Her Tiger Twins

by Bonnie Burrows

  “You could have told us, you know,” he teased.

  “And risk losing the sex? I don’t think so.”

  Jacob laughed again, the sound echoing off the tiles merrily.

  “You’re something else,” he said.

  “I don’t try to be.”

  “You don’t have to. You definitely come by it honestly.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  “We should tell Dylan.”

  “Tell him what?”

  “That you’re in love with us.”

  “And that’s it? It doesn’t have to be anything else?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t have to choose one of you? I can be in love with both of you and everyone will be happy?”

  “Of course you can. As long as you’re happy then we’re happy.”

  She leaned against him, feeling relieved and a little bit sheepish.

  “I can’t believe I wasted so much time thinking that I was the only one that felt something more.”

  “It’s not wasted time. We know now, and now we can move forward.”

  “Dylan doesn’t know.”

  “I know. And he’s never going to live down the fact that you told me first.”

  “It’s not really a competition, is it?”

  “It’s not but it sure does make it fun.”

  He stepped out of the tub and held his hand out to her. She joined him, standing on the plush mat while he gently dried her with a towel.

  “Let’s go tell him,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom.

  “I’m naked.”

  “He won’t mind.”

  “I might. I don’t want to traipse around the house naked.”

  “That’s a shame. I think that the house staff would enjoy it.”

  “Sucks for them,” she quipped, elbowing him playfully.

  “I agree.”

  THE FINAL CHAPTER

  Dylan took the news as Samantha expected, though he wasn’t as upset about finding out last as Jacob had hoped he would. Samantha watched the two men bantering back and forth and wondered what she’d gotten herself into with a laugh.

  “Do you want to get married?” Dylan blurted out, earning him an angry look from his brother.

  “Way to take things one step too far, Dylan. She’s probably not ready for that.”

  “Yes,” Samantha said simply.

  “What?” Jacob and Dylan asked in unison.

  “Yes. I would love to marry you. Both of you.”

  She was met with stunned silence but she just laughed at them.

  “Do you want to do it now?” Dylan said.

  “Not now, but soon. We can talk about a date later. First, we have to talk about this house.”

  “You can decorate it any way you want,” Jacob said.

  “Thanks, but I can’t live in this house. I know it’s the epitome of elegance and wealth, but it’s just too big. I love the feel of a simple life. I’d much rather enjoy my wealth by traveling and doing good works than buying fancy houses and having ‘house staff’. I just don’t think I can live like that.”

  “Have you been traveling?”

  “No. I’ve been trying to finish the tenth book in the collection.”

  “Ten? I thought only three were out.”

  “That’s right. But once I finish this one, I’m going to take a year off and travel. I wrote them all back to back because I was thinking about my future and my bank account.”

  “And now?”

  “Well, my future looks promising and my bank account is decent. I feel like I’ve earned some time off to go after another pet project of mine.”

  “How much are you worth?” Jacob asked, “I hope that’s not too forward of me.”

  “No, it’s fine. If you guys agree to what I’m about to propose, it’s only fair that everything is out in the open. I’m worth about ten million.”

  “That’s not bad.”

  “It’s definitely not bad, especially considering that I didn’t come from wealth like you and Dylan. I came out of the foster care system with the clothes on my back and a hundred dollars in my pocket at just shy of seventeen. I think I’ve come a long way in ten years.”

  “You were a foster kid?”

  “Yep. That is sort of the driving force behind what I want to do.”

  She told them her story, skipping over some of the more painful parts of her childhood growing up with a single mother who bounced from one abusive relationship to another, dragging behind her only child.

  “When she finally decided I was too much trouble, I went into foster care. But I was headstrong and I was over ten, so I stayed until I aged out.”

  “That must have been awful,” Dylan said.

  “It wasn’t, actually. I bounced from home to home like before, but this time I didn’t have to deal with the abuse. So it was a step up for me.”

  “Do you know what happened to your mother?”

  “Not really. She passed away at some point along the line, but I was already so deep in the system that I didn’t really have it in me to grieve. I had to keep at it and stay strong. They tend to pick on the weakest kids in the group homes.”

  “That breaks my heart,” Jacob said. “I know you don’t think it’s that bad, but I can’t imagine being that little girl, having no parent to protect you, and your mother bringing abusive people into your life so regularly.”

  “Thank you. I know it made me who I am today, and I like this version of me. I just can’t help but think that she could have gotten out and had a better life if the right people had stepped in and helped her.”

  “So what were you thinking?” Dylan asked.

  “I don’t know. I mean, I have an idea, but I don’t want to put it out there until I talk to Mabel.”

  “That could take a while.”

  “I know. In the meantime, I need to deal with my house. I love living there, but I don’t know if I can live there with all those memories. And you guys are so comfortable here, I don’t know how you would fare in my house as it is.”

  “You’re going to let us move in with you?” Jacob asked.

  “If you want to. This house is beautiful, but I already feel twitchy being so cooped up in the city. The air smells different here and I need to be outside. If you would rather live here, I understand. We can figure it out. But I don’t know if I can be happy, surrounded by concrete and asphalt.”

  “Would you be opposed to rebuilding your house, maybe designing it so that it reflects everyone’s taste but it still sits on your land with the forest surrounding it?” Dylan asked, feeling a little excited at the prospect.

  Already, his mind was spinning with ideas, and he was eager to explore the possibilities.

  “I would love that. I really would.”

  “When do you want to start?” Jacob asked.

  “I was thinking we could have my stuff packed up and the house torn down this week. We don’t have to build a new house right away, but I’m not going in that house, and it needs to be cleaned.”

  “Your blood is everywhere,” Jacob said with a grimace.

  “See, and that’s something I don’t need to see. The stitches are out and the doctor said that it should scar very lightly. I feel like my house is holding onto what happened that day and that I’ll never fully heal until it’s gone.”

  The twins nodded. They understood her line of thinking and didn’t blame her one bit.

  “Write down what you want out of the house and we’ll take care of it,” Jacob said. “If you want, I’ll oversee it and Dylan can take care of getting you to the hospital every day to visit Mabel.”

  “That sounds perfect. Thank you. You guys always seem to know exactly what I need.”

  ***

  True to his word, Jacob spent every day the following week at her house, supervising the packing and demolishing of the home she’d once loved dearly. Her heart ached a bit for her loss, but the new beginnings that woul
d come of it made her happy.

  The new house that would be built in its place was still being designed, but so far, all they’d agreed upon was a large suite on the second floor with a room for each of them and an additional four rooms that were completely separate. Both men wanted children, but they were shelving discussions about that until after the wedding.

  They set the date for six months out, giving them a chance to plan the wedding and finish their projects, as well as let Samantha’s body heal thoroughly.

  Samantha also held out hope that six months would be enough time for Mabel to make a full recovery. Her friend made little progress each day, but at least there was progress.

  Samantha spent most every day at the hospital, showing up right after breakfast and staying until dinner was served. Visiting hours were a strict two-hour window twice a day, but Samantha had a feeling that a sizable donation had been made to the hospital so that she could hold vigil for her friend.

  Mabel was going to wake up, and Samantha wanted to be there when she did. She wanted to make sure that her dearest friend knew that she was loved and no one held her responsible for what Grant had done.

  Her time at the Locke home was spent getting to know the twins better, both as a pair and individually. She loved the one on one time so much, she was starting to think that a three-room suite was the perfect setup. That way, they could take turns visiting her room, or they could all stay together. One or both of them at a time, she loved being with them, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was happy and comfortable in her own skin.

  The second week after Samantha’s release from the hospital, Mabel was moved out of the ICU into a private room. She couldn’t see much difference in her friend, but the doctor insisted that she was making progress and no longer needed help breathing and regulating her other vitals.

  Samantha set up her laptop on the table that was in the private room, working on her latest book while her friend laid quietly in bed. Every once in a while, Mabel would stir and groan, and Samantha was sure that this was going to be the moment when she woke up and just started talking. But every time, she was wrong, and Samantha’s hope soon started to fade, no matter how hard she tried to hold onto it.

  It happened on a day like any other, completely without warning. Samantha walked down to the cafeteria, buying her lunch and bringing it back up to Mabel’s room with her. She sat down at the table, moving her closed laptop to the side to make room for her tray.

  She was popping open the lid on her gelatin when she heard a raspy voice from behind her.

  “Did they have any orange today?”

  Samantha jumped, startled by the sudden noise. As soon as she realized what had happened, she rushed to the bed, pulling up a chair to sit beside Mabel. She pushed the button to call the nurse, holding Mabel’s hand and squeezing.

  “They do. Did you want me to go get you one?”

  “Just one? I haven’t eaten in like a year. I want at least five.”

  “It’s been a month,” Samantha said, laughing through the tears of joy that spilled down her face.

  “Actually, she’s been here five weeks,” the nurse said. She smiled at Mabel. “It’s about time you woke up, sleeping beauty. We’ve been waiting to see those baby blues.”

  Mabel smiled back, licking her parched lips and looking longingly at Samantha’s cola.

  “No soda today,” the nurse said, “But I’ll send in some ice and some water. Ma’am, if you’ll move, I need to check her vitals. She can have gelatin, so if you want to get her some before the kitchen closes that would be great.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Samantha said, doing her best to tamp down her excitement when she wanted to run through the halls shouting out that Mabel was awake.

  She returned a short while later, a tray filled with precariously stacked orange flavored gelatin. The nurse gave her a disapproving look, pointing out that the mini fridge could house the extra cups because there was no way Mabel could eat more than one.

  She ate three.

  Samantha sat beside her friend, her smile wide and dazzling, she was so happy.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said when the nurse finally left.

  “It’s nice to be missed.”

  “I thought you were going to die.”

  “I thought I did die. I could hear you and the twins, but I couldn’t get to you. I thought I had died and was in purgatory, facing eternal punishment for what I did.”

  “You didn’t do anything. Everything that happened is on Grant.”

  “Is he dead?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I don’t know who that man was, but that’s not the boy I grew up with. Grant was like a different person. The brother I loved died years ago, it just took me a long time to realize that Grant had changed.”

  “Are you feeling up to a more serious conversation? I need to ask you something and I’m feeling impatient. If you’re not ready, I understand.”

  “No, it’s fine. What’s on your mind?”

  “What are you planning on doing with the property that Grant bought?”

  “Burning it to the ground feels like the right thing to do,” Mabel laughed, but Samantha could tell that she was only half joking. “If you want it, you can have it, Samantha. It’s the least I can do after what he did to you. I want no part of it, though I don’t know how you could possibly want-”

  “First, don’t you dare ever say you’re responsible for him. He was a grown man, your older brother. You’re not responsible for anything he did.”

  Mabel opened her mouth to argue, but Samantha held up her hand.

  “I won’t have it. You’re a good, sweet, loving person and I will not have you blaming yourself for his shit. Period.”

  “And number two?” Mabel said, the corner of her lips curling into a soft smile.

  “I would never live there. That’s not what I was thinking.”

  “What were you thinking?”

  Samantha told Mabel the story of her mother. Mabel listened with rapt attention, hanging on her every word. When she finished, Mabel was sitting up in the bed instead of leaning against the mattress.

  “I think I know where you’re going with this, and I love it! What better way to give back and spit on the memory of what my brother did?”

  “Exactly.”

  “How are you going to fund it?”

  “I have some money from my books.”

  “Let me stop you right there. My brother might have been the biggest piece of shit on the planet, but he was smart with money. He took the money we inherited and invested it. I eventually moved mine out. “One, I was tired of him giving me an allowance like a child, and two, what in the world am I going to do with fifty million dollars? Let alone more. I don’t know how much he was worth, but I know it was a lot.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “Let’s take that money and make this a reality. Why help three families at a time when we can build more homes and help so many more. We can build a community center, plant a garden. The possibilities are endless.”

  “Are you sure? That’s your money.”

  “It not my money. It’s Grant’s. I don’t want any part of that money unless it’s going to something good. This feels good. This feels like it’s the perfect thing to do with his memory.”

  “Oh Mabel, I’m so glad you like the idea. I was afraid you would be offended.”

  “Of course not. It’s a wonderful plan and I’d be honored to be a part of it. And when I get out of here, I want to help. I don’t want to be one of those wealthy people that just throw money at a charity and pat myself on the back.

  I want to get my hands dirty and to build this with you. Even if I can’t do much at first, I want to be there through the entire thing.”

  “Absolutely. This is perfect. I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Speaking of things that are so good they’re hard to believe, what’s that on
your finger?”

  Samantha looked down at the ring, trying to figure out how to tell her friend the good news. Maybe there was such a thing as too much in one day.

  “It’s an engagement ring,” she said, deciding that honesty was always the best approach.

  “From which twin?”

  “Both of them. I picked it myself. Do you like it?”

  “Both twins?”

  “Is that weird? I just love them both and I don’t think I could be happy if I had to choose.”

  “It’s not weird at all. I mean, I’m a werelion, with a human best friend who happens to be the stalking victim of my dead, lunatic brother. How can anything else possibly be weird after that?”

  Samantha laughed, and Mabel joined in. It felt good to laugh with her friend after all this time.

  “So true. I’m glad you consider me your best friend. I’m so lucky to have you. You could have died protecting me.”

  “As could you. But we didn’t, and that’s all that matters.”

  Mabel grew silent, a pinched expression on her face before she laughed suddenly.

  “What?” Samantha asked.

  “I will never forget the sight of you, flying through the air like a madwoman, attacking a full grown lion with your bare hands.”

  “I had a rock.”

  “Exactly. You’re crazy, Samantha.”

  “A little crazy is good.”

  “A little crazy is great.”

  There was a knock on the door. Samantha opened the door and Dylan came in, smiling at Mabel.

  “I’m so glad to see you’re awake and laughing. What’s so funny?”

  The women looked at each, bursting into laughter again, both of them gasping for breath and unable to answer his question. It wasn’t so much that something was funny, but more that they were just happy; happy to be alive and happy to have found each other in the most ridiculous and craziest way.

  There was no way to explain that.

  *

  Six Months Later

  Samantha swiped her arm across her face, wiping the dirt out of her eyes and the sweat from her brow. The scar on her forehead was all but invisible, but the emotional scars from that time in her life had healed long ago, thanks to the love she’d received from Jacob and Dylan. She looked around at the garden she’d just finished, more than a little proud of her handiwork. She was far from a green thumb but she wouldn’t be tending to the garden, only planting it for others.