Her Mountain Family Page 3

  “What do you think, Bella? Should I give a threesome a chance and see where it could go? I mean, dating one man at a time hasn’t worked out all that well for me. Maybe two at one time will be the answer.”

  Bella didn’t answer. She just cuddled closer to her neck. Margo sat in her favorite chair and picked up her e-reader. The book she was currently reading was a murder mystery and soon had her drawn back into the story line.

  Sometime later, the ringing of her cell phone pulled her from her book. She looked around, a little confused, and then hurried over to where she’d dropped her purse on the island in the kitchen and pulled out her phone, but not in time to accept the call. She carried it over to the chair and settled down once more. Bella had dug her claws into Margo’s shoulder during her mad dash to retrieve her phone. Now she relaxed and climbed to the back of the chair where she circled and curled up once more.

  Margo checked the missed call and didn’t recognize the number. She often got calls from other physician’s groups wanting to contract her services, so she called back the number to see who’d called her. To her surprise, it wasn’t a physician at all.

  “Margo? It’s Webb.”

  “Um, hi. You called me?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I realized that we had your number, but you didn’t have ours. Didn’t figure that was fair, I’m going to text you Sam’s, as well. How was Bella when you got home?” he asked.

  “Glad to see me. She climbed my leg up to my shoulder. I’m going to have to clip those claws before long. Right now, they don’t hurt, but in another month or so, they’ll smart.”

  Webb chuckled. “They sure will.”

  “Thanks for giving me your number. I was just thinking that I didn’t have it,” she said.

  “Not thinking about calling off our dinner, are you?” Webb asked.

  “I’m a little worried about it,” she admitted.

  “What about it worries you?”

  “That there are two of you.”

  “Are you worried about what people will think?” Webb asked.

  “No. People already think I’m a slut.”

  “What the fuck? Why do you say that?” Webb’s voice held enough outrage to scald milk.

  “Evidently some of the men I’ve been out with have spread the rumors that I’m an easy lay just because I wouldn’t have sex with them on the first or second date. I might as well tell you know that I don’t go to bed with a guy on the first or second or maybe even the third date, so if that’s a problem, it’s best to stop now,” she said.

  “We don’t care what other people think about you. The only thing that matters to us is how you are with us and we don’t expect you to have sex with us on any certain date, Margo. It happens when it happens or if it happens. What matters is the relationship first.”

  Margo felt her mouth open and then close like a fish out of water. Had she really heard him, right? Was this man for real?

  “Margo?”

  “I’ll see you Saturday evening, Webb. Thanks for the numbers. Tell Sam I said hi.”

  Margo hit End and held the phone against her chest for a few seconds before setting it on the table next to the chair and picking up her book once more. It took a while longer for her to fall into the story this time. She was still trying to wrap her head around what getting involved with two men might be like.

  * * * *

  Margo smoothed down the spring dress as she looked at herself in the mirror once more. Bella watched from her perch on the bed as if assessing her mistress, as well.

  “What do you think? Is it too much? Should I wear slacks instead?” Margo asked the tiny fluff of fur.

  Getting no response from the kitten, Margo shrugged and turned away from the mirror to put the finishing touches to her makeup. She didn’t wear it as a rule but felt as if she needed just a little to polish off her outfit. Since they were going to a nicer restaurant than the diner, she felt as if it called for a bit of class.

  Finally, she added earrings, a gold chain, and bangles. She was as ready as she ever would be. She’d already changed her purse to a shoulder bag in which she’d put her cell, her lipstick, and some cash just in case.

  She’d barely walked into the living room when the doorbell rang. She checked the judas-hole and saw that it was Sam. She opened the door and smiled at the other man.

  “Hi, Sam. You look nice.”

  He was wearing navy slacks and a pale blue button-down. He looked good with his slightly shaggy black hair and dark eyes.

  “You’re the one who looks nice. Love that dress, hon. Are you ready?” he asked.

  “I’m ready.” She locked the door and then slipped the keys in her purse and allowed Sam to escort her downstairs and out to the truck.

  When she climbed into the passenger side with Sam’s help, she smiled at Webb.

  “You look delicious, babe. Love that dress,” he said.

  “Thanks. You look nice, too.”

  Webb was wearing khakis and a light green button-down. The green in the shirt brought out the green in his hazel eyes.

  “Ready?” Webb asked.

  “Can’t wait. I’ve never been to this place before.” Margo rubbed her hands together. “I love Italian food though.

  “You’re going to love this place. It’s authentic and delicious,” Sam said. “The owners are second-generation Italians.”

  “Did you work today?” Webb asked her.

  “Actually, I did. I worked about five hours today. I don’t always work on the weekends, but sometimes I’ll do a little extra in case I want time in the middle of the week for something like a hair appointment or something like that.”

  “Got plans for next week?” Sam asked.

  “Not really. Just felt like working some. I read the rest of the day, so it was all good.”

  “What do you like to read?” Webb asked.

  “Mostly murder and suspense,” Margo said.

  “No romance?” Sam asked with a teasing smile.

  She laughed. “I do occasionally read a good romance, but mostly I like the grittier books. What about you guys? Do you like to read?”

  “I read trade magazines but don’t go much for books,” Webb said.

  “I read a little. Mostly history though,” Sam said.

  “What else do you guys do for fun?” she asked.

  “Gaming, grilling out, watching movies,” Webb said.

  “So, since you like murder and suspense books, what kind of movies do you like?” Sam asked.

  “Action and thrillers,” Margo said with a huge grin.

  “Cool. No sappy movies,” Webb said.

  Margo couldn’t help but laugh at that. They really were fun to be around. She felt herself relax a little more around them as they pulled away from the curb and down the road.

  They talked about their jobs, the town, and their dreams on the drive to the next town. Margo found out that they’d moved to Cozy for the sole purpose of living on the mountain with like-minded people who wanted a ménage relationship. She also found out that they were all ex-military in some form or fashion.

  She told them a little about her family and how she wanted a normal family of her own. Webb had asked her what a normal family was, and all she could come up with was not like her family.

  “So, a family where there isn’t any excessive drinking or verbal abuse, but there are good memories and lots of love,” Webb said.

  “Well, yeah. That’s what I want,” she said.

  “That’s what we want, as well,” Sam said.

  “It sounds so simple, but it’s not. There wouldn’t be so many broken families if it was,” she said.

  “There are so many because they weren’t willing to fight for their marriages. It takes two to make a marriage work and two to ruin one. In our case, it takes three. All three of us have to want it to work and work at it every single day. You can’t just coast along expecting everything to be okay,” Webb said.

  “You’ve thought a lot about it,” Margo said.

  “We’ve had a lot of time to think about it. Six years overseas and then the last few years here. We’re committed to having the best relationship possible. Whoever we finally end up with will never have to worry about a thing. She won’t have to work unless she wants to. She’ll have everything she could ever want, and she’ll have two men to dote on her and wait on her hand and foot.” Webb looked over at her with a smile before he returned his eyes to the road.

  Margo couldn’t help but smile back at him. It all sounded so perfect, but nothing was that perfect. She was sure a ménage relationship had to be even more complex than a normal relationship between just two people. That was hard enough.

  When they arrived at the restaurant, Sam helped her down from the truck, and the three of them walked inside and were greeted by the hostess, who seated them right away. Margo looked over the menu and sighed at the array of choices.

  “What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

  “There’s too many to choose from. I want all of it.” She laughed.

  “Know what you mean,” Webb said. “I try something different every time we come.”

  “Guess I’m going to have to put this place on my list of places to come so I can do the same thing,” she said.

  The waitress took their drink orders, and Sam ordered an appetizer of stuffed mushrooms.

  Once she’d chosen what she wanted and had given the waitress her order, Margo was at a loss for what to talk about next. She didn’t have to worry. The men had plenty to keep the conversation going.

  “What made you decide to go into dictation?” Webb asked.

  “I had a natural ability to type and was so fast and accurate that my teacher suggested it. I figured that if it made good money and I was good at it, it was a no-
brainer. Plus, I get to learn some neat things. I can probably recite how to do a lot of simple procedures from having typed them so many times. I’ve learned about a lot of diseases that I wish I’d never heard about.”

  “Not sure that would be a selling point,” Sam said with a shudder.

  “Why not a court stenographer?” Webb asked.

  “You have to learn an entire new language or shorthand. I didn’t want to do that. I liked what I was doing. Plus, I can do it from home. That was the big drive. I had to work from the hospital for the first year, and then once I had some experience behind me, I was able to work from home and then contract my services out myself and have my own business,” she said.

  “If you didn’t have to work, would still want to?” Webb asked.

  “Yeah. Maybe not as much as I do now, but I would want to work. I can’t not do something. I’d get bored,” she said. “What about you guys? How did you get interested in what you’re doing?”

  “I worked on computers in the Navy, so I just carried it over when I got out,” Webb said.

  “I worked after school for years for a lawn-care company and enjoyed the work outside, so I decided I’d start a company here when we moved here since they didn’t have one. Never imagined it would be as popular as it is though. I figured I’d have a dozen or so contracts and that would be it. Instead, I’m spread pretty thin,” Sam said.

  “Means you need more people working for you,” Margo said.

  “Working on it, but people nowadays don’t have the work ethic they used to. I have to watch over everyone to be sure they’re doing quality work, and that keeps me even busier.”

  “So, you need an assistant you trust to help with that part,” she suggested.

  “She has a good point,” Webb said.

  “I’ll have to think about it.”

  Their meals arrived, and the three of them grew silent while they ate. Sam pushed his plate over toward her.

  “Try some of the veal. It’s delicious,” he said.

  She forked up some and closed her eyes as the taste of it exploded over her tongue.

  “You’re right. It is delicious. I may have to order that next time.”

  “Try mine. You’ll like it, too.” Web held out his fork.

  She tried his and agreed. “See. This was why it was so hard for me to choose what to get.”

  “We’ll all have to come back and get different dishes and share,” Webb said.

  “Good idea,” Sam said.

  Margo didn’t say anything. The idea of coming back with them was one she really liked. They were fun to be around, and she didn’t feel the least bit uncomfortable with the two of them. The conversation didn’t drag, and they weren’t pressuring her in any way. Of course, there was still the end of the night ahead of her.

  I need to stop looking for things to derail the possibilities. Who knows, this might be exactly what I’ve been looking for.

  “What about dessert?” the waitress asked. “An espresso, coffee?”

  “None for me,” Margo said. “I’m stuffed. That was delicious.”

  “I’m afraid I’m in the same boat,” Sam said.

  “I’ll have a cup of coffee, but that’s it,” Webb said.

  “I’ll bring refills for your tea and the coffee right back,” the waitress said.

  “This was wonderful, guys. Thanks for bringing me. I might never have known about this place,” she said.

  “The pleasure was all ours. We’ve enjoyed the meal and the conversation,” Sam said.

  The waitress reappeared with Webb’s coffee and refilled their tea.

  “There’s going to be a cookout next weekend on the mountain. We’d love for you to go with us,” Webb said.

  “Oh, um. That sounds nice.”

  “The other ménage families will all be there. It would give you a chance to meet them and see what it’s like to be part of a ménage family,” Sam added

  “I’d like that. Are you sure it’s okay for me to come? I mean, we don’t really know each other that well for you to bring me along to something that serious.”

  “There’s nothing serious about it. It’s just a BBQ. We cook out about once a month during the spring and summer. We take turns having it at each house. This time it’s at Caleb, Austin, and Selena’s place. They have a little girl now. She’s four months now, I think. You’ll get to meet all of them and some other guys who haven’t gotten married yet either. We all want the same thing. A ménage marriage with one special woman. That’s why we all bought up the mountain so that no one could judge us where we lived,” Webb said.

  “They can still do that down in the town,” she pointed out.

  “But for the most part they don’t, and they definitely don’t do it to our faces. We are a major part of their income with there being so many of us. They don’t want to piss us off and we take our business elsewhere. We could order everything online except groceries. We could go to the next town to get our groceries, and they know it.” Sam sipped his tea.

  “You know. It’s your reputation on the line by seeing me. After all, I’m a slut according to the people in town. How will that make you guys look?” she asked, lifting her chin.

  Sam burst out laughing. “Sorry, but that’s ridiculous. You’re not a slut. If they think that, they’re crazy. You’re fun and beautiful and most definitely not a slut. You haven’t come on to either of us at all since we’ve met.”

  “People will talk about you for dating both of us though,” Webb pointed out.

  “Well, they already think bad about me. I don’t think they can think any worse. I’m not concerned about my tattered reputation,” Margo said.

  Once Webb had finished his coffee, they paid the tab and loaded up in the truck once more. The drive back was much quieter than the ride over had been. Mostly because they were all full. Margo realized that she’d dozed off when she came to lean heavily on Sam’s shoulder some time later.

  “I’m sorry. You should have woken me,” she said.

  “You were sleeping too soundly. It was fine. Did you know you talk in your sleep?” he asked in a teasing voice.

  “No. Really? What did I talk about?” Margo prayed it wasn’t anything embarrassing.

  “None of it made sense. You said something about Bella and a bowl of strawberries. Any idea what that was about?” Sam asked.

  “Really?” Margo laughed. “I don’t have a clue. I don’t even have any strawberries at home.”

  “Think you’re wanting strawberries?” Webb asked. “We could stop by the grocery store and pick some up for you before we take you home.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not craving them or anything,” she said.

  “Maybe Bella is,” Sam suggested with a smile.

  “No strawberries for Bella. She’d just chase them around the floor and make a mess of them. I caught her playing with the paperclips the other day. She’d dumped them all out of the container and was pouncing on them all over the desk. Took me forever to find them all,” Margo said.

  “Sounds like she’s a little stinker,” Webb said.

  “Yeah, but she’s precious. I love her to death,” Margo said.

  “So, about next weekend. Can we pick you up Saturday at one? It starts at noon, but I don’t close the store until noon, and Sam needs time to take a shower after work,” Webb said.

  “Um, yeah. Okay, that would be fine. I can’t wait to meet your friends,” Margo said.

  “They’ll be excited to meet you, as well,” Sam said.

  Once they pulled up outside her apartment building, both men climbed out of the truck with Sam helping her down. They both walked her to her door. She unlocked it but didn’t open it right away. Instead, she turned around and smiled up at the two men.

  “I had a great time. The food was wonderful and so was the conversation. Thanks for asking me,” she said.

  “The pleasure was all ours,” Webb said.

  “We enjoyed it, as well,” Sam said.

  “We want to kiss you good night. Is that okay with you?” Webb asked.

  “Oh, well, yes,” she said, a little taken aback that he’d asked.