Shane couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to deck his husband. The only three things that had stopped him was he’d been at a disadvantage on the inside of the booth, Arianna had interrupted their argument, and he’d noticed Paige on her way back to the table. Using his hands to push himself up, he’d stood as well as he could between the bench and table when she slid in across from him. A worried expression on her face bothered him as he sat again. “Are you okay, Paige? Something wrong?”

“I . . . um . . . was just going to ask you that. Did I do or say something inappropriate? Tucker doesn’t seem to be happy I’m here.” She twisted her napkin in her hands. “I really need this job, Shane, but not at the expense of coming between the two of you. If it’s a problem, I’ll stay until you find someone else.”

“Hey . . . no. It’s got nothing to do with you, Paige,” he lied, reaching over and stilling her hands with his own. He waited for her to look at him. When she did, the despair he saw in her eyes almost did him in. “I’m sorry. It’s . . .” He took a deep breath and let it out. He had to tell her the truth. She’d probably hear it by tomorrow anyway. In fact, he was a little surprised they’d gotten through the whole day without him having to explain to her about their unconventional three-way marriage. But here and now was not the time or place. “You’re not going anywhere. I promised you a week’s trial and you’ll get it. But I’ll tell you right now, I doubt you’re going to give me any reason not to keep you on after that. Arianna likes you. I—I like you. And Tuck . . .” His mouth flattened as he tilted his head from side to side, trying to think of the right words. “Well, Tuck will come around. I promise. There’s stuff I have to explain to you—stuff that’ll make you understand a little better—but not here. After Arianna’s tucked into bed, we’ll sit and talk, okay?”

She’d been nibbling on her bottom lip while he’d been talking, and it took everything in him not to reach up and rescue the plump, abused flesh. He was relieved when she nodded. “Okay.”

Releasing her hand and relaxing back in his seat, Shane caught Betty Lou’s eye and signaled for her to put the check on his account. He then tossed money for a tip onto the table, knowing full well the owner would give it to the busboy who was working his ass off. Sliding out of the booth, he glanced around the large room, before looking back at Paige. “Give me a minute to round up Arianna and Tuck, then we’ll be on our way.”

Five minutes later, Shane realized his words had been easier said than done as he escorted Paige and Arianna to the door, leaving Tuck behind. The bastard had decided to stay with their ranch hands for another hour or so, drinking. The night could only go one way from there—downhill. Tuck usually didn’t drink anything other than the occasional beer, but he’d knocked back his second shot of whiskey in front of Shane, then ordered a third. Any other time, Shane would have dragged Tuck’s ass out of there and taken their daughter and argument home, but with Paige there, he figured it would do more harm than good. Seth promised he’d get Tuck home in one piece, albeit a little drunk, and Shane had taken him at his word. He’d deal with his husband later. For now, he had to get Arianna home to bed and explain a few things to Paige.

Where Tuck’s jealousy was coming from, Shane didn’t know. Yeah, Paige was pretty—very pretty—but he hadn’t been hitting on her. He’d told Tuck the truth—he’d just been trying to put her at ease in her new environment. Arianna was already comfortable with Paige, and Shane didn’t know where the hell they’d find another house manager if this one didn’t work out. The last thing he wanted was for Tuck’s folks to cut their time in Arizona short and return to Kansas, weeks before they were scheduled to for the summer, as they’d offered. Shane loved his in-laws—they were great people—but they were retired now. They didn’t need to be running after a six-year-old and everything else that went into taking care of the huge house. As much as the older couple loved their children, son-in-law, and granddaughter, they also enjoyed their time in Arizona with plenty to do and people their own age.

After tucking Arianna into bed and reading her a story, Shane closed her bedroom door and went to find Paige. She was sitting on the couch in the family room with an e-reader in her hand, but her gaze was focused on the TV’s blank screen. She lifted her chin when she heard him enter the room.

Striding over to the bookcases, he reached up and found the key that was hidden from Arianna. Unlocking the built-in bar, he opened the drop-down door. “Would you like a little something to drink?”

“Um . . .”

He glanced over his shoulder and held up an empty, lowball glass. “It’s not a big deal to have an off-duty drink, Paige. I’m going to have one. You’re more than welcome to join me.”

“Thank you. If you have something light, please.”

There wasn’t much in terms of “light,” but he pulled out a bottle from the back. “I’ve got Bailey’s. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

After pouring a glass of the creamy liqueur, he put two ounces of his favorite scotch in a glass. Taking both, he handed Paige hers over the back of the couch, then grabbed a small framed photo from a shelf. Skirting around the couch, he took a seat in the recliner closest to her. A sigh escaped him as he studied the photograph before showing it to Paige. “You might have noticed there are a lot of pictures of Arianna’s mother, Sarah.”

“I did. Arianna told me she passed away.”

“Yeah, she did—two years ago.” He inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly, his gaze not meeting hers. “She wasn’t just Arianna’s mother, Paige. She was my wife.” He paused for a heartbeat or two. “She was also Tucker’s wife. We had a ménage marriage.”

Silence filled the room, and a few moments passed before he finally risked looking at her. Her eyes were wide, her mouth in an “O,” but there was no condemnation there, just surprise. Well, at least she hadn’t run from the room, screaming. He took a sip of scotch and then forged ahead. “I’ve known since I was a teenager that I liked both men and women. When Tuck and I fell for Sarah, after she moved here to teach at the elementary school, we fell for each other too. It may go against the norms of society, but for us, it felt right. I know I’m throwing a heap of personal stuff at you here, but you have a right to know—especially since the whole town knows already. Some people ridiculed us—still do—but many were supportive after they got over the shock. Hannah had no problems working for us, but I’m sure there are going to be some curious people who will want to know if we’re having a relationship with our new house manager who’s closer to our age. How you handle that is up to you, as long as Arianna isn’t swept into it. We’ll do our best to discourage any false rumors. If it’s too much for you, and you don’t want to work for us, I’ll understand, but I just ask that you give me some warning, so I can work on getting a replacement.”

Shane didn’t know what he’d expected but it wasn’t the loud snort that came from her, followed by a grin and an eye roll. “Please—if I can handle the press and all my former friends and neighbors pointing fingers at me in California, I can handle small-town gossip. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.”

“You’re not put off by the ménage?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Why should I be? There’s a lot of kinky things people are into out on the West Coast; a ménage marriage with all three people in love with each other is on the tamer side. So, to answer your question, no I’m not put off by it. Have I ever known anyone in a ménage relationship before? No. Do I think there’s anything wrong with it between consenting adults? Again, no. In fact, I give your Sarah a lot of credit. She bucked the norms of society and followed her heart. Many women don’t have the guts to do that, even in this day and age.”

Sagging back into his chair, Shane breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I was afraid you’d be freaked out by it and I’d have to find another house manager.”

“Not at all. But now the skinny-dipping title makes a lot more sense.” Shane chuckled along with her, then Paige tilted her head. “I do have a question, though.”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“What does Tucker have against me?”

That was the question of the hour. Shane grimaced. “For some reason, he misinterpreted me being nice to you as me flirting with you. I’ve never given him or Sarah a reason to think I’d cheat on them, so I’m not sure where it’s coming from. I will say that Tuck doesn’t do well with any change in the status quo—at least, not right away. It takes him a little while to come to terms with it. Will you give him some time?”

“Absolutely. But please, tell me if I’m causing any problems between you, and I’ll let him know in no uncertain terms, I’m not interested in either of you.”

His smile almost faltered, but Shane managed to keep it in place. Now, why were her words so disappointing? He’d only known her a few hours. “I don’t think it’ll come to that, but I’ll keep you in the loop.”