Theirs to Treasure (Beyond Monogamy Book 1)

by Marissa Dobson

  He turned to head up the hill toward the house. “I prefer to remain a silent investor. I don’t want someone’s business doing well because I contributed to the funds to get it started or keep the business afloat.”

  “If you make money on a company doing well, then it seems like it’s senseless to keep it quiet.”

  “True, but imagine someone going to a restaurant I’ve given funds to and the food not being up to par. It could affect all my other business transactions.” He pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the house. “I need to keep my name as clean as possible if I want to continue occasionally doing sports casting.”

  “That makes sense.” She nodded as movement from the front door caught her attention and Cody stepped out.

  “Our parents will be arriving in a few hours but Cody wanted to talk to you while Kain and I finish getting things ready.” He nodded toward Cody. “Go ahead and go with him, I’ll take your bags inside and place them in the guest room.”

  Something about Cody caught her attention, and she realized she’d spotted a darkness she hadn’t seen before. Deep within him, something was troubling him, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

  As if sensing what she’d noticed, Aiden reached across the armrest and laid his hand on her arm. “He’s got skeletons in his closet, but we all do. He’s not a violent man, just closed off. Let him take his time telling you what he needs to.”

  “He doesn’t have to tell me anything.”

  “Why, because you’re just our matchmaker?” Something about his tone made her think he was searching, trying to figure out what was in her head. She wanted to be more to them, but she couldn’t let on already.

  “No, but there’s no need to dig up the past.”

  “He thinks there is. Now go to him. I’ll park in the garage and then take your things inside.”

  She opened her door and stepped down from the SUV. Cody reached for her arm, steadying her, and she turned to him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and chase away the memories that were haunting him.

  “I thought we could take a walk to the barn and I can show you the horses while they finish setting up.”

  “Sounds great. I’ve wanted to check out your horses since you mentioned them. Don’t laugh, but I’ve never seen one in real life.”

  “A lot of people haven’t.” He tipped his head to a black four-by-four sitting on the edge of the driveway. “We could take that and be there quicker but it’s just a short walk and it’s beautiful.”

  “Let’s walk and you can tell me about the horses.” She figured that would help ease a bit of the tension within him.

  Immediately his shoulders relaxed as he began to tell her about the different horses he owned. Describing each of them down to their breed, color, and even their personalities. It wasn’t just how he chose to make a living, it was his passion. His face lit up as he talked about them.

  “Did you know you can tell if a horse is cold by feeling behind their ears? If that area is cold, so is the horse.”

  “I guess I never thought about it. I just figured they’d have a way to keep themselves warm, but then again you see those horses with the blankets over their backs in the winter.” She paused as they came to stand before the doors to the barn. “When I was a kid, I always wanted a pony. I never got one but it was my childhood wish.”

  “Why didn’t you get one?”

  “Mom said it was too much work since Beyond Monogamy was in the shadows then, and Mathew’s law firm was touch-and-go because the town’s residents suspected something happening between Mom and my two Dads.”

  “If you’d have gotten one as a child he’d still be around for many years to come. Ponies live longer than horses and can live well into their fifties.” He pushed open the barn door. “I don’t have any ponies now but we borrow one of the neighboring ranch’s ponies in the summer when we have certain groups of children here. I’m sure I can arrange for you to go there and visit with it tomorrow before we fly out if you’d like.”

  “I think I might be too big for a pony now.” She giggled, stepping toward a chestnut horse who had his head sticking out over the half door.

  “That’s General. He’s an American Quarter Horse.”

  “He’s gorgeous. Can I pet him?” He nodded, and she timidly reached forward.

  “Go on, he won’t bite. The General is used to rougher stuff than you’ll dish out. He’s my main stallion for the children. Calm and easy going. He’ll take anything the kids through at him with style.”

  She noticed how soft his coat was as she ran her fingers over the side of his head. The horse leaned closer, sniffing her with interest. “What’s he doing?”

  “He likes you. Now scratch him behind the ears, it’s his favorite spot. Wait, while I grab something.”

  “Don’t leave me!” She tried to keep the panic from her voice but failed.

  “You’re fine.” He stepped around her. “Give him this.”

  She quickly glanced down, not wanting to take her eyes off General for too long. “An apple? Now?”

  “It’s for him.” He laughed at her confusion before he laid his head against hers, his body pressed against her back. “He’ll eat it right out of your hand. Like this.” He took her hand, placed the apple in it and guided her closer to his mouth.

  “Wow.” She whispered as the horse took a bite from the apple. Though she wasn’t completely sure if she was more impressed with the feeling of him pressed against her or what General was doing. She wished she could focus more on Cody but with the horse eating from her hand she had to make sure he didn’t mistake any of her fingers for food.

  When the apple was gone, he reached farther around her to scratch the horse behind the ears. “Big boy, we’ll be back later and go for a ride.”

  “Where to now?”

  “There’s still more to see.” He led her down the row of horses toward where the hay was stored. “First I want to talk to you.”

  “We don’t have to do this.” She offered as much for him as for herself. Their time together had been special and she didn’t want to ruin it by digging up the past.

  He took a seat on a bale of hay. “Yeah we do. Aiden told me you asked why my family wouldn’t be here today.”

  “It’s none of my business.” She tried to get him to see reason, to force away the storm clouds that were forming in his eyes. “Please, Cody, just show me the horses.”

  “My life was pretty normal until my father died but then it all changed. I don’t just mean that I was suddenly the man of the house and was expected to deal with the ranch. I gave up everything to keep that damn place afloat.”

  She sat down next to him and laid her hand on his leg. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “You need to know to truly understand why I’m the man I am.” He stared down at the floor as he continued. “I worked from sunup to sundown to keep that place alive. Everything I did or thought was about the ranch. I turned down scholarships for college so I could stay and keep the family legacy alive. The winter after I graduated, it was right before Christmas when I found out.”

  “What?”

  “All the money I had made in selling hay, produce, eggs, slaughtering our cattle, and everything else was gone. My mother didn’t use it to pay back the loan or the other bills.” He pushed off the hay and marched to one of the empty stalls. “See, my mother had a problem gambling years before I was born. My father kept her in check, not giving her more money than she needed, and cutting her off altogether when she went back to her old ways. I didn’t have that same power and she took off with the money. While I was working the land she was spending the money on bets. Toward the end she was too drunk to even tell me what had happened. I ended up finding out from the police, who’d been sent to get us off the property.”

  “Oh, Cody.” She came to stand behind him, her hand on his back. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not any consolation, but it was just land. What matters is family.”

  �
��Family…I lost the last of my biological family that day as well.” He turned to face her. “My mother knew they were coming, she knew all along what would happen when she didn’t pay the loan note.” He collapsed on the cool floor of the barn. “She killed herself while I was out in the field. I found her when I went to tell her the police were there and we had to leave. I was so pissed. I came in screaming at her, cursing her for everything that was happening.”

  She sank down on her knees next to him and wrapped her arm around him. “Oh, sweet Cody.”

  “The days leading up to it, we fought all the time. She died thinking I hated her and there’s nothing I can do to change that.” He let his head fall back against her shoulder until their gazes met. “I didn’t hate her, I was just angry. She threw everything away. That ranch had been in my father’s family for centuries and I had expected to take it over someday. Now it’s gone.”

  “But look at the life you have. Look at what you’ve done, all you’ve created. You have this school for the children in the area. It might not be the ranch you once had but it’s something you built. More importantly you’re surrounded by those who love you.”

  “I’m missing one thing.” He ran his hand over her cheek. “We’re missing you.”

  She couldn’t believe her ears. “Cody, you’re upset.”

  “Upset…or maybe now I know what I want. I want you.”

  “Have you forgotten the three of you are supposed to find a woman together? What do the others thing of this? Have you even told them?”

  “I have, and damn…they’re going to kill me for telling you. We don’t need your matchmaking because we’ve already found the woman we want to spend the rest of our lives with.” He let out a light chuckle. “I’m going about this all wrong.”

  She joined him in the laugh before nodding. “I won’t say you’ve done it gracefully but I won’t hold it against you.”

  She pressed her head to his. At least he was laughing instead of living in the past as he had moments before. She held him, never wanting the moment to end, while still wanting to take away the memories that had brought them to the ground of the barn. Even in the midst of everything else his pain was still in the forefront of her thoughts. She’d figure things out about the men later. That night after the get together with their parents she’d make sure they sat down and discussed what Cody had said. She needed to know if everyone felt the same way and then she’d be able to decide how she was going to approach things. Every fiber of her being hoped they’d all want her. Because she wanted them, too.

  Chapter Nine

  The party was in full swing and everyone was having a good time. Paris stood near the doorway watching them. They were one big family, not divided into their own groups. Even Cody, the only one without any family there, fit into the mix without any problems. An outsider wouldn’t be able to tell that Cody wasn’t born into the family. Aiden’s parents were sweet and seemed completely excited about their upcoming wedding. Actually, it was a renewal of their vows to them, while the public could believe whatever they wished.

  Then there were Kain’s parents and the way one of his two fathers always seemed glued to their wife’s side. They were such a sweet trio that she couldn’t take her eyes off them. There was a love that radiated from them, and she wanted that. She wanted her husbands to look at her the wayMrs. Fitzgerald’s husbands looked at her.

  “Having a good time?” Aiden came up next to her, placing his hand on the small of her back.

  “Yeah. Thank you for inviting me. Seeing the three of you with your family…it’s a special time. Your parents are great and so sweet.” Her gaze traveled slowly over everyone before she tipped her head back to look at him. “It doesn’t matter how you came together, you’re a family. What makes it even more special is the fact that you’ve invited Cody into the fold.”

  “He told you what happened, and you didn’t call Jake back to pick you up.”

  She turned to him, cutting him off. “Why would I? He did nothing wrong. You don’t honestly blame him for what happened, do you?”

  “Aren’t you a firecracker?” He shot her a smirk before continuing. “No, I don’t blame him because I know the whole story. The question is, did Cody tell you everything? Or just that he thinks he’s the reason his mother killed herself.”

  “He told me she was gambling the money and they lost their ranch because of it. Is there something else?”

  “She had a warrant out for her arrest for attempted armed robbery. She was desperate and tried to rob a liquor store two towns over, in order to save the land. Crazy idea that almost got her killed. The owner came out from the back with a gun and she took off.” He wasn’t looking at her any longer, his gaze on Cody. “I didn’t know him then but Kain did. Kain’s father was the sheriff here and he called us to see if there was anything we could do to help him. Kain flew home to collect Cody that night and he’s been with us ever since.”

  “Help him how? You’d have been in your, what…second year as a football player?”

  “I’d just finished my first season as a pro-football player. The first team running back got injured and I got thrown into it. It was a big year for me and the team.”

  She nodded. “I remember you took them all the way, winning the championship and everything. That’s when your career really took off.”

  “Yeah, the whole off season I was rushed from one commitment to another that my agent set up. Cody was there as a bodyguard when things got rough, a friend when things were calm. We bonded during the trip but it wasn’t until a few years ago he actually told me what happened. I knew what Kain told me but I didn’t know how it affected him.”

  “He seems okay.”

  “For the most part he is, but he has a hard time opening up to people. He needs someone to share his romantic side with. It’s going to take time for him to open up to any woman, for fear he’ll let them down just as he believes he let down his mother.” He rubbed his fingers lightly along the curve of her shoulder. “He needs you to take your time with him.”

  “Me?” She turned enough to raise an eyebrow at him.

  “I know he told you what we want.”

  “What is it that you want?” She needed to hear him say it.

  “We want you.” He let out a light laugh before rubbing his hand down her arm. “We put this whole thing together to sweep you off your feet. It was Kain’s idea to have you here with our families so you can see how much we care for them. We were going to get rid of them early and work on seducing you.”

  “What if I wanted to leave tonight?”

  “We were hoping the weather would work in our favor to keep you here.” He tipped his head toward the wall of windows, where the snow was falling heavily already. “Paris Nelson, you strolled into our lives and we will never be the same. You’re the woman we want and need.”

  “How do you know?”

  “My mother, Christine, used to tell me the story of how she met Dad. I remember her telling me over and over when she was dying. After the hundredth time I heard it I finally asked her why she kept telling me the same story, there had to be other things she wanted to tell me. She explained that she needed me to remember the story because she wouldn’t be there when I found the woman I’d spend the rest of my life with and she wanted me to trust my gut. See, when she met Dad she just knew he was the one. I thought it was the pain medication that made her remember it differently than it happened, but when you strolled into my office I knew she was speaking the truth because I felt it to. I know it sounds like something that only happens in those chick-flick romantic movies but it’s the truth.”

  “Maybe with you but not with Kain.” They both glanced to Kain who seemed to know they were talking about him because he looked up at them and smiled.

  “Maybe not when you stepped off the plane. He’ll admit he was an ass but he doesn’t like change and he took that out on you. Things don’t have to happen the same way for everyone. With my Dad and Susan it didn’t h
appen that way. He was attracted to her, but it was my mother who pushed. She knew the family needed something more, and Susan was right for them. I was young and don’t remember that, but from what I hear she completed us, made us a true family. The point is, things changed when Kain spoke with you.”

  “You’re all in agreement on this then?”

  He nodded. “Now we just have to convince you. So I’m going to shove the family out the door and we’re going to enjoy a quiet night here and you can get to know us more than just for your questionnaire.”

  Before she could argue, he had left her side, and signaled to Kain and Cody as he neared them. She was left standing there completely stunned. She had expected at least some challenge. For one of them to tell her that her woman’s intuition was off. Instead, she found them ready to fight for her. She was one lucky woman, and planned to see if they were really up for the challenge.

  The sun streamed through the dozens of windows while Paris nursed her second cup of coffee. She had never been a morning person, but today had been rougher after being up half the night talking with the three of them. Thankfully, none of the others seemed to be morning people either, as they were quieter than they had been since she arrived. Or maybe no one was looking forward to her leaving that afternoon. She wished she could have stayed, but Mom had treatment on Monday and Paris wanted to spend some time with her while she was well enough for company.

  Kain leaned back in the kitchen chair, his cowboy hat sitting on the table next to his coffee, and cleared his throat. “The others and I were talking last night after you retired to your room. We would love to have you come back next weekend if you’re not busy.”

  She polished off the last of her coffee before Cody refilled it. “I have plans for Sunday evening, but the rest of the weekend I’m available. Though Jake is off, he’s going to visit his sister in Virginia. He’s leaving Thursday and will return on Tuesday, but I could catch a—”