by Shae Shannon
“That looks amazing, Ma. Blueberry cobbler is my favorite.” Dixon attempted his best sugarcoated compliment to try and avoid the wrath of Momma.
She stopped mixing the ingredients and glared at him. “I know. I am not making it for you, though, I am making it for EmmaLee. If you boys don’t straighten up I won’t even let you lick the dang dish clean.” Her eyes dropped back to the task at hand, and she stirred with a little more strength than necessary.
Lyndon puffed his cheeks out with air, giving Dixon another shrug followed by a painful looking wince. Dixon responded with a nod toward her, signaling it was Lyndon’s turn at the dragon’s mercy.
“So, Momma, you wouldn’t happen to know where Emmie went, would you?” He spoke in the sweetest, most innocent voice he could muster.
This time, she didn’t look up. A simple, “Yip,” was all she said.
He planned his next words carefully, hoping that it wouldn’t earn him a mixing spoon or whisk upside his head. “Well, we are kind of lookin’ for her, and were hoping you might tell us where to look.”
She responded with a curt “Nope.”
The two men stood fidgeting like small children trying to figure out what the hell to do. After a few silent minutes, Lyndon reached over the counter and dipped his finger in the bowl of the thick blueberry mixture. Before he could get it to his mouth, a hard smack landed on the back of his hand, sending his stolen sample all over the counter in a messy splat.
“Ouch! I just wanted a taste, Mom, geez!” He rubbed the stinging away with a beat puppy look on his face.
“I told you, you boys are not getting any until you can quit acting like dipshits. Now get out of the kitchen before I grab the wooden spoon.”
Dixon and Lyndon turned and left, with their heads hanging, feeling a bit emasculated from the childish treatment they had just received. Lyndon was mentally tired. He walked out on the back porch and grabbed two beers from the fridge that had been put back there just for beer. Lilly didn’t like their beer bottles hogging up the kitchen refrigerator, so she had Jeremy get a used one and stick it out there for their “horse piss.” He walked over and sat on the porch swing beside Dixon. After handing one to Dixon’s extended hand, he twisted the top and chugged half of it down before speaking.
“You did exactly what I did earlier today. When I went searching for her to apologize, I found her asleep with the cows. You showed up before I got a chance to talk to her, spouting the same stupid shit I had.” His head fell backward to rest on the swing.
“So, I am assuming that you found Jase with her then.”
“Yep.”
Dixon propped his foot up on his other knee and leaned back, reclining as far as the wooden porch swing would allow. “You two are fucking up royally. There is no way it will work, and you are going to lose her out of your life forever. I won’t interfere anymore, but just know that I don’t approve and you both better hope to hell that you don’t mess up my relationship with her. You two will live to regret it, I promise you.”
“Well, I guess I can agree to that. But you are wrong and stupid for ignoring your feelings for her. Where do you think she went?” Lyndon wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Hell, I don’t know, probably to town.”
“You don’t think she’s going to go out out do you?” The mere idea made Lyndon’s jaw tic.
“Maybe. Where is Jase?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I unloaded on him and Emm. He won’t answer my texts or calls.” He fidgeted with the peeling label on the bottle of brew. After a few moments, he gave in and asked. “Will you call him and ask him to take us to town? I have a feeling an unthinkable amount of alcohol is in my near future, and I will be in need of a designated driver.” He finished the remains in the bottle, and went to retrieve two more. “You might wanna catch up, it’s going to be a long night.”
Dixon shook his head, smiling, but tipped up and chugged the rest of the foamy liquid. He accepted the cold offering and grabbed his cell phone. A quick text later, he smiled. “It seems our little brother is out looking for her as we speak, and spotted a shiny new purple truck pulling into the parking lot of Honkeytonk Blues. He is on his way home now.”
“You are going with us, ain’t ya?” Lyndon asked Dixon like a little brother asking to play with his Hot Wheels collection.
“Yeah, but only to keep you two in line. I want to make sure Emmie gets the apologies she deserves. Plus, I don’t wanna miss her slapping the piss out of either of you two. The way things have went the past couple days, she is about to her snapping point. When that girl goes, she is gonna bring hell down on whoever causes it. And, I want a front row seat.” His mouth turned up in an evilish grin.
“Well, so much for bros before…shit. I can’t say that saying about Emmie.” He winced at the huge fist that slammed into his leg. “Ouch! What the hell was that for? I said I couldn’t say it, dickhead!”
“You thought it. That was good enough reason for me.” Dixon leaned back again, swigging on the beer bottle that hung loosely by the neck.
“Asshole.” Lyndon knew that Dixon was in love with Emmie, too, but how long it would take for him to crack, he had no idea. His noggin jostled around random thoughts, making the ache in his head worse. It was definitely going to take a lot of liquid numbing fluid to wash this headache away. Before today, the idea of sharing a wife with his brothers was out of the question. There may have been plural marriages in his family tree—which always made for confusing family reunions—but none of them would even consider the idea. All three boys were so different, and it only seemed obvious that it would take three different women to steal their hearts. That was before a very complex EmmaLee had stepped into the picture in a woman’s body and not the gawky, lanky kid they remembered her as. This was all new water, and he only hoped he could swim through the waves.
Chapter 7
Twenty minutes later, Jase’s black four-by-four pulled up around the back of the house. He hopped out, with a huge, knowing grin on his face. He walked up to the back porch and leaned against the railing. “So, you two finally came to your senses about Emm, huh?”
“No, you two are delusional and both need to come to your senses. I am only going to make sure neither of you fuck ups hurt Emmie any more than you already have. We are supposed to love her from a distance, and keep her safe, not lose her friendship.” Dixon gruffed at them both, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I do believe you are going to apologize for doing the exact same ‘fuck up’ shit as I did, big brother. You will soon see that we are right when it comes to Emmie. She needs all three of us for more than playing the big brother routine. I know as well as everyone else in this family that you are just as much in love with her as we are. I didn’t want to accept it for the same reasons as you, but after seeing her with Jase, it hit me like a ton of horse shit in the face. It won’t hurt our relationship no matter what, because there is no way I am going to let her get away from me. She has been ours all along.” Lyndon wiped his paw across his forehead, massaging his temples.
Jase had quietly been standing listening to both of his siblings, evaluating everything that they were sputtering out. Considering it had been his epiphany first, he found humor in the lecture Lyndon threw at Dixon. Unlike Lyndon, Jase knew that talking to Dixon was useless. Dixon was a pigheaded, hot-tempered, stubborn mule who had to have something smash upside his head to realize logic in any situation. There would be no talking sense into the man. The whole situation would probably only make him even more rebellious. Out of all of the brothers, he had been the hardest teenager for his parents. His wild, dangerous personality kept them on their toes. It also kept Dad’s belt warm, Mom’s wine supply low, and gave Lyndon and himself the ability to fly under the radar and not get caught for some of the stupid stuff they had done.
Jase looked at his watch, and said, “Boys, let’s load up. I want to get there before any of the other douche bags get Emm on the
dance floor.” When the disgruntled pair stood, he turned and walked to the truck.
* * * *
The parking lot of Honkeytonk Blues was packed. They drove around, searching for a parking spot to no avail. After the sixth time around, Jase slowed by the only shiny purple truck in the place and hopped the curb. He maneuvered the four-by-four onto the grassy hillside of the ditch and parked. As he was pulling the keys from the ignition, he caught the intrigued stares of Dixon and Lyndon.
“Nice park job, bro.” Lyndon quirked his eyebrow and snickered.
“Like I always say, when all else fails, improvise. This is why four-by-fours were made, boys.” Jase shot a cocky grin in their direction.
“Jackass.” Dixon shook his head and climbed out of the truck.
The trio walked toward the bright neon signs, paid their cover, and pushed through the double doors.
* * * *
EmmaLee was perched on a bar stool with her partner in crime, Tina Thompson, by her side. She had just ordered another fruity cocktail when the three Dennison brothers barreled in like a hurricane. Every female they passed turned for a second look, causing a strange pang of jealousy to settle deep in her stomach. Boy, they were definitely a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure. Jase was the adorable cutie with the boyish charm. Lyndon radiated power, sex appeal, and strength. And then there was Dixon. Dixon had the dangerous, dark look that promised wild and naughty with every step he took. The man radiated dominance. He intimidated everyone within a twenty foot radius and made her want to fall at his feet in submission. Aaahhh. They were totally perfect, and such a pain in the ass all at the same time.
“Holy shit, I think your cavalry has arrived, Emm.” Tina turned toward the door, her blonde curls bobbing over her shoulders. She was a little thing, standing all of five feet two inches, and weighed no more than a buck ten soaking wet. Her huge blue eyes and soft features gave her an angelic appearance. Emmie had to hand it to her best friend, the girl could fool people by her innocent looks but give her a minute and her little horns would sprout out and unleash the wild thing that lurked beneath. They had been best friends since grade school, and any trouble EmmaLee had gotten into had included the now smiling girl at her side.
“It appears so. I just hope they don’t decide to throw me over their shoulder and haul me out of here because I am not supposed to drink or something. I swear I will sock all three in the nose, and then call Lilly and let her deal with them.” The girls exchanged a few soft giggles. She turned back around to the bar, and attempted to look interested in her drink. The jukebox began pumping “Country Girl Shake it For Me,” and Tina hopped in her seat.
“Okay, now I need to quit drooling over the three amigos over there and scout the room for a potential victim.” Tina twisted around, gazing across the bar.
“Don’t pretend that you ain’t already got those baby blues zoned in on none other than your own trio of Dennison brothers. Johnny, Justin, and Wyatt have all three gave you more than just a glance or two.”
“Oh, Emm, those boys are nothing but trouble. Unlike you, I know that the whole Dennison clan is nothing but a heartache waiting to happen. The only good ones are the girls of the bunch. No thank you.” Her face froze over in a serious expression.
EmmaLee knew that her best friend was full of shit, and she knew that Tina knew that she knew, also. Sooner or later the girl would come to her senses, and would probably be in the same screwed up predicament she was in at the moment. Her head needed time away from the three men that made her brain fuzz from their intoxicating personas. Instead of arguing with her, she decided that she didn’t want to deal with the mental roller coaster that the boys surely would bring. “You are right. I do believe it is definitely a Dennison-free night. Let’s amp up the evening. It is obvious that I don’t have to worry about driving home now that my babysitters have arrived, so order up some shots. We might as well do it good!”
“You are looking for trouble tonight, aren’t you, Emm! You know I am not one to back down from fun, so let’s go with good ol’ Jack. Bartender! Can we get a shot lineup please?” Tina reached over and hugged EmmaLee’s shoulders.
The four shot glasses of amber liquid were placed in front of them. The girls slammed them down, and erupted in a fit of giggles at the facial expressions and dribbles of whisky that they both had.
Loud bass vibrated the room from the oversized speakers that almost had the ability to pump your heart for you. A popular song about some girl named Shorty wearing boots with fur had most of the occupants of the bar out shakin’ their groove thang.
* * * *
The moment Dixon had spotted EmmaLee and Tina by the bar, his heart flip-flopped. She was truly a sight to be seen. Her long silky hair fell over her bare shoulders. Her big brown eyes sparkled, with hidden promises that were waiting to be discovered. Her lips were a glossy, glittery pink, and flashes of his dick sliding past them clouded his brain. She had on a sexy little strapless black top that hung low enough the tops of her round, full, breasts peaked over the top. The blue jeans were so tight they looked painted on, and Dixon envied them. From her head to her black polished boots, she was truly a sight to be seen. Fuck. This was not going to be an easy night.
His mind rolled in a whirlwind of rumination. Unfortunately, no matter how much his head rationalized the situation and kept him at bay, his heart didn’t stop gravitating toward her. My damn head and heart better get on the same side soon. This inner war is a pain in the ass and confusing as hell. She is my sister. She is my sister. Nothing can ever come between the relationship we have now, or I will lose her forever.
Tina was dressed similar, only with a low-cut blouse that showed way more cleavage than probably legal. She had grown up with the bunch also, but as attractive as the little blonde was, he had never felt anything besides a brotherly connection to her. She wasn’t as close to the Dennison bunch as Emmie, but still was considered family. Why can’t it be Tina instead of EmmaLee that I want? It would be hard if it ended bad, but not the end of the world. Life without Emmie wouldn’t be worth living. He silently cursed his blasted inner dialogue and shook his head in attempts of clearing the clutter. He watched as they both hopped up and headed in the direction of the growing group of bodies on the dance floor.
* * * *
“Oh! Let’s go dance, Tina!” She grabbed the blonde off of her stool without waiting for an answer and dragged her in the direction of the sea of moving bodies. They both giggled and chattered as they cut a path to finally land a space to dance. Both girls began rolling their hips to the tune, and worked into the beat. They soon got into a rhythm, and snaked their arms over their heads in a taunting display, before sliding them down their body and swaying down to the ground. It wasn’t long before a couple eager guys had pressed up against their butts to join the fun. EmmaLee giggled at Tina, who now had figured out Justin Dennison was the owner of the ginormous hands that had taken up residency on her hips. She had swatted him away, only to turn and smash her lips to his in a very public display of affection.
EmmaLee didn’t pay much attention to the body smashed against hers until she caught a whiff of cheap cologne and her heart stopped in her chest. She spun around frantically, only to be caught in the clutches of none other than the devil himself—her bastard fuckhead ex, Trent Graydon. She instantly jerked to get away to no avail. “Don’t fight it, EmmaLee, tonight I have a little surprise for you. You should have never left me. Your brood of lovers won’t always be around to protect you. Let’s see what they think of you after you are worn out and can’t please them anymore.” Saliva sprayed from his mouth with each evil word. The vise grips on her wrists tightened enough to leave marks for the next week to come, and she lost it. Rage boiled over inside of her. A colorful rainbow of curse words erupted from her mouth. It didn’t do any good. Instead, it earned her a backhand to the left side of her face, drawing blood from her lip and a knot on her eye.
“Let go of me, you stupid asshole!”
She stomped his foot and her fist was in full motion toward his balls when he flew backward and hit the floor.
The abrupt release of her arm restraints made her teeter off balance. Before her butt made introductions with the floor, two strong arms caught her and hoisted her up against an even stronger chest. Dixon’s eyes met hers, and the anger all but oozed from the big brown peepers that had almost turned black with his mood. Tina had just made her way back over to EmmaLee, and backed away as soon as she had seen Dixon. Justin was the first to grab Trent and keep him from bolting.
“I got you, Emmie. Hold on to my neck.” He had to practically yell in her ear over the music. She raggedly released the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding and relaxed in his arms. People literally parted for him. She was half expecting them to bow as he moved through the room like an alpha lion walking through his pride. He got her back to the table before she noticed that Jase and Lyndon had taken hold of Trent as well and the trio of muscles escorted him out the back door. She smiled, knowing exactly what her guys had in store for the suckass bastard.
Dixon’s deep voice soothed her instantly. “Emmie, baby, are you okay? Let me look at your face.”
“Ya, I am fine except being totally pissed. It’s just a scratch.”
Her eye had begun to swell, and the bloody split on her lip had turned into a huge goose egg to match. She winced when he ran his fingers over it, carefully examining the damage. His gut twisted, sending the contents of his stomach up in his throat. “Mother fuck!” His vision blurred red. He immediately waved over Wyatt who was a few tables over.
Wyatt walked over in a half gallop, using his long legs to close the distance quickly, taking notice of EmmaLee before bringing his attention to Dixon. “Who?” The single spoken question was all any of the boys needed to know when it came to EmmaLee.