One to Keep

Chapter Ten

Stef slammed out of Rye’s truck. He stalked around the horse trailer and slammed that door open. All around him the festival was starting up, and heads turned at the noise he was making.

Rye Harper’s eyebrows rose to the brim of his hat. “You are as touchy as Max today, Stef. You want to talk about it, or should I say her?”

The amusement in Rye’s voice irritated him. “I’m not touchy.” Rye’s twin Max walked up from the small corral he’d been putting up. There was a carousel wheel to attach the ponies to. That was where he’d made his mistake. He should have tied Jennifer up before he turned his back on her.

“That’s not what I heard. I heard there was a lot of touching going on last night at Trio,” Max said, smirking.

Rye slapped at his brother’s chest. “You stop that. Rachel said to go easy on him.”

Max snorted as he pulled out the ramp and stomped up. “Yeah, I got the lecture last night. Stef is confused, and we need to give him space and crap.”

“I am not confused.”

Rye’s hand came out to grasp his shoulder. “You got woman trouble, man. We’re all confused about women. Even after you marry

’em and get ’em pregnant, it doesn’t get easier.” Max led a pony down the ramp, one hand on the rope, the other gently patting its head. “Hell, no, it gets harder. And he doesn’t even have a brother to hide behind when the going gets tough.”

Rye’s lips quirked up. “I have to plead his case from time to time, keep him from sleeping in the barn with Q. Sharing has its advantages.”

Max hooked up the pony, giving her a little pat. “Stef isn’t going to share Jen.”

“Why not? He’s always shared before. I heard James was sizing her up last night. From what the grapevine says, James is very open-minded.”

“His mind is going to be opened by my fist if he tries it again,” Stef said before he realized he was being baited. “You two suck.” Stef picked up a heavy coil of rope and turned from his friends, preferring to get to work than stand around and listen to their juvenile teasing. In an hour or so, the tourists would be out in full force and there would be a line of kids a mile long waiting to ride.

The grounds crew had been hard at work. Main Street had been shoveled, and the park grounds were pristinely clean. The tents and stalls were going up all over the place. Generators were humming, and Stef could already smell popcorn and funnel cakes. This was one of his favorite times of the year, but he was in a foul mood. He knelt in the hay that Max had lined the stall with, his hand moving smoothly, working the rope.

“Shoe’s on the other foot, huh, Stef?” Rye asked, standing over him.

“No idea what you’re talking about.” But he had a nasty suspicion.

“Rachel. Nate and Zane. Hell, you’re practically the cupid of Bliss,” Rye stated.

Stef snorted. “Hardly. I merely let Rachel use the guesthouse, and Bliss needed a sheriff.”

“Yeah, and Rachel came up with that plan all by herself, and it never once occurred to you that Callie had been pining for those two for years. You can pretend all you like, but you have a hand in everything that goes on here. You make sure everyone in Bliss gets what they need even if you hide the fact that you’re doing it,” Rye said, his boot tapping with impatience. He stopped suddenly and knelt down to get to eye level. “Man, you can’t expect the rest of us to butt out.”

“I sure as hell can,” Stef replied irritably.

“Ain’t happening, man.” Max attached the third pony to the wheel and started to walk them around, getting them warmed up. “Nobody is going to stay out of it. You and Jen are all anyone’s talking about.”

“Damn it,” Stef cursed. He had to tie the knot for the third time.

His concentration was shot, but it had been for months. “Well, you should tell everyone that I’m not Jennifer’s boyfriend.”

“Really?” Rye asked, his voice rising in surprise. “After the way you carried on with her last night at Trio, I think people will be surprised.”

“I’m not her boyfriend. I’m her Dom.” There was a loud snort from Max. “You owe me ten, brother.” Rye cursed under his breath. He walked up to his brother and pulled out his wallet. His blue eyes were slits of irritation as he handed over the cash to his brother. “You’re a dumbass, Stef.” Stef tightened the rope, securing the gates of the corral, and got to his feet. “Why? Why am I a dumbass? Look, I like Jennifer.

Obviously, I’m attracted to her, but she’s only twenty-three. She’s intensely talented. She won’t stay in Bliss forever, and it would be wrong to tie her down.”

“Yes,” Rye said with a little fist pump.

Max frowned and handed the ten back.

“Explain, assholes,” Stef said shortly.

Max leaned against the truck. “See, Rye and I had a couple of bets concerning the state of your love life.”

“Classy,” Stef shot back.

Rye ignored him. “First, I thought you would do the right thing and cave. There’s no way you dominate that girl long term. You only like it because those subs tend to overlook your perversions. Jen is obviously a perv herself, so I thought you would get it.”

“I knew you were dumb as dirt,” Max supplied.

Rye shook his head. “He didn’t. Rach did. She talked him into it.

She thought you were a dumbass. She thinks you’re going to try to hide behind all the BDSM stuff. Now, we also had a bet on why you would potentially be such an idiot.”

“I said you were just afraid of commitment because you get so much tail at those clubs.” Max grinned as he adjusted his Stetson on his head.

“But I knew it was because your momma left you when you were a kid and then your dad left,” Rye said, as though he was mentioning the weather and not psychoanalyzing his best friend.

Stef felt his heart clench. It wasn’t true. He’d gotten over that a long time ago. He was glad she’d left. He wouldn’t have been raised in Bliss. He wouldn’t have found his home if he hadn’t driven her away.

Fuck. He was thirty-two. He was old enough to know that his parents’ divorce had nothing to do with him. He was old enough to be over it. His treatment of Jennifer had everything to do with her age and her talent and nothing to do with his childhood.

“Is he freaking out?” Max asked, leaning into his brother.

“I am not freaking out,” Stef shouted. “I’m tired of everyone being in my business.”

“Deal with it,” Rye said with a shrug. “Welcome to Bliss. We show you we love you by being all up in your business. Damn it, Stef, we just want you to be happy. Can’t you see that?”

“If you want me to be happy, stop talking about me,” Stef said.

The words felt stubborn. When had he stopped being open with Max and Rye? He used to tell them everything. He used to share everything with them, including women. When had he started to pull away from his brothers?

“No,” Max replied, his face a firm mask of mule-like confidence.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Stefan, are you all right?”

Stef brought his head around at the sound of his father’s voice.

“I’m fine. I thought you were staying at the house.”

“That was your idea, not mine.” His father was wearing a very nice coat, and he’d found some proper boots. He stepped forward with a smile on his face. “I always loved the Winter Festival. I wanted to come out. Hello, Maxwell, Ryan.”

“Mr. Talbot.” Max and Rye nodded their heads in unison.

A nasty little impulse took hold of Stef’s gut. He had a way to make Max very uncomfortable. As uncomfortable as he’d made Stef.

“You know, Max, Dad found out I’m not with Callie.” Max smiled. “I’m sure Zane and Nate were quick to tell him all about it.”

“He thought I’d been covering up my sexuality all these years because I was afraid to tell him about us.” Let Max stew on that. Max was usually a powder keg of anger. Questioning his sexuality would surely get him furious.

Max looked from Sebastian to Stef to his brother, his face slack-jawed. Rye doubled over immediately, but Max just stared for a moment. Then he sighed.

“Damn, I thought we could hide our love for a few more years,” Max said, his face lighting up.

Stef took a step back as Max walked toward him, his arms open.

A little bit of mirth lit inside Stef. Idiot. He was such an idiot. “Max.

Don’t you do it.”

“We don’t have to hide anymore, Stef. We can let our gay love flow.” Max batted his eyes and puckered up.

Stef couldn’t help it. He laughed. It came from deep down in his soul. He loved Max. He loved Rye. They always brought him down to earth, no matter how far he got away from it. They, along with Callie, were his anchors, his true family. “I fucking hate you.”

Max punched him viciously in the arm. “You can’t shame me, asshole. I got a girl pregnant. I’m comfortable with my sexuality.”

“Hey, you don’t know that,” Rye interjected. “That could be my baby.”

“Prove it,” Max shot back, circling Rye. “I bet the baby looks like me.”

Rye pushed at him, a wide smile on his face. “I bet the baby looks like me.”

Stef couldn’t help it. “I bet the baby looks like me.” Max and Rye both rounded on him. Stef had the good sense to back up. “It was a joke.”

“So is this,” Max said, his fist rearing back.

Stef easily avoided him. It was just play. Sometimes he and Max turned into eight-year-old boys. This time Rye joined in. Rye tackled him, and Stef hit the ground. He brought his boot up and caught Rye in the gut.

Max pulled on Rye’s coat, hauling him up. “He’s gone. He shook his head, said something about those Harper boys being a bad influence, and walked off. We can stop.” Stef looked up at his friends. They’d done the whole fake fight thing to get him out of talking to his dad? Rye held out a hand and helped him up.

“You’re going to have to deal with him, you know.” Rye sounded as sure as Jennifer had when she’d said the same thing.

Stef brushed his coat off. “I know.”

But first he would deal with his willful sub. He felt in his coat pocket. Her silky panties were still there, but so were a few other items. He knew exactly how he would deal with her.

“They’re beautiful,” Holly said, staring at the canvases Jen had brought into the town hall. “They’ll go for a lot of money, sweetie.

It’s a great thing you’re doing.”

Holly pushed a piece of paper in front of Jen, which she quickly signed, officially donating her work to the charity auction. Stef would probably throw a fit, but it made her feel good. Her pride had been bruised when she found out the only person who had bought her work was Stef, but Holly’s admiration meant something.

“And you can keep this one until I can get this out to the Harper Stables?” Jen asked as she turned over the painting she’d decided to give Rachel.

Holly patted the covered canvas. “Absolutely. I’ll lock it up. Just let Rachel know where she can get it.”

“Thanks,” Jen said as she pulled her gloves back on and walked to the front of the town hall. The whole place was decorated in a winter theme. Jen smiled and waved at the people signing up for volunteer work or paying their entry fees to various functions. There was a snowboarding competition this afternoon it looked like. The first round was today, and the championship round was tomorrow. A line of young men stood waiting to get their numbers assigned.

Jen pushed through the double doors and crossed the street to get to the park grounds. The heavenly scent of coffee filled her nostrils and reminded her that she’d skipped breakfast in an attempt to avoid Master Stefan. She frowned. Maybe that had been a mistake. She’d agreed to the whole Dom/sub thing and then immediately did what he’d asked her not to. She was going to get a spanking.

Yeah, she was totally looking forward to that.

“Hey!” Callie jumped up and down, waving her gloved hands.

She stood in the coffee line. “You want something?”

“Yeah, just a coffee would be great,” Jen yelled back. She marched through the neatly plowed park grounds to where Rachel stood, Quigley sitting at her side. She was bundled from head to toe.

Jen felt a rush of affection for the pregnant woman.

She’d missed her friend’s pregnancy. How had her mother done it? How had she walked out on the people she knew? Her mother hadn’t been a bad person. She’d been flaky, but sweet. When Jen thought about her, it was as a smiling, laughing presence. There wasn’t a mean bone in her mother’s body, yet she’d walked out on everyone who ever cared about her because it was easier than fighting.

Or, was it just that her smiling mother couldn’t handle the responsibility? Being a part of a community, of a town or a family or just a group of friends, meant working at it. It meant putting them before yourself at times. That was what her mother couldn’t handle.

Hell, if Jen didn’t call her, she wouldn’t ever speak to her mother. She often worried about what would happen if her mom lost the cell phone Jen had given her. Her mother would just be gone.

Like she had been gone.

“Hey,” Rachel said, walking over. “I’m supposed to be the hormonal one. Why are you crying, sweetie? What did Stef do?

’Cause I can sic Max on him.”

Jen shook her head. “It wasn’t Stef. It was me. I left.” Rachel reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Yes, you did.

The going got tough and you walked. You left your friends, and you didn’t look back. You didn’t write. You didn’t call. You cut us off like we didn’t mean a thing.”

Well, that was Rachel, Jen thought. If she wanted constant sympathy, she should have gone to Callie. Rachel told it like it was.

“I ran once,” Rachel continued. “I left everything behind, and do you know why I did it?”

“Because you had a crazy stalker guy after you,” Jen managed to get out.

“Yes, but more importantly, I didn’t have anyone to help me. My folks were gone. I didn’t have a family to rely on. My friends all gave up on me. I was alone. You weren’t. You are never alone when you’re here.” Rachel stared at her. “So my question to you is, how long before you run again?”

“Never,” Jen stated resolutely. “I am never leaving again. This is my home. I want a life here, and if that’s a life without Stef, then I’ll make it. I’m going to try this thing with him for a while because I love him, but if he can’t love me back, then I’ll open my own studio, and I’ll make it work.”

Rachel’s lips curved up slightly. “Are you making your stand then?”

“I am making my stand.” She would have Stef or she wouldn’t, but she wouldn’t leave her home again. She wanted everything that went with this crazy place. She wanted to gossip and be gossiped about. She wanted to get pulled into Nell’s volunteer work and chase aliens with Mel. She wanted to go to town hall meetings. She wanted to love her friends and neighbors so much that they could fight and still be friends. She wanted roots more than she’d ever wanted anything else.

Rachel smiled brilliantly and pulled her in for a hug. “Then I’ll stand with you. But you should know I’ll kick your skinny ass if you try to leave again.” Rachel shook her head. “Damn, girl, eat a burger sometime. I hate you.”

“No, she doesn’t, Jen,” Callie said, walking up with her hands full of covered coffee cups. Callie shook her head at Rachel. “What is wrong with you? Jen, she’s past hormonal. Pregnancy must be making her mean if she’s got you crying.” Rachel snorted. “I didn’t make her cry. She’s all emotional about being home. I called her a skinny bitch.” Callie nodded as she passed out the cups. “Oh, that’s sweet.

Here’s your tea.”

Rachel grumbled but took the cup. “I miss coffee. And I need a damn beer. Oh, look, it’s a supermodel.” Laura Niles walked up with a little wave. She looked practically perfect in her tailored coat, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots with what looked to be a five-inch heel. She strode over confidently, her blonde hair curling in waves. “Thanks, sweetie. Can I touch today, or will I get my head bitten off?”

Rachel grinned. “Sorry, I’m taking the hormone thing to its fullest horror. I’ve found the rounder I get, the more crap people are willing to take from me. Go ahead. Rub for luck.” A little wistful look came over the beautiful blonde’s face as she touched Rachel’s stomach. “He kicked.”

“Yeah, he does that all the time now.” Jen felt her heart clench. “It’s a boy?”

“According to the doctor. I’m going to be hopelessly outnumbered,” Rachel said. “He claims there’s only one in there.

Christopher Stefan Harper.”

“Stef?” Jen asked.

“Yes, Stef was the one who made me realize I could handle both those men. He was the one who brought us together.”

“If we have a girl, we’ve decided to name her Stephanie,” Callie said with a hopeful smile. “Because he brought us together, too.” Laura straightened up, brushing away a little tear. “Stef is good to everyone here. Thanks, Rach. You know I need a baby fix every so often. Now, Callie, do you know where Nate is? I need to talk to him.”

“He’s back at the station last I heard,” Callie said.

Laura waved good-bye and started to walk toward the station house, those impressive heels somehow not sinking into the ground.

Jen knew if she tried to walk in those, she would be slogging, but Laura Niles seemed to float gracefully above the surface.

“I hate her,” Rachel said, shaking her head.

“No, you don’t,” Callie immediately replied.

“She doesn’t waddle. I waddle. I also bet she doesn’t pee forty times a day and worry whether or not she’ll fit into the bathroom stalls. I worry I’m going to get stuck and Max and Rye will have to grease me down to get me free.”

“Well, she doesn’t have two superhot cowboys to go home to,” Jen said. She was starting to get into the rhythm. She relaxed and looked forward to the day.

“She doesn’t need them,” Rachel replied. “She can go home and make love to her footwear. Damn, I’d like to get into that woman’s closet.”

“Who’s that?” Callie asked, her jaw dropping just a little.

Rachel’s eyes widened, too. “No idea. Wow. He’s big.”

“And gorgeous.”

Jen followed their line of sight. Two big men stood across from them at the funnel cake stand. One was huge. He had to be six foot five at the least. He was big and broad, with inky black hair peeking out from under the hat he wore. He turned to her, and his dark eyes held hers for the briefest of moments before sliding away. He leaned over to talk to his slightly smaller companion. The smaller man had nothing on his friend. Jen doubted anyone would look at him when they could stare at the gorgeous god of a man next to him. His eyes were too small for his face, his mouth slightly crooked.

“Aren’t you two married?” Jen asked. “Seriously, you have four guys between the two of you.”

“We’re married, not blind,” Rachel shot back.

“Jennifer!”

Jen started at the sound of her name booming across the grounds.

Stefan stalked toward her, walking right past the big guy they were staring at. He wore jeans, boots, and a heavy sheepskin coat. His Stetson was firmly on his head. It was his cowboy clothes. He wore them when he helped out at the stables. Normally he was in slacks and designer shirts, but Jen’s heart always sped up when he went country. He was tall, and his lean strength was on display even under the coat. He was so beautiful.

“You two might not be blind, but Stef seems to think I’m deaf,” Jen said with a shake of her head.

Her friends simply sighed and watched as Stef moved toward her with predatory grace.

“You are in trouble, sub,” Stef said with silky menace.

Yep, it looked like she was.