Infinite Ties (All That Remains #3) (5 page)

Airen beats me to it. “You know that’s on
him, Carson, not you.” Carson nods when Airen squeezes his shoulder. “And if
you get the urge to show him what a roundhouse kick to the head feels like,
I’ve got your back.”

“Airen!” Joseph exclaims.

A grin spreads across Carson’s face.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I know who my real family is.”

I spend the rest of the day cleaning and
preparing for the days of cooking and canning awaiting me after the harvest.
Keeping busy really isn’t helping to stem my anxiety and dread. What will Jon
say to Carson? What if Airen or Joseph start a fight or argument with him? I
have to make sure that doesn’t happen. It’ll only give him an opportunity to
lash out and throw my past in their faces. He’ll do it eventually anyway, but
I’m desperate to hold onto my guys as long as I can. How am I going to live
without them? Fuck. Why did he have to find me?

Strong arms slide around my waist as a
firm chest presses against my back. Airen’s scent wraps around me like a warm
blanket. I’ve missed him. “Why didn’t you tell me it was Carson’s idea?”

“It was between me and him. Honestly,
darlin’, I never thought he’d show up. I wanted Carson to know I tried
everything. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known it would hurt you like this.
I’m sorry.”

It’s unfair of me to blame him. He has no
idea what he’s done by leading Jon here. How could he? Turning in his arms, I
reach to thread my fingers through his hair and place a soft kiss on his lips. His
chest expands on a shuddering sigh and he rests his chin on my head. “I didn’t
mean to hurt you. Can you forgive me?”

“Yes. I feel terrible for what I said,
Air. You’ve been a wonderful father to Carson. I’m so sorry.”

“Water under the bridge, sweetheart.” He
kisses my forehead.

“I didn’t mean it.”

“I know. You were pissed. I understand.”

I grin up at him. “Well, if anyone would.”

A delicious little half smile graces his
lips. “Are you accusing me of being quick tempered?”

“And hot blooded,” I add when his hand
wanders over my ass.

“You know you like it,” he murmurs,
squeezing gently.

Joseph smiles when he sees us with our
hands all over one another. “So, you’ve made up?”

“Not properly.” Airen’s grin is wicked.

“I’ve lost track of our schedule. Whose
night is it?” I ask.

Joseph kisses my neck before pecking Airen
on the lips. “Doesn’t matter. You and Airen take tonight.”

“No deal, dimples. We’re both staying with
our girl until things calm down.”

“Ladybug?” Joseph murmurs, tucking an
errant lock of hair behind my ear.

I nod. “Stay, please.” I want to spend
every moment I can with them before the shit hits the fan.

Cuddled between them in bed, I feel safe
and warm, but my churning mind just won’t let me sleep. Joseph is snoring
almost instantly, and Airen regards him fondly. “I know men are infamous for
falling asleep after sex, but he could set a record. You’re lucky if he has
time to pull out first.”

“Give him a break. Babysitting a crazy
woman is exhausting work.” I grin.

“You aren’t crazy.”

“So you admit he was babysitting?”

“He was staying close, taking care of you.
We were worried.”

“I know what you were thinking, and I’d
never kill myself. You should know I’d never do that to Lane or Carson.”

His big hand grips my chin and lifts my
head to meet his gaze. Coal black eyes, burning with intensity, stare into mine
for a long minute. Unnerved by such probing scrutiny, my resolve crumbles, and
I have to look away, shamed by his silent reproof. “What about me, Abigail?
Would you do that to me? To Joseph?” His words are soft, but his tone is severe
as he swallows back his anger.

They’d have each other, and plenty of
women would give up a limb to take my place, but I know better than to say
that. “I’m not going anywhere, so please stop worrying.”

“Then stop thinking of yourself as
disposable. It breaks my heart and royally pisses me off. You’re precious to
me, irreplaceable. I love you.”

“I know. I love you, too. More than you’ll
ever know. I’m fine, really. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just didn’t see this
coming.” Strong arms cradle me while my face finds refuge in his neck, my heart
comfort in his words.

* * * *

“Damn, boy. You’re almost as tall as me,”
Jon announces with a broad smile as he steps into the living room.

Carson grins. “At least I was spared the
red hair.”

“Got hit with the freckles, though.”

Airen, Joseph, and I sit silently as Jon
pours on the charm. They laugh and talk for nearly an hour, skirting the big
questions I expected Carson to ask him. When Jon accompanies Carson to his room
to see his karate trophies, Joseph squeezes my knee. “I’ll keep an eye on them.
You can take care of Lane.” He leans against the hallway wall just outside
Carson’s room.

Lane displays his adorable gap toothed
grin when I scoop him out of his crib. “That was a short nap,” I mumble,
changing his diaper while he twists and squirms. He’s a terror ever since he
started to walk. Let your guard down for one second, and he’ll tear the house
apart. He’s every bit as mischievous and stubborn as his father. And every bit
as beautiful. His midnight hair is soft and smooth, his eyes as dark as night.
Oh, he’ll be a heartbreaker someday.

“Da!” he squeals when he spots Airen
standing at the fridge, filling his sippy cup with juice.

Airen’s face lights up with joy and pride,
and he sweeps him up, tossing him in the air. “There’s my menace.” The sight of
them together, the reaction they have to one another can make me smile through
the worst of moments. He’s a daddy’s boy, and has Airen wrapped around his
finger. He tugs Airen’s hand, leading him to the big box of blocks in the
corner. They’re seated on the floor, surrounded by their creations when Jon and
Carson return to the living room.

Jon cocks an eyebrow at me. “He your boy?”

“Yes, his name is Lane.” Upon hearing his
name, Lane grins up at Jon.

Dragging his arrogant gaze from Lane to
Airen, Jon smirks. “No need for a DNA test on that one.”

Joseph laughs. “He’s cut right out of his
daddy’s ass,” he agrees, taking a seat beside me on the couch. Airen’s look is
quizzical when he regards me. Of course they don’t realize his comment was an
insult, not an observation. A reference to the fact that I had to have a DNA
test performed on Carson, but they don’t know that. Just a cheap jab to remind
me he holds all the cards.

He turns to Carson. “I saw your horseshoe
pit. Are you any good?”

“I can kick your ass.” Carson grins.

“Let’s do it.” They head out the door.

“Don’t take off anywhere, Carson,” I warn.

“Sure, mom. We’ll just be in the yard.”

Fuck. How long does he plan on staying?
What’s he really up to? I know he doesn’t give a shit about Carson. As much as
the idea repulses me, I need to talk to Jon alone and see what his actual
motive is.

Airen sits beside me. “Are you okay?” Nodding,
I lean my head against his shoulder.

“I thought it went okay,” Joseph murmurs,
peeking out the window to check on Carson. Their ignorance of my situation and
fear adds to my melancholy and makes me feel so alone. They don’t understand.
They can’t. I can’t bring myself to agree with him, so I choose to stay silent.

“You need a break, darlin’. Some time away
from all of this.” Airen pulls me into his lap. “Go out on the lake with us
tomorrow. We’ll take the pontoon boat, and you can lie in the sun and relax. No
kids or exes.”

Oh, that sounds so good. “I don’t want Jon
to have access to Carson without one of us near.”

“I’ll recruit Gary to keep an eye on
them,” Joseph suggests.

The thought of Gary hovering over Jon
while he’s with Carson brings a smile to my face. Gary’s a big guy, well over
six feet of solid muscle. His appearance is intimidating, the complete opposite
of his teddy bear personality. “Sounds fun,” I relent. “Thank you.”

“I’ll go ask Gary if he’ll help us out.”
Joseph drops a kiss on my forehead.

Airen snorts. “Just tell him it’s for
Abby. He’ll do anything.”

“That’s not true!”

Joseph chuckles. “Sorry, ladybug. I have
to agree with Airen on this one. He adores you.”

“He’s friendly to me. He adores Emma. They’ve
been seeing each other.”

“Good,” Airen growls.

“Don’t be such a cave man,” Joseph says, laughing.

“Pretty girl, mine,” Airen grunts,
clenching my hair in his fist before kissing me senseless.

“Pretty girl, ours,” Joseph corrects.

“No clothes allowed on the boat tomorrow.”
Airen’s grin is wicked, and suddenly the night can’t pass fast enough.

Aside from voicing that he’s fine, Carson
refuses to talk about his reunion with Jon. Gary agrees to hang out at our
house for the day in case he shows up, and I promise to have him and Emma over
for dinner soon as a thank you.

It’s a beautiful day to be outdoors. The
air is warm and a slight breeze tickles my neck, lifting my hair from my
shoulders. We’re at the tail end of summer, and I hate to see it go. “What’s
wrong?” Airen asks, slipping an arm around my shoulders. “You look like you
lost your best friend.”
Not yet
.

“I was just thinking that summer’s nearly
over.”

“Yeah, it is, so you need to relax and
enjoy the day.”

I grin up at him. “I intend to soak up as
much sun as possible.”

Joseph chuckles. “You’ll be one giant
raisin when you grow old.”

“I like raisins,” Airen assures me, making
me giggle.

“Don’t worry, Airen’s going to be gray in
a few years.”

“Fuck off, dimples.”

An impish grin plays across his lips as he
continues teasing him. “You’re getting gray through your sideburns and your
scruffy face when you let it grow for a couple of days. I suppose that’s why
you’ve been shaving
every
morning.”

I’ve noticed that little deviation in his
habit. “Is that why?” I ask, running a finger down his smooth jaw.

“I don’t like it,” he grumbles, shooting
daggers at Joseph. Airen’s never self conscious about his appearance. God, he’s
the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met. Does he think a few gray hairs could
change that? Sometimes, I think too much of his self worth rides on his looks.
Perhaps it’s because that’s how he made a living before.

“Well, I do. I love that salt and pepper
look, and I’ll love it even more when you have a head full. Face it, Airen, you’re
sexy to a spectacular degree. Nothing can change that.”

“Told you,” Joseph adds flippantly. “It’s
sickening how perfect he is.”

“Look who’s talking. We have to worry
about guys and girls drooling over you,” Airen points out.

“At least we’ll all be wrinkled and gray
together.” Joseph slips his hand in Airen’s back pocket. Oh, if I had one wish
in the world, he has just nailed it.

An hour later finds me sprawled on the top
deck of the boat, soaking in the sunshine while Airen and Joseph lounge nearby,
drinks in hand. The lake is still, the surface as smooth as glass. After the
last few days, the silence is refreshing. I sneak a peek at my guys, all sweaty
and gorgeous. Both are clad in swim trunks, and my gaze alternates between the
hard ridges of Airen’s abs and Joseph’s lean ropey muscles.

“Keep looking over here like that, darlin’,
and I can’t guarantee your safety.” Airen’s predatory grin makes my body leap
to attention.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,”
I reply smugly, turning onto my belly and unhooking the back of my bikini top.
This shouldn’t take long. My eyes pop open when I feel a tug at my hip as they
untie my bottoms. Airen pulls the fabric away and tosses it aside, leaving me
bared to the hot summer sun. Their rough hands explore and caress my back,
gliding down my spine before massaging my ass and thighs.

A moan escapes my lips as they press soft
kisses from the nape of my neck to the small of my back. Oh, God, I’ll never
get used to the sensation of their hands and lips on me.

“Turn over. Let me see those sweet
breasts,” Joseph murmurs. I feel so exposed, lying nude in the middle of the
lake, the breeze drifting over sensitized skin, drying my sweat and bringing my
nipples to stiff peaks.

“She’s blushing.” Airen’s voice is light
and teasing. Before I can respond, his lips close over mine, his tongue exploring
my mouth as Joseph’s fingers dip between my legs, sending a delicious jolt
through my body.

“And wet already,” Joseph replies. After
shedding his shorts, he scoops me up and walks to his deck chair, placing me on
his lap. My back sticks to his sweaty chest. Long fingered hands slide down my
thighs before spreading my legs and hooking them over the wide arms of the
chair. He shifts suddenly and I can feel him hard against my ass.