Changed. Forever changed and new and perfect in their trinity.
“Baby?” She heard Parker’s concern in his one word.
“Oh, yeah.” She didn’t know if she could manage more than that. It was enough. She felt his smile against her shoulder.
He kissed her there. “Don’t move. Be right back. Maybe.”
He groaned as he left her. She could see the way he stumbled on rubbery legs to the bathroom and grinned. Oh yeah, indeed.
Dale’s hands trembled slightly as he caressed her sweat-dampened back. Parker returned, a little steadier. He used a warm damp cloth to care for her.
She closed her eyes and let herself sink into satiation. She heard the shower come on and was content to wait, draped over one lover until her other lover returned.
“Good?” Dale asked.
“Best.” She sighed.
Parker returned, took a moment to pull up the covers, then climbed into the bed. He reached for Jenny, lifted her off Dale, and laid her on her left side. She rested her head on Dale’s chest and smiled when Parker spooned her.
“We are going to have such a good life together, sweet Jenny.” Parker’s words, just above a whisper, sounded like a vow.
“We’re going to take such good care of you, and of any children we have.” Dale’s words, a sacred promise, wrote themselves with his brother’s in her heart.
“I’ll take very good care of you both, too. Never doubt it.”
“We don’t,” Parker said.
She needed to see them both so she moved, and they adjusted. Flat on her back, she could see both their faces because her lovers not only cocooned her they both rested their heads on their hands and looked down at her.
“I never dreamed I would fall in love with two men—two Montanans at that.” She grinned. “I never believed I’d fall in love with one because no one had ever reached me the way you two have. No one ever really saw me the way you both did, right from that first moment.”
“You’re not alone, sweet Jenny.” Parker reached out and stroked the side of her face.
“We came here for a vacation, and that’s all we thought there would be,” Dale said. “But we wanted and needed so much more. We were wounded, I guess, when we left Montana.”
She understood. “Of course, you were. But you had to go through that. Just as I had to go through the trials I did. Everything that’s happened in our lives, to date, has brought us right here.”
“When you look at it that way,” Parker said, “you have no choice but to let go of any grudges. How could we resent this miracle we’ve been given? There’s only one way to feel, and that’s grateful.”
“That’s it exactly,” Dale said.
Jenny knew they had plenty of reasons to be bitter about the way they’d been treated by those who were supposed to have had their backs. But no bitterness lingered in either one of these men.
“You stepped up and did the right thing, even knowing doing so would not be received well by so many of your family. You’ve told me you’re proud of me? Well, I’m proud of you. I’m proud of you both. And I just know you’re both going to make wonderful husbands—and awesome fathers.”
Unshed tears glistened in their eyes as they looked down at her.
“You humble me, Jenny. Thank you.” Dale kissed her, his love flavoring the moment.
“Thank you, baby. I just realized, staring down at you, that I’m looking at the mother of all our babies. And I realized something else, too.”
His smile drew her, his heart held her. “And that was?”
“Our happy ever after began today.”
“It did. It truly did.” Jenny could think of nothing better than that.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“This tradition began shortly after Kelsey opened Lusty Appetites,” Chase Benedict said. “We were still in New York at the time.”
Jenny didn’t have to ask how he felt about leaving the Big Apple. She’d heard from Carrie how the twins had languished in that city until they finally made the decision to come back to Lusty and follow their dreams.
“We tend to like to have traditions in this family,” Carrie said. There were only a couple of months left until Carrie gave birth. She’d already scaled back working here at Lusty Appetites. Jenny knew Carrie’s husbands would prefer to wrap her up in cotton and pamper her. But they knew Carrie enjoyed working, and because she did, her men bore the burden of biting their tongues while keeping a very close eye on her.
Of course, they weren’t alone in that endeavor. The town was so full of family that there was never a lack of someone able to be close by the expectant mother, just in case.
Then Chase frowned at his two cousins. It was such an exaggerated gesture that Parker and Dale snickered.
“Don’t laugh. This is serious business. Remember, traditions!” Chase looked at Brian, who nodded, and then they assumed their versions of a threatening stance. Arms akimbo, a stern look on their faces—or in Brian Benedict’s case as stern a look as he could muster—they focused on Jenny’s men.
“Sons, you best be treating this little lady right, or you’ll be hearing from us.” Chase intoned those words with a mock gravitas that nearly broke her up.
Jenny watched as Parker struggled to look serious. “Yes, sir, Mr. Benedict, sir. Does that mean if we treat her right, we won’t be hearing from you?”
“Because we have to tell you, sir, if that’s the case, it’s going to make working together very difficult,” Dale said. “Unless of course, we all learn sign language.”
Carrie and Jenny both giggled, and all semblance of dignity was lost when the men joined in with their own laughter.
Jenny thought that cousin-speak was generally hilarious.
“Seriously, we’re glad you’re staying. And very glad you had the good sense to fall in love with this angel.”
Jenny felt her cheeks heat at
