Sixes & Sevens (Seven Hearts Book 1) (14 page)

“Are you going to show us anything? The natives are getting restless,” Alec called out.

“Just a minute!” Jaycee gave Marc a guilty smile, and kissed him on the cheek. It was the best she could manage under the circumstances. “I’m coming!” She shouted. Marc let out a bark of a laugh.

“Not hardly, sweetheart, but that’s what they’re afraid of.” He couldn’t help but tease her, the shade of red she turned was so lovely, he forgot himself. Jaycee adjusted the tee and jeans, turned and raced out into the waiting area.

“We were afraid you weren’t going to show us the clothes. What was the hold up?” Lee asked raising an eyebrow. The guys grew quiet waiting for Jaycee to respond.

Her thoughts raced, but the only response she could think of was, “I got my zipper stuck. It’s all better now.”

“Zipper? On your jeans?” Jonathan looked a bit horrified at the picture in his head. Marc kneeling in front of Jaycee tugging on her zipper. He shook his head forcefully. He wasn’t going there. Ever.

“No! I…um…well…I tried on another top, but it uh…didn’t work.” Jaycee wasn’t a good liar. She hadn’t meant to lie, but she was embarrassed about the almost kiss.

“We were just talking. Stop grilling her.” Marc appeared behind her leveling a look at his brothers. They were going to have to have a talk about what their boundaries were with Jaycee. It would seem, by the looks on their faces, they were falling for her too. As close as they were, it wasn’t likely to get ugly, but the situation would be tense without some rules in place.

“We weren’t trying to grill her; they were just concerned,” Lee said.

“Turn in a circle, so we can see, Jaycee.” Garrett saved the day by switching their focus. Jaycee looked lovely, but Garrett believed she would look lovely in a paper bag. She had curves, despite her thin frame. Her hair hung down her back, and looked so soft…he wondered if it would be odd if he touched it right now. Was it as soft as it looked?

“I like that color on you,” Sean piped up.

“You would,” Alec joked, and turned to explain to Jaycee, “Green is the little leprechaun’s favorite color.”

“Why’s he a leprechaun?” Jaycee asked, giggling.

“Look at that pale freckled skin, that mop of hair…’cause he’s Irish,” Alec said.

“If you say so…” Jaycee couldn’t help but smile. Alec always seemed to lighten the mood with his teasing.

“He’s just jealous he was born a tanned boar of a man.” Sean threw a crumpled bit of paper off the floor at Alec, who deflected the bit of trash with his forearm.

“You throw like a girl…no offense, Jaycee.” Alec grinned like the Cheshire cat.

“None taken. I am a girl, but I do have an abysmal throwing arm. My arms are as weak as spaghetti noodles.” Jaycee laughed at her own joke, but the guys looked thoughtful.

“We can fix that, if you’d like. Why don’t you come to one of my self-defense classes this week? I can assess your skills, and we can create a regimen for you,” offered Lee.

“I wouldn’t want to disrupt your class,” Jaycee hedged.

“It’s no problem, it’s not that kind of class. Anyone can show up whenever they’d like, attendance isn’t mandatory, though it’s encouraged,” he explained.

“You should try it, Jaycee. If nothing else, you can learn a few moves to protect yourself. There will be times we can’t be there with you,” said Alec.

“You’re not going to stick by my side like a Siamese twin?” She was getting the hang of flirting with them.

“I’m pretty sure I’d be arrested if I went with you to the lady’s restroom. We do need to come up with a schedule to keep you protected though. We don’t want to leave you vulnerable if your bas…uh…creepy foster brother comes looking for you.” Alec caught himself mid-swear. He shot an apologetic look at Jonathan.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” she said with a shiver.

“Yes, but we don’t plan on leaving anything to chance.” Jonathan spoke with determination. They would keep her safe. Even if it meant switching their schedules up, someone would be available to walk her between her classes.

“All right. Why don’t you hop back in that dressing room and try on an outfit I picked out?” Garrett suggested. Jaycee smiled, and turned to comply. Garrett didn’t talk as much as the others. She was still getting a handle on his personality, but he seemed to genuinely care about her and she wanted to make him happy.

Several outfits later, Jaycee was feeling the heat. Pulling on and off clothes in a heated department store was making her sweat.

“Do you think one of the guys would fetch me some water?” Jaycee asked Marc as he zipped up her dress.

“Of course, let me send a text.” Marc whipped out his phone to send a group text, and the resulting beeps were frantic. They all wanted to be the one to come to her aid. “Maybe you need to request several things. It would seem your audience is overly eager to please.”

“Huh?” Jaycee was puzzled.

“They’re feeling a bit unneeded out there. Send them on some errands, it’ll make them feel manly.” Marc laughed.

“I wouldn’t mind having one of those cookies I saw on the way in…the peanut butter ones,” she offered.

“Sounds good. Why don’t I make up a few more things we need? That way, they’ll be entertained while we get you in these last few outfits.”

“Won’t they be upset? If they don’t get to see what they picked out, I mean.” She was torn. She didn’t want to have to have a do-over because someone felt jilted.

“I’ll take pictures. It will be fine.” Marc had a shit-eating grin on his face. He couldn’t wait to fill his phone with current photos of Jaycee. Not to mention having her to himself without one of the other guys beating on the door wondering what was taking so long. Couldn’t a guy dress a girl in peace? After beating Jaycee’s accismus, they decided to buy the whole pile of clothes.

January 5, 2016 — the shopping plaza

As it turned out, none of them had eaten the dinner Jonathan had fixed. Between the fight and then racing off to make the mall before closing time, they hadn’t had much time to sit down and eat. So, when their arms were full of bags they decided to head out in search of dinner. Alec suggested Chinese, but Jaycee’s facial expression-though comical—was anything but excited. Garrett suggested burgers, while Sean wanted pasta. They wound up at a buffet. The hour was getting late, so there weren’t many other patrons. The food was delicious and Jaycee felt like she’d eaten two times her weight in food. They lingered until the staff began coughing, their eyes repeatedly traveling to the clock. Jonathan left them a huge tip and Lee ushered his family into Sean’s ride.

Jaycee sat in the back, poised on Marc’s lap. Alec and Marc were squished together with Sean and Jonathan on the long seat. Lee insisted on driving, with Garrett riding shotgun. They’d had to fold down the seats in the third row to accommodate all the bags, and bags were still piled on the floorboards too. Some of the guys even held sacks on their laps. Marc had outdone himself. Of course, Jaycee had needed everything from shoes, to sleepwear, to swimsuits. None of the guys were poor by any means, and Marc enjoyed spending his money for a change. Growing up without much, as an adult he’d never been one to blow his money recklessly…which led to him having an abundance of it. He simply kept earning it, and stashing it away. Now, he finally had the girl he’d always dreamed of spending it on.

While Alec’s and Garrett’s families weren’t rich, the guys had earned plenty working with Lee consulting with the government. Jonathan and Sean’s parents were loaded, and Marc had earned his fair share touring the world with his looks. Lee came from a very affluent family as well, though his family hadn’t been quite as successful as Jonathan’s. Jonathan’s parents played the stock market with huge success, while Lee’s family had been born to money, but had left the fold to seek out new opportunities in America. All of them were well off…except Jaycee, but she would find she never needed her wallet with the guys around. They insisted on paying for everything. Jaycee was keeping track, and someday, somehow she’d find a way to pay them all back for their kindness. Whether they would baithe or protest, she couldn’t be sure. Nevertheless, she swore she’d find a way.

Jaycee fell asleep on the way home. The drive back seemed much longer with the late hour, and the moving vehicle had lured her into slumber. Jaycee wound up sleeping across all four of the guys’ laps in the backseat. She’d fallen against Alec, who’d simply lifted her head from his shoulder, and with a nod to the others, helped lie her across them. Alec had her head nestled in his lap, while her feet were cushioned in Jonathan’s. Marc laid a jacket across her midriff to keep her warm, while Jonathan used his large hands to heat her cold feet. He’d slipped her shoes onto the floor and cradled her feet in his bare hands.

“We need more time with her. I keep feeling like we’re going to lose her any second. I want a day to spend with just her,” Alec spoke seriously, brushing a lock of her hair from her face.

“I agree,” Garrett said.

“We have a week until classes start. We’ll just need to divide up the days. Everyone gets a day, but the evenings we all spend together as a family,” Lee said from behind the wheel. He’d been keeping an eye on the developments in the backseat through the rearview mirror. “I can take her to self-defense on my day. We’ll get her started on some exercises and stretches…see what she’s got. Sean you could give her some tech lessons…nothing too complex, but she should have some basic knowledge to help her be more aware and safe.”

“I’d like to take her someplace warm, but right now that isn’t possible,” Garrett said with a sigh, using the mirror on his sunshade to watch her sleep.

“You could take her to an amusement park,” Lee suggested. “It won’t be quite the same though.”

“Maybe I’ll take her hiking.” Thoughtful of her sleeping, Garrett and the others kept their voices low.

“I’ll need to take a day off, but I’m sure we can manage. There aren’t many patients since school is still out. The faculty will be fine with rescheduling.” Jonathan thought aloud. “I wonder if she enjoys theater…or maybe ballet? I’d love to take her to see a performance.”

“I’m sure she’d be happy with whatever you choose. Jaycee isn’t a picky person,” Marc reassured him.

“Unless you try to eat Chinese for dinner,” Sean laughed.

“Well, she’s allowed some flaws,” Alec returned with humor. He did love a good Chinese restaurant. “I wish we had another hockey game coming up…I’d kill to see her in my jersey.” He spoke with yearning.

“You could take her to a professional game, she would probably wear your jersey if you asked,” Sean said helpfully.

“I wonder if she’d wear it as a sleep shirt…” Alec had unintentionally planted an image in the guys’ heads. Jaycee wearing nothing but a jersey. Coughing and fidgeting ensued as the guys fought arousal. Only, they’d forgotten in their discomfort, to keep still and quiet for Jaycee. Their princess rolled over, fighting to remain asleep. Alec seemed as fascinated as he was horrified when her nose rested right above his crotch. “God, I try to be good, but isn’t this too much?” He looked at the roof of the car as he choked out a laugh. His girl would be the end of him.

A few awkward moments later, after a gentle but coordinated turning of Jaycee, they arrived back at the house. They parked in the garage. Garrett jumped out of the passenger seat, and lifted Jaycee into his arms. They piled out of the vehicle, and silently padded into the house. It was late, and they should have been tired, but at least a few of them were feeling rather sexually frustrated after tonight’s events. Garrett carried Jaycee to Marc’s bed, and tucked her in. He headed straight upstairs for a cold shower.

“I guess I’m on the couch tonight. Where’d we put the extra sheets?” Marc asked Lee.

“Ask Jonathan. He keeps track of those things.” Lee wasn’t much help with finding household items he didn’t need access to daily. In the military, they had supply officers for that.

“They’re in the linen closet.” Jonathan couldn’t hold back an exasperated sigh. Sometimes he wondered at his brothers’ lack of forethought. When dealing with terrorists, or criminals—hell they’d even helped cats out of trees—they were always one step ahead, but at home they lost their minds. Where else would sheets go? Sometimes Jonathan jokingly wondered if they kept him around so they could find their stuff. He often acted like the mother of the household, while Lee was the father figure. Maybe he could pass the torch to Jaycee now. They were in need of a real feminine hand…

Wow, even
his
thoughts wouldn’t stay out of the gutter tonight. He’d never been that guy. He hadn’t tried to play doctor with the girls in school. He didn’t break hearts; he didn’t play around…but he couldn’t stop the thoughts flooding him now. Playing doctor with Jaycee…not that anything to do with Jaycee being undressed would be play. No, he’d take that very seriously. Ugh…he needed a cold shower, stat. Thankfully he only shared a bathroom with Marc, who ironically enough seemed to be the only one keeping his raging hormones under control. One would think after waiting years to see a girl again, Marc would be saddled with either a constant erection, or the worst case of epididymal hypertension (aka, blue balls) mankind had ever seen. The man was an enigma. He already looked asleep, curled up on the sofa under a pile of blankets. It was a good thing you didn’t need to chill water for a cold shower…or they’d all be screwed tonight. Or not screwed, as the case may be. It was going to be a long night.

The next morning, Lee woke the guys up early. It had occurred to him during the night, that to ensure each man got their day with Jaycee, they would need to draw dates early this morning. He wrote down the days of the week, cut them up, and put them in a hat. Each guy would draw and that would be his day with Jaycee. Since school was starting on Monday, someone would wind up losing most of his day. Or, someone would need to wait until next Saturday…they could draw straws or go with volunteers. Lee didn’t care which.

“All right, everyone gets to draw the day they’ll get with Jaycee, starting with today. Someone will need to take next Saturday since Monday classes start. Any volunteers, or do we need to draw straws?” Lee gathered the guys in the living room and held his hat up for examination.

“I’ll take Saturday. That way I won’t have to take off work,” Jonathan called out.

“Okay, great. Who wants to draw first?” Lee asked.

“I’ll go.” Garrett reached in the hat, and pulled out Sunday.

“Okay, my turn.” Alec stuck his hand in the hat and made a show of mixing up the papers before pulling out Wednesday. “All right! I get today, fellas.”

“Congrats. Here goes nothin’.” Sean reached in and pulled out Thursday.

“Marc, why don’t you draw next?” Lee suggested. Marc reached his hand in and pulled out the paper with Saturday written on it. “Great you get this Saturday, and Jonathan gets the next.”

“That leaves me with Friday. Everyone happy with their day?” A few nods answered him. “Good. Well, that leaves Alec to wake up Jaycee today. We’ll still do breakfast and dinner as a family. But any time before and after that is all yours, guys. Be respectful, and mindful of the others, even if it is your day. And don’t forget, we still need to help Jaycee get settled in, and acclimated to the university. All right, lecture over. Who’s fixing breakfast?”

“I’ve got it. I have some time before I need to get ready for work. We should probably have a family meeting tonight. We do have a few things we should hash out like a shower schedule, and we still need to decide who’s going to escort Jaycee to her classes,” Jonathan suggested.

“Good idea. Let’s plan that for after dinner tonight. Anyone else have any suggestions, bring them up at the meeting tonight. Garrett and I get first crack at showers today, then Marc and Jonathan, Sean and Alec you can wait till everyone else has cleared out…but give Jaycee priority over anyone without a job to get to.” Lee issued orders, and headed back to his room to get showered and prepare for his class. He needed to pack his equipment bag.

Breakfast wasn’t anything special, but the guys were all excited. They would get to see Jaycee in her new pajamas, in their house, after sleeping in one of
their
beds. It was a night of firsts. Everyone but Alec hovered around the living room, near Marc’s door, waiting for Alec to wake up Jaycee. The dining room table was set, but no one paid the food any attention. There would be time for that. Alec made a good showing of puffing up his chest to slide past the others, and strut to the entrance. He winked at the guys before heading in the room, and shutting the door. Five sets of eyes stared at the closed door. They wondered if she wore the pants set or the nightgown…did she wear her hair down at night, or braided? Would she be blurry eyed and tired, or bright eyed and fresh?

Inside the room, Alec took his time. Partly to drag out his brothers’ anticipation, and partly to prolong his time to just breathe her in. She was a tiny lump underneath Marc’s black comforter. Her dark hair fanned across the pillow. She was turned on her side, with the covers pulled up to her chin. Alec ever so slowly sat on the side of the bed facing her. Carefully not to startle her awake, he lifted the cover, and folded it down to her waist. She had worn the nightgown. Alec bit his lip. The gown was plaid with red and golds primarily. It had short sleeves, an empire bust, and fell to her knees when standing. She looked so innocent. Alec leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead.

“Jaycee, love, good morning,” he whispered to her. Lightly shaking her shoulder when she remained deeply asleep. “Sweetheart, it’s time to get up.” He tried again…no change. “Jaycee honey, the household is waiting on you to eat.” He shook her shoulder again, and her eyes popped open. “Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, what time is it?” she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and searched for the bedside alarm clock.

“It’s still early, but the guys need to get to work, so we’re having breakfast. Will you join us?” He gave her a beautiful smile, and tugged on her hand.

“Yes, I’m getting up.” She swung her feet out of bed, and let him lead her by the hand. It was odd waking up in an unfamiliar place, but especially one decorated so lushly and masculinely. It didn’t fully surprise her to see the rest of the troop waiting outside the door for her. She smiled sweetly, and let go of Alec’s hand to cross her arms over her breasts. Maybe she should start wearing a bra to bed? That didn’t sound at all comfortable. She supposed she’d either deal with the discomfort of wearing a bra at night, or the discomfort of having the guys see her braless. Did it make her a hussy if she chose the latter? Wearing a bra was so uncomfortable, she didn’t think she’d be able to sleep in one at all.

Everyone took the same seats as last time she’d dined with them. Apparently, she had a designated spot now. Breakfast was delicious, though simple, as before. The discussion was much different, however. Jaycee was filled in on the morning’s events. She was surprised the guys had taken it upon themselves to assign days with her, but she wasn’t upset…instead she found it cute. She had never received this much male attention before, and it was well beyond flattering.

“So, if I have this right, today is Alec’s day, and each day I will spend most of the day with one of you?”

“That’s right, sweetie. But don’t worry. While we might make suggestions for what we’d like to do each day, ultimately it’s up to you. No one’s forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do. For instance, I love paintball,” Alec raised a hand to stop her protest, “but I wouldn’t ask you to play something so violent. Instead, I was thinking we could try laser tag. Have you ever played before?”