Love Under Two Jessops (15 page)

She said a prayer for everyone’s safety before turning off the lights. Chloe hoped she’d awaken and the men would be with her, safe and sound. It took her a long time to fall asleep. She’d had to talk herself into relaxing, reminding herself over and over again that both Grant and Andrew were trained professionals. They knew what they were doing, and she trusted them to do it right.

Disappointment washed over her the next morning when she awoke alone. That emotion was followed immediately by worry.

A quick glance at the bedside clock told her it wasn’t much past seven. She needed to get moving with her own day, but couldn’t, at least not until she checked to see how her men were doing. She figured she could call Carrie. Her little sister would be able to tell her if the men were all still out at the scene. If that was the case, maybe Carrie would have an idea on how they could get the lowdown on how the firefighting was going. The only thing Chloe could think to do was call Adam, but she really didn’t want to bother the sheriff if she didn’t have to.

As she was reaching for her cell phone, it rang. Chloe sighed with relief when she saw Grant’s number on the screen. She got comfortable against her pillows and hit “talk.”

“Hey, hot stuff. How’re ya doing?”

Grant chuckled, and the easy sound killed the rest of Chloe’s rampant anxiety. “A lot less hot than I was a couple of hours ago. How are you doing, baby girl?”

“I just woke up, and I’m missing you both. Andrew okay?”

“Yeah, we’re both good. The cowboys and Steven are fine, too. This was a good one, all things considered. A win, because nobody was lost, nobody was injured, and no homes, barns or animals were destroyed.”

“That is most definitely a win.” Chloe had to work at keeping the relief in her voice marginal.

“The only real casualty, in fact, was our evening. Sorry we didn’t make it back to your nice warm bed and very delicious body last night, sweetheart.”

“Me, too, but I understand completely. I hope the two of you are going to get some sleep now. What time did you get in? Are you at home now?”

“We just got back to the firehouse about five minutes ago. As soon as we stow the gear, we’re going home to do just that. We’re both pretty exhausted. But we wanted to call and say good morning first.”

“I’m so glad you did.” Chloe wished she could crawl into bed between her two lovers. But they needed their sleep and she needed to get stuff done today. Chloe grinned. They’d already told her that the bed they’d taken her to that first night they’d made love wasn’t
their
bed. They each had their own bedroom in the two-story Victorian they called home.

They’d made love to her in the master bedroom. Carrie had already told her about the Lusty tradition of the “master bedroom.”

At the time, she’d pushed that little fact away. Just because they’d made love to her in
that
bed and spent the night with her tucked between them in the enormous thing did
not
mean she was their life’s mate.

She couldn’t think that long term yet. She really didn’t know, not one hundred percent, how she felt about the brothers Jessop.

This was just supposed to be about me living in the moment for once.

Grant’s deep voice pulled her focus back to the conversation. “We could meet you for lunch, Chloe,” he said. “Make up for cutting our evening short.”

“I’d love that, but I’m going to say no, baby. That’s not nearly enough sleep for y’all after being up all night fighting a fire. And for the record, you don’t have to make anything up to me. I understand that duty calls.”

“Thank you, baby girl. Hey, can we take you to dinner tonight, then? We could eat here in town, or drive into Waco if you’d like?”

“Here in town is just fine. I don’t know of a single restaurant in Waco that I prefer over Kelsey’s place.”

“
Lusty Appetites
it is, then. You have a good day, Chloe. We’ll see you later this afternoon. Here’s Andrew.”

“Thank you. Sleep well, Grant.”

She heard Grant hand the phone over to his brother, and then Andrew’s voice, sexy but definitely tired sounding, rumbled in her ear.

“Hi there, my Chloe-doe. I miss you.”

“Hi, baby. I miss you, too. You sound beat.”

“I am tired. It was a long, grimy night.”

“The fire was on the eleven o’clock news. It looked big, and really scary.”

“Grass fires can be dangerous, love. But you need to know Grant and I are very good at what we do. We’re also very careful.”

“I know you are. I won’t tell you I wasn’t concerned, but I do know y’all know what you’re about.”

“Glad to hear that, because the last thing we want is for you to be worrying about us.”

“I know you don’t.” She’d be lying to them and to herself if she were to say she didn’t and wouldn’t worry about them at all. Of course she would. But she could work hard at keeping that worry to herself. She did have faith in their abilities—in not only their training but their judgment.

Andrew’s voice dropped just a little, and it was all Chloe could do not to shiver. Damn, but both these men knew how to kindle her fires with just their voices alone. “I heard that unspoken little ‘I’m going to worry about you anyway.’”

“Hmm, you must be tired if you’re hearing voices that aren’t there.” She grinned as she teased him, and knew he could hear it in her voice. Then she sobered, and said, “Seriously, you need to be going home and getting some sleep.”

Andrew exhaled. “Yeah. We just have about twenty minutes’ worth of work here first. Then it’s a shower and bed for the both of us.”

“Sleep well. I’ll see you later.”

“Think about us today, Chloe-doe. Each of us will be in our own sterile, lonely bed, wishin’ you were with us.”

Because she was alone and lonely and wishing they were with her, too, she didn’t guard her words as well as she might have, otherwise. “I always think about you, even when I don’t want to. The two of you’re a yearnin’ in my blood that won’t let go. I don’t know how to handle it, sometimes.”

“You don’t have to be afraid of lovin’ us, darlin’. We’d never hurt you. Have a good day, and we’ll see you later.”

Andrew Jessop was a crafty man, hanging up before she could take anything away from his words—or hers.

She’d never said she loved them. Maybe it was immature, but as long as she didn’t say those words out loud, she would keep on believing that all of her options were still open.

As long as she didn’t say those words out loud, she could pretend that they were all just living in the moment.

“Wow.”

Chloe turned around at the sound of the surprised feminine voice. She’d just finished positioning the last of the new display shelves in the reception area, shelves that would hold not only nail, hand, and foot products, but locally made jewelry, too.

“Well, hello there, stranger.”

Rebecca Jessop stood in the doorway of the spa, and chuckled. “I really am turning into a hermit, aren’t I?”

Chloe grinned right back at her. “Could be, but you don’t seem very upset about that possibility.”

“I’m not. I like my space, my peace and quiet, and the freedom to work as the spirit moves me. Sometimes that’s at three in the morning—or all through the night.”

“Well then, what other folks say shouldn’t matter.”

“You’re right. Um…I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me down at Kelsey’s?”

The firemen were sleeping, and Chloe
was
hungry. “That would be good. Just let me tell Jordan that I’m leaving.”

“From what little I saw, it looks like you’re nearly ready to open,” Rebecca said. They’d chosen a small table in the back of the restaurant, and had already ordered. They’d both opted for soup of the day—chicken noodle—and a ham and cheese sandwich.

“Opening day is getting closer, that’s for sure. I’m interviewing a couple of prospective employees this afternoon. The last of the supplies have been ordered, and the rehab work on the interior is nearly finished. Jordan likely has only another day, two at most, and it will be all done. Then we have to get the inspector in from the County seat, but everyone is pretty confident that won’t be a problem.”

Michelle delivered their glasses of sweet tea.

“How have you been feeling?” Chloe asked the waitress. “Carrie said you had a bit of a problem with morning sickness.”

“Oh, it’s much better now. Funny thing is, it didn’t hit in the morning, more around early afternoon.”

Rebecca gaped at her. “Oh, Michelle! You, too? My goodness, we’re in the midst of a population explosion around here!”

Michelle giggled and then rubbed her not yet visible baby bump. “It’s great, isn’t it? My Joe is
so
excited. We both are.”

Rebecca got to her feet and gave her cousin a hug. “Congratulations. Seriously. I’m happy for you both.”

“Thank you, Rebecca.” Michelle returned to the kitchen and Rebecca retook her seat and shook her head. “There’s another reason to keep to the back of beyond,” she said. “That stuff might be contagious.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not.” Chloe laughed. “And it’s a difficult situation to land in if you’re not seeing anyone.”

Rebecca waved her hand. “Well, I’m sure not interested in seeing anyone. Uncle Gray was a great artist and lived on his own. That’s the example in the family I’m following!”

Chloe kept her own counsel. She and Jordan had chatted some, as they worked together to get the
Lusty Glow Day Spa
up and ready to open. He’d told her about his Uncle Grayson—his mentor and a man conflicted about his own sexuality, one who hesitated to grab his heart’s desire. He’d died a lonely old man, Jordan had said, and begged him not to repeat his mistakes.

Chloe didn’t think that was the version of her Uncle Gray’s life that Rebecca was necessarily privy to.

Michelle brought their lunch out from the kitchen, and both of them took a moment to enjoy the delicious soup.

“You’ve finally took pity on my brothers, I hear,” Rebecca said

Since the young artist had said that with a grin, Chloe didn’t feel defensive. “So the word is around town.”

“Good luck with them. They can be…difficult.” Rebecca shook her head. “One might even say, Neanderthal.”

“I heard about the theft-of-the-conditioner incident. When I pointed out to them that it
wasn’t
the theft, per se, that you were incensed about and they were punished for, they both had an epiphany.”

Rebecca laughed. “Oh, my God. After all these years they only now realized…those two are so clueless!”

Chloe thought that Rebecca wasn’t the first sister in the world to see her brothers only through the eyes of their shared childhoods.

“So,” Rebecca continued on, “you’ve been an esthetician for some time. You were at Madeleine’s over in Divine, weren’t you?”

“I was. And before that, I was in Dallas at a couple of different spas.” Chloe picked up half of her sandwich. “I guess I’ve been an esthetician for about twelve years, now.”

“That’s a long time. You must really enjoy it.”

“I do. I like making folks feel good, and feel good about themselves.”

“Wow. My hat’s off to you.” Rebecca shuddered. “I really am a loner at heart.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being what you are if you’re happy,” Chloe said.

Rebecca fell silent for a moment, and Chloe knew people well enough to know the artist had something in mind she was working around to. “So you’d have an idea of others who practiced similar arts, right?

“Are you interested in something specific?”

Rebecca sighed. “I’m really not very good at ‘ferreting’ out information in an offhand kind of way, am I? Last week, when I was over at Jillian’s, I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a tattoo. She told me about an awesome tattoo she’d seen recently, though she wouldn’t tell me
where
she saw it. And then she said that you might know the artist.”

Chloe knew immediately who Rebecca was talking about. She hadn’t seen Jayne Sheridan’s tattoo herself, but she’d seen other work that artist had done. “I don’t know him personally, but I certainly know
of
him. His name is Seth Carter, and he has his own studio over in Divine called
Divine Ink
. I’ve seen his work, and heard testimonials from a few of his clients. I’d say, if you’re serious about getting a tattoo, he’s definitely
the
man to see.”

“Okay, good.” Rebecca turned her attention back to her soup. “I’ll head on over there and do just that.”

Chloe’s curiosity was aroused. “So, what did you think about having done?” The woman seated across from her was so elegant and…Chloe guessed the word she would use was “understated.”

Rebecca actually blushed. “I’m not altogether certain, but I think I want something very teasingly naughty, something that only a little will show, but will stir curiosity and make him want to see all of it.”

“Him?”