by Chloe Lang
She loved Wilde. The folks here might be odd to the outside, freaks even, but they were absolutely wonderful. She wouldn’t change a thing about any of them.
After consuming two crackers, he finally asked, “Shall we split this?”
“No. I’ve got another one.” She pulled out the other package, identical to the one she’d given him from the same emergency snack drawer in her desk. She held it up for him to see. “I only want a couple. If you’re still hungry, you may have the rest of these.”
“You’re too good to me, darlin’.” Justin stood and got right in front of her. Then he cupped her chin. “Those fools eating that barbeque at the ground breaking ceremony have nothing on us. This is fucking fine dining if you ask me.”
She grinned. Justin was definitely no pushover, and like it or not, she was responding to his blatant come-on. “I agree, cowboy. Still, the Wilde men do put out the best ribs in the state.”
“Ribs?” His voice trailed off for a moment, then he shook his head, releasing her chin. “You’re bad, Shelby. Really bad. I think this break is over.”
He sat back down and finished his last cracker. She moved next to him, inhaling his scent of leather and wood. As promised, she handed over the majority of her snack to him.
“Thanks, darlin’. What about something to drink?”
“Sorry, just these. There’s a water fountain in the hallway.”
“I saw it, but it can wait. Besides, I have an idea for later for the two of us.”
Two of us? Damn, this isn’t good.
He wasn’t making this easy for her. She needed to finish this task, thank him, and say good-bye. It would’ve been best if she had not brought him here. Why had she? Because she was a lost cause, always searching and hoping for the impossible. As Justin devoured the last cracker, she realized he did seem to enjoy the snack more than most. He’d eaten them fast.
“Better?” she asked.
“Much. Thanks.”
As they began working on the project again, she turned to him. “Alex is your brother?”
“Uh-huh,” he said, his mouth still full from the last cracker. “Him and Brandon.”
“The guy standing with you and Alex before you came over to me with your tired lines?” she asked, teasing him.
“Tired lines? Shelby, those are some of the best lines in the rodeo circuit. Ask anyone.”
“You mean ask the women, right?”
Justin shrugged. “Straight as an arrow, darlin’.”
The man oozed of sexuality, hot male sexuality. “Ditto here, cowboy.”
It was time to change the subject. This was her home, not his, not Alex’s, not their brother Brandon’s. Sure, Alex had moved here, but he was still an outsider. She could see it in his face whenever he looked at the families in Wilde—not quite a look of judgment but definitely not understanding. She loved Wilde, but realized for most it was too much to take in.
“All done.” She stood. Time to end this now before my heart suffers again. “Thank you so much for your help.”
Alex had more than piqued her interest, and she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Now, she was in her office with his brother, a sexy beast. She’d grown up in a poly family. Two dads and one mom. It made sense on every level to her. Alex and Justin? They were from Elko. And they had another brother, too. Three dreamy men for a Wilde girl like her, but most certainly a nightmare for anyone from Elko like them.
Justin got to his feet and moved right in front of her. On the floor, he didn’t seem like such a…a giant. Now, he towered over her.
“I’d like to collect my pay, sweetheart,” he said seductively.
“Pay? There’s no pay, cowboy.”
“Yes, there is.” Without warning, he pulled her into his muscled frame and captured her lips with his. Instinctively, she melted into his dominance. Her toes curled as she felt one of his big hands on the back of her neck and the other on the curve of her waist.
Idiot. This will never work. You’ve tried this before. Why go down this path again?
She brought her hands up to his chest and pushed slightly.
He released her mouth. “What, darlin’?”
“I can’t do this,” she confessed and tried to twist free from his hold.
His dark eyes narrowed. “Do what? Kiss me?”
Why had she said yes to Justin coming to help her? Because deep down she dreamed of it leading to Alex and a life, a future, she hoped for.
“Any of it, Justin. You’re from Elko. I’m from Wilde. You and I both know what that means, don’t we?”
He took a step back. “Fuck the old ways, baby. Today, you and I will broker a new path for our hometowns to get along. What do you say? How about we discuss this over a meal at the diner?”
“Yes,” she said, unable to help herself. “When?”
“Now,” Justin said like he’d been a Dom his entire life. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”
Justin certainly wasn’t a Dom, but he sure did have the DNA to be one.
Chapter Three
Shelby watched Justin devour his meal of King Cakes, the diner’s name for pancakes honoring Elvis Presley. “You were starving, cowboy.”
“Uh-huh,” he said with his mouth full.
“Wouldn’t you much rather have the ribs at the ground breaking?” she asked.
Justin drank the rest of his coffee and set the cup down. “Nope. Most folks are there.” He motioned to the empty diner. Save them and Carlotta, the new owner of the place, they were the only ones here. “This way we can have some alone time.”
She smiled. “Didn’t we just have over an hour of that already back in my office?”
“We did, but we were working on your gift bag deconstruct. Now, we can really talk and get to know each other.”
Talk? Haven’t we already talked our ears off? Justin was different from his brother, Alex, who was just as charming but not as much of a conversationalist. “What do you want to discuss, cowboy?”
“You,” he stated flatly, his unblinking eyes locking in on her like lasers. “Tell me what you like to do, Shelby. What’s something fun we can enjoy together? You like horses?”
“One question at a time, please.” She’d love to tell him that kissing him had been on her mind since he’d walked up to her but knew it would be best to keep that to herself. At least for now. “I like my job, for one.”
“What do you do there?” he asked.
“I’m the executive assistant to the president of the company—Austin Wilde.” She’d had a crush on him a while back but it had turned into more of a friendship between boss and employee after a short time. Now that Austin was with her friend Jessie, that was a good thing.
“Wilde?” Justin’s eyes widened. “I’ve run into him before. I know a little about his family. What about your family, Shelby?”
She knew where this was heading. Dive in with both feet. If he runs away, so be it. “I have two dads and one mom, if that is what you’re asking.”
“Straight to the point, darlin’.” He reached across the table and touched her on the cheek. She didn’t try to move her face away, enjoying the feel of his fingertips on her skin. “You’re a handful, aren’t you? Are you close to your parents?”
“I love them very much. They are very happy, too. I’m one of two girls. Carol is a year younger than me. We have two older brothers, Bane and Adam. Both are serving in the Marines right now.” She looked into his eyes. “What about your brothers, Alex and Brandon? Tell me about them.”
He nodded and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “They’re great guys. My best friends. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know them after our hundredth date.”
She laughed. “Pretty sure of yourself, cowboy, aren’t you? Besides, I already have met your brother Alex. Several times, in fact.” Not enough and not the way she wanted, but still, she did know him better than she knew Justin. Or at least better until now.
Justin smiled. “So I’m guessing you have figured out
that Alex is normally more friend material, Shelby. Has he even asked you on a date yet?”
“No,” she hated to admit.
“Are you figuring out that I’m more boyfriend material?”
She felt the tingles heat up inside her. “I’m not sure what kind of material you are or aren’t yet.”
“But you’re still here, so that tells me you are curious to find out. Right?”
How was he getting inside her head so easily? If she answered him, she’d just give him more ammo. “Perhaps I should get back to the ceremony.”
“Not so fast.” Justin got up out of the booth. “Since our meal is done, I want to sit next to you. Slide over for me, Shelby.”
Her sassy side wanted to refuse, but her submissive side won the battle. So, she scooted over as Justin had told her to. The sexy cowboy moved in beside her close, ever so close.
Shamelessly, Justin put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in tight. “Now, this is better, isn’t it, darlin’?”
She shook her head in denial, but the truth? It was better. She liked being held by him. Liked it a lot. Could this be the start of my dream? Wishful thinking.
Trying to get her mind on something else, she said, “Elko, your dad has done a terrific job as the acting sheriff. I bet if he wants to run for the office in the next election that he’ll win by a landslide.”
“I’m surprised how your town has taken to him, especially since he’s from Elko.”
“They have.”
“See. There’s hope for us, too.” Justin winked. “Pop is happy here. I think Connie is the main reason. He was so sad after my mom’s death. When Connie came along he got his old spark back.”
“When did you lose your mom?” she asked, wanting to know more about him and his upbringing.
“Twelve years ago. Cancer.” His tone softened from its earlier lightness.
She regretted bringing up the subject. “We can talk about something else, Justin.”
He shook his head. “I want to tell you about her. Mom was the heart of our family. All four of us lost our sparks. Me and my brothers were still in high school. We pulled together and got through the worst of the grief. It never goes away fully, but it does get better.”
She wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. A little of both, perhaps. “She sounds like a wonderful woman. Having met your dad, I’m sure they were very happy together.”
“God, you are something else, Shelby.” He touched her chin. “Look at me, darlin’.”
She did, unable to resist him. Gazing into his brown eyes sent a new round of shivers through her body.
“Besides my brothers, you’re the only one I’ve ever talked to about my mom. I was getting sad and you knew just what to say to lift my spirits.” He leaned in and kissed her, his mouth conquering hers. She melted into him, enjoying the feel and taste of his lips.
“What’s this?” Alex’s voice crashed into her ears.
She unlocked her lips from Justin’s and looked up at Alex, his brother, who was frowning.
“None of your business, bro,” Justin said. “Move along, please.”
“I think I need to go.” She suddenly wished for the power to vanish in a puff of smoke.
“It’s okay, darlin’.” Justin pulled her tight into him. “This is our date.”
She shook her head. “Not a date. Lunch.”
“Shelby, I love my brother, but you don’t know him the way I do,” Alex said firmly.
“Just lunch,” she said, though knowing it was already more than that. Much more.
“What about the kiss I just witnessed?” Alex asked. “Not typical for the lunches I’ve been to.”
Justin smirked. “Perhaps you should pick better lunch dates then, bro.”
“Please stop this, guys.” Why was she acting like an outsider? Like a woman caught between two rival men trying to placate them?
Because I’m an idiot. Was she really ready to repeat the past? She’d been down this road before.
This was Wilde. Two men could share a woman here, especially brothers. By the scowl on Alex’s face and Justin’s possessive tug, the Champions weren’t ready to share a damn thing.
“Hear me out, Shelby. Justin’s MO is to break hearts. I don’t want that happening to you.”
Neither do I. She was about to demand Justin move so she could get out of the booth and exit when the door to Norma’s opened. The two women entering shocked her into silence.
“Hello, Shelby.” Norma walked over to her booth. Behind the former owner of the diner came Lily, one of her daughters.
“When did you get to town?” Shelby asked her.
“Just now. Tried to call you a couple of times yesterday and then my phone went dead.” Norma looked like she’d aged several years since Samantha’s death. The former owner of the diner had left Wilde after the tragedy. “I have a favor to ask you,” Norma said sheepishly. “Do you mind if we join you and your beaus?”
“They’re not my beaus, Norma,” she corrected.
“I’m not yet, but give me time and who knows?” Justin smiled and motioned for Norma and Lily to sit across from them.
“Don’t give him an inch, Shelby. I know my brother, and you don’t want to get mixed up with his kind.” Alex stepped aside, the remnants of his former frown still present on his lips, though lesser. Since the arrival of the two former Wilders, his apparent shock of seeing her kiss his brother was muted for the time being.
“These two aren’t from here, are they?” Lily asked her.
“Nope. Elko.”
“Figures.” Samantha’s sister’s lips twisted into a mocking grin. “I can spot Elko boys a mile away. Go Wolves.”
“Go Indians,” Justin snapped back and then held out his hand to Norma. “Justin Champion, ma’am.”
“Norma Harris.” The woman grabbed his hand and shook it.
“This is my brother.” Justin motioned to Alex.
He offered her his hand. “Alex Champion, Mrs. Harris.”
As Norma had done with Justin, she took Alex’s hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, young man.” Then she turned back to Shelby. “About that favor.”
“What do you need? I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
“We need a place to stay, Shelby,” Lily blurted out.
“Don’t be so brazen, Lily,” Norma said. Then she reached across the table and grabbed Shelby’s hand. “You’ve always been like a daughter to me. It pains me to ask this of you.”
Shelby felt heartache for the woman she’d looked up to since she was a young girl. “Norma, it’s okay. You can stay with me.”
Norma closed her eyes. “Just a couple of weeks, sweetheart. I promise.”
“Stay as long as you want. It will be my pleasure,” she said, hoping to take away the shame she saw on Norma’s face.
Lily smiled. “I told her you wouldn’t let us down. We’re low on funds and with the fallout Mom and Emma had, we needed to come back to Wilde. I suggested we stay with you until we can get back on our feet.”
“I’d love to have you stay with me.”
Norma was like a second mother to her. She wanted to ask about what happened between Norma and her other daughter Emma but knew there’d be time for that later. Shelby hated hearing the troubles Norma and Lily were having.
“You are such a sweet girl,” Norma said. “At least Samantha was right in picking you as her friend.”
“I wish I could’ve been a better friend to her.” Shelby’s gut twisted into a knot, remembering Sam.
“Sweetie, you were a wonderful friend. She was just so troubled.” Norma closed her eyes and shook her head.
“My place has two bedrooms. Lily, you might have to sleep with your mom or me. Will that work?”
“I’ll sleep with Mom, Shelby, if that’s okay. I don’t want to put you out any more than we have to.”
“It’s fine.” She turned to Justin and Alex, who were glaring at each other. “I thought you
two were supposed to be close. Doesn’t look like it from where I’m sitting.”
“To me either,” Lily added.
“Lily, don’t be rude,” Norma scolded.
“Perhaps these Elko boys deserve it though.” Lily looked at her. “Do they, Shel?”
Shel? That was what Sam had called her. God, it was so hard to believe the darkness that had resided in her old friend’s heart. How had she missed it all those years? Samantha was an unbelievably good actress. Or I was the biggest sucker that ever lived. Still, she owed it to Norma to help her and Lily.
“Let’s go get your things and get you moved in right away,” she said.
“I’ll help,” Justin stated. “You have boxes that need carrying, ladies?”
“Your Elko cowboy is quite charming,” Lily said with a smile.
“He’s not mine.”
Justin placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Maybe I could be.”
“I can help, too,” Alex said. “I want to keep an eye on my brother.”
“Are you two really fighting over our Shelby?” Lily tilted her head slightly.
“We only have a few suitcases, gentlemen,” Norma said. “We can handle it.”
“Mom, you’re no fun.” Lily shook her head. “I wouldn’t mind having these two tough hombres help us. They sure are sexy as hell.”
A tinge of jealousy shot through Shelby at Lily’s flirtatious words. Why? “We’ve got this, guys. Now, if you don’t mind letting me out of this booth, Justin, I’ll take them to my place.”
“Wait a second, Shelby,” Alex said.
“What for?” she asked.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you on a date ever since I came to Wilde. You like Chinese food?”
A huge shiver shot up and down her spine. How long had she been hoping he would ask? “I do like Chinese, but what took you so long, Alex?” Damn. There goes my foot back in my mouth again. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He shrugged. “I could give you a list of excuses but all of them are stupid. You’re a beautiful woman. I shouldn’t have waited.”
“You want to know why he’s asking you now, Shelby?” Justin asked.
“Yes.”
“Because I didn’t hesitate. I saw you and I wanted to get to know you. Now, he’s ready to get off the fence. That’s why.”