Love Under Two Prospectors [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting)

by Cara Covington

  “Hey, squirt.” Peter Phillips, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy—and a Navy SEAL—hugged her tight. “I got leave just so I could be here for you tonight.”

  “Are you surprised, Brittany?” Margaret Phillips was grinning from ear to ear. Brittany knew there was nothing in the world her mother liked more than having both of her chicks together in one place.

  “I sure am!” She wiped her tears. Peter kept his arm around her then held her at arm’s length and gave her a thorough visual inspection. “You look good, Brittany. Real good.”

  Brittany had no doubt whatsoever that her brother was privy to everything she’d been through. “I am good.” She introduced him to her men—Peter had met them on Skype when they’d been in Africa—but this was the first time they’d been able to shake hands, face-to-face.

  Brittany hugged her parents and then stood with her mother while the four males “talked.”

  Margaret slipped her arm around her daughter. “Peter was right. You look very good. You look…happy.”

  “I am happy, Mom. Sean and Noah are wonderful, this place is amazing, these people are phenomenal. I’ve simply thrived here.”

  “We’ve only been here a few hours, but I’m taken with how friendly everyone has been.”

  Motion in her peripheral vision snagged Brit’s attention, and she watched as Dev Wakefield and Drew James made their way over toward them—their gazes locked on her brother. When they were only a foot away from them, the two men stopped and put their hands on their hips.

  “Tadpole!” Dev’s bark was nearly enough to make her jump. Peter whirled around—and then his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped.

  Dev and Drew laughed, and then Peter extended his hand.

  “It’s a surprise to see you, sirs,” he said.

  By the use of that nickname, “tadpole,” Brittany realized that Julia Wakefield-James’s husbands must have been two of her brothers training officers.

  “Just Dev and Drew,” Dev said. “This is home turf for us, and we are retired.” Then he nodded toward Brittany. “Your sister saved my bacon a few weeks back. Thought you should know that—and that we’ve put her in for a commendation.”

  That was news to Brittany. When Peter and her father stared at her, she just shrugged. She’d mentioned the tornado and that her guys had been trapped and that everyone had gotten out okay. She just hadn’t mentioned her contribution. It simply wasn’t her nature to brag. She really didn’t know what to say as her family gawked at her.

  So then, of course, Dev, along with Sean and Noah, told the tale of the “Night of the Tornado,” as it was being called. Brittany really wasn’t a woman who liked the spotlight. She felt her face heat as they heaped praise on her. She could admit, though, it did feel good to know that her family was proud of her.

  Peter headed off with Dev to meet the other former military people scattered about the restaurant while Aunt Samantha came over and greeted her folks.

  The easy conversation told Brit that they weren’t total strangers. Samantha led them to the buffet, and then her parents sat and chatted for a while with her and her husbands.

  A few minutes later, Brittany nearly squealed when Tommy Rogers, her former co-worker and self-appointed stand-in big brother arrived, with a man she remembered meeting in Africa, Sean and Noah’s manager from the job site in Namibia, Perry North.

  She’d liked Perry when she’d met him. With his blond hair, green eyes, and an easy smile, he set people at ease. The man had serious people skills.

  “I had leave coming, and Perry offered me a ride to and from. I couldn’t pass it up. Damn, Brittany, you look great!”

  “Thanks, Tommy. I won’t lie to you. It’s been a struggle, and it’s not over, but I’m getting there.”

  “Who wouldn’t struggle going through something like that?” He met her gaze and then asked the question that had clearly been on his mind. “So, do you think you’re going to stay in the Marines? Maybe take on modified duty of some sort?”

  “I haven’t even begun to explore my options, yet. I don’t think I’d make a very good desk jockey. Do you?”

  “No. You’re better off doing something, where you can use your talent of thinking on your feet.”

  Brittany did have some ideas about her future. She’d mentioned them to her guys, and they were discussing how it could be done. In recent days, Brit had become aware of the need for someone to stand up for veterans—female veterans in particular who, like her, had been injured. She’d been lucky. She’d had her family with their military traditions, and her men with their gobs of money, to stand up for her.

  Who did the countless other women veterans have?

  Brittany pulled her attention back to the moment as she and Tommy joined Sean and Noah who were chatting with Perry. The guys had been managing their business through Skype conference calls with Perry in Namibia and with other of their people in key locations around the globe. She hadn’t known if they were planning to travel again in the near future, or not.

  When she’d asked a few days before, they’d both shrugged. “We’ve spent our lives from the time we turned nineteen, until we landed in Namibia, traveling the globe,” Noah had said.

  “All that time, I think we were actually looking for you.” Sean had leaned over and kissed her. “So we’ll wait and see how what you’re thinking to do pans out. Maybe we’ll be following you around the country.”

  “The perfect solution would be if we followed each other.”

  Noah had grinned. “Damned straight, because we’re not going to be apart. Period.”

  Watching them now, she didn’t get the sense that they were antsy to go anywhere. She liked, very much, that they were comfortable staying in this town, because she was, too. But she knew that as she grew stronger, she’d be fine with change.

  Lusty wasn’t her home, nor was Indiana, not even the Marine Corps. Sean and Noah were her home, and that, for her, was a very comfortable realization.

  The best surprise of the evening wasn’t for her—but for her men. Her attention had been drawn to the large picture window that looked out onto Main Street. An attractive middle-aged couple came into view as they approached, an older man walking between them. Both men had a look about them, and she wondered if they might be some of Sean and Noah’s family from Wyoming.

  That question was answered as soon as Sean looked up to see what had caught her interest. “Holy hell! I don’t believe it!”

  Both of her men jumped up and wasted no time making their way over to the newcomers. Brittany got to her feet and followed. When she drew close, Sean and Noah both reached for her.

  “Sweetheart, this is our mom, Cindy, and our dad, Carl. And this is our Grandpa Noah.” He looked from her to his folks. “This is our Brittany.”

  Their parents each hugged her, welcoming her to the family. The hug she got from Grandpa Noah was especially fierce.

  “I am so happy to meet you,” he said. “The boys have told me so much about you. I can hear how much you mean to them in their voices.”

  “I’m happy to meet you, too, sir. For exactly the same reason.”

  They traded grins, and Brittany knew that she’d just gained a new grandfather.

  “When we called, you didn’t know if you were coming, or not,” Sean said. He led them all back to the large table they’d been sharing. Noah took a moment to get some refreshments for his folks, and then all six of them settled in.

  Brittany mostly listened as Sean and Noah were brought up to speed on the latest Kendall news from home.

  “We weren’t certain if we were coming, or not,” Cindy said. “Dad wanted to move down here and had hoped to be here more than a month ago. Of course, your aunts had something to say about that.”

  “I finally had to put my foot down,” Grandpa Noah said. “Just because a body is getting older doesn’t mean they’re getting feeble or stupid.”

  “Were they worried about you being so far away from them, sir, and on yo
ur own?” Brittany knew that when her parents got to be in their eighties she’d likely worry about them, too. “Because I just can’t see that as a problem here. This place is teeming with family.”

  Grandpa Noah smirked. “More like they were worried about my money getting far away from them.”

  “I have to admit I was a bit worried about your grandpa, too, but for a different reason. I saw the way my brothers’ wives were wheedling and needling.” He shook his head. “I should have known better. Dad isn’t likely to give in to sweet-talk or to threats.”

  “They threatened you?” Brittany was aghast.

  “What did Aunt Alicia have to say about all that?” Sean turned to Brittany. “Our Aunt Alicia is married to our Uncle Ron. She’s a true sweetheart. They have a place that’s sort of out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “My brothers Braeden and Craig complained to both Ron and Ali once that they lived too damn far away. To which Ron said, ‘that’s kind of the point.’”

  Brittany couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry.”

  “So, Dad, you were worried about grandpa?” Noah smirked then smiled at his grandfather. “What did you do to thwart the little gold diggers?”

  Grandpa cracked a grin. “When Samantha came up to visit again a few weeks back, I asked her to bring Jake with her. The boy’s a damn smart lawyer. He set up a trust for me, and I gave him power of attorney. Once those harridans discovered there was no way they could worm their claws into my bank account, they couldn’t see the back of me fast enough.”

  “We’re glad you’re here, Grandpa,” Sean said. “Are you moved in now?”

  “The rest of my things arrive tomorrow. The gang will get me settled in my own place, then. It’s a nice, one-story house only a few blocks away from Samantha and the triplets. For now, we’re staying at the New House.” Grandpa Noah’s grin was huge. “For me, it’s just like old times.”

  Samantha Kendall joined them then, hugging her husbands’ cousins. The hug she gave Grandpa Noah was especially strong. “We’re so glad you’re here, too, Noah.”

  “I should have made the move years ago, after Maggie passed. Lusty always felt like the home I never got to enjoy. Now, I will.”

  Kate Benedict came over with Brittany’s parents in tow and welcomed the Wyoming Kendalls. Then she hugged Brittany and her men.

  More chairs were brought over, another table added, and before long, an enormous group had gathered around.

  “Jake, how is the clean-up at the North Ranch coming?” Kate asked.

  Brittany didn’t doubt for one minute that the spry woman already knew every detail. But her asking gave Jake a nudge to share the details with everyone else.

  Jake grinned. “The OEM released the site to us, and we got a good start yesterday. It was slow going until we were able to extricate those two hickory tables Ricoh made. Damn, they were heavy.” He grinned.

  “Don’t you curse those tables, son,” Samantha said. “They saved your brother’s, and your cousins’ lives.”

  “I was hoping to meet Ricoh Stone while I was here,” Carl said. “I wanted to thank him for his remarkable workmanship. Those tables saved a lot of good men, including my sons.”

  Clearly, the Kendalls had been told of the adventure weeks before.

  “Ricoh and Angela are on their non-honeymoon honeymoon,” Grandma Kate said. “But they’re close by. I’m sure they’ll be glad to come for lunch in the next day or two.”

  “Angela and Ricoh didn’t take a real honeymoon?” Brittany asked.

  “We all offered.” Samantha shook her head. “The Town Trust was going to send them anywhere on earth their hearts desired.” Her eyes glistened, and her expression showed her awe. “Do you know that man had been watching the weather all day, did he tell you that? He said he’d had a sixth sense about it. Not only did he make those tables in the first place, he got everyone moving within seconds of the internet alert and before the tornado hit.” Samantha sighed. “Is it any wonder we wanted to give them the trip of their dreams? But all they wanted was to be someplace, just the two of them, together.”

  “Henry flew them out to the cottage in the helicopter, though the place is fairly close, not far outside of town,” Kate said. “It’s a vacation home we had built years ago, for anyone who just wanted to go off on their own for a spell. Trace and Lucas had taken Ricoh’s truck out there, earlier, so they’d have transportation available when they wanted it. They’re there for a month, enjoying some well-earned R and R.”

  “That sounds like the perfect kind of honeymoon,” Brittany said.

  “You’re not interested in a European tour or a Mediterranean cruise?” Grandpa Noah asked. “Or a shopping spree down Rodeo Drive?”

  “No, sir. Time alone with the men I love sounds just wonderful to me.”

  “We were actually thinking about a trip up to the North West Territories in Canada. We thought you might like to do a little prospecting with us. We could look for gold or diamonds. Your choice.”

  “That sounds like fun! I’d love to see that part of the world with the two of you.”

  Grampa Noah looked at his grandsons and then nodded. “You were right, boys. She’s definitely a keeper.”

  Sean, on her left, and Noah, on her right, each picked up one of her hands and kissed them. “Sir, we knew that right from the first moment we saw her.”

  Brittany had known it, too. It had just taken her quite a bit longer to trust that instinct. Around her, people connected—talking, sharing, and living. Looking around the large restaurant, she saw faces of people she knew, people who a month and a half before had been strangers, but who were, now, every one of them, family.

  Family wasn’t in the blood or in the genes. It was in the heart. Family cared and family loved and family accepted you, warts and all.

  THE END

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