Of course, that got a chuckle out of everyone, especially when Hank and Adam both gave her “my eyes are on you” gestures with their fingers pointed at their eyes and then at her and then waved at her. Morgan Kendall arrived, having parked and locked the limo. He went straight to his wife, Tamara, scooped her out of her seat, and sat down in her chair with her on his lap.
The waitress asked Brittany what she’d like to drink. She liked tequila, and she didn’t generally have a problem with her clothes falling off, so she ordered a margarita, too.
She soon learned Ethan Grant was a born storyteller, and Brittany, along with practically everyone else, sat back and enjoyed the stories he related about the life of a bar owner in Texas Hill Country. No one thought anything of the fact that, while Ethan spoke, he held Grace comfortably on his lap. It was the sort of gesture that Brittany felt certain was an everyday occurrence with this loving pair.
Chris Stapleton sang of Tennessee Whiskey, and Dan and Shay sang of tequila. In between those two songs, Brittany’s drink arrived. Her first sip told her it was wicked good. I’m going to have to sip this. It was deceptive, but then the very best margaritas were.
“We saw Sean and Noah for a bit last December,” Jack Warner said. “They came over for a visit with Chase and Brian Benedict. I believe they mentioned they were on their way to some place in Africa next.”
“Namibia,” Brit said. “I was stationed at the embassy in the capital city of Windhoek. That’s where we met.”
Those days seemed like they’d happened in another lifetime. Yet it wasn’t that long ago, by the calendar, though it was miles away by measure of the events that had occurred between then and now. Much of the actual accident itself was still a blur to her. The one clear image she retained was the very desperate desire she had to not die because she and Sean and Noah had been just beginning their journey together.
I think I knew when I met them that they were special. That they were mine. She hadn’t understood it at the time, and for certain she hadn’t been ready then for the reality of that. She thought she was nearly completely ready, now.
“I hope it doesn’t bother you to talk about those days,” Jack said. “We’d heard you’d been wounded in an accident while serving.”
He must have seen something on her face. She wasn’t very good sometimes at hiding her thoughts. It took a moment for her to reinforce her smile. “It really doesn’t bother me to talk about it,” Brittany said. “Recovery involves more than just physical healing. It’s a mental and emotional process, too. I’m taking it one day at a time.”
“You’re a wise woman, Brittany.”
She shook her head. “I’m a lucky woman, Jack. Lucky that two men named Kendall loved me and wouldn’t let me go.”
Brittany tried to take in the atmosphere of the nightclub. She let her gaze, and her thoughts, wander. Some people got up and danced, and others sat and chatted. Grace had her arm around Ethan’s neck as she continued to sit on his lap, and he whispered something to her. All three of her husbands were attentive to her, and she with them, a reality that Brittany saw duplicated as she looked around the table at the interaction between the other husbands and wives.
Then Ethan looked over at the D.J. booth and nodded. He lifted Grace and set her down in his chair.
“I think it’s time for a little George Strait,” the DJ announced. “This is a special request, from Ethan Grant, going out to a lady who is near and dear to many of us and is with us here tonight.”
Now that’s an interesting introduction. I wonder who Ethan’s dedicating a song to? Brittany didn’t have long to wait. Ethan appeared at Grandma Kate’s elbow.
“Mrs. Benedict, will you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
Chapter Seventeen
Kate met Ethan’s eyes. The sweet affection she saw there warmed her heart. “Why, Mr. Grant, I’d be delighted to dance with you.”
The strains of George Strait’s “The Chair,” so familiar to her, flowed from the club’s speakers. She took Ethan’s hand and followed him a short distance from the table to an open spot on the dance floor.
“I requested a couple of George Strait classics for you,” Ethan said as he gently put his left hand on her waist. “I wasn’t sure one would be nearly long enough for us.”
Kate smiled, and as the song began, she turned herself over to Ethan, trusting him to lead her through the gentle-paced dance. His movements on the dance floor were as smooth as his words. “You remind me of my Patrick,” Kate said. “As does this song. The first time we heard it, he laughed and said, ‘now here’s a fellow after my own heart.’” Kate sighed. “That kind of a smooth-talking ploy would have been the way Patrick might have approached me that first time inside that dance hall back in 1942, if he and Gerald hadn’t noticed me slip outside to get some air.”
“What was Gerald like?”
Kate looked at Ethan and decided to be completely honest, even if she did shock him a little. “Gerald was more blatantly Dom-like, in his demeanor and when it came to taking care of me. He wore that edge and that dominance so naturally, and that is the way in which you remind me of him—when you unleash your inner Dom. Gerald carried that edge all his life. The kids knew they could joke with Patrick and look to him for the gentler side of masculine affection. With Gerald, they were dealing with the one in charge, and they all knew it. We all knew it.”
She saw the look on Ethan’s face and grinned. “What shocks you more, sweet boy? That one of my husbands was a Dom? Or perhaps you thought your generation discovered that lifestyle?”
Ethan laughed. “We probably did think that. I’m reminding myself that when you were a young woman, you arrived in a town that was already a sanctuary for those who demanded the right to love who and how they chose.”
“Life is grand, Ethan Grant, and love is worth whatever it is you have to do to guard it. Don’t ever stop being the good man you are. I admire you, and I’m very proud of you.”
She could tell her words had affected him. He was a good man who was always looking out for others, going that extra mile. But in his heart, Ethan Grant had the soul of a humble servant. She meant every word she said. She was really very proud of him.
Kate loved dancing. Not a wedding or party took place but that one of her sons, or grandsons, took her out on the floor a few times. She hadn’t expected this wonderful gift on top of the delightful day she’d already enjoyed. So, she gave herself completely to the tune, and to the moment.
The first song barely ended when George began to sing “I Just Want to Dance with You.” Though the song was a bit faster paced than the last, Kate matched her moves to Ethan’s, as delighted with his second choice as she was his first.
“You can dance, woman,” Ethan said. He spun her gently on the floor, and she laughed in pure joy.
His eyes were smiling again, and she grinned up at him. “You could say I’ve been around the floor a time or two.”
“And we’re all very grateful that you have. Thank you for sharing your experiences. And your friendship. And your love.”
“Loving all y’all is the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Ethan sang the words softly as he led her around the dance floor, and Kate let her mind drift back, as she sometimes did in special moments. It took no imagination at all to recall times when she’d be with one of her husbands on a dance floor somewhere, moving to the rhythm of the music.
They’d enjoyed their nights out even when the children had been small. Madeline, her mother-in-law, would shoo them out the door on a Saturday night, reminding them she and their fathers were quite capable of spending the evening with their grandchildren.
Kate missed all those wonderful souls who’d loved her, and whom she’d loved in turn. She certainly missed her beloved husbands. But she felt them all with her and no time more than right there, at the Dancing Pony, surrounded by friends and family as George Strait wound down a song for the second time.
She’d b
een aware that Grace had been taking pictures or video with her smartphone—as had several others. Her dear friend must be feeling emotional. Kate caught the surreptitious wiping of a tear. Ginny, too, had a similar reaction. How lucky she was to have so many people love her!
The music floated away, and Ethan lifted her hand and gave her a courtly kiss.
“Thank you, Kate Benedict.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Ethan Grant. The pleasure was all mine.”
* * * *
Brittany watched their faces as they used Sean’s laptop to watch the YouTube video Grace had posted. Sean’s and Noah’s gazes were on the pair of unlikely dancers—the tall, athletic, and always personable barkeeper and the diminutive nonagenarian.
“I wonder what she said to him just then?” Noah asked.
It was the moment when Ethan’s expression had turned shocked and then pleased—as if Kate had told him a secret he couldn’t possibly have guessed.
“We were all wondering that,” Brittany said. “You should have seen them—not just the actual family—but all of them! Grace was in tears, as were all her friends. Veronica gave Ethan a huge hug. Aunt Samantha looked so proud of Ethan and Grace. It was just a moment, you know?”
“Grandma Kate is special to all of us,” Sean said. He smiled as he watched the end of the video—and then he copied it to his laptop.
Both men turned their attention from the laptop to her. She was sitting on the sofa beside Sean, and on her other side, a number of shopping bags awaited opening.
“Looks like you took our advice and did some shopping for yourself.” Noah looked pleased, and not a little curious. “Are you going to model your purchases for us?” He raised his eyebrows twice in rapid succession, and his accompanying mock leer made her laugh.
“I will, yes…over the next several days. But there was one purchase I made that I thought would really be ours as opposed to just mine.” She reached into her travel bag and pulled out the posh ivory parchment paper shopping bag embossed with Discretion’s logo and the boutique’s name in flowing script. She grinned as she handed it over to the men.
Noah took hold of it gingerly and then met his brother’s gaze. Do they think something inside the bag is going to bite them? Finally, Noah opened it, and they both looked inside.
Brittany leaned closer and whispered to them. “Paddle and handcuffs and blindfold.”
“Oh my.” Sean grinned and then met her gaze. “I take it this means you’d like to explore?”
“Well, it turns out that there’s a bit of a history in this town when it comes to the Dominant/submissive relationship dynamic. Did you know that?”
“I think, at the moment, we’re more interested in how it is you know that.” Sean’s response sounded entirely too even-toned to have been natural. She wondered if it bothered him that she’d learned something about the people of Lusty on her own. No, he’s probably wondering how to indulge my curiosity without indulging my curiosity. Over the weekend, as she’d listened to the women talk, as she’d looked and listened and learned, something that had been on her mind came into better focus.
She had the strangest sense that, in a way, she and Sean had reversed roles. She was moving on with her issues, doing the best she could to face things square on. Sean, on the other hand, was the one now in denial.
“It’s a long drive to Morehead where Discretion is located. After the first hour, and a stop just off the Interstate for coffee to go, we closed the window between the drivers and the passengers and had some very interesting discussions.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Noah said.
Brittany laughed. “You can relax. I’m pretty certain there’s not a dominant bone in my body. When I look at that paddle, when I think about one of you using it on me, I get wet.” Brittany sighed. “I was surprised that the Doctors Jessop belong to a club in Houston called the Lyon’s Den and that Jillian is not only their wife, she’s also their submissive.”
“We figured that out from the collar she wears,” Sean said.
“Maybe I should be asking you what you know about D/s and BDSM?”
“I have an idea,” Sean said. He moved carefully and lifted Brittany up until he had her on his lap. “In anticipation of your return home, we refilled the spa tub and got it heating. It should be ready for us by now. Let’s go have a nice long soak in the Jacuzzi and talk about that little thing…and what you see for the three of us, going forward.”
Brittany nodded. “Contract negotiations. Ooh, will I need a safe word?” She let them both see how much the prospect of that excited her.
“Maybe not tonight, but that will definitely be one of the topics of conversation.” Sean carried her down the hall. Noah had gone ahead, and as Sean carried her into the master bedroom, she heard the jets working.
She’d enjoyed her weekend away, but man, there really was no place like home.
* * * *
June became hotter than normal, and for Texas, that was saying something. Ricoh kept attuned to the weather, to the sky, as he continued to get through his workday. It seemed every damn body had appointments to get to right after work that day, with Chase and Brian giving the order to knock off early. What the hell’s going on today? Who the hell gets their social calendar full on a Tuesday in June? He shook his head, turned his gelding, Topper, out to the pasture and looked back up at the sky.
There were dark clouds to the north, and he’d been hearing thunder off and on. But he couldn’t smell rain, just the odd whiff of ozone. That worried him.
The ground was dry in places, and it had been several years since nature had taken care of the dead and dying with a fire. The skin between his shoulder blades itched. He wasn’t a man to believe in portents and omens. But he was a smart man, a man who knew how to live off the land and how to read the signs that nature offered.
He wanted to head on over to the Roadhouse, scoop up his woman, and hold her tight. Hell, she has that bridal shower tonight. Ricoh thought of it, and her, and then smiled. He couldn’t begrudge Angela the moment. The women of Lusty were making sure she knew how much she was loved and respected and valued. This bridal shower was the sort of thing that she’d never experienced before.
She’d said it was a lingerie shower, and he’d nodded and told her she’d enjoy that. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t have nearly enough silky, pretty things. And then some of his friends had told him where their women had gone shopping for Angela’s gifts and what the boutique offered, and he thought that he might end up enjoying her gifts, too.
Ricoh headed back to the main barn to ensure all the equipment had been put away. Then he was going to check in to see if the men were on their way in from the various pastures. Thanks to the amalgamation of several ranches—this one, known as the Benedict North ranch, along with the spreads under Cord and Jackson Benedict, and their brothers Jesse and Barry—there were a lot of animals and responsibilities on any given day. Sometimes he rode a horse and sometimes a truck, depending where he was and what he was doing. When they’d expanded with Trace and Lucas using their expertise in training rodeo ready stock, this had become a huge going concern.
Each set of brothers had their own specific interests, and Ricoh was humbled that they trusted him to keep all the moving parts working together well. He had Alan Wilson and Duncan Moore, on top of all those Benedicts, but Ricoh was beginning to think it was time to look for a couple more permanent hands.
Jesse and Barry were hard working, they all were, but they had a little one, and they helped out with Healing Rides. Carrie was expecting now, too, and he planned to make damn sure those husbands of hers spent plenty of time getting to know their baby, whenever he or she arrived.
He kind of suspected that was the reason Chase and Brian called it a day so early. Carrie had been suffering through morning sickness, morning, noon, and night. On top of that, some kind of stomach upset was making the rounds in the county, or so he’d heard. He didn’t blame any of the men for fuss
ing over their wives. The way they did things here in Lusty? That was the way it should be done everywhere, as far as Ricoh Stone was concerned.
He looked up at the sky again and really didn’t like what he was seeing, though he couldn’t put his finger on what was bothering him. The skin between his shoulder blades continued to itch. He made quick work of putting away the tack, of ensuring that everything was in order, and that the place was battened down.
He headed up to the main house to check in—something he did most nights, unless he and the twins parted ways out in the yard. He made his way to the back door, wiped his boots, and went inside. He’d finally gotten used to doing that, instead of knocking. He left his boots by the back door and went looking for Chase and Brian.
He could hear voices and headed toward the office.
Chase was talking on the phone, his tone and the expression on his face telling Ricoh he was concerned. “Who do you have with you, Grant?”
The call was on speakerphone, and Grant Jessop’s voice came through loud and clear. “We’ve got all the hands we need, at the moment. Everyone on the roster is headed over here now, and then we’ll be off. The grass fire is in the northern part of Benedict County and creeping toward Hamilton. It’s nearly out of control, so I don’t know how long we’ll be.”
“Brian and Ricoh are here with me. You’re sure you’ve got enough men?”
“Yeah, we’re good. Along with Andrew, we’ve got Jake, Matt, and Steven, and Ryder Magee. Alex, Henry, Peter, and Drew James are on their way. Trev and Kevin, as well as Jackson and Lucas Benedict, are coming in, too. That’s thirteen of us, and we’ve got the two large trucks, so we’ll manage. There’s quite a contingent meeting up, as other towns are sending volunteers, too.”
Love Under Two Prospectors [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Page 17