going to be good.
THE END
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Monroe, Melody Snow - Brittany's Destiny [Pleasure, Montana 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 17