“So you’re all dating around? Like a soap opera love triangle? Calvin Whaley, that never works. It’s always an episode of Snapped when that story comes to play.”
He couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing. “No. No, I promise. I mean, we’re all together. As like a set. A unit? A triad? I don’t know the right word for it. I’m in love with them both.”
She stared at him for several long moments before she expelled a huff of breath. “Ryan, bring me my emergency cigarette. Cal, shut the door so your dad won’t smell the smoke. Boy oh boy, just once I’d like for you damned kids to do something minor.”
Ryan got up and brought out the stool to grab her emergency kit. Some booze, chocolate, a hundred bucks in cash and a pack of cigarettes Cal had seen precisely three times in his life. None of them were his high points.
She lit up and sucked in a lungful of smoke. He cringed. She then took a shot of whiskey and sat back in her chair and examined him carefully.
“Let me get this straight. The three of you are in a relationship together. You’re all, um, romantically involved.”
“Yes.”
“How’s that workin’ out for you?” She kept smoking.
“Actually, it’s, um, really good. I’ve known them both most of my life. Jules is everything I could ever want. Gideon . . . well, he was unexpected, but that works too.”
“Christamighty. How on Earth am I supposed to explain this? And they treat you well? You’re happy?”
“I am. Gideon has a successful business. Jules has a successful business. They’re adults who have real lives. No one is depending on the other, but if I needed either of them, they’d drop everything to help. It’s not usual. Maybe not even normal. But I’m so happy. I’ve never been so at ease and comfortable in my own skin.”
“One of you had better give me some grandbabies. I swear.”
Steps sounded on the stairs up from the den.
“Leave your father to me. Ryan, put this all away before he gets here.” She waved a hand around, opening and closing the back door to get the air moving. “And Calvin? I expect them both at dinner tomorrow night.”
And that was that.
19
Gideon saw Cal long before Cal had noticed his approach. He liked that his granddad and his man had taken to each other so well. Right then the two of them sat up on the porch, laughing and talking.
Jules had been right when she’d said that Cal was the kind of person people looked at. He was, indeed, beautiful.
Cal turned his head and caught sight of Gideon as he walked up the short path and a smile appeared, just for Gideon. “Hey, you.”
Gideon lifted a hand in greeting. “Nice surprise. What brings you my way today?” He tapped his boots against the bottom step to get rid of the dirt.
“I had some business with Patrick here and figured I’d do a house call. That way I could see you too.”
It was nice being able to be open about their relationship around his granddad. With the trouble Jules had had with her family, Patrick’s loving, straightforward acceptance of his grandson’s life was a relief.
Once Gideon reached the porch he dropped onto the small love seat where Cal sat and leaned over for a kiss before turning to his granddad again. “We had to order a new part for the hose connector. The old one is cracked beyond anything I can fix. It’ll be three days.”
The system to get water to the crops was imperative, but fortunately, they’d had a good, soaking rain the day before so if the part came in when it was supposed to, they’d be able to have everything up and running again before there was cause for alarm.
His granddad nodded and pushed a cup of coffee his way. “I suppose I should tell you Jules sent over some turnovers. I left you one. Cal made me.”
Gideon burst out laughing. “Thanks for getting my back.”
Patrick shrugged. “She’ll bring me more. She loves me that way.”
Jules had taken to afternoon rides with Patrick several times a week. She’d close up Tart and show up at the farm. At first Patrick pleaded that he was too tired after being up all day, but he’d yet met anyone with a heart who could resist her charm. She simply kept showing up and finally Patrick accepted it and now he was ready when she arrived.
Sometimes Gideon went along, others it was just the two of them. It got Patrick out and about. It was good for him to be active; especially because of the turnovers he loved so much. And he liked that both Cal and Jules were so good to his granddad.
“Smart move having a baker and a lawyer in the family, Gideon.”
“I think so too.”
“You’re invited to dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow night, by the way.” Cal paused. “Invited is a pale word, really. You’re expected. As in my mother will hunt you down if you don’t come. Take it from me, she’s really fast for someone so small.”
Pleased that Cal had not only told his family but that they’d apparently reacted well, Gideon sipped his coffee. “Can’t have that. Your mother is scary.”
“She took the news that I was dating you both pretty well, all things considered.”
“Leastwise she didn’t kick you out of the house and call you names.” That still burned in Gideon’s gut. To see Jules so devastated by her brother’s behavior tore him up. He wished it was something he could fix but knew he couldn’t.
“Some people don’t have the sense God gave a goose, boy. That whole damned family is a mess of selfish shitheads.” Patrick sat back, ready to go off on a rant if he had to.
When Gideon had told him about what Jules’s brother had done, his granddad had nearly lost a gasket. He’d paced back and forth in the living room, going on about self-righteous assholes and people who should know better. He’d been ready to get in the car and drive down to Ethan’s house to punch him in the nose. Gideon had told him to get in line.
Cal nodded, a sour look on his face. “Truth, Patrick. But Jules has a family here. We just have to keep on loving her and supporting her. The people she was born to don’t matter a damned bit if they don’t love her like they should. I feel for those little boys because their dad is tearing her away from them when she adores them both so much. They’ll lose out, not knowing her. But the rest of them, well, they can keep the hell away from our Jules. She’s better off without them.”
Patrick gave Cal an approving head nod, as if he’d passed a test.
“I need to get back to the office. I just wanted to stop in and deliver the turnovers and hang out a bit.” Cal brushed the crumbs from his pants. “Patrick, I’ll get the papers back to you once I file them so you have a copy. They’ll also be at the office, of course.”
“Thanks, Calvin. Appreciate it.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Gideon stood up and walked with Cal down the steps and toward his car. “Are we doing anything tonight?”
“I stopped by Tart earlier, she’s all right. But it’s some sort of preschool event this week. One she’d planned on attending. And now she can’t. It’s going to be a while, I know, before she can truly let go of what’s happened with her family. It’s one hit after the next with them. But I think we should just keep doing our normal stuff. She’ll be pissy if we push too hard. And while that’s often the stuff for spectacular make-up sex, I’d prefer not to poke at her about it for a while.”
“She is pretty astonishing when she’s mad.” Gideon grinned.
“It’s the way she’s all girl-next-door sweet one moment and then bam, her eyes narrow and her mouth flattens out and she’s a fury. I used to poke at her, back when I was dumb and with other people. I’d poke at her just to see her get mad and then work to get her to forgive me.”
Gideon found this confession hilarious and yet sweet. He touched Cal’s cheek. “You knew what you needed all along. It just took you a while to grab it.”
“My mother claims I’m too stubborn. She’s probably right. I had no idea about you though.” Cal turned enough to kiss Gideon’s hand. “Without you, well, she’d
be with you and I’d hate it.”
“But now you can have us both. And we have you. It’s really a good deal when you think about it.”
Cal brushed his lips over Gideon’s. A hint at all that heat beneath the designer suit. “I do think about it. A lot. How about we make her dinner for a change? You two show up at my place at say, six? I’ll grill some steaks. And yes, I won’t be late.”
“See you later then.”
“Love you, Gideon.”
Love filled him. “I love you too, Cal.”
• • •
Patrick looked him over when he came back to the porch after Cal had driven away. “I wanted to wait until after Cal left, but you have a message inside. From Alana.”
“My ex-wife? What the hell does she want?”
“Don’t know. She was impatient as always. Just left her number and then made sure I knew how voice mail was really quite easy to use.”
Gideon sighed and went inside. Whatever Alana wanted, it would be a pain in his ass, he was sure.
He called her back on the house phone. She didn’t have his cell number and he liked it that way.
“It’s Gideon, what’s up?” he said when she answered.
“I’m doing well, thank you. And you?”
“I’m annoyed you’re not getting to the point.”
“You used to want to hear about my day.”
“What do you need?”
“I’m going to be in Seattle next week and I thought we could have dinner like civilized divorced people.”
For a long time he’d tried to remain on friendly terms with her. He’d let go of the cheating stuff. Had tried to live in the same place and run the ranch, but she had played games with him. He didn’t hate her, but he was glad not to have her in his life and he sure as hell wasn’t going to waste his precious free time having dinner with her.
“I hope you have a good trip. But dinner isn’t going to happen.”
“Why not? It’s been years since we’ve seen each other. We’ve both grown up a lot, I’m sure. Maybe we could, you know, get together after that too. Just for the night; I’m not leading you on or anything.”
“Sorry to hear you’re lonely, Alana. I’m not. I wish you nothing but the best, honestly. But I’m not interested.” He hung up and left the room.
For a long time he’d felt like a failure for the breakup of his marriage. He wondered if he’d tried hard enough, if he’d worked too hard at the ranch and ignored her into all her bad behavior.
Even as he’d traveled and enjoyed having sex with other people, he’d wondered. He hadn’t connected with anyone else really, not emotionally, not apart from business.
But then he’d come back and Jules had shown up at the farm. The way they worked together had underlined that it didn’t matter at that point whether he had or hadn’t tried hard enough. It mattered that he had something real and lasting with someone he deserved to be with.
What he had with Jules and Cal was so totally different from what he’d had when he was married that he’d realized the most important lesson. He was capable of a real, lasting love with someone without hurting all the time. When he was with Jules they clicked. She didn’t need his attention every moment. She didn’t need to be taken care of. So much that it annoyed him sometimes when he wanted to fix her and she insisted on doing it herself.
When he spoke, she listened. When he needed her, she was there. Cal was the same.
It wasn’t important, whatever he’d done, or not done. What was important was that he’d found people who completed his life without trying to take it over. And the love he had now was so much stronger and better; he could tell the difference from day one.
“What’s she want?” Patrick came inside to put the coffee mugs in the sink.
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve got what I need and she’s got nothing to do with my life anymore.”
“That’s the truth. Glad you see it.”
• • •
Jules had eaten dinner at the Whaleys’ kitchen table countless times. Jeanne had been a lot more like a mother to her since the divorce than her own mother had been on several occasions. She adored the woman and her quirky and sweet husband.
And yet this time was different. She wasn’t there as Mary’s friend, she was there as Cal’s girlfriend. Sitting next to Cal’s boyfriend. The whole thing was surreal.
Jules sucked it up and knocked and then a thought occurred to her. She’d planned to bring something sweet, but occasionally Jeanne liked to bake so she didn’t want to step on toes. And then she got a little panicked, thinking maybe they expected her to bring something. After all, she usually did. But before she could run back to Tart, Jeanne answered with a big smile and a genuine, warm hug once she’d finished pulling Jules inside.
“Juliet! You look so pretty.” Jeanne stood back after the hug to look her up and down.
“Thank you. Gillian actually made this dress for me a few years ago.”
“That woman, I tell you. She’s good at everything. Well, come on in. Calvin isn’t here yet. He was nearly a month past my due date too. I hope you won’t hold all that tardiness against him. That and his messiness. You’d never know to look at him that he can’t hang a shirt up to save his life.”
She relaxed a little. “He’s picking Gideon up. Gideon’s truck is in the shop.”
Mary came into the room and hugged Jules. “Hey you. You need a drink.”
“Do I look that nervous?”
Mary laughed. “You look like you’re about to run out the door.”
“Nervous? What on earth for?” Cal’s mother said it like she truly had no idea why.
“Well, not everyone’s family responds so positively to the news Cal gave you. I . . . I don’t want you to think poorly of me.”
Jeanne snorted and waved a hand. “Poorly? Whatever for? Honey, you’re like one of my own kids. We already love you. I’m Cal’s mom, it’s my job to kick his butt when he’s being dumb, but also to support him when he’s being smart. Picking you at long last is smart. As for the other stuff, don’t hurt my boy and we’re fine.” She linked her arm through Jules’s and strolled her through to the kitchen. “Now, Mary, get Jules here a beer. I’m having one too, you know, just to be a good hostess.”
Mary handed them both a beer. “She is selfless that way.” She winked at her mother and Jules felt a lot better just for the banter. Jeanne Whaley was an imposing woman who loved her family fiercely. If she’d been opposed to the relationship Jules had with Gideon and Cal, she’d have said so. Cal reminded her of this only that morning. She certainly wouldn’t be having dinner at the Whaley house otherwise.
“So I take it from your comment about family responses that yours is having some trouble?”
She gave Jeanne and Mary an edited version of what had happened with her brother. “I haven’t told my parents yet. My mom is in Italy for a month and my dad has two young kids; it’s not like I have to tell them right now anyway.” Though it had entered her mind that perhaps Ethan might tell them himself, but that wasn’t something she could worry about right then. There was only so much she could deal with at once. Two bossy men and a business to run meant drama fell to the bottom of the list.
Jeanne sighed, tipping the beer back to take a drink. “Worthless as a tit on a boar, the both of them.”
“Mom!” Mary put her hand over her mother’s mouth.
Jeanne took the hand away. “Someone’s got to say it. Anyway, Jules, dollbaby, you’re always welcome in this house. I think you have very good taste, as it happens, to have been in love with my son for so long, even before he figured out how much he loved you too.”
Jules grinned. “It’s actually pretty easy to love Cal.”
“That’s what a man likes to enter a room and hear.” Cal swooped into the room and kissed Jules soundly.
Gideon came in, a little more hesitantly. “Hello, Mrs. Whaley.”
Jeanne got up and pulled Gideon into a hug. “I’ve told you a mi
llion times you can call me Jeanne. Now, we were just having a beer. You two want one?”
“I’ll get them. Sit down, Gideon. Where’s Dad?” Cal looked around as he got the bottles and popped the tops.
“He ran to the market to get some wine. He’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Jules knew he’d come to Cal’s workplace and had talked with him a long time about Gideon and Jules and their relationship. Cal just told her they’d worked through a lot and that his father supported him. Which was the important part.
“He’s been marinating the chicken and prawns all day. Made potato salad, pasta salad and roasted some vegetables too. He only does that for family. So you’re all right.” Mary patted Jules’s arm.
Cal’s dad was a big griller. He didn’t care much about the kitchen, but the barbecue was his domain. All spring and into the fall he’d grilled every single weekend when they were kids.
Gideon sat next to her and she put her head on his shoulder a moment, both of them nervous, she knew.
“I like that dress.” He nodded at her.
“Thank you. It was a gift from Gillian, the sewing queen. How’s the truck?”
“Fuel pump is out and they don’t have the part.”
“You can borrow my car if you need to.”
He smiled at her and Cal came to sit on her other side. “That’s a mighty fine offer, ma’am, thank you. I should be all right. Granddad has a car if I need to run errands and it can’t wait.”
“So how is this going to work? Where is it you’re all going to live? I imagine you won’t all three keep your own places.”
“Here’s my mom! She’s very shy.” Ryan came in with his dad and paused to give Jeanne a kiss. “Hey, Jules, Gideon.”
Jules laughed.
Mike Whaley came through the door, his arms full. Jeanne gave him the eye. “What on earth did you buy? I thought you were only getting wine.”
“We needed ice cream.” He put things away and Jules saw some chips and crackers too.
“He’s supposed to be cutting out junk. But every time I turn my back he’s shoving Doritos into a hidey-hole he thinks I don’t know about.”