Sunset Hearts (31 page)

She’d missed this too, being together with them at meals, talking about the day ahead or what happened, spending time together not just in bed but out of it.

Jerald held her hand after breakfast while she called the marshal and told him she needed to see him. When he showed up an hour later and she broke the news to him, he protested before the men spoke up.

The U.S. Marshall caseworker looked decidedly unhappy. He paced Daphne’s tiny living room while Alan and Jerald flanked her on the couch and held her hands.

“I can’t believe you’re willing to risk your life like this.”

“I’m not changing my name back. I’m staying Jenny Hemingway. Very few people knew me back then anyway. I rarely left the house before the trial.”

“Nobody will get close to her,” Jerald growled. “I’ll guarantee it.”

“You’re the one who put her in protective custody in the first place, Major. Why are you now willing to risk her life?”

“I’m not a major anymore, I’m retired. Besides, Paulie Scorsini was killed in prison two months ago. Or did you forget to tell her that little factoid?”

She looked at the caseworker. “What? Is that true?”

“Well, yes, but what difference does that make?”

“Because,” Jerald said, “you know as well as I do that the Scorsinis are worried about the dozen or so other federal indictments coming down the pike for the few people still not under indictment yet. The old man’s dying, Paulie’s dead, their whole organization is in turmoil and being cannibalized by other families. Their own people are turning rat faster than they can whack them, and the least of their concerns right now is Daphne. Jenny,” he corrected himself. He looked at her and brushed the hair away from her cheek with his free hand. “Sorry, honey. That will take some getting used to. You’ll always be Daphne to me.”

“Me too,” Alan echoed.

After an hour, the caseworker gave up trying to change her mind. He left in a huff with dire warnings to her to think about this long and hard. She knew she didn’t need to do any more thinking because all she had done over the past long, lonely months was think about what a horrible mistake she’d made.

She packed herself a weekend bag and, sitting in the passenger seat while Alan rode in back, they drove out of town, headed to Yellowstone. They would stay at the cabin for another night before driving up to Mammoth and staying there.

“Oh, wait! I need to do something.”

“What?” Jerald asked.

“We need to stop by the travel agency.”

Alan reached over the seat and gently grabbed her chin. “You’re coming home with us when we leave,” he firmly said. “And that’s final.”

She grinned. “Of course I am, silly. I need to quit and clean out my desk.”

Jerald laughed as he swung the car around. “Then by all means, let’s get that handled right now.”

Barbara Thomas didn’t look happy. She suspiciously eyed the two men while Daphne cleared out her desk. Before she left, Barbara pulled her into the back room. “Are you okay? I can call the cops for you.”

She laughed and hugged the other woman. “I can honestly say this is the best I’ve felt in over eighteen months. They’re my guys. I know it’s weird, but I love ’em like crazy and they love me. There isn’t a damn thing on this planet that’s going to keep me away from them now that I’ve finally got them back.”

“I do have to admit you look happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like this before.” Barbara handed over her final paycheck. “Well, good luck. If things don’t work out, you’re always welcomed here.”

“Thank you, but I have a feeling those two guys aren’t about to let me go again. Believe me, that’s the way I want it.”

She kept one hand on Jerald’s thigh while they returned to Yellowstone through the east entrance. She showed her employee pass at the gate and they waved them through. “I am going to hate quitting here,” she admitted. “It’s beautiful. You should see it in winter when it’s covered in snow. They groom the roads for snowmobiles.”

“I could care less about the park,” Alan said. “I’ve got the only sight I want to see sitting right here with us. You’re so beautiful. You look so good.”

Jerald lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it without taking his eyes off the road. “Talk about a sight for sore eyes, baby.”

They stopped at Fishing Bridge for lunch before continuing on to Old Faithful. In the cabin, Jerald fell onto the bed, pulling Daphne on top of him. “Now I’m thinking screw the vacation, let’s go rent a truck and get your stuff and drive home.”

Alan knelt on the bed behind her, straddling Jerald’s legs. “Not a bad idea.”

“No. You don’t have to worry about me leaving. I’m not going anywhere and I don’t want to ruin your vacation. I promise I won’t leave your sight, except to go to the bathroom. Deal?”

Jerald grinned, the expression lifting years from his face. She’d never seen him looking so happy and carefree, even when they were together before. “Deal, baby.”

Alan wrapped his arms around her waist. He slipped his hands under her shirt and skimmed his hands up her tummy. “What’s this still doing on?” He nibbled on the side of her neck. She pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor.

“Better?”

“No.” He released the hook on her bra and slid it down and off her shoulders. It joined her shirt on the floor. “
That’s
better.”

She melted against him as his lips and tongue worked back and forth across her shoulders. Jerald’s hands cupped her breasts, sending delicious sparks through her body as he teased her nipples into hard peaks.

It didn’t take them long to get out of the rest of their clothes and return to their previous positions.

“Hey, Jer,” Alan said.

He didn’t take his eyes off Daphne. “What?”

He nibbled the back of Daphne’s neck. “Best. Vacation. Ever.” He punctuated each word with a kiss.

Jerald laughed. “No argument there.”

She rubbed her body against Jerald’s, sliding her slick cleft along his stiff cock, rubbing her clit against him before she finally impaled herself on his thick length.

She felt Alan’s stiff cock rubbing against her ass. “You have something besides olive oil?” she joked.

Alan laughed. He reached for something, then she felt cool lube against her flesh. “I surely do, babe.”

She stopped her movements as he seated himself inside her. She wasn’t sure if she’d make it this time around as sore as her muscles felt, but she was more than willing to try.

She lay on top of Jerald and enjoyed kissing him, loved the slightly scratchy feel of his hair against her sensitive nipples, the rough stubble of his beard against her cheek. Neither man had shaved that morning.

Even better, she could stay right where she was as long as she wanted without worrying about condoms.

Alan’s movements slowed, then stopped as he lowered himself over her, his chest against her back. “Holy fuck, I’m going to blow already.”

She wiggled her hips against him. “What’s stopping you?”

He nipped the back of her neck. “I want it to last, you damn tease.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He sat up. “Good point.” He grabbed her hips, and sure enough, within a few strokes he orgasmed. He collapsed on top of her again. “Holy fuck, that’s sooo good.”

“Get off her, you’re squishing me,” Jerald complained from below.

Alan chuckled, but rolled off her and climbed out of the bed.

While he stepped into the bathroom, Jerald rolled her onto her back, his cock still stiff inside her. “Mine,” he growled as he nipped her lips and started thrusting.

She wrapped her legs around him. “Always, tough guy.” His lazy smile warmed her heart. “Come for me.”

He shook his head. “I want you to come first.”

“Later. I want you right now.”

His intense gaze never left hers until his climax hit. Then his eyes dropped closed as he collapsed on top of her with a happy moan. She held him trapped against her chest and threaded her fingers through his hair. “I love you.”

He kissed her tummy. “I love you, too, baby. I’m never letting you go.”

* * * *

They had a great time in Yellowstone. The men happily paid the last-minute fee increase to add her to their fishing plans and enjoyed spending time with her touring the park. When it came time to think about returning to Florida, Jerald was able to secure her tickets on their flight.

It was decided they’d make another trip out from Florida in two weeks to pack what she wanted from the house, but they could afford to keep it ready as a vacation home. They drove her back to Cody so she could pack clothes. She happily packed things she’d had in storage for months like tank tops and shorts, clothes she never thought she’d use again.

Clothes that held good memories that no longer caused her pain to contemplate.

She was going home.

* * * *

By unanimous agreement, they’d decided she would remain Jenny Hemingway. She’d met very few people when she’d lived with them before, and the few that she had knew the story because of Alan getting shot. They could also be trusted to keep their secret about who she really was.

The mugginess hit her right away when they stepped out of the terminal at Tampa.

God, she’d missed that.

She closed her eyes and inhaled. Despite exhaust fumes from taxis and shuttle buses, they were close enough to Tampa Bay that she caught the faint scent of salt water.

The men had left Alan’s truck in long-term parking. She happily watched familiar sights pass outside the windows. She never thought she’d enjoy seeing palm trees again. They didn’t reach Aripeka until a little before sunset, and at first she thought it was odd Jerald passed the house until she remembered that wasn’t her home anymore.

Home.
She felt a pleasant thrill run through her. Their home.

Her
home.

Jerald picked her up before she could climb the stairs. “No, you don’t. I’ve got you.”

He carried her up the stairs while Alan followed with a mischievous grin on his face. “You can’t escape us now, sweetie,” Alan teased.

At the top of the stairs, Alan stepped around Jerald and unlocked the front door. Jerald carried her inside. “Home sweet home,” Jerald said as he carefully set her on her feet in the foyer. “Right where you belong.”

The house appeared as gorgeous on the inside as it did outside. As she looked around, tears filled her eyes. She turned to Alan. “You still used everything I picked out?”

He pulled her into his arms. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful!” She threw her arms around him. “Absolutely perfect.”

Jerald sandwiched her between them, hugging both of them. “It’s even better with you here to look at, baby.”

She’d dreamed of this moment but never in her life thought it would come true, of having them back forever.

Of coming home.

The men brought up her luggage and she started unpacking. Alan cleared some space in the dresser and closet. Jerald watched as she started putting her toiletries up in their bathroom. When she put her packet of birth control pills in the medicine cabinet, he reached out and touched her hand.

She met his intense gaze. “You can throw those away, if you want to,” he softly said.

Her throat dried. “I thought you didn’t want kids.”

He pulled her into his arms. “If you want kids, I want kids. If you don’t, that’s okay too. I want you. I want what you want. Nothing else matters.”

She looked at the package of pills in her hand. “I’ve got three more months on this prescription, then I need to get it refilled.” Her eyes returned to his. “Why don’t we wait until then? That way if you change your mind—”

“I won’t change my mind.” He kissed her. “Not about you, not about that.”

“What if Alan doesn’t want kids?”

“You know he does. He always has. He was willing to give that up before we met you. How bad can kids be?” he teased.

She laughed, resting her head against his firm chest. “Can’t be any worse than the two of
you
at your worst. At least we’d have three of us instead of two to wrangle them.”

“What can’t be any worse than what?” Alan asked as he brought one of their overnight bags into the bathroom.

“Kids,” Jerald answered simply.

He froze. “Kids?”

Jerald pulled him into their embrace. “Kids. You know, a mini me. Or a mini you.”

“Or a mini me,” she quipped.

“You mean it?” Alan asked, the blatant hope in his voice unmistakable.

“Yeah,” Jerald softly said. “I mean it.”

Alan kissed him hard, then her. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

As exhausted as they felt, they sat on the porch swing to relax for a few minutes, Daphne between them, and stared out at the Gulf. Little clouds dotted the horizon, just as they had the evening she sat in the back of the truck with Jerald. She nuzzled her head against Jerald’s shoulder.