A Second Chance Love (6 page)

My favorite part was the huge Jacuzzi tub that could fit all three of us. It had three spouts hooked up to a separate water heater that just ran the shower and tub. Since the tub was heated, I could soak until I was water logged.

There were three sinks set in the counter. The one in the middle set lower at the perfect height for someone about my height. I had asked them why they had designed this bathroom for three people if they had given up trying to find a different woman to love. Kyle had shrugged at me. “We just couldn’t let go of the hope completely.”

I relaxed with my guys as we soaked together in the tub, grateful that I had a second chance at love.

* * * *

Two days later when I was doing dishes and arms snuck around from behind again, I didn’t freeze. I whirled around and struck the offender on the shoulder with my fist. I had been going for his face, but I switched targets at the last second. “Kyle! You gave me a heart attack!”

Kyle’s eyes lit up with amusement at first, but as he took in my flushed face and shaky breathing, it quickly drained away. “Kerri, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“Sorry, you startled me.” I tried to play it off, embarrassed that I had let Earl rattle me to the point of still being jumpy over a week later.

Kyle cupped my face and pulled me to him for a hug. He asked quietly, “Is it because of what happened with that asshole?”

I sighed and relaxed against him, savoring the solid strength and finally admitting, “It did rattle my nerves a bit. He surprised me just like that.”

He swore under his breath. Then apologized gently, “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, Kyle. I didn’t tell you that part, didn’t even think it was a big deal, to be honest.” I shrugged my shoulders, still feeling off-kilter.

“It rattled me too. I keep making up excuses to come by the house.” Kyle’s green eyes were embarrassed. “I know you are a grown woman, but I can’t help it.”

Yeah, I was a grown woman, and maybe my independent streak should be asserting itself, but all I saw when I looked at him was a man being protective and caring. And stressed. Taking a closer study, I could see lines of fatigue on his face and the tension in his neck and shoulders.

“What else is going on, Kyle?” I dragged him over to the small butcher block table and chair set then pushed his protesting body down so I could stand behind him and start rubbing the massive knots out. I could only think of one thing that easy-going Kyle would get so worked up over. “Is it Jacob?”

Kyle groaned and leaned his head forward so I could dig my thumbs into the back of his neck.
Jeez, is that a boulder?

After a few minutes, he said quietly, “He just tells me everything is fine when I ask, but it isn’t. He is getting more and more withdrawn. I’ve done something, but the stubborn jerk won’t tell me what it is. And everything I do seems to make it worse.”

I stopped massaging Kyle’s shoulders as my fears came to the surface. I asked in a trembling voice, “Do you think he has changed his mind about me? Am I causing the problems between you two?”

Kyle reached up and gently pulled me down to sit in his lap. I snuggled into him as he stroked my hair lovingly. “No, Kerri, he loves you just as much as I do. I swear.” Tilting my head, he gave me a kiss that melted my heart. Even when it deepened, it stayed a gentle sweep of tender strokes conveying a reassuring love. But as always with Kyle and Jacob, the fire was there, even if it wasn’t going to be tended this time.

As the kiss started to catch heat, my lips curved in a smile and Kyle made a slight growling sound into my mouth. Now wasn’t the time and we both knew it. We were needing our Jacob in more ways than one. Just as I started to pull away, I heard a noise.

Jacob stood in the doorway with a very remote expression on his face that worried me. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then his lips flattened out angrily. At least that was what I thought until I saw the wave of pain that flashed through his eyes. I started to reach a hand out to him and I could feel Kyle moving too, but Jacob spun on his heel and took off.

I was swearing as I scrambled out of Kyle’s lap. “Oh, hell, we are so goddamn stupid! You know what the problem is, don’t you?”

“Fuck yes! We are, dammit!” Kyle was hot on my heels as we took off after our man.

I caught up to Jacob in the living room. Actually, he must’ve decided not to run off because he stopped and I about ran into him. Then Kyle almost knocked me off my feet when he did run into me.

“Jacob, what’s wrong?” Frustration was evident in my voice. “Why are you pissed over a kiss?”

Jacob whirled around to face us. His blue eyes were raging with pain and anger that made us both stagger in shock. “You think it is over one kiss?”

What the fuck?

Kyle walked right up to Jacob and chest-bumped him. “How the hell should we know? Every time I ask you what is wrong you blow me off! Don’t you dare act like we should know when you won’t talk to us.”

“When should I talk to you, Kyle? Every time I turn around, you are running back to the house to Kerri.” Jacob snarled.

I stood there in the midst of my worst nightmare. Somehow I was causing this. Had I damaged them, come between them? God, could I fix this?
Please don’t let me ruin them even if I have to go.

“This is because I keep coming to the house? You think it is because I want extra time with Kerri?” Understanding swept over Kyle’s face. “You think we are making out all the time, don’t you? That we enjoy being together without you.”

Jacob didn’t say a word, but the vulnerability on his face answered for him.

Kyle sat and sighed wearily. “This is all my fucking fault, Jacob. I’m sorry.” He held out his hands. One to Jacob and one to me.

I met Jacob’s eyes with a pleading expression. I was waiting for him. We needed to do this together. After what seemed like an eternity, Jacob nodded and we both took the hand offered us and let Kyle pull us down to sit on sofa with him in the middle.

Kyle pulled me to him with one arm as he burrowed into Jacob. “You didn’t see the way Earl had Kerri pinned when he attacked her, Jacob. I did. I keep seeing it.” His voice shook as he continued, “The thought of how it might’ve been scares the hell out of me. That’s why I keep making excuses to go by the house. I just need to make sure she is okay. We don’t usually kiss like that, I usually just pop in to check on her. But I scared the crap out of her on accident today, so I stayed to apologize.” Kyle shrugged. “Then we started talking about you. We were worried. And then we kissed, but it was never going any further than what you saw.”

“This is never going to work between us if we have to keep score, Jacob. I can only speak for myself, but I love the both of you. I love being with you together and I love being alone with each of you, even if it is just talking and being held.” I shifted my head so I could see Jacob. I hoped he could see how much I meant what I said next. “I love you, Jacob.”

Kyle lifted his head up to Jacob. “I love you too, you stubborn bastard. Would you please start talking to us when there is something wrong?”

Jacob winced. “God, I’m an asshole, aren’t I? I’m too busy worrying about my hurt feelings to consider what else could be going on.” Jacob sighed deeply and looked like he was thinking over what we had said. “I should’ve talked to you both about what was going on and how it was bothering me. I’ll try to do better, Kyle, but honestly, you know how I am. I don’t even tell myself what is upsetting me most of the time until it hits critical mass.” Jacob gave a half smile.

To me the smile fell flat. It bothered me that he tried to contain his emotions to the point that he hid them from himself until they overwhelmed him. He showered us with tenderness, passion and love. How could we get him to trust us with his vulnerability too?

Chapter Three

A few months passed. Thanksgiving was approaching in a couple of weeks, and I was trying to decide what to do about my dad. He wanted me to come to his home to be with my family, but when I mentioned bringing Jacob and Kyle with me, he’d been polite but confused by why they would be included. They weren’t family, after all.

My guys and I were at a loss at how to tell my dad. I didn’t want to tell him over the phone… Well, I kinda did because he had a temper and I hated to have him mad at me, but I loved him too much to disrespect him like that too. And I knew he was going to flip out over this. Especially since it had been going on for so long.

I had suggested that I fly out and tell him myself, but Jacob and Kyle wouldn’t go for that either. In fact they had flipped out at that idea themselves when I’d tried to insist. Jacob had stormed off through one door and Kyle had gone off through the other, pouting. I had stood there in the kitchen with my eyes going back and forth until I’d finally thrown my hands up, swearing under my breath as I started on dinner.
And they say women are moody? Bloody bastards!

That had been two hours ago, and I had dinner in the oven when I heard the doorbell ring. I stayed in the kitchen when I heard the guys say they had it. I was still fuming a bit so I decided to wait a little while longer. It was probably ranch business anyway since it was a Friday afternoon.

I kept out of the way until about twenty minutes later when I heard raised voices coming from the living room…and one of those voices was a woman’s.

* * * *

I usually tried not to make snap judgments about people but this woman… Yeah, I made an exception for her.

“Aw, come on, guys… I just need a place to stay for a couple of weeks. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Her voice just dripped with artificial sweetness. I had this picture of an overblown bar tart out of some horrible TV movie.

“We had fun that week you had me over, didn’t we?”

Oh, hell.
Was she one of their pick-ups? I shivered in disgust. I hoped she looked better than she sounded, or my ego was going to take a massive blow. I stayed out of sight for a few more minutes just to see how the guys were taking this and I only felt a little guilty.

“JoAnn, we told you no. But we will let you crash in the bunkhouse overnight while you find something else. That is it.” Jacob’s voice was firm and held a touch of pity.

“Kyle.” Her voice turned wheedling. “What about you? You used to love my blow jobs. How about I remind you?”

“Jo, what the fuck? Stop!” Kyle sounded freaked.

I heard noises of people struggling and I rushed into the room. I couldn’t believe it. That skanky bitch had actually dropped to her knees and was trying to undo Kyle’s jeans. He was trapped in a corner and Jacob was trying to pull her off but was having problems because he was obviously afraid of hurting a woman. Stupid cowboy ethics.
Let me at the bitch!

I stalked over to her and grabbed a handful of that nasty hair with all the grease and spray in it, yanking hard.

“Oww!”

“He said no, bitch,” I snarled. “And unlike Jacob, I don’t have a problem with kicking your ass when you don’t listen!”

I shoved her away and watched as she jumped to her feet. She had probably been a pretty country brunette at one point, but drugs or drinking had taken their toll. She had that wasted, hardened look and I knew why Jacob had offered the bunkhouse. Our gentle giant always wanted to save people.

I knew the moment she realized what I was to Jacob and Kyle. Her blue eyes tightened and her jaw locked up as she looked me up and down, taking in the fact that I was barefoot. Considering the weather outside, that was a definite tip off that I wasn’t expecting to leave anytime soon.

Sneering at me, she let the venom out. “You think you’re something special? They will cut you loose too. They are hung up on some bitch in California, so what makes you different?”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Maybe because I
am
the bitch from California.” When her jaw dropped open in shock, I continued on, “Now if you want to mind your manners, you are welcome to stay in the bunkhouse for the night like Jacob offered. However, if you don’t, I will take great personal joy in tossing your ass out.”

She turned to look at Jacob and Kyle with tears in her big baby blues only to realize that both their gazes were glued to me. The looks they both gave me were proud and approving, leaving no doubt they were absolutely fine with what I had stated. She snarled at me as she stormed off. “I can find my own way out.”

I sighed as I looked over to the guys. “Bummer, I really wanted to help her leave.”

I held my hand up to stop them as they started to rush over to me. I knew that gleam in their eyes and I really wanted to make up too, but… “First let’s make sure she’s gone. Second, let’s shower and get cleaned up.” I grimaced down at my hands. “I don’t know about how you two feel, but, damn, that was just nasty.”

* * * *

The next day, I was sitting in my chair in the living room reading while the guys were watching a football game. I was reading one of what they called my smut books. At first they had just liked to tease me about them—until I had shown them a page or two. Now instead of laughing about them, they would ask if I had come across anything worth trying out. And I was definitely bookmarking this spot for future use. But I might need to limber up first.

I noticed some movement out the corner of my eye. Kyle was sitting with his back snuggled up to Jacob and his legs stretched out on the sofa. Both guys were wearing T-shirts and sweatpants, and Jacob’s arm—which had been between Kyle and the sofa—was missing.
Hmm.

Kyle’s eyes closed and he leaned his head back as he shifted. I could see Jacob’s hand, moving into Kyle’s pants going slowly toward his hardening cock. Jacob nuzzled Kyle’s ear and nipped gently just as his hand wrapped around the prize it had found, drawing a low moan from Kyle. Suddenly, I wasn’t interested in my book any longer.

I put my Kindle on the end table and turned so I could get a better view. Jacob’s eyes met mine. Kyle liked to be playful and pout. He liked to manipulate in a fun way. But sometimes…sometimes he liked to have control taken completely out of his hands. We had a box with ties, blindfolds and other things for those occasions. From the way Kyle had gone completely pliant in Jacob’s embrace and was making needy little noises, I had a feeling we were fixing to break out the box. I shivered at the thought.