CHAPTER FIVE
Holly sat at the bar between Adam and Ryan as Ethan served up plates of bacon, eggs and toast. She glanced between them often, gauging their mood, their reaction to her, but they seemed unruffled.
It was as if they made such proclamations every day. She shook her head and speared another piece of egg with her fork. How could such a relationship work? Jealousy would be inevitable. And things would be much more difficult for her than for any of them. They would only have one “spouse” to contend with while she would have three.
Three men to please, put up with, all different. The mere idea of the complexities involved in the situation made her head ache even harder.
Ethan was the easiest going of the three brothers. She relaxed around him. It was a natural reaction. Even if she didn’t know Adam was the oldest, it was as clear as if it was written across his forehead. And even though he had gone to great lengths to make her feel at ease, she knew he could be dangerous when crossed. He exuded power and authority, wore it like a mantle draped around him.
Her gaze flitted sideways to Ryan. He was an enigma. The only one she didn’t have an idea formed about already. He was quiet and serious, but more than that, she saw pain in his eyes. Like her, he’d seen the darker side of life.
“Are you all right?” Ethan asked.
She looked up to see him frowning at her. “Just a headache,” she replied.
He walked to one of the cabinets and retrieved a bottle of ibuprofen, shook out several pills and handed them to her. Just one more example of them taking care of her. It warmed her to her toes and scared the hell out of her all at the same time.
“What’s on your mind, baby?” Adam asked.
Was she that easy to read? Could they already see inside her mind and soul? Her fingers tensed on her fork for a moment as she contemplated denying that anything was on her mind, but Adam’s honesty compelled her to be equally honest.
“The dynamics of the whole relationship you all propose… It’s rather mind-boggling.”
She didn’t miss the triumphant smiles passed between the brothers. Surely to them, this was a sign they were making headway. And maybe they were, as insane as she was to even contemplate it.
“Anything in particular you want to talk about?” Adam prompted.
She sighed and set down her fork. “This has all pretty much blown me away. I don’t even know where to begin. I keep expecting to be told this is one huge joke at my expense.”
Ryan put a hand on her knee. “This is no joke. Now tell us what’s on your mind.”
She took in a deep breath, told herself she was completely nuts and then proceeded to tell them precisely what concerns she had.
“The thing is, you guys only have one person to concern yourselves with, relationship-wise. I have three. Three overbearing, overprotective, rather large men. I don’t see how it’s remotely possible that I could please all of you all of the time.”
Cocky, self-assured grins adorned the three men’s faces.
“I don’t think any of us expect perfection,” Ethan said. “Though,” he added with an up-and-down sweep of her, “I’m not arguing with what we’ve been given.”
“We’ve discussed this many times,” Adam said in a serious tone. “We know it won’t always be easy. It wasn’t always easy for our mother and fathers, but if we all work at it, there’s no reason we can’t live in harmony.”
“I guess I just don’t understand the concept,” Holly said. “I can’t wrap my brain around it.”
Ryan reclaimed her attention by turning her back around to face him. “Then think of it this way. Three men completely devoted to your happiness. Three men worshipping your body with theirs. Three men who would love you with complete abandon. Three men who would protect you and cherish you always.”
She stared at him open-mouthed. “Well, when you put it that way.”
“Damn, Ryan, why didn’t you speak up earlier?” Ethan said in amusement.
“The first order of business is to go into town and buy you some clothes and whatever else you need,” Adam said, changing the subject.
“But I don’t need anything,” she protested. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but she didn’t want them buying her a bunch of stuff.
“Ryan, you care to repeat that part about three men devoted to her happiness, worshipping her, etcetera?” Ethan spoke up. “Because I’m pretty sure making sure our woman is clothed and provided for falls under that heading.”
Holly blushed.
“Ethan, you and Ryan want to drive her into town? I need to check out the horses and get the hay out. It’s supposed to snow again tonight.” Adam turned to Holly. “There’s a western store in town. It isn’t much but you’ll be able to get boots, jeans and some shirts. And a coat. You need a decent coat. Next week, we’ll drive into the city to do the heavy shopping for you.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t manage much more around the huge knot in her throat. She felt dangerously close to tears and fought to contain them.
Adam leaned forward and brushed his mouth across hers. He was surprisingly gentle. For the first time, she reached a hand out to touch him, running her fingertips across his cheek, feeling the slight stubble along his jaw.
When he drew away, his eyes were burning with passion, and she felt heady with the knowledge she had affected him.
Ryan stood up from his seat at the bar. “Well if we’re going into town, we need to go now. We don’t want to be late getting back if it’s going to snow.”
“Is it…is it safe for me to go into town?” she asked. The idea that someone might see her and report back to Mason struck fear into her heart, despite the brothers’ vow to protect her.
“We’ll make sure you’re not seen,” Ethan said. “Riley’s Western Store is on the edge of town. We’ll park you in a corner of the store and do your shopping for you, let you try on stuff if you need to, and we’ll keep a sharp eye for anything unusual going on.”
She expelled a long breath. “Okay. Let’s do it then.”
* * *
The drive into town was long and quiet. Holly sat up front while Ethan drove and Ryan sat in the back of the Land Rover. During the course of the trip, Ethan entwined his fingers with hers, and she drew comfort from the gesture.
By midmorning, they drove into the small town of Clyde. Adam had been right. There wasn’t much beyond a grocery store, a feed mill, a few cafes and the western store, but there was a quaint main street and the businesses were clean and well kept.
Ethan pulled up at the western store, and he and Ryan surveyed the area before getting out. Ryan opened her door and held his hand out for her. Once she was out, Ethan and Ryan flanked her, and they headed into the store.
They led her to the area beside the one small dressing room and had her sit.
“Now tell us what sizes you need, and we’ll bring you some stuff to look at,” Ryan directed.
She laughed. “There’s no one else in here. I think I can look myself.”
Ethan glanced around once more. “Okay, I’ll go stand by the door. Ryan, you keep an eye on Holly while she shops.”
Holly walked over to the racks in the center of the store and began thumbing through the shirts. She found a few long-sleeved flannel shirts in her size and removed them from the rack. She wasn’t sure how much she should spend so she only took a few and moved on to the jeans.
As she was searching for her size in pants, Ryan walked up behind her with several more shirts over his arm. At her self-conscious glance, he shoved the shirts toward her, his expression brooking no argument.
Then he reached for a heavy, sheepskin-lined coat on the rack next to her. “You’ll need a coat too.” She turned and let him help her into the sleeves. Once she was sure it would fit, she shrugged out of it and handed it back to Ryan. “Will you take it all up to the counter for me? I’ll be up in just a minute.” “Want me to pick you out a pair of boots while I’m up there?” he asked.
She smiled. “I’d like that. Thanks.”
She walked closer to the window overlooking the street and picked out a few pairs of jeans in dark blue and one each in black and khaki. As she turned to follow Ryan to the checkout, her gaze stopped on a familiar black vehicle pulling down the street.
Frozen to the spot, she watched in horror as Mason Bardwell climbed out of the flashy BMW.
Her stomach knotted, rolled, tightening until she knew she would vomit. She glanced around in panic, looking for a place to hide.
* * *
Ethan frowned as the BMW pulled into a parking spot across the street. Unusual vehicle for this part of the world. If it wasn’t four-wheel drive, the locals had no use for it.
He glanced back to where Ryan was looking at boots and then at the racks where Holly was. Only she wasn’t there. He scanned the store, looking to see where she’d gone, but she wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
“Ryan,” he barked.
Ryan turned around, searching for Holly as well. His features hardened when he saw no sign of her.
They fanned out, darting between the clothes racks. Ethan walked to the back toward the fitting room, and Ryan scoured the front by the window.
He found her huddled behind a clearance rack, only her feet sticking out from under the clothes. When he parted the hangers, she flinched, as if afraid of who had come.
“What’s wrong?” he asked sharply
She covered her face with her hands and moaned low in her throat. “He’s here. Outside. He’s come for me. He knows I’m here.”
Ethan’s nostrils flared. “Black BMW? Is that him?”
Holly nodded and shrank further into herself.
“I’ll kill him.”
For a moment, Ethan thought he had spoken his thoughts aloud, but then he realized Ryan had spoken from behind him.
Her head shot up and she looked pleadingly at them. “No!” she protested. “Please just take me home before he sees me.”
Ethan turned to Ryan. “Pull the Rover around back. I’ll take her out that way.”
He turned his attention back to Holly and gently picked her up. Cradling her to his chest, he strode toward the rear of the store, careful to keep her hidden from view.
He stopped at the counter for the briefest of moments when he caught the storeowner’s curious stare. “Riley, I need a favor,” Ethan murmured. “There’s a mean son of a bitch outside, and he’s looking for this woman. If he asks, you haven’t seen her.”
Riley’s gaze hardened, and he fingered the shotgun he kept behind the counter. “You got it.”
Ethan nodded then hurried out the back. Ryan was there, holding the door open. “You drive,” he ordered as he climbed into the back, still holding Holly.
A few seconds later, they pulled onto the main street. Holly lay in the seat, her head on Ethan’s lap. He stared at the BMW on their way past, committing the license plate to memory. Not that it was hard. California plates. Personalized. MASON. Arrogant bastard to boot.
He stroked Holly’s hair, his rage building as he felt her tremble beneath his touch. When they were out of town, he pulled her up beside him.
She clung to him, her face buried in his chest. She felt better than he had ever imagined a woman could feel. That the woman who would complete them all was finally with them was incomprehensible. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to let some abusive bastard take her away from them.
“How is she?” Ryan asked from the front seat as he sped up the mountain, taking the switchbacks as fast as he dared.
Ethan smoothed the hair from her face. “Good question. How are you, doll?”
“I’m okay,” she said in a shaky voice. “He didn’t see me, did he?”
“No, he didn’t. I promise. You’re safe.”
He continued to caress her, running his hand up and down her back. “We’re almost home.”
He nuzzled the top of her head, pressing kisses to her hair. Gradually she ceased shaking, but she held him tightly, a fact he wasn’t complaining about. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she trusted him. It was a start.