Lucy's Liberation [Elk Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (35 page)

“To tell you the truth, Ki and I haven’t discussed…things.”

“He’s probably changed his mind and wants to make a go of the marriage.”

Lucy’s heart leapt at the possibility. True, she had been spending every waking moment with Ki and Ethan when she wasn’t at Healing Magick, either making love as Ethan put it, or making plans to make love. She knew that Ki was enjoying himself and that he even harbored some affection for her in his heart. Was it all enough, however, to make him want to stay with her and Ethan in Elk Creek?

For that matter, what were Ethan’s thoughts about their little threesome? Was he just going along for the ride, for now, to see where things took him, or was he planning to plant stakes and stay with her and Ki? Lucy reminded herself that the Ethan who had grown up in Elk Creek with her wasn’t the same Ethan she was dealing with now and Prentice didn’t strike her as the laying-down-stakes type any more than Ki did.

Six months ago Lucy’s biggest concern had been acquiring ownership of Peyton’s free and clear so that she could be the independent woman she had always wanted to be. Now she wanted nothing more than to belong to two men, and happily, shamelessly live with them as their wife and lover. She never thought she would see the day when she would want nothing better than to be tied down to any man, much less two, but there it was. Her new goal and wants, however, didn’t mean that Ki and Ethan had changed theirs and were on board with being tied down and domesticated. Lucy didn’t think she could be so lucky. She hadn’t been so far.

“Don’t look so worried, Lucy. I’ve seen the way that man looks at you. He’s not going anywhere any time soon. I guarantee it,” Sabrina said as if to console her.

“I’m going to take that to the bank.”

Sabrina laughed. “You do that.”

“What about you and your permanent boarders?” Lucy asked, eager to get the subject off of her and onto someone or something else besides her unrealized dreams.

“Joshua and Luke? Oh please! Those two are just passing through.”

“I might believe that if they haven’t been in Elk Creek going on more than a year now. Something must be keeping them here. Or someone,” Lucy teased.

“Now don’t you go spreading no unfounded rumors, missy.”

“Ain’t me spreading rumors.”

“You can’t be serious!” Sabrina gasped then glanced around the room before she moved in closer to Lucy and whispered, “Is that what people are saying about us?”

“You really don’t know?” Lucy was flabbergasted.

Was Sabrina that oblivious about what was being said in relation to her and Joshua and Luke? More than likely she was so busy living her life she didn’t have time to pay attention to gossip, which was a good thing. Lucy needed to be more like her.

Maybe Sabrina didn’t recognize her boarders’ hankerings because she was too close to the situation, same as Lucy was too close to Ki to recognize the looks he was giving her as anything more than mild affection.

There had been one moment, though, that first time when all three of them had been together and Lucy had been drifting off to sleep when she’d thought she’d heard the words “I love you.” She had been so comfortable and all-in she hadn’t been sure of what she’d heard or even who had said the words. It could have been either or both men. She’d like to think it was both and that they had said the almighty words.

Suddenly, a commotion rose up at the front door and Thayne told everybody to quiet down as he and Cade dimmed the kerosene sconces along the wall.

The brothers quickly took their places in the center of the crowd.

Lucy felt excitement rippling through the room as Maia put her key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door at the same instant everyone on the main floor yelled, “Surprise!”

“What in tarnation!” Wyatt pushed Lily behind him and cocked a fist as Lily gasped and grabbed her chest.

“Mommy!” Little Wyatt clung to Lily’s hips, hiding his face behind his mother’s skirts.

Dakota was the only one who maintained a modicum of composure at the town’s boisterous welcome, but even he had taken up ranks in front of Lily before the crowd broke out into gales of laughter.

Cade turned the kerosene sconces back up so that the guests of honor could get a better look at what was going on. Then Thayne came forward and slapped Wyatt on the back. “Welcome to Lily’s surprise baby shower.”

“I almost had the little one right here, right now,” Lily joked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a shindig.” Wyatt smiled.

“The people of Elk Creek obviously care for our Lily greatly,” Dakota said.

“Darn tootin’, we do.” Sabrina raised her arms and led the guests in a rousing rendition of “For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”

Little Wyatt, seeing that the coast was clear and his mother, father, and uncle were not in any danger, came from behind Lily to clap and dance to the song, much to the delight of all the adults present.

Little Wyatt was soon joined by some of the town’s other children and in no time they were off and running, playing childhood games as their parents got down to the business of properly welcoming Lily to her baby shower.

Lucy stood on the periphery of the crowd milling around the proud parents-to-be, waiting for her chance to congratulate Lily and Wyatt and express her well-wishes, when Margaret stopped at her side and smiled.

“You ladies did a wonderful job putting this soiree together.”

“You helped quite a lot, Margaret.”

“Oh, please. I came in at the last minute. Any help I lent was incidental.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“And neither do you, Lucy.”

She sensed the gravity in her mother-in-law’s tone and slowly turned to face her. “Is there something wrong, Margaret?”

“Nothing at all is wrong, my dear. I just thought you should know that I…I spoke to Ki about your arrangement.”

“Our arrangement?” Was she talking about their six-month marriage agreement? Had Ki told her? To what end and was Margaret happy or angry about it?

“Your and Ki’s arrangement with Ethan.”

Lucy gaped. It was worse than she had thought. “He told you?”

“After I gave him a bit of a nudge, yes.”

Lucy felt heat rising to her face and knew her cheeks must be about as red as a plum.

Margaret cupped her face with one hand. “You don’t have anything to be ashamed of, Lucy. Love makes us do wild and crazy things, but if it’s what your heart tells you and it works for you, well then, it works for me.”

“You mean that?”

Margaret nodded. “I won’t lie and tell you I wasn’t shocked or that I wholeheartedly agree with what you three are doing,
or,
that it’s going to be an easy lot for all of you.”

“I know it won’t be.” When had anything in her life ever been easy? “I think I’m ready to handle it, though.”

“I know you are.” Margaret nodded and glanced around the room, her gaze lingering first on Maia, Thayne, and Cade and then on Lily, Wyatt, and Dakota. “Seems you’re among friends here with a good support system, too.”

“Do you think…do you think Ki will want to stay on here?”

“He didn’t say anything to me, but I get the distinct impression that he won’t be going anywhere any time soon.” Margaret smiled. “Although,
I
will be.”

“You’re leaving us?”

“I’ll be getting on the stagecoach departing tomorrow morning for the train station.”

“Already?”

“Oh, please. I know you can’t wait for me to get out of your hair so that you can get down to the business of being a wife to your husband without any interference from his mother.”

They had had a rough start certainly, but once she’d gotten past Margaret’s armor, Lucy had started to feel a real kinship with the woman, the hole left in her heart by her own mother’s passing, filling in just a mite. “I’m going to hate to see you leave.”

“I know, dear, but it’s time. And don’t you dare start crying. This is a day for celebrating and happiness.”

Lucy blinked back the tears that were forming and tried to still her trembling lips as she pulled Margaret into a tight hug. “I really am going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you, too, Lucy. You’ve given me something I never thought I’d ever have. You’ve given me a daughter.” Margaret pulled away and Lucy saw the impish twinkle in her eyes that reminded her so much of Ki. “I’ll be even happier once you give me a granddaughter or grandson so that we can have a party like this for you sometime soon.”

Lucy’s mouth dropped open as Margaret laughed, patted her on the shoulder, and walked away with nary a backward glance.

Not a moment later, someone moved behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

Lucy instantly recognized the citrus musk of her husband as he nuzzled her neck and she leaned back against his hard chest, wrapping her arms around his arms.

“I can only imagine what you and my mother were discussing.”

“I’m sure you can.” Lucy turned in his embrace, draping her arms around his neck and standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her mouth molded to his and she parted her lips to allow him entry. As soon as he slipped his tongue in her mouth, Lucy’s pussy became wet with the idea of Ki filling her with his cock later…Ki and Ethan filling her with their cocks.

It was funny how she couldn’t think of having one of them now without thinking of having the other. The three of them were like a matched set that had once been separated and now that they had been reunited, they couldn’t abide being pulled apart again. At least Lucy felt this way. She wasn’t sure what Ethan’s and Ki’s view was on the subject.

“Your mother wants some grandchildren,” Lucy said once Ki allowed her up for air.

Ki groaned.

She pulled back to stare at him. “You don’t want children?” It wasn’t like they had covered this in any getting-to-know-you session before marriage. Having children hadn’t been one of Lucy’s priorities right then. Financial independence and freedom had been her main priorities just then. Having a baby entailed a would-be father and the last thing on Lucy’s mind back then had been saddling herself with another man to lord over her life.

“You have no idea how much I want to fill your belly with a little one like Lily has in the oven.” Ki gently placed a hand on her stomach and Lucy shuddered, imagining how it would feel to have a life growing within her, a life she and Ethan and Ki had created. “Have you touched her belly yet? It’s absolutely fascinating! Perhaps if we make haste, we can have one to catch up with hers and they can both be on the same football team.”

Lucy laughed at Ki’s excited tone, the bright glow in his light blue eyes. “You really do want a baby?”

“I’d like to have at least two. A boy and a girl would be ideal—a girl with your color-change eyes and my blond hair, a boy with Ethan’s brandy eyes and dark-chocolate hair, or vice versa. It doesn’t really matter to me as long as we all have children.”

Lucy hadn’t even considered having a baby by each of her men, but Ki’s suggestion made sense as well as appealed to her on a gut level. What else appealed to her gut was the way Ki spoke with a tone of authority about their future, his proposal implying permanence.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as she cozied up to her husband, resting her head near his chest, listening to his sure and steady heartbeat.

She could get used to this but was afraid to hope, because in her experience good luck never lasted long. Lucy had already been granted a miracle when the universe brought her two men to love, not just one, so she knew she was due a dose of misfortune and reality.

When she caught sight of Cody across the room leaning against a wall by himself and throwing visual daggers at them, she knew that dose of misfortune and reality was coming soon.

Prentice stood on the sideline watching Ki and Lucy across the room and wanting to join them like he’d never wanted anything in his life before. They looked so right together, so happy. They looked complete and the thought left a hole in his heart as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon. The idea that his leaving wouldn’t affect them as much as it affected him left him feeling cold and alone.

Come to that, would anyone in this entire town miss him if he just up and left?

Prentice scanned the partygoers, his glance landing on Ethan’s parents—his mother, Kate, speaking to Lily with some of the other town’s women, his father, Clint, drinking punch from a cup with some of the town’s men.

His heart did a funny little dance in his chest at the idea of how he had left things with them, how sad Ethan’s mother had been at his leaving.

As if his thoughts had reached out across the space between them, Kate turned from the woman she was talking to and looked at Prentice.

He wondered for a moment if he had transmitted his thoughts to her without meaning to. Before, he had always been in control of his gifts once he had learned and mastered their parameters. Since his second incarnation, his gifts hadn’t been as predictable or reliable as they had once been. The one thing that had remained consistent, however, was the effect that sex had on his abilities. The more sex he had with Lucy and Ki, the more his powers intensified and grew, so much so that tonight would probably be the best opportunity he had ever had to scan the partygoers present for Ethan’s killer.