by Paige Warren
“Me, too.”
Ryan went back to his office, a bounce in his step. Gemma might not be theirs just yet, but he had faith that she would be before long.
Chapter Seven
Gemma was seated on the sofa downstairs, working away on her book, when the doorbell rang. She watched as Elodie went to answer it and wondered if they were expecting company. She was in the middle of a crucial scene and would have to go elsewhere to work if people were coming over. When she heard Elodie oohh and ahh, curiosity got the better of her and she got up to investigate.
“Gemma, you have a delivery.” Elodie smiled and moved aside so she could see the delivery woman standing on their doorstep.
Gemma’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Someone sent me flowers?”
“I think there’s a little something extra tucked inside,” the delivery woman said.
Gemma took the vase from her and inhaled the sweet fragrance of the blossoms. The vibrant colors were eye-catching. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d received flowers from someone. It gave her a nice warm feeling inside, knowing someone thought enough of her to spend money on the impressive bouquet. She couldn’t imagine who would have done something so nice though.
Elodie signed for the flowers as Gemma set them down on the table. Pulling the card, she realized there was a gift card tucked inside the envelope, too, a twenty-five dollar Amazon gift card at that. She already knew exactly which books she was going to buy with it. She read the card enclosed and couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped her lips.
We hope these flowers brighten your day as much as you’ve brightened ours.
Thinking of you.
Ryan & Synclair Black
She should have realized they were brothers, but she hadn’t put two and two together when she’d met the lawyer. And what did it mean that they were both sending her flowers? She remembered the interest she’d seen in Synclair’s eyes when they’d met, and Ryan hadn’t made it a secret that he wanted to date her. Had they decided they would date her together?
Elodie plucked the note from her hands and read the message.
“Oh my. Not one hunky man, but two? Gemma, I think you’ve struck gold.”
Gemma just stared at her.
“What? You can’t tell me you aren’t interested. I saw your reaction to Ryan, and Cody told me about the sparks between Synclair and you. If they set you on fire one at a time, can you imagine what would happen if you were with both of them at once?”
Gemma felt her cheeks flush. “I’d probably combust if I were in a room with both of them at the same time.”
“You think Ryan is hiding any ink under that suit and starched shirt of his?” Elodie smiled.
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind finding out. All I could think about while you were signing those papers was stripping him naked to see if he looked as yummy without his suit as he did in it.”
“Well, he did ask you out. Maybe you should give him a call, thank him for the flowers if nothing else.”
“It says the flowers are from both of them though. I don’t have a way to call Synclair.”
Elodie’s smile grew. “I do. Have you looked in today’s paper?”
“What does the paper have to do with Synclair’s number?” Gemma frowned.
“He’s hiring, or rather his shop is. I’m sure if you call his work number, he’ll answer. Besides, weren’t you thinking about getting a job in town? What if you went to work for Synclair? I’m sure he could work out some hours that would still allow you plenty of time to write.”
It was tempting, but could she handle being around all that hot, muscular, inked skin day after day without caving and giving in to her baser urges? What if her working for him turned into an office romance? She didn’t think dating the man you worked for was a smart idea. She’d been down that road once before and it had ended in disaster. But maybe she could offer to help him out until he did find someone permanent? It would allow her to spend time with him without really feeling like he was her boss.
She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and went into the kitchen. It only took a moment of thumbing through the paper to find the ad. As the phone rang, she felt her heart beating in her chest, pounding so hard she thought surely Elodie could hear it. On the fifth ring, Synclair answered, and she knew it was him without him even giving his name. She’d remember that smoky, seductive voice anywhere.
“Skin to Skin.”
She cleared her throat. “Synclair, this is Gemma.”
“Good morning, Gemma. Did you get the flowers?”
“I did. They’re quite beautiful and the gift card was a thoughtful touch. I wanted to say thank you, to both Ryan and you.”
“He’s over at his office right now.”
“Um. I actually called for another reason, too. I saw in the paper that you’re hiring, and while I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to work for you permanently, I thought maybe I could help out a few hours a day, answering phones and scheduling appointments, just until you find someone.”
It was dead silent and she worried that maybe she’d overstepped her bounds.
“That would be really great, Gemma,” he finally said, his voice a deep purr. “Do you think you could come in tomorrow, maybe around lunch?”
“Sure. I can be there by noon, if that’s okay?”
“Noon would be great.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose you’d let Ryan and me take you out to dinner tonight, would you? We don’t have to go anywhere fancy, if you’d prefer something more casual, like the diner.”
“Actually, I heard that Hollis Springs has an Applebee’s. Would that be okay? I know it’s a bit of a drive…”
“Anything you want. We’d drive you all the way to San Antonio if that’s where you wanted to eat.”
She smiled. “I don’t think that will be necessary. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a chain restaurant though. I know it sounds silly, but I miss things like that. Not that Grizzly Pines isn’t great!”
Synclair laughed. “Applebee’s it is. We’ll pick you up at five to give us time to drive over there and get a decent table. With it being a Tuesday night, I doubt it will be super busy, but you never can tell.”
“I’ll see you then,” she said softly, a smile curving her lips.
She hung up the phone and felt a flush of happiness suffuse her from head to toe. The idea of going on a date with two men should terrify her, especially after the reaction she’d had to both of them, but all she felt was excitement. Just the thought of seeing them again had butterflies rioting in her stomach. She’d never been a girly-girl, but suddenly, she was worried about what she was going to wear, how she was going to fix her hair, and whether she should wear makeup.
Elodie stepped into the kitchen and narrowed her eyes at her. “Something happened. Is it good news or bad? I can’t tell from the expression on your face. You look a little excited and a whole lot terrified.”
“I’m going out to dinner tonight with Synclair and Ryan.”
Elodie clapped her hands together and rushed forward. “Oh my goodness! What time are they picking you up? Do we have time to head into town?”
“Why do we need to go into town?”
“Well, we can stop by the Clip ‘n Curl to have something special done with your hair. I mean, it is your first date with them, after all. You don’t want to look the way you would any other day, do you? And then we can go to Tammy’s Nails and get a mani-pedi.” Elodie frowned. “You don’t have any shoes to wear other than two pairs of boots, do you?”
“I don’t need anything other than my boots. I was just going to wear jeans and one of those new shirts you bought me. We’re just going to Applebee’s, so it’s casual.”
“What about a skirt with one of the new shirts we bought yesterday and your new boots? Halston’s had the cutest skirt that would go great with those boots, and I’m sure they have your size. You could pair it with that pale pink shirt, with the pearl
snaps down the front, that we picked up.”
“Elodie, I don’t feel right letting you buy me more things, much less paying to have my hair and nails done.”
“Nonsense. The guys would insist and you know it. If your brothers were here already, I’m sure they would treat you to the salon over in Hollis Springs. I’ve heard it’s really nice, but I haven’t had a chance to go yet.”
“I don’t think we have enough time to go there. I’m supposed to be ready by five.”
Elodie glanced at the clock on the stove. “It’s not even time for lunch yet. I don’t think it will be a problem getting worked in to either the Clip 'n Curl or the nail salon. They aren’t too terribly busy during the week from what I’ve seen when walking by. I’ve never actually been inside Tammy’s Nails before.”
“You’ve never had your nails done?”
Elodie shook her head. “I know the guys would have urged me to go if they knew, but it wasn’t important. I have to admit, it does sound like fun though. I guess I just didn’t want to go by myself.”
How could she turn Elodie down when the poor thing sounded so excited about it? She couldn’t imagine never having gotten her nails done. While it was true that Gemma wasn’t very girly, she had been to a salon several times over the years, usually at her mother’s urging. It wouldn’t hurt to go with Elodie and get pampered a bit. She glanced down at the chewed nails on her fingers and realized that her men might not be too impressed with them in their current condition. Whoa! Her men? That made her pause a moment. She supposed in a sense they were her men, if even only for tonight.
“All right,” she said. “Let me shower and throw something on.”
“Something that will come off without you pulling it over your head. You don’t want to mess up your hair later. Do you want me to do your makeup for you?”
“I hadn’t really planned to wear any.”
Elodie looked disappointed.
“I suppose a little wouldn’t hurt, just nothing too extreme. Maybe some blush and lip-gloss.”
Elodie beamed at her and she knew she’d made the right decision. It was so easy to make the other woman happy. She could see how her cousins could be so taken with Elodie. While more than a little plump, and not classically beautiful, her beauty shone from within. Gemma had never met anyone with a kinder soul than Elodie. The woman hardly did anything without thinking of others first. She started her day by taking care of Beck, Beau, and Cody—and now Gemma—and she ended her day the same way. She didn’t even leave the house without leaving a note for her men, so they wouldn’t worry about her. How sweet was that?
“I’ll be down in twenty. It will take a little time to dry my hair, and I’m sure the salon would prefer it to be dried when I get there.”
“Take your time. I’ll just wait in the living room. I downloaded the latest from one of my favorite authors last night and never got a chance to read it.” She blushed.
“Hmm. Wonder why that is?” Gemma smiled. “Could it be you were otherwise occupied?”
“We really do need to reinforce the walls or something,” Elodie mumbled.
Gemma laughed as she headed upstairs to take her shower. She hurried as much as she could, but she wanted to take the time to shave—thoroughly, since she didn’t know just how much of her would be seen before the night was over. She wasn’t going to kid herself. Yes, she was going out for dinner, and only dinner, but the fireworks between the two brothers and her were so explosive that she knew there would at least be some kissing, and kissing usually led to other things. And God knew it had been ages since she’d seen any action between the sheets. If they so much as touched her breasts, she’d probably come on the spot. How embarrassing would that be?
After she’d dried off and blown her hair dry, she smoothed on some ChapStick and dressed in a snap-front shirt and jeans, pulling on her old boots. She adored her new ones, but she wanted to save them for tonight. Despite the fact that her wallet was gathering dust bunnies, Gemma grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. She found Elodie curled up on the sofa with her e-reader in hand, a look of fascination and wonder on her face.
“What on earth are you reading?” she asked with a laugh.
“It’s a ménage with five men. Five! Can you even imagine? I’m not sure if I’m in awe of the heroine or feel sorry for her.”
“Feel sorry for her. Think of all the laundry!”
Elodie laughed. “There is that. I think three is definitely my limit.”
“My cousins will be happy to hear it. I seriously doubt they would want to share with anyone else. Matter of fact, they’d probably beat anyone who even contemplated joining you in the bedroom.”
“You’re probably right. Are you ready to go?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“We’ll grab a bite to eat between getting your hair done and stopping by Tammy’s. Something light so you’ll be hungry when the guys pick you up tonight.”
Gemma rolled her eyes. “Are you going to feed me rabbit food?”
“A salad never hurt anyone. You can get that crispy chicken salad at the diner. It’s really good with ranch dressing on it.”
“I’ll think about it. Why the diner though? Didn’t you say the owner was an asshole?”
“Yeah, he is. But I kind of like to rub it in his face that I have enough money to eat wherever I want now, and that I don’t have to work for his sorry ass anymore. Or at all, for that matter. I do help out around here, between housework and helping in the office a little, but I don’t really consider that a job. It’s just part of my day and part of taking care of my guys.”
“I hope they realize how lucky they are to have you, Elodie. You’re one in a million.” Gemma smiled. “And for the record, taking online classes is work. Where you find the time, I’ll never know.”
She smiled. “I’m the lucky one.”
“Come on. Let’s get this show on the road or we’ll still be standing here when five o’clock rolls around.”
Elodie picked up her purse and the women hurried to the front door. Elodie paused a moment as she stared at the key hooks.
“What’s wrong?” Gemma asked.
“Beau must have gone somewhere. His SUV keys are gone. I know Beck needed to go to the feed store today. Do you mind riding in Cody’s truck?”
“Of course not. I don’t care if we take one of the old farm trucks.”
Elodie laughed. “I’m not that desperate.”
As they climbed into Cody’s truck, Elodie turned the radio down.
“You don’t even have the truck turned on yet,” Gemma said, smiling.
“I know Cody. It’s cranked, believe me.”
When the engine turned over, country music blared from the speakers, making both women wince. Gemma had no idea how her cousin listened to music so loud without losing his hearing. Elodie turned down the volume and backed up before heading down the long driveway. They passed Cody on the way and waved to him. He looked curious, but didn’t stop them. Gemma decided to take pity on him and sent him a quick text to explain they were heading into town for girly type things like getting their nails done. He sent a smiley face back so she knew he was more than happy to let them have the truck for the day.
They stopped at Halston’s first, as planned. They were in and out in less than fifteen minutes. The Clip ‘n Curl was just a few doors down, so Gemma put her bag in the truck and they walked down the sidewalk to their next stop. When they entered the small shop, a bell jingled over the door and the young girl at the counter looked up and smiled. She didn’t look old enough to be out of high school. With it being summer, she supposed a lot of the high school kids had procured jobs around town.
“What can I do for you today?” the girl asked.
“Cindy, this is Gemma. She needs something special for a date tonight. No cutting though!” Elodie said. “Maybe an updo?”
Another woman hurried over. “I’m Anette and this is my shop. Let me see what we have to work with
.”
She fingered Gemma’s hair, making humming noises as she pulled it this way and that. She studied the ends for a few minutes.
“How about a little cutting?” she asked. “The ends need to be trimmed badly and I think some layers would be attractive.”
Gemma glanced at Elodie, not sure what to do. It had been a while since anyone had messed with her hair, hence the split ends. It didn’t bother her to have it cut, but for some reason, Elodie seemed intent on her hanging onto the long length. Did Elodie know something about Ryan and Synclair that she didn’t? Did they prefer women with long hair?
Anette seemed to sense her hesitation. “I promise we won’t take much length off. Maybe two inches, three tops. We really need to get rid of these split ends though. Your hair will look so much healthier when we’re finished. It may not brush your waist when we’re done, but it will still be really long.”
“Okay,” Gemma said, biting her lip. “Let’s do it.”
Anette herded her toward an empty chair and got to work on her hair. It only took about a half hour for her to finish. Gemma had to admit, her hair did look much better, even if it was shorter. Anette may have said three inches, but it looked like she’d taken more like five or six off. Her hair was now just below the middle of her back. It felt a lot lighter, and the layers softened her face. It was an attractive cut, but she saw Elodie in the background shaking her head.
“What’s wrong, Elodie?”
“They aren’t going to like this,” she muttered. “Just you wait and see. They’ll comment on it for sure.”
“It’s just hair. It grows.”
Anette smiled at her and helped her out of the chair after brushing the loose hair off.
Elodie paid the bill and they walked across the street to the diner. After a quick meal, they headed down to Tammy’s Nails. There were two women already getting manicures, but Tammy assured them she would be with them in fifteen minutes or less. Since she had an assistant working with her, both women would be able to have their mani-pedis done at the same time. Normally, it would be a good time for girl talk, but Gemma didn’t really understand how to do girl talk. Now if someone wanted to talk about breeding horses or irrigating crops, she was right there.