Natalie Acres (30 page)

Mitch shook his head. “Take it from someone who knows. The justice system is in place to take care of criminals like Cash. If his blood had been on your hands, Brock, you wouldn’t have been able to live with yourself.”

“You’ve gotten by all right.”

“Sure, spending a few years in prison is just what I wanted to do with my life.”

Brock rubbed his jaw. “I’m not sorry I retaliated and I’ll tell a judge that much.”

“Men,” Ansley began, shooting Trixie a quick glance. “Right now, we need to focus on Trixie. Let’s all try to create a calm, restful atmosphere for my sister.”

“What the fuck do you mean he’s gonna walk?” Kane bellowed from the hallway. “The hell he will. I’ll pull strings that connect places you can’t even begin to imagine. Do you hear me? You beat this, damn it. You find a way and you make sure he cannot post bail or else it will be your ass!”

“Like I said,” Ansley began again, smoothing her palms over the bedspread. “Let’s all create a calm, restful place for Trixie.”

About that time, one of Trixie’s doctors entered the room. “I need to have a few words with the patient and her husband.”

“Husbands,” Brock corrected him.

“All right,” the doctor said, massaging his nape. “And who are the uh…lucky gentlemen?”

Trixie and Brock locked in a knowing gaze. He turned to Mitch, who immediately rose from the bed and started for the door.

“The man trying to leave the room is one of them. I’m Brock Sheldon,” he said, thrusting his hand forward. “This is Rory Matthews and Mitch Colony.”

“I see,” the doctor said. “And which one of you would be the responsible one?”

“You can bill me or Rory,” Brock assured him. “We’ll stop by billing and take care of everything.”

“You don’t understand,” the doctor said. “I’m not at all worried about your wife’s bill. I’m worried about her health. Who is
responsible
for her current condition?”

Mitch bowed his head. Rory shifted. Brock took a weighted breath.

“It’s a long story, Doc, but in the end, we’re all responsible for her current predicament.”

“That’s impossible. I’m referring to the pregnancy. Are you the father?”

“What? No.” Brock glanced at Rory.

“Don’t look at me,” Rory said, swinging his gaze to Mitch.

“If the good doctor is suggesting a pregnancy, the child probably isn’t mine,” Mitch said.

Ansley cleared her throat and headed for the door. “So much for relaxing and calm.”

“Ma’am, do you know who the father is?” the doctor asked.

Trixie moaned. She flung her arm over her head. “This can’t be. I have two children already.”

“Then I’m assuming you know what causes them,” the doctor said. “And yes, you are pregnant. You’re about fifteen weeks. We’ll do an ultrasound to make sure everything is okay, but it looks as if you’ll add to your uh—growing family—soon.”

“Brock!” she squawked, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Don’t blame me,” Brock said, looking at Rory. “I’m sure it could be his.”

“I’m sure it can’t be,” Rory said, waggling his brows. “Until this past week, I suited up when I went to play.”

“Don’t do that,” Trixie said. “We’re all in this together. We agreed.”

Rory grinned. “Yes we did. And I’m thrilled. I can’t wait to become a father again.”

“Same here,” Brock said, pressing his lips to her hand.

Trixie studied the doctor. “You’re sure everything is okay with the baby?”

“We won’t know until we run more tests but I’m confident you and the baby are fine.”

Trixie turned her focus to Brock and a disconcerting look marked her expression.

“Honey, what is it?”

Trixie quickly shook her head. “I’m just shocked. Another baby? Another one?”

“You’ll be a great mother all over again,” Brock assured her, placing her hand on his cheek.

“Yes I will,” she said. “And I’m sure I’ll be excited once the idea sinks in. You know?”

Brock didn’t buy it for a minute. Something was definitely off with her. Trixie loved her children. They had discussed having a houseful. What wasn’t she telling him? Had Cash struck her in the stomach? Had he abused her far worse than she had been willing to admit?

Trixie placed a protective arm over her middle. “I’m already beginning to like the idea.”

Mitch shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Well, there you have it. Congratulations, Brock, Trixie, Rory.”

The doctor frowned as his gaze darted between Brock and Mitch. “I thought you were one of the quote-unquote ‘husbands.’”

Mitch grinned. “Well that’s something our little lady would have to answer.”

Trixie reached for his hand. “I guess that’s something we’ll both need to answer one of these days.”

“Right now you need your sleep,” Mitch said, patting her leg. “I love you, baby. I’ll be back soon.”

The pregnancy news must’ve been too much for Mitch to handle. Rory and Brock met him in the lobby an hour or so later and if his body language told accurate tales, the man appeared broken.

“You could’ve stayed,” Brock said, paying close attention to his demeanor.

“It wasn’t my place,” Mitch said. “Something like that is pretty personal and Trixie needed the two of you.”

“I see,” Brock said, taking a seat across from Mitch.

The lobby was lined with rows of thick royal-blue padded seats. They were all bolted together with little space between each and the color scheme was bright enough to warrant wearing a pair of sunglasses.

“You’re ready to run,” Rory told him, standing between them. “I can see it all over you, Mitch.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Mitch assured them, though he didn’t sound convincing.

“Trixie is in love with you,” Rory told him. “If that doesn’t mean anything to you, then you walk away now. Don’t lead her on and then break her heart again.”

“I won’t,” Mitch said, studying Brock then. “But I’ll tell you both right now. I am not moving to Fletcher.”

Rory crossed his arms over his chest. “So you’ve said.”

“Tell me something, Mitch,” Brock began cautiously. “Is this really about the money? Trixie had a point. You could probably sell the camp and live comfortably off the real estate earnings.”

“In this market?” Mitch shook his head. “Hell no. I’d take a financial beating.”

Rory sat beside Mitch. “It’s because the camp has been in your family for years.”

“Yes, that’s part of it.”

“I can understand that.”

“You’re not telling us everything,” Brock said.

Mitch frowned. “I’ve lost several years of my life sitting behind bars. Those years weren’t completely wasted because I had plenty of time to think and plan. I knew what I wanted to do with the camp and had all the ideas embedded in my head by the time I left.

“What I’m trying to say is—I love Trixie and the two of you know how much she means to me, but—”

“You’re not giving up your dream for her,” Rory said.

“I’m not giving up the camp for her,” Mitch said.

“Even if the idea of the sex retreat makes her uncomfortable?” Brock asked.

“Especially then.” Mitch chuckled. “Our little woman has double standards. She can take three men to bed but God help us if we ever took a second look at a woman. She can walk down the street—unless she’s drastically changed while I’ve been away—see a good-looking man, and tease about adding one more to the bunch. Her sisters own the hottest BDSM club in the South, if not the US, and she frequents their place—”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Brock said, putting his hand up. “Rory and I draw the line there.”

Mitch swung his gaze to Rory. “And the two of you believe she doesn’t go there?”

“She doesn’t,” Rory assured him. “She’s only permitted at the club after hours.”

“Well maybe you have a better handle on her than I thought,” Mitch said.

Rory and Brock shook their heads and laughed.

“Or not,” Mitch mumbled.

“Whether we do or not, you have to remember. Our lives work for us. We wouldn’t change a thing,” Rory said.

“Nothing at all?”

“The only thing I wanted to change was returning to the lifestyle and Trixie was receptive.”

“Eager, Brock,” Mitch said. “She was receptive.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. The vixen practically slapped the handcuffs over her own wrists.”

Rory released a pleased sigh and slumped to the chair next to Mitch.

“And look at you,” Mitch said. “Who would’ve thought?”

“I’m not hard-core but I’ll be everything Trixie needs and if she wants to explore the lifestyle, I’ll be there by her side.”

“Spoken like a pussy-whipped lover.”

“I’m Trixie-whipped,” Rory said. “I have been since she bounced into our lives and left all three of us with drool on our chins and stars in our eyes.”

“Speak for yourself,” Mitch said. “I wasn’t drooling. I was scheming.”

“Scheming?” Rory asked.

“You’d better believe it. Soon after our introduction, I stocked up on lubes and condoms.”

“Nice,” Rory said.

“And a complete waste of money,” Mitch reminded him. “Trixie was only in my bed a few times before Pratchert screwed up our summer and our lives.”

“That’s just it,” Brock said. “Pratchert didn’t screw up our lives, Mitch, and you need to know that. While you were in prison, we weren’t out here on the outside counting down the days until you were released. In fact, there were days when you didn’t cross our minds at all.”

“Thanks,” Mitch grumbled. “Rory already filled me in on a few details.”

“You should know the truth,” Brock said. “And that’s something you need to fully understand if you choose Cow Camp over moving to Fletcher with us.

“We’re a family. If we decide to leave for the weekend and take the kids to the beach on short notice, we go. We don’t plan ahead for an outing with Trixie. If we want to take her away for a romantic getaway, we drop the children off at her parents’ place and we’re on the road within a few hours.

“We aren’t changing our lives for you. If you find a way to make it work by living in Abingdon and commuting back and forth, that’s fine. We welcome you into our family because it’s clear Trixie wants you there, but, Mitch, you need to understand something, too. If you choose to stay in Abingdon and live separately from the rest of us—you’ll always feel like an outsider looking in.”

“I already do,” he admitted.

“It’s all about choices,” Rory reminded him. “Your choices placed you on the outside. When you decided to take responsibility for Jordie Anne, you put distance between yourself and us. That was your choice. I’m afraid now you’re using this business idea of yours to place even more distance between yourself and Trixie.

“At some point, you may put up too many barriers and she won’t try to take them down. You need to prepare yourself for that possibility.”

“So what are you saying, Rory?” Mitch turned on him. “I’m supposed to give up my family’s business, the only home I’ve ever known and move to Cartwell country? No thank you! I won’t be Kane Cartwell’s puppet.”

“Kane’s puppet?” Brock asked, leaning forward. “You think that’s what we are?”

“I don’t know what you are,” Mitch snapped.

“We’re men,” Brock assured him. “We have our own careers, our own lives, and we don’t live off family money or Trixie’s family. We make our own way.”

“And that’s what I’m doing,” Mitch said, steadfast in his decision. “I’ve come up with a brilliant business plan and I’m following through with it. If I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself for abandoning the plans I have for the camp.”

“That’s probably true,” Brock said, trying to understand. “But Trixie needs to come to terms with your reasons. She needs to accept the fact that you won’t be living with us. And I think it’s important for you to reassure her of your love and devotion.”

“He can’t be devoted to her living several hundred miles away,” Rory said.

“That’s bullshit,” Mitch said. “I could live on another continent and my heart would still belong to Trixie.”

“Then tell her,” Brock said. “And make sure she doesn’t view the sex retreat as an obstacle. It’s a business. More than anything else, Trixie needs to know she can trust you. Trust means everything to her and after everything she’s been through, Trixie doesn’t give trust away as freely as she gives her love. You have to earn it.”

The next day, Rory and Brock drove out to Cow Camp to gather their belongings. Trixie had spent the morning listening to her sisters as they’d rambled about their love lives. By the time Mitch arrived at the hospital, she was prepared to say good-bye even though she didn’t like the idea of leaving without him.

Mitch dragged a chair with him as he approached the bed. “I feel like I ran your sisters out of here.”

“They were ready to get back home.”