An Education for Amy [Men of Kinsey 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (15 page)

Adam, who had been sitting on the coffee table, got up and went over to the desk in the far corner of the room. Ethan threw him a set of keys, and he opened a locked drawer at the bottom of the desk, pulling out a thick manila folder.

Walking back to them, the room seemed to be strangely quiet.

“Here, kitten, we were going to wait until our wedding to give you this, but I think you need to see them now,” Adam said, handing her the folder.

Amy opened the file on her lap and started reading, flipping through page after page of the information they gave her. When she was done, she closed the file and looked up at them.

“No,” was all she said.

“What do you mean no?” Ethan growled.

“Did I stutter?” she snapped back at him.

“Don’t get smart-mouthed with me, kitten,” Ethan said.

Jordan loved how comfortable she felt arguing with them.

“You three are not giving me this,” she said calmly. “Besides I don’t think your mom would like it very much knowing that her sons just tried to give their woman the proverbial ranch.”

“She knows all about it, honey,” Jordon leaned forward and kissed her temple.

“She knows?” Amy looked stunned. “Why would she let you do this then? I could take you guys for everything you have, and from the looks of these papers, there wouldn’t be a thing you could do about it.”

“That’s what we want you to understand, baby. That’s how it’s been for generations in our family.” Adam stood and, taking her hand, pulled her from Jordon’s lap.

Lifting her in his arms, he walked out onto the front porch and set her on the swing there. Jordon and Ethan followed and sat down on two of the loungers.

“For generations, our family has owned this ranch. It was built by blood, sweat, and tears from every member of our family. But the ownership has always been held by the lady of the family.” When Amy went to say something, Adam put his hand up to stop her.

Taking her hand again, he walked her into the kitchen. Pointing up at the portrait that hung at the entrance of two men and a woman holding each other and looking so much in love, he continued, “These are our great-grandparents, Jordon, Adam, and Rebecca. Jordon and Adam inherited the ranch from their parents. Rebecca came from a background of extreme poverty and violence. Her father sold her when she was only fourteen years old to work on a farm, and when she turned seventeen, she was to wed the old farmer, becoming his second wife. The first wife didn’t like the idea and was brutal to Rebecca until, finally, our gutsy great-gramma ran away and headed west. She had been selling little trinkets that she made and hiding the money away so that on her seventeenth birthday she could leave.”

Both Jordon and Ethan came to stand beside them as Adam continued.

“She caught a train heading west and never looked back. Once she got here, though, because she was a woman, she wasn’t taken seriously when it came to ranching and farming. No one would hire her except as a cook or housekeeper. Then one day, two retired military men moved to town. They had purchased a small ranch but didn’t know anything about running one. When they tried to hire hands, no one would work for them because the only thing they could offer was a bunk to sleep in, three meals a day, and a very small salary for the first year.

“Rebecca jumped at the chance, and the moment they saw her, they were hooked. It took them about three weeks to convince her they were the ones for her, but it wasn’t until the next year that she would marry Adam.

“She wanted to prove to them that she could help them build the ranch up into something of great worth, and she wouldn’t marry until then. When they started turning a profit after only six months, both men were ecstatic and started paying her a better wage. She saved almost every last penny of it out of fear that one day Adam and Jordon would tire of her and she would have to leave the ranch. When they found out and asked her why, she broke down and told them of her past.

“The next day, both men signed the ranch over to her. She had been the one with the knowledge and expertise that had built the ranch so quickly, and they wanted her to understand how much they loved her, and they wanted her to feel secure in the knowledge that she would never have to leave.”

Wiping away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, Ethan pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

“That tradition has been in our family ever since,” Adam said.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Jordon pulled her back against him.

“The women in our family are our centers. They care for all of those around them. They keep a home, not a house. You are our center, kitten, and you calm us like nothing ever has before. Mind you, you also back-talk way too much.” Smiling, he turned her to face him.

“All the big decisions that are carried out on this ranch from this day forward will be decided by all four of us. Anything that you really don’t like or think is a real bad move for the ranch, all you have to do is say so. We all get a vote, but you have a veto which overrides us. But if all three of us think you are using it too much, there is a clause in the agreement that if all three of us agree and can prove it’s in the best interest of the ranch, your veto is squashed for one year. It’s been this way for always, baby.”

Stepping closer to her, Ethan pulled Amy back against him. He needed to have her in his arms, to know that she was there with them.

“I love you, kitten, with all that I am. I’ve never even come close to feeling about another woman the way that I feel about you.”

Amy turned, and before he even was aware of her intentions, she was up on her tiptoes, grabbing the back of his head, and pulling his lips to hers in a ferocious kiss.

Ethan lifted her up by her ass, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. A growl came from behind, and Amy broke the kiss and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“I think your brothers want something,” she said quietly.

“Damn straight we want something. We want you to tell us that you can have a wedding ready in two weeks and that you’ll spend the rest of your life letting us love you and our children.”

Stepping forward, Adam leaned in and growled in her ear, “And there will be lots of children, baby, maybe a dozen or so.”

“A dozen…?” she cried out and placed her feet back on the floor. “Are you out of your mind, Adam? I love children, but a dozen…?”

Laughing, Jordon took her hand and brought it to his lips. “At least you didn’t say you wouldn’t marry us.”

“I can’t marry all three of you, unless you want to have our honeymoon in jail.” She smiled coyly.

“No, baby, you’ll marry Ethan on paper, and then in a separate bonding ceremony, you marry Adam and I. But we’ll all be your husbands for the rest of your days.”

Sighing, Amy walked away from them and headed for the big window at the front of the room.

“Two weeks, huh, I think that’s doable. There’s only one thing I need to do before, though.”

* * * *

Ryder, Sam, and Dan Kinsey were all sitting in the office at the club waiting for Amy and their cousins to show up. They received a call from Amy asking them to meet them there. She had something she needed to talk to them about, and it couldn’t wait.

“I wonder what the little bit’s got up her sleeve?” Sam said with a smile. He remembered the shy, reserved, young woman who they had hired as their receptionist a couple of years ago. She’d blossomed into an independent, young woman who could handle anything that life threw her way.

A knock on the door brought Sam out of his musings. Amy stuck her head in, a big smile on her face. She was accompanied by her men Adam, Ethan, and Jordon. “Can we come in, or is this a private party?”

“Get your butt in here, sweetheart, and give us all a hug before our wife shows up. She’s the jealous type, you know.” Ryder pulled her into a big bear hug before releasing her to be hugged by his two brothers.

“So what was so important that you just had to talk to us today about?” Dan leaned against the side of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, looking all gruff and grumbley.

“You can stop the whole alpha male thing with me, Daniel Kinsey.” She scowled at him.

Uncrossing his arms, he smiled at the sweet woman across the room.

“Okay, little bit, what’s up?”

“I have something to tell you, and then I have something to ask you, and I’ll understand if the answer is no, but I wanted to ask the three of you because you are like brothers to me…”

Ryder pulled her to stand in front of him. “Slow down and tell us, Amy. You know you can tell us anything.”

“I’m getting married,” she said, but before anyone could get excited, there was a really loud squeal from the doorway as Tia Kinsey walked in.

“It’s about time they asked you.” She smiled, hugging her friend.

Ryder, Sam, and Dan pulled their cousins in for a congratulatory man hug, and hand-shaking started all around.

“That is great news, little bit,” Dan said, leaning over to give her a quick hug as well.

“That’s just the news, it’s not what she really wanted to talk to the three of you about.” Ethan looked so serious, Sam, his brothers, and their wife all gathered around Amy, questions flying right, left, and center.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Everything is fine with me. It’s just that since I have no family to speak of, I was wondering if the three of you would walk me down the aisle at my weddings.”

Ryder, Sam, and Dan stopped dead in their tracks and just stared at her.

“If you can’t do it, I’ll understand,” she said quietly.

Sam was the first to pull himself together enough to even speak, “Amy, sweetheart, speaking for my brothers and myself, we would be so proud to walk you down the aisle, little bit.”

Dan pulled her into a bear hug and kissed the top of her head. “You make us so proud to be your friends, Amy. I can’t wait to give you away at your wedding.”

* * * *

Tia had felt the quick intake of breath from Ryder when Amy had asked them to walk her down the aisle. She knew that Amy held a very special place in all her men’s hearts, but with Ryder, it was different. He was the one she first turned to when Jasper hurt her that last time. He was the one that always felt most responsible for her. She had been like this little baby bird that he’d found and was trying to raise up big and strong so that it could fly. Well, Amy was flying now, and her big, tough Ryder had just had his knees knocked out from under him by his little bird.

“Little bit, come here for a minute,” Ryder finally said.

Amy walked to stand in front of him, looking up into his dark eyes with such trust.

Tia watched as one of the strongest and kindest men she had ever met spoke to their friend.

“Amy, since the first day you started working here you have been like a baby sister to us. We all took it upon ourselves to look out for you. When we found out what Jasper had done to you, we felt like we’d failed you somehow. I know, I know, there wasn’t anything that we could have done because we didn’t know about it. But that didn’t ease our pain for you. You are one of the strongest women I have ever met, right up there with my wife and my big sister, but you’re also a woman deserving of love, and that’s something I am so glad that you finally see. My cousins, though they may be a pain in the ass at times”—chuckles could be heard around the room—“love you with everything that they are. They are good men who will treat you well, and I can see you blossoming even more than you already have. For you to ask us to walk you down the aisle is such an honor for us, and we would be proud to do it.”

Standing on her tiptoes, Amy kissed Ryder’s cheek and whispered in his ear, “I love you, big brother,” and then stepped back and was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

Smiling at her friend, Tia gave her another hug and then started going on about wedding plans.

Adam, Ethan, and Jordon grabbed Amy by the hand and started for the door, essentially stopping any conversation between Tia and their woman.

“Hey, where are you taking her? We have plans to make.” Tia smiled, well aware that once the news of their wedding got out, Amy would have more than enough help to have the wedding ready in the two week time frame.

“We’re taking our woman home so that we can show her how much we love her,” Adam said and laughed when Ethan bent down and lifted Amy over his shoulder and carried her out of the club.

“Neanderthals…! All you Kinsey men are Neanderthals!” Tia yelled as they placed Amy gently in the truck for the short ride home.

* * * *

Two weeks later

Amy stood with Ryder, Dan, and Sam just outside the entrance to the chapel. She was so excited that she hadn’t been able to sleep the night before. Tia had insisted that she stay at their house for the last two days before the wedding. This made for a very cranky Amy because she missed her men so much. But after today, she would never be without at least one of them for the rest of her life.

She couldn’t believe how lucky she was. And as the music started, Ryder leaned down and asked, “Are you ready, little sister?”