Read Online Bayard[Bedtime stories 3] by Joyee Flynn - Free Book Online

actually,” Dromio answered first after a moment of thought. “I didn’t see this to be how I ended up being in love but it works for us. Part of why I love you is the joy you bring to my brothers as well. You never make me feel as if you prefer one of us over the other and that we all mean the world to you. And you’re insatiable so it’s not like we are ever pushing you to get our own needs met.”
“I agree with what Dromio says,” Brix assured me. “He’s just better at phrasing things than I am. But it’s how I truly feel as well.”
“So what do we do now then?” I asked, not sure they had the answers.
“Live our lives and wait for them to pull their heads out of their asses,” Dromio offered with a shrug. I nodded, not sure what other option I really had anyways. We ate in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.
That night I crawled into Brix’s bed with Dromio plastered to my back. None of us was in the mood for sex, simply needing comfort. They weren’t hurting as I was over Callum and Ansel walking away from me, but they were upset that I was and that their brothers were too. I just didn’t know how to fix any of this.
* * * *
    “Morning, baby,” Brix said brightly as he joined Dromio and I in the kitchen the next morning. He leaned over and gave me a heated kiss, reaching out for a good grope as well. I moaned and leaned into to his touch.
    “Distract him in an hour after the baker gets here and the orders are done,” Dromio teased. We’d been up for hours baking what we hadn’t gotten done last night since neither of us had been in the mood with the turn of events.
    “Fine, I can wait that long.” Brix gave me a wink and then poured himself some coffee. Ansel walked into the kitchen moments later, not meeting anyone’s gaze.
    “Mo rning,all,” he said gruffly and sat down at the table with a muffin. Callum came in minutes later and did almost the exact same thing.
    “I have another field to plow that I need your help with, Taji,” he said distantly as he stared out the window. I nodded and then realized he wouldn’t see that.
    “Let me finish helping Dromio and I’m all yours,” I replied, closing my eyes at the word choice when it hit me. I heard a few clinks and a gasp, and shook my head. “I’m all yours to help plow.” I tried to clarify, but the damage had been done. Ansel stormed out of the kitchen and out the back door.
    “I wish that was true,” Callum whispered sadly. I turned to him and saw tears running down his cheeks before he too disappeared out the back door.
    “I didn’t mean it like that or to upset them,” I said in a choked voice as I pulled the pan of bread out of the oven.
“We know, sweetie. Give them some time.” I nodded at Brix’s advice, unsure I had any other choice again. “We’ll catch up after you’re done here and you’ve helpedCallum, yeah?”
“I’m come find you.” I swallowed down my grief at losing Ansel and Callum. It wouldn’t be fair to Dromio and Brix who were being so great to me and loved me so much.
I bustled about, stuffing my feelings down and trading light conversation with Dromio. When we were done and the baker would be coming soon, I hurried out to the barn and shifted. We’d agreed that I’d never shift out in the open again with Ethan and people on the lookout for a bayard. It was much easier to explain a man walking out the back door and the horse having been in the barn than if someone saw me changing form.
Callum must have pulled the plow out of the barn already so I rode right to the field. He hooked me up and we went to work. He never said a word to me, whereas before he talked on and on about his plans for the farm and everything he’d planted so far. Now the silence was deafening as if we were strangers… Or worse, I was just a horse to him.
Hours later we were done and he unhooked me from the plow. He gave my rump a firm slap. “Okay, I’m done with you.” I turned and bit him. He didn’t have to