The Perfect Plan [The Men of Treasure Cove 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (11 page)

“I wasn’t insinuating anything, Davis, but I thought you would at least have some hamburger or a gallon of milk in the fridge,” Lilly sighed, looking up at him. “I know you think I lived this grand ole life, but let me assure you, it was nothing of the sort. Yes, my family has more money than God-given sense, but Mom and I generally did all the cooking. I just never had someone say to me ‘hang on, baby, while I go kill dinner for ya’!”

Lilly heard the snickering behind her as Davis stood before her shocked and wide-eyed. Oh he was so adorable she couldn’t hold her own grin as he looked for inspiration. She knew she should put him out of his misery, but something deep within her needled her. She was enjoying this, being around them. She could be herself, not someone she was not. It was a revelation. For the first time in her life, she was who she was, just the wife of three handsome, hardworking cowboys.

There were no parties, no rules of decorum, and no proprieties that needed to be adhered to. She could be who she wanted and not be chastised for it.

“How about I go see what I can rustle up for diner. In the meantime, we’re gonna need some more firewood for the fireplace. Orin and Jacks can tend to that. Davis, you can help me in the kitchen,” she said, smiling and leaning up to kiss his cheek, and then she walked into the kitchen and prayed there was something she could fix.

* * * *

“What was it like?” Davis asked as he chopped the celery and onion Lilly had found in the fridge.

“What was what like?” she replied, stirring the rue in the large pot.

“Being the daughter of the cattle baron of Montana?”

Davis watched as she sighed but continued adding ingredients. He had to admit that whatever she was making smelled wonderful, though he still couldn’t understand how the only daughter of the richest cattle man in Montana would know how to cook. Everything he thought about her was wrong. Lillian Margaret Campbell was an enigma. She was not what she seemed, a mystery, a voice in the wind.

Many had heard of the beautiful daughter of James Campbell, but none had ever really seen her. There were rumors and little comments from those who claimed they had seen a glimpse of the elusive woman, but nothing was ever confirmed.

Her father was considered cattle royalty, and having only one daughter, he made damn sure that she was hidden from society. When she did appear, she was surrounded by her older brothers, each shielding her in their own way. Davis had met a couple of her brothers, dealing with the sale of cattle in the past. But even then, he knew never to ask about their sister. Doing so was a death sentence, and Davis valued his dick right where it was.

“It was okay. A little stifling at times, but I know my father loves me. My mother is the best. She can make any situation happy, and I adore her. When my father and brothers weren’t around, she would let me do things. Of course, that was our little secret. I guess I had a happy childhood. I never wanted for anything, just a little more freedom maybe. “That’s probably why I went away to college,” she explained.

“What about your brothers? Did you get along with them?”

“You mean the six Neanderthals I am related to?” she asked, laughing. “Those idiots are overbearing, rude, impulsive, and wouldn’t know what to do with a female if one was placed in their laps. I really pity the women they marry. “I just hope they are strong willed and know how to wield a skillet, ’cause she’s gonna get a lot of batting practice where my brothers are concerned.”

“You didn’t get along with them?”

“Davis, I am the youngest. There is a six-year gap between me and William. I was a shock to my parents. My mother was told she couldn’t have any more children. And they were content with the boys. So when she found out she was pregnant, everyone just assumed that it was going to be another boy. There hadn’t been a girl in the family in several generations. Even my aunt Sarah bore six sons. So when I came around, everyone really didn’t know what to do. I still think they don’t have a clue.

“Of course my father and brothers tried their best, but when a little girl with blonde pigtails and wearing a little pink dress cries, wanting to go hunting and fishing with her daddy and older brothers, I wasn’t received well. I was told over and over that a girl needs to be with her momma, and that my place was in the house. Eventually, I stopped asking.

“The older I got, the worse they got. The first time a boy came to the house, I was fourteen. He was a sweet boy. We were lab partners in science class. He was just coming over to invite me to his birthday party. My mother was too late getting to the door, and the young boy was met by all of my older brothers. Let’s just say that was my only invitation, ever. Even the girls I went to school with never invited me to anything. By the time I graduated high school, I was known as the ice princess of Montana. Eventually, I went off to college.

“My first two years were horrible, ’cause my brothers would just show up and threaten anyone who even thought of looking at me. Eventually, word got around and I was outcasted. Then I met Derrick. He was everything I thought I ever wanted. He was fun, exciting, smart, and he didn’t care about my family. We had a lot of fun together. He taught me that it was okay to buck the system. I smoked my first cigarette, drank my first beer, and went to my first party. We were inseparable. Of course I was blind and in love. A boy actually wanted to be with me, the daughter of the cattle baron. I was over the moon, or so I thought. But nothing is ever as it seems. I learned that lesson, and I am paying for it,” she said, her voice trailing off.

The silence was deafening.

Davis had never heard her talk so much. As she talked of her family and what it was like, he looked over his shoulder and saw his brothers listening quietly, and for the first time, he was thankful for them and his family.

His whole life he wanted the finer things, something new and never used, but listening to Lilly, just because it was new didn’t mean he’d be any happier. He and his brothers had a wonderful, happy childhood full of love and laughter, and he felt guilty for wanting more when he had everything he ever needed right before him.

Laying the knife on the chopping block, Davis wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, hugging her tightly. “Lilly, I want you to know that we may fight, and I can guarantee we will say things that may upset you, but understand this. We would never stifle you. If you want to go huntin’, we will take you. If you want to fish, I know the perfect spot. My brothers and I are probably not what you expected, but we are hard workers, and we don’t want you to go anywhere. We may not be as rich as your family, but we can love you, if you give us the chance.”

“You mean that?” she whispered.

“You’re our wife now. You’re ours, and we take care of our own,” Davis stated.

“He’s right, honey. We will figure this all out. But you’re our wife, and we don’t want you to go anywhere,” Jacks said, coming up to stand in front of her.

“I know I was a jackass when I found out that I married you, Lilly, but I never blamed you. I blamed myself. I am the oldest, I should have known better. But over the last twenty-four hours, I have realized that sometimes things happen for a reason. Why we were thrown together, I have no clue, but there is a reason for it. I don’t want you to go either. We can work this out, I promise. We just need to know that you can be happy here with us. We’re not rich like your family. We can’t give you everything you’re used to, but we live comfortably, and we can support you in your hopes and wishes. But most of all, we can love you, learn to be husbands that you can be proud of,” Orin said, standing beside his brothers.

Davis had never been more proud of his brothers than he was at this moment. He knew what lay ahead of them, and it was going to try each of them, but he was ready for the test. He knew there was no way he was going to let Lilly walk away. He couldn’t let her go. He wanted her with every fiber in his body, and he just prayed she wanted him just as much.

* * * *

Over the weeks that followed, Lilly watched as the brothers settled into married life as best they could. True to Davis’s word, there were arguments and the occasional slamming of doors in frustration, but at the end of the day, they all slept in the same room and in the same bed.

They spent hours working beside each other, talking and learning what they could. Lilly insisted she learn the ropes on the ranch, and though Orin was against it, he relented and took it upon himself to show her what he thought she would need to know.

Lilly was exhausted by the end of a hard day’s work, but she never complained. Even when her fingers blistered, she kept her mouth shut. She was just happy to finally be of use.

She enjoyed spending time with each of them. They were all so different but the same in one belief, that she was just a girl and needed that extra special care. That was what she irked her the most. At first she thought it was cute and didn’t say anything, but lately they were going overboard. She bit her tongue so often that she feared it would be forever bruised, but she kept her mouth shut and never said a word. She knew there were things she was going to be unable to do, whether because of her lack of strength or knowledge, and she accepted that, but when the brothers started coddling her, she had about had it.

Lilly was dealing with everything until about three days ago.

They were all out in the barn bailing hay when she just got overworked and a little light-headed. That was all. She wasn’t an invalid. She just needed a rest. But since then they had been hovering like vultures, waiting.

With the snow still coming down, she couldn’t escape.

They were smothering her.

It was too cold to go for a walk. She wasn’t allowed in the barn anymore because a couple of the animals were getting ready to birth, and they were restless. She wasn’t allowed on the snowmobiles, because she hadn’t learned proper driving procedures, and she was forbidden to rearrange furniture, climb ladders, or ride a horse.

She was basically house ridden and up shit creek without a paddle. She didn’t know what had change with the brothers, but when they started watching her like a hawk, she was ready to scream.

“That’s it! I can’t take it anymore. You guys are driving me crazy. What the hell is wrong with you?” she shouted, getting to her feet.

They were all sitting around the dinner table enjoying a nice meal of which she prepared, and instead of eating, they were watching her. Did she have something on her face? Had she grown a third eye! What the hell?

“Baby, you need to calm down. There’s no need for you to get your blood pressure up,” Jacks suggested, leaning back in his chair looking directly at her.

“My blood pressure! You haven’t seen my blood pressure rise, you oaf! What the hell is going on?” Lilly demanded to know. Enough was enough. For some reason these men of hers had gotten it into their little heads that she was a little fragile woman and needed to be taken care of. She wasn’t going to stand for it anymore.

“Lilly, let me ask you a question. How long have you been here?” Orin asked, setting his fork on his plate.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just answer my question, darlin’.” He smiled.

Confused of where he was going with this, she quickly calculated the days. “About six weeks or so, why? What does that have to with you three treating me like a child?”

Oh!

Was she pregnant?

She had forgotten all about that little bit of information with all work and learning the ranch. She hadn’t started her period yet, and she was never late. She had been sleeping with them regularly, and none of them used a condom. Was that why they were being overly cautious? Was it that simple?

Sitting back in her seat, Jacks and Davis each reached for a hand. She didn’t know what to say.

Jacks leaned closer and spoke softly. “Lilly, sweetheart, we were not trying to treat you like a child. We just thought you already knew. I did the math last week. Baby, you haven’t started your period. You should have already, and when I realized you hadn’t, I let my brothers know. We don’t want you exhausting yourself or getting too worked up. If something should happen, we’re in trouble. We can’t just drive into town. We live too far out, and thanks to all this snow, we’re kinda stranded here.”

“I forgot. I can’t believe I forgot,” she whispered, slowly putting her hand over her stomach. She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. Oh wow.

“Don’t worry, darlin’. I have everything all planned out. You won’t have to worry about a thing. Trust me,” Orin said, getting to his feet and putting his plate in the sink.

“What do you mean, you have everything planned?” she asked. “Face it, Orin. Your plans aren’t the best thought-out ideas.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know I have come up with some pretty good ideas from time to time.” Orin smiled, trying to ease her worries.

“Really, name one?” Davis asked, straight-faced.

“Well, okay, maybe I’m not the best when it comes to plans, but everything from now on will be thought-out and serious. I give ya my word.” Orin laughed.

“I think it’s best if you leave the planning to me. I think I know what’s best where I am concerned,” Lilly stated flatly, getting to her feet. There was too much to do and such a short time in which to do it, but first thing on her list was to make sure she was pregnant.