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Authors: Lizzie Lynn Lee
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you’d be back and everything would be like old times again. Whole. A happy family.”
Luke gazed out the window. From this seat, we could see the parking lot of the local post office. The temperature outside had risen considerably and the heat had created mini mirages on the dusty street.
Luke spoke again, a tinge of desperation coloring his voice. “I don’t want to lose my brothers, Simone, but at the rate this is going, one of us is going to end up in a body bag, one going to prison, and the other is going to the nut house.” He turned to me, his eyes boring into my soul. “Please. I don’t want that to happen.”
Chapter Six
I returned to the Cody house and spent the next week like nothing had happened. I did my daily duties as usual. Cooking. Cleaning. Laundry. The brothers acted normal but beneath the placid surface, unspoken tension stretched between them. They were waiting for my answer to choose one of them as the one I’d officially marry.
In that candid heart-to-heart talk with Luke, the brothers proposed a polyandry relationship. Since polygamy and the like wasn’t legal in this state, and to give a fundamental reason for me staying in the Cody household, they felt it was best if I married one of them. They even went as far as to schedule which night I should spend with them.
It was crazy.
And crazy was the game I had to play if I wanted everybody to come out of this safely.
It put so much more pressure on me than before. Never mind Aunt Rebecca’s scolding or me being a pariah in my hometown, the Cody brothers were their own worst enemies. I couldn’t walk away from this problem. Like Nate had said, I used to run when I faced a major life-changing issue. This time, I had to face it head on. The problem was, I wasn’t sure of my own feelings.
Sure, I was madly attracted to them. I was also conflicted about jumping into this unorthodox arrangement.
I’d loved no man but my ex for the past twenty years and see where it had gotten me. Was it okay to open my heart to another… no, three others this soon?
I then decided to take a small step.
I returned the ten thousand dollars Aunt Rebecca had given me. I told that cranky old woman I wasn’t going to leave Bellwood. I’d decided to settle down here, and there was nothing she could do to convince me otherwise. She just had to deal with it.
On the night I was supposed to give my answer, a surprise came to our doorstep.
Samuel Marsh stood at the threshold of the door.
I became guarded in an instant. I didn’t want to see him with his new girlfriend. Hadn’t he had enough of tormenting me? He’d robbed me of my dignity. He’d abandoned me to fend for myself. He’d broken our marriage vow to love and cherish for better or worse, rich or poor, sickness and health ‘til death do us part.
I still couldn’t forget the day he and his lover had ganged up on me in the lawyer’s office. I stiffened at the sight of him.
“You.” I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you here? You should contact my lawyer if you have any business with me.” I prepared to shut the door on him when he took out a paper from his Brioni suit jacket.
“You want this, right?” Sam waved the divorce paper.
I snatched it from him. The bastard hadn’t signed it.
“If you want me to sign it, all I need from you is a little of your time,” he said.
“Why?” I felt frustrated. “You got everything. What else do you want?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, which was rare for him, “but we need to talk, Simone. Now.”
“Now isn’t good. My lawyer isn’t here.”
“We don’t need lawyers. It’s about something else.”
I faltered. Behind me, I could feel the presence of Nate and Jamie. Luke wasn’t home yet. He’d called earlier to tell me he was going to be a bit late.
Nate touched my shoulder. “Hey, Sam. Long time no see. Can I help you?”
My ex’s gaze darted to the two brothers briefly. “I need to have a talk with my
Luke gazed out the window. From this seat, we could see the parking lot of the local post office. The temperature outside had risen considerably and the heat had created mini mirages on the dusty street.
Luke spoke again, a tinge of desperation coloring his voice. “I don’t want to lose my brothers, Simone, but at the rate this is going, one of us is going to end up in a body bag, one going to prison, and the other is going to the nut house.” He turned to me, his eyes boring into my soul. “Please. I don’t want that to happen.”
Chapter Six
I returned to the Cody house and spent the next week like nothing had happened. I did my daily duties as usual. Cooking. Cleaning. Laundry. The brothers acted normal but beneath the placid surface, unspoken tension stretched between them. They were waiting for my answer to choose one of them as the one I’d officially marry.
In that candid heart-to-heart talk with Luke, the brothers proposed a polyandry relationship. Since polygamy and the like wasn’t legal in this state, and to give a fundamental reason for me staying in the Cody household, they felt it was best if I married one of them. They even went as far as to schedule which night I should spend with them.
It was crazy.
And crazy was the game I had to play if I wanted everybody to come out of this safely.
It put so much more pressure on me than before. Never mind Aunt Rebecca’s scolding or me being a pariah in my hometown, the Cody brothers were their own worst enemies. I couldn’t walk away from this problem. Like Nate had said, I used to run when I faced a major life-changing issue. This time, I had to face it head on. The problem was, I wasn’t sure of my own feelings.
Sure, I was madly attracted to them. I was also conflicted about jumping into this unorthodox arrangement.
I’d loved no man but my ex for the past twenty years and see where it had gotten me. Was it okay to open my heart to another… no, three others this soon?
I then decided to take a small step.
I returned the ten thousand dollars Aunt Rebecca had given me. I told that cranky old woman I wasn’t going to leave Bellwood. I’d decided to settle down here, and there was nothing she could do to convince me otherwise. She just had to deal with it.
On the night I was supposed to give my answer, a surprise came to our doorstep.
Samuel Marsh stood at the threshold of the door.
I became guarded in an instant. I didn’t want to see him with his new girlfriend. Hadn’t he had enough of tormenting me? He’d robbed me of my dignity. He’d abandoned me to fend for myself. He’d broken our marriage vow to love and cherish for better or worse, rich or poor, sickness and health ‘til death do us part.
I still couldn’t forget the day he and his lover had ganged up on me in the lawyer’s office. I stiffened at the sight of him.
“You.” I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you here? You should contact my lawyer if you have any business with me.” I prepared to shut the door on him when he took out a paper from his Brioni suit jacket.
“You want this, right?” Sam waved the divorce paper.
I snatched it from him. The bastard hadn’t signed it.
“If you want me to sign it, all I need from you is a little of your time,” he said.
“Why?” I felt frustrated. “You got everything. What else do you want?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, which was rare for him, “but we need to talk, Simone. Now.”
“Now isn’t good. My lawyer isn’t here.”
“We don’t need lawyers. It’s about something else.”
I faltered. Behind me, I could feel the presence of Nate and Jamie. Luke wasn’t home yet. He’d called earlier to tell me he was going to be a bit late.
Nate touched my shoulder. “Hey, Sam. Long time no see. Can I help you?”
My ex’s gaze darted to the two brothers briefly. “I need to have a talk with my
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