Vicky tumbled out of a car loaded down with teenage girls and ran for the barn. “Peyton! Braden! Anyone here?” She sprinted through the breezeway and right into Evan’s arms.
“Yikes! I didn’t see you there.” She giggled. “What’s up, handsome?” His face tensed a lot when she was around, sometimes Vicky thought with a little persuasion she could get Evan into bed but lately, she’d thought better of it.
Why would she stand in as Peyton’s substitute? It was clear all of the Cartwells wanted her best friend, and once she made up her mind which one, if any of them, she wanted then Vicky planned to consider the other two as possible options.
“What’s the rush?” Evan clutched her to him rather than released her. “Who’s in the car?”
He nodded toward the Ford Mustang and then turned his gaze back to her. “There are too many of you in that car. Someone’s going to have to stick around so I can give a few rides home.”
Vicky laughed, wiggled out of his grip and then looked back at her girlfriends and waved. Not as in goodbye but as in ‘get out of the car and say hello’.
“Why invite ‘em in?” he grumbled.
“Didn’t Peyton tell you?” Vicky smiled and then touched his arm, “We’re having a sleepover tonight. Braden okay’d it.”
“I didn’t get that memo.” His jaw tensed.
“What’s wrong, Evan? You’re not afraid of a few southern ladies, are you?”
He stamped his foot, like a child ready to throw a temper tantrum. He turned, headed for the back field and called over his shoulder. “I’m not afraid of a woman, Vicky. It’s the teenage girls who want a southern gentleman to lift their skirts that scare the hell out of me.”
By the time she saw him disappear over the hillside, her friends stood behind her laughing their heads off.
“I guess he just couldn’t take it. He had to run off and find big brother to deal with us,” she told them.
“Where’s Peyton?” a few girls chimed in together.
“I don’t know. Her car isn’t here so she’ll probably be back soon wherever she is.” Vicky didn’t mind playing hostess for a bit. The boys let her rule the roost as much as Peyton.
Evan reappeared at the far end of the barn with Braden on his heels.
“Evan, you’re so predictable,” Vicky said. “Hey, Braden.”
“Vicky.” He turned to the other girls, “Ladies.”
They giggled.
Vicky pointed at the two cowboys. “Girls, this is Braden, he’s the oldest. This is Evan, he’s the youngest. Kane…where is Kane by the way?”
Evan took a deep breath and stormed out of the barn again and Braden grabbed Vicky’s arm, “Girls, I have to talk to Vicky. Go on up to the house and get settled in. We’ll be there shortly.”
“Oh boy,” she teased. “This might be a whole lot of fun.”
“I promise, you’re not going to enjoy it,” he growled. “Annabelle, pull your car right up to the house and let the girls unload their things. Just leave it there for the night. We’ll be right there. Make yourself at home.”
Once the girls scattered, some of them hurrying up the hill to the main house and a few others jumping back in the car, Braden returned his focus to Vicky. “Where are they?”
“Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Peyton and Kane. Where are they?”
Vicky felt the corners of her mouth turn up in a nervous smile. “I don’t know. I didn’t know she wasn’t here.”
“Yes, you did. She would’ve called you and told you to carry on with the party as planned until she got here. Now, where are they?” His grip tightened.
“Stop, Braden. You’re hurting me.”
He released his grip and eased her arm to her side. “I’m sorry…I just…”
Vicky narrowed her eyes on him. “You really don’t know where she is?”
“Hell, no.”
“Well, I really hate you don’t believe me but Braden, I don’t know either but I imagine if she’s with Kane, she’s okay. In fact, I’d say she’s more than okay.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snarled.
Vicky smiled sweetly, tried to resist laughing out loud and just went for it. “To put it bluntly? I’d say she’s fucked.”
“Yeah, well, that seems to be the general consensus around here.”
He must’ve been crazy, stark mad to allow Peyton to come into their home and live with them like family. He’d known when he signed on for something like this, it was going to lead to trouble but he did it anyway. He’d promised Peyton’s mother. He’d guaranteed her safe keeping and swore to protect her even after she graduated from high school.
Peyton’s mom had been a dear friend, and he didn’t need his brothers to remind him how many times she saved him from himself. As a teenager, he was a rebel dying to live wild and manage trouble.
Peyton’s mom, a concerned bystander, seemed determined to keep him safe. At one time, Braden even made a play for her. He thought the whole older woman, younger man thing might appeal to her since she’d been so kind to him. She quickly set him straight and once told him with mischief dancing in her eyes that she wanted to save him for her daughter.
Humph! Saving Peyton for him? Some luck he had. His brothers were far too aggressive for him to compete with them regardless of what he said. He kicked a wave of shavings through the barn as he tried to think of where all of this started to go wrong.
Kane.
It was Kane’s fault. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Now, it wasn’t just his hands Braden worried about. Other body parts presented the problem. His mouth on Peyton’s lips, his body hovering over hers, and his cock stroking at the one woman Braden wanted to take to his bed. It drove him to pure madness.
“We’re in trouble here, Braden.”
Braden turned around and glared at Evan.
“You know it. I know it. Kane’s known it for awhile.”
“What kind of trouble do you think we’re going to find in her?” Braden asked curiously.
“Don’t know. I imagine Kane will have a pretty good idea, though.” Evan tilted his chin toward the gates of the property. The little blue sports car raced down the long winding driveway headed for the house.
Evan and Braden stepped out into the clearing and watched as Peyton jumped out of the car, pulled some kind of large bag with her and rushed into the house. Kane sat there for a few minutes before he slowly pulled away from the house. He headed straight for them.
“I imagine we’ll find out more than we want to know,” Braden said.
“You have no one to blame but yourself,” Evan quickly reminded him.
“Braden, Evan.” Kane jumped out of the car and started inside the barn. “Who told her she could have a bunch of squealing girls to spend the night?”
“I did,” Braden said.
“Great. I can’t wait.” Kane growled.
“I imagine it’s going to pale in comparison to last night.” Evan watched him closely.
“Probably.” Kane smiled.
“Did you touch her?” Braden folded his arms across his chest, and he stared off into the distance. “Did you?” He narrowed his gaze on his brother.
Kane meant to lie. He meant to tell his brothers he never laid one hand on her but as he stood in the very barn where three men died over one woman, he couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t.
“Well?” Evan coaxed for answers.
Kane squatted down next to the car and studied the front wheel. “I hit something in the middle of the road there off of Beaver Pike.” He tried to see under the car, and before he realized it, Braden grabbed him by the collar and pinned him flat against the hood of the car.
“Damn it, Braden! Get off me!” Kane shook him loose.
“Answer me!”
“What the hell do you want me to say?”
“Whatever he asks, try to answer him with the truth. Might be a good place for all of us to start,” Evan suggested.
Braden’s breathing chopped with as much uncertainty as the wind. He held him firmly against the car, his shirt bunched in his hands. “I want to know what you’ve done to her.”
“You better be careful what you ask me, Braden, because you damn well know where this is going to lead. I don’t think you’ll want to hear what I have to say.” Kane watched the flicker of acknowledgement in his brother’s eyes.
“Did…you…fuck…her?” He held him tighter, shook him once or twice.
“Let him go, Braden,” Evan said.
If Braden didn’t let him go, Kane’s anger would take hold, and it might get messy. Kane could take on both his brothers, and his strength, next to these two, tipped toward superior and then some.
He deserved what they wanted to dish. He’d fucked Peyton silly and tried to teach her things about a lifestyle they’d never want her to lead. Sure, he’d only eased her into it, but now he realized she wasn’t opposed to it, and he planned to introduce her to more. Braden and Evan would die if they knew what he had in mind.
“I want answers.” Braden shook him.
Peyton’s small voice trembled from behind the men. “Then ask me.”
Braden quickly released Kane, and Evan wheeled around to face her. Kane saw the awareness wash over both of them. Once they had the chance to get a good look at her, all questions rendered little explanation.
Braden tried to dismiss her “Peyton, you have company. Go on up to the house. We’ll be there soon.”.
“No, Braden. I’ll wait on you guys.” She took a deep breath, and Kane imagined she braced herself. Knowing Peyton, she was determined to tell them what they’d missed. Kane understood why. She wanted all of them, all three of them. He’d have to deal with it and learn to accept it.
“Get her up to the house, Evan.” Braden looked away from her and with a fierce glare he studied Kane and gave his demand once more. “I said, ‘take her to the house’, Evan.”
Peyton crossed her arms. Evan touched her forearm and tried to encourage her to follow Braden’s request. “Let’s go.”
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped.
“Peyton, I have some things to discuss with Kane.” Braden took a deep breath and a gulp, a real good dose, of fear. A man’s uncertainty driving his form of questioning while knowledge provoked his anger often ended badly in matters of the heart. No one knew this better than the three men glaring at one another.
“Do these ‘things’ concern me, Braden?”
Braden and Kane locked eyes. Kane saw more fury so he warned her too. “Peyton, go to the house.”
“No,” she answered in frightful determination.
Braden turned on her. He marched over to her, grabbed her wrist and tugged her into the barn. “I told you to go to the house! You wanted a slumber party, a sleep over, now go sleep over!”
Peyton set her jaw, and Kane’s dick twitched as he realized what kind of reply Braden would get.
“I already had one hell of a sleep over, a private party I’ve only dreamed about. You should’ve been there. Maybe if you’d been there, you wouldn’t have to blame Kane. I’m willing to bet you might even have a spring to your step today.” Her hands flew to his chest, and she gave him a shove. She then twisted her sexy little hips right by Evan and Kane and broke into a mad dash straight for the lower fields.
“Great!” Braden kicked the stall in front of him. “Fucking great!”
“If I were you, I’d go get her,” Kane said out of the corner of his mouth.
“You have such a way with her, you go get her.” Braden started to walk off.
“Damn it, she has company, and if I know Vicky, we have an audience peering down here. Peyton’s room has a perfect view of…”
Braden clenched his fists. “Shut up, Kane. I don’t even want to hear you mutter a sound.”
He locked eyes with Evan but Evan stood his ground. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not repeating history here. Not today and not any other day if I have my say and believe me, I’m going to have a few words with both of you.”
After a moment of silence, Evan moved closer to his brothers. “We’ve danced around the subject for far too long. What we’re afraid of here is turning into our fathers, into the men we fear we already are but don’t you see? We’re nothing like them.
“For starters, we all brought Peyton here. We’ve been open about our feelings for her from the beginning. I think she’s made a few things obvious too. I mean hell, Kane you walked in when she was in my arms right after she left yours and then she kissed Braden in front of both of us. This doesn’t have to end badly for anyone.”
“Shut up, Evan. You were too young to know everything.” Braden stalked back and forth, shot Kane the occasional glare and continued to pace.
“Then why don’t one of you spill whatever you think I don’t remember because see, I remember a lot more than I should. I know one thing. A damn love triangle with any woman is a bad idea for Cartwells unless everyone is honest and no one keeps secrets.”
Kane didn’t say anything. Braden mumbled and Evan continued. “We’re going to destroy her if we don’t get it together and accept what’s going on here. I know Kane may have made the first move but it won’t be the last one. She cares about all of us.”
“She does.” It killed Kane to admit it.
Braden raised an eyebrow as if he wanted to hear more. “Didn’t stop you, did it?”
“Braden…”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses.” He stopped in front of her car, turned and walked back to Kane. “Did you fuck her?”
“Shit, Braden.” Evan stood closer to them. “Did you not see what I saw? The way she looks at him, even at us? Hell, yeah, he fucked her, and I would have too if I’d been in his shoes.”
Braden grabbed Kane’s shirt again and sneered. “Yeah, but Evan wouldn’t have done the things to her I’m willing to bet you did, now would he?”
“I don’t know, Braden. I’m not Evan.”
“Damn bastard.” Braden raised his fist and planned to hit him, no doubt. Kane decided rather quickly to let him have just one, but for some reason Braden decided not to throw the punch.
He looked like a man ready to regroup. Evan, on the other hand, finally managed to second guess what he’d missed. Kane understood how his brothers thought. Hell, while they were different in many ways, in many others, all three brothers were the exact same.
“I love her.”
“You what?” Braden roared out the question.
“Shit, you must have gone mad overnight.” Evan glared at Kane.
“You don’t?” He questioned them, both at one time.
“Kane, this is a bad idea,” Braden said, somehow gaining some sort of forced control, yet dangerously bridled.
“Might be, and if so, I don’t care. I love her.”
“I’m going to go get Peyton. She has company, and she can at least act like a happy hostess for one night.” Braden shook his head as he headed for the fields.
“She will,” Kane said.
Braden stopped when Kane spoke for her. He didn’t look back. “Just because she’s in your bed doesn’t mean she’s going to lose her focus, her goals and dreams.”
“I wouldn’t ask her to give up anything for me, Braden.”
“See that you don’t.”
Evan watched his brother take the easy pathway through the fields. “You wanna talk about it?”
“Nope.” Kane smirked.
He knew Evan wanted all sorts of details. Too bad.
“That good, huh?”
Kane chuckled. “Yep.”
“Damn.”
“How many girls are up there?”
“Too many,” Evan said.
“Great,” Kane groaned.
“Was she a virgin?” Evan had a thing for virgins.
“Yeah.”
“And you did the unthinkable, didn’t ya?”
“Yeah, I did.” Kane wasn’t proud of it, not exactly, but he was smug. He knew she wanted him, and she wanted him just as raw as she could get him.
“You’re not going to give me details?”
“Not today,” Kane smiled. Maybe never. “Right now, I’d say we have a few hungry girls to feed. I may run out for pizzas.”
“Yeah, pizza sounds good.” Evan headed for the passenger’s side of Peyton’s car, “And there’s a new candy shop next to the pizza place. Somebody said they have the best cotton candy in the world.”
Kane’s body went rigid, and he knew his face gave everything away.
“Oh hell,” Evan said. “She let you…”
“Cotton candy sounds like a plan.” Kane chuckled and stepped inside the car. He smacked his lips and looked over at his brother. “In fact, I can almost taste it now.”