Read Online Mary's Men by Stephanie Beck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephanie Beck
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eyes slightly wide, cheeks tinged pink. Thomas cleared his throat first. “Um, no. She was not aware of our plans or of the elopement.”
Her stomach dropped. “Really? You didn’t think that was something you should have shared with her?”
They stared at each other but didn’t speak.
Mary groaned and headed for the stove, checking the chicken before jerking rice from the cabinet. “You two are a piece of work, you know that? At least I took care of my family before coming into this. Aunt Marcy gave me her blessing. My mother—well, I know she and my father never will—”
“I don’t get that,” Thomas said. “If your parents are in a plural marriage, what’s the difference with us?”
“The difference is in the numbers. They pursued a plural marriage out of faith. In their world, a husband is supposed to have multiple wives and loads of children. My father could tell you all the reasons, but it comes down to them believing with their whole soul that it’s the way God wants them to live. One man and multiple wives with many children. The other way around doesn’t work—it’s an abomination—so I’m writing them off like I did years ago. But this is on you. What’s your mom like? Is she going to be okay with all of this?”
Hope filled her. Maybe the reason the boys hadn’t mentioned their tastes to their mother was because she would be accepting and loving no matter what.
“She’s going to be pissed,” Thomas admitted. “She’s not going to like you, even if she never knows about the sharing. Our dad died when we were kids, and so we’ve been it for her. She’s pretty territorial about us.”
“Territorial?”
Paul’s blush deepened. “She…she’s not usually kind to the women we date.”
Her initial fear bred irritation. “So instead of, you know, warning me or giving me any sort of hints about this, you’re going to spring her on me tomorrow?”
“Come on, she’s not a demon,” Thomas protested. “I’m sure once she gets used to you, everything will be fine.”
Paul looked at him like he was crazy and Thomas blushed.
“Okay, so maybe ‘fine’ is an overstatement. Listen, Mary, you can handle her.” Thomas strode to her. He smiled at her again and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You’re strong, smart, and so sweet. We wouldn’t have married you otherwise. She’s our mom, and she is how she is. She won’t change, but you can set the tone for expectations. We will too. We’ll make it clear she has to accept all of this to accept us.”
The idea of telling the faceless woman about her relationship, the one Mary was still getting used to, gave her the cold sweats. “Or we could not tell her the details.”
Thomas frowned. “What do you mean? Don’t you think it’s best if we start how we mean to go on?”
Mary groaned and put water on to boil. “I honestly don’t know. Paul? What do you think?”
“I think I’m tired and want to eat,” Paul said, obviously uncomfortable with the topic and even more obviously exhausted. “We can figure out what to do with Mom tomorrow before she gets here. If she pisses you off too much I’ll tell her not to come over again.”
Thomas frowned at his brother, but didn’t protest.
Mary stirred rice into water. “I don’t want to cause trouble. She’s your mother and you both love her.”
“Well, you’re my wife and I love you too. She had her time as the main woman in my life and now that’s you.”
Thomas nodded. “He’s right. We’ll tell her what’s going on and leave it on her shoulders.”
“Tell her?” Mary squeaked. “We can’t tell a woman who is already not going to like me that I’m in a relationship with both of you. We’ll ease her into me being married to Paul, and once she’s past that shock we can share a little more. Good golly, what is she going to think when Duane gets home?”
Thomas’s face pinched up. “One thing at a time.”
Paul kissed her cheek. “From the
Her stomach dropped. “Really? You didn’t think that was something you should have shared with her?”
They stared at each other but didn’t speak.
Mary groaned and headed for the stove, checking the chicken before jerking rice from the cabinet. “You two are a piece of work, you know that? At least I took care of my family before coming into this. Aunt Marcy gave me her blessing. My mother—well, I know she and my father never will—”
“I don’t get that,” Thomas said. “If your parents are in a plural marriage, what’s the difference with us?”
“The difference is in the numbers. They pursued a plural marriage out of faith. In their world, a husband is supposed to have multiple wives and loads of children. My father could tell you all the reasons, but it comes down to them believing with their whole soul that it’s the way God wants them to live. One man and multiple wives with many children. The other way around doesn’t work—it’s an abomination—so I’m writing them off like I did years ago. But this is on you. What’s your mom like? Is she going to be okay with all of this?”
Hope filled her. Maybe the reason the boys hadn’t mentioned their tastes to their mother was because she would be accepting and loving no matter what.
“She’s going to be pissed,” Thomas admitted. “She’s not going to like you, even if she never knows about the sharing. Our dad died when we were kids, and so we’ve been it for her. She’s pretty territorial about us.”
“Territorial?”
Paul’s blush deepened. “She…she’s not usually kind to the women we date.”
Her initial fear bred irritation. “So instead of, you know, warning me or giving me any sort of hints about this, you’re going to spring her on me tomorrow?”
“Come on, she’s not a demon,” Thomas protested. “I’m sure once she gets used to you, everything will be fine.”
Paul looked at him like he was crazy and Thomas blushed.
“Okay, so maybe ‘fine’ is an overstatement. Listen, Mary, you can handle her.” Thomas strode to her. He smiled at her again and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You’re strong, smart, and so sweet. We wouldn’t have married you otherwise. She’s our mom, and she is how she is. She won’t change, but you can set the tone for expectations. We will too. We’ll make it clear she has to accept all of this to accept us.”
The idea of telling the faceless woman about her relationship, the one Mary was still getting used to, gave her the cold sweats. “Or we could not tell her the details.”
Thomas frowned. “What do you mean? Don’t you think it’s best if we start how we mean to go on?”
Mary groaned and put water on to boil. “I honestly don’t know. Paul? What do you think?”
“I think I’m tired and want to eat,” Paul said, obviously uncomfortable with the topic and even more obviously exhausted. “We can figure out what to do with Mom tomorrow before she gets here. If she pisses you off too much I’ll tell her not to come over again.”
Thomas frowned at his brother, but didn’t protest.
Mary stirred rice into water. “I don’t want to cause trouble. She’s your mother and you both love her.”
“Well, you’re my wife and I love you too. She had her time as the main woman in my life and now that’s you.”
Thomas nodded. “He’s right. We’ll tell her what’s going on and leave it on her shoulders.”
“Tell her?” Mary squeaked. “We can’t tell a woman who is already not going to like me that I’m in a relationship with both of you. We’ll ease her into me being married to Paul, and once she’s past that shock we can share a little more. Good golly, what is she going to think when Duane gets home?”
Thomas’s face pinched up. “One thing at a time.”
Paul kissed her cheek. “From the
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