Unexpected Lovers (24 page)

“I was so scared,” she whispered, pressing her face to the crook of his neck.

“I know,” he murmured into her hair.

Brett pressed against her back, sandwiching her between the two of them and rubbing her arms with his hands. His lips touched her ear. “If anything would have happened to you, he would have had to kill me. I wouldn’t have rested until he was dead.”

She turned and looked at Brett. “Then why did you try to save him?”

“He hadn’t really hurt you at that point. I’m a doctor, Whit. I can’t turn my back on a person whose life is in danger, no matter how much I hate them and wish them dead.”

“I know, Brett. You wouldn’t be the man I love if you could.”

“Let’s go home,” Ryan said, pushing her toward the door.

* * * *

Whitney stood on the back patio the next afternoon, letting the breeze lift the hair from her shoulders as she looked out over the pine trees in the distance.
I wish this whole situation hadn’t ended this way, but I guess it’s God’s way of taking care of things.

A warm pair of hands came down on her shoulders, pulling her back against the solid chest behind her.

“You okay?” Brett asked.

“I guess.”

“There’s isn’t anything we could have done, Whit. We tried.”

“I know. It doesn’t make it any easier to accept. Even if he was rotten to the core, I didn’t want his death on my conscience.”

“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. He chose the path his life took. God took it out of our hands.” He turned her toward him and cupped her face with his hands before he placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand in his and tugging her toward the house.

“Where are we going?”

“Out.”

“I really don’t feel like—”

“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he replied.

“Me neither,” Ryan answered, coming into the room.

“I didn’t know you were home,” she said.

“Exactly. Now, go put on that pretty black dress we love so much,” Ryan insisted.

With a rush of air from between her lips, she sighed exaggeratedly. “Fine.”

“Good girl,” Brett told her, swatting her on the butt as she walked away.

When she returned approximately thirty minutes later, she found the two of them sitting in the living room, dressed to the nines.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Nothing,” Brett answered, standing and moving toward her.

She cocked a questioning eyebrow in disbelief. “Oh yeah, like you two dress in suits every day of the week.”

“Don’t spoil the surprise, princess.”

“What surprise?”

“We aren’t telling,” Ryan said, pushing her toward the door.

Shaking her head, she slipped inside the car and, through the windshield, watched Brett go around to the driver’s side.

Within moments, they were zipping along the curving road she recognized as the one leading to the Grand Canyon.
Okay. Obviously they have something special planned. Maybe dinner at that restaurant we went to before and a pretty sunset wrapped in their arms again. I could do that.

When the El Tovar came into view, she smiled.

“Dinner up here again?”

“Sort of,” Ryan answered.

Once she stepped out, Ryan’s warm hand found the curve of her lower back as Brett took her hand and escorted her in through the front entrance.

“Wait here,” Brett insisted, directing her and Ryan to stand near the window.

“What’s going on, Ryan?”

“Not telling, princess.”

“Brat.”

A warm, wet tongue traced the shell of her ear. “You’ll love it. I promise,” he whispered.

Brett returned a moment later and took her hand again, escorting her toward the gilded elevator doors.

“The restaurant’s not upstairs.”

“No, it’s not. We’re having our own private party,” Brett replied with a wicked grin.

“Mmm…I like this idea,” she murmured. She traced the lapel of his jacket with her fingernail once they stepped inside. Luckily, no one else joined them before the doors closed.

“Tease,” Brett growled.

“I’ll make it worth your while,” she whispered against his lips. Ryan pressed against her back, his hard cock nudging between her ass cheeks.

As the elevator doors opened, Ryan moved back and grasped one hand while Brett took the other.

“Close your eyes,” Brett told her.

Doing as they instructed, she followed their lead until they’d passed through a door and she heard it shut behind them.

“Okay, open,” Ryan said.

The sight that met her eyes brought tears to the surface, and she had to bite her lip to keep them from falling. “Oh my God.”

There was a table set for three with the finest china and silverware right in front of the big glass windows looking out over the rim of the canyon.

“Your chair, princess,” Ryan said, pulling out one of the cushioned seats.

“I can’t believe you two did this.”

“Why not? We love you, Whit,” Brett replied.

“I love you, too, both of you.”

The two men exchanged looks.

“What?”

“Shall we?” Brett asked, glancing at Ryan.

“I think it’s perfect,” Ryan replied.

They turned her chair as she looked at them confused.

Brett took her right hand and Ryan took her left before they both went down on one knee.

“Whitney, you’ve come to mean everything to both of us, and I know I told you I didn’t know whether I’d ever get married,” Brett began. “But you’ve changed my thoughts. Almost losing you out there in the desert really made me think, and I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t want to live without you. I love you with all of my heart. I know we can’t legally get married, not the three of us anyway, but in our hearts, you are already our wife. It will have to be between the three of us even though it won’t be legal.” He pulled out a diamond solitaire from his pocket. “Will you be my wife?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but Ryan put a finger against her lips.

“Before you say anything, it’s my turn,” Ryan started. “I think I fell in love with you the minute I saw you all battered and bruised. I told you I became a paramedic because of losing Sara in the canyon, but you’ve made me realize it was my calling all along. It was destiny for me to be the one to find you that day and bring you in. I don’t want to live without you either. I can’t. You complete me like no one ever has.” He retrieved a diamond wrap ring and held it up in front of her. “Will you be my wife, too?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as a sob escaped her lips. Placing her palms against their cheeks, she smiled and nodded. “I’d love to be your wife.”

She leaned in and kissed Brett first and then pressed her lips against Ryan’s, too.

When she sat back in the chair, a watery chuckle left her lips as the two men put the rings together and then slid them on her left hand.
I’m married to them in my heart, and that’s all that counts.

Chapter Ten

Tiki torches lit the backyard of the Morris home in Los Angeles as a bonfire burned brightly in the fire pit set off to the side.

“Hi, Dad,” Whitney said, kissing her father on the cheek.

“I’m glad you could make it, sweetheart. Where are those two lucky men?”

“Getting something to drink from the bar.”

“Good. Have you seen your sisters?”

“Not yet.” She glanced at Laura who sat off by herself in a lounge chair, cradling her ever-growing stomach. “How’s Laura?”

“Okay. She misses Matthew, of course, but she’s excited for the birth of the baby,” Aaron answered.

“There you are!” Sherry squealed as she and Cindy stopped next to her and grabbed Whitney in a warm hug. “I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you, sis?”

“I’m fine, Sherry. Where is that husband of yours?”

Sherry tipped her head toward the bar, and Whitney saw Brett, Ryan, and Carlos in deep conversation. “Talking to your men.”

Thank the Lord for Sherry and Cindy.
They’d both accepted her decision to be with Brett and Ryan without batting an eyelash. “Uh-oh.”

“Yeah. That’s what I thought, too,” Cindy added.

“Shall we?” she said, tugging both sisters’ hands as they headed toward their men. Whitney slipped between Brett and Ryan, wrapping an arm around each one as Sherry stopped next to Carlos, and Cindy stood across from them.

“What are you three up to?” Sherry asked.

“Us? Nothing,” Carlos replied, winking at the other two.

“Brett, Ryan, this is Sherry, my next-to-the-eldest sister. I see you’ve already met Carlos. And this is the oldest sister, Cindy”

“Nice to meet you, Sherry,” Brett said, shaking her hand. “Cindy.” He shook her hand as well.

“You’re the doctor?” Cindy asked.

“Yes.”

“Mmm…interesting.” She turned to Ryan. “And you’re the paramedic?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, sis, I’d say you’ve done rather well for yourself. You’ve got not one hunky man, but two,” Cindy said, and Whitney felt heat crawl up her neck.

“Cindy!”

“Just an observation, Whitney.”

Whitney frowned. “I only wish Laura could be as understanding as you two.”

“Don’t worry about her,” Sherry said.

Glancing at her youngest sister, she sighed and turned her attention back to her men.

The group made small talk, drank, and made jokes as the afternoon wore on and the light slowly began to fade, streaking the sky with orange, red, and purple.

Whitney felt a soft touch on her shoulder as she sat snuggled between Brett and Ryan while they stood near the bar.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Laura asked and then stepped back.

“Whatever you want to say you can say in front of them. They are my life partners.”

Laura dropped her gaze to the ground for a moment before her eyes returned to Whitney’s.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted. You’re my sister, and I love you. I may not agree with your choice of relationship, but I respect your decision. I can see how much the three of you care for each other. Maybe someday I’ll understand. For now, it’s enough to know you love them and they love you.”

She wrapped Laura in a warm hug. “I love you, too, Laura. Thank you for this.”

When the two women separated, Whitney wiped the tears from her sister’s cheek. “I hope someday you’ll find someone to love again. I know Matthew would want you to.”