Starting Over Read online

  She smiled. “You’re going to laugh, but I think the last time I was on a farm or saw any animals like that it was at a petting zoo at an Oktoberfest.”

  “Get out.”

  “No, I swear,” she said smiling as she shook her head.

  “These seats taken?” Coda looked up to see a couple of cowboys from Central Valley, and they moved right next to Adalee.

  “Good evening, darling, what are you doing in here all by yourself?” one asked, and he gazed at her breasts as the other one took the seat on her other side and turned toward her and the third was right behind her.

  “Having a beer with my friend Coda,” she said and held Coda’s gaze. He gave her a wink.

  “What do you guys need?”

  “Three Buds,” the guy on her left said and put down the money, but the guy on her right stroked her arm. She glanced at him as Coda poured the beers. He wanted to say something, but he could tell that Adalee had it covered.

  “Did I say you could touch me?” she asked the guy, and he squinted at her.

  “No need to be on the defensive. We’re good guys, could keep you company, maybe have a good time tonight,” he said and licked his lips and stared at her breasts again.

  She took a deep breath and leaned back as she looked him over. “Doubt that very much. Now if you don’t mind, maybe you could move down to the empty seats over there so my friend Coda and I can keep talking,” she said and gave the guy a wink.

  The guy looked at Coda. “You heard the lady,” he said fiercely. The guy gave his buddies a nod, and they headed down to the other end of the bar and another bartender there.

  “So, more about this ranch and cows,” she said to him, and he gave her a smile.

  “I can do one better. Come see it tomorrow. I’m around all day, the guys, too.”

  She made a face like she was unsure. Then she turned to look toward the table where Layla, John, Keith, and some of their friends were all talking. She slid off the barstool. “I think I’m going to go mingle.”

  “Hey, don’t take off. What did I say?” he asked, and he couldn’t believe how disappointed he felt. He thought he was making progress. Felt like the attraction was there and it would be smart to spend some time with her.

  “Nothing, Coda. Thanks for the beer,” she said and walked toward her mom as guys checked her out, including the three from earlier. Then she stopped short as his brother Jeb arrived with a few of his friends. Their gazes locked, and Jeb excused himself and walked right to Adalee and lowered down to kiss her cheek hello. They exchanged a few words, and then he accompanied her toward Layla and the guys, a possessive hold around her waist. Coda pulled out his cell phone and texted his brothers. They hardly ever came out to bars, but he had a feeling tonight they would.

  Adalee laughed as Keith and Jeb, along with the guys Jeb came to the bar with, gathered around the table and started telling stories. It started out when they were younger and then some police stories, as well. All the while, Jeb sat right next to her with his hand on her thigh and knee, caressing it under the table. They started breaking into small groups of conversation, and her mom was on the dance floor with Keith as John went to check on the bar.

  Jeb moved his arm over her shoulder and continued to caress her thigh. He was turned toward her, giving her complete attention and blocking out anyone else. “You having fun?” he asked her, and he smelled so good she couldn’t pull back and put some space between them.

  Did she want to? She felt confused about being attracted to four men, brothers no less, and the fact that it would be normal in a town like Cherry Hill. She looked away. “It’s a fun place,” she whispered and then felt his fingers under her chin, making her look back up toward him.

  “What’s wrong? You were laughing and talking up a storm just a few minutes ago. Does being alone with me make ya nervous, baby?” he asked, adding that “baby” at the end, which affected her way more than it should have.

  She stared up into his dark blue eyes and didn’t say a word, couldn’t say a word. He pressed his lips to hers, shocking her. It was short, and she was relieved because they were in a bar with other people around, including her mom, who pretty much knew that the Perkins brothers were interested in her. They had discussed a few things last night, and it only added to Adalee’s anxiety.

  He stroked his thumb along her bottom lip. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now, and I have to say kissing you might become an addiction.”

  He leaned back in and she pulled back. “Jeb.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “What? Are you going to deny the feelings we all have for you? That I have for you and that you have for me and my brothers, as well?”

  “No, I wouldn’t do that, and I don’t lie.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “For one, I’m not in any position to take on such a complicated type of relationship that in other places is frowned upon or thought of as a cult.”

  He chuckled. “A cult, huh? Hmm, you’d be surprised how many towns across the United States engage and accept ménage relationships. In fact, they’re encouraged because of the commitment level alone. This type of relationship has saved many different people. Like soldiers, for example, who suffer from PTSD, or separation from their troops after retirement, and other issues. That team bonding and mentality make them feel like they can let go, be vulnerable after having to be so damn strong,” he said as he continued to stroke her skin.

  “That’s understandable, and I can see how it would work, and I’m not saying I’m against it. I’m just trying to process it.”

  “Well, could you process it a little faster? Because I could sure enjoy some more making out time with you.”

  She snickered and shook her head. “That isn’t quite how taking time works.”

  He shrugged his shoulders as another friend of his came over. “Hey, Jeb, just wanted to let you know I forwarded the report to the other counties, not sure if you heard about the breakin in Coldsburg about an hour ago.”

  Jeb sat up straighter. “No, what happened?”

  “Well, the woman who owned the home was there alone. She heard noises and then the window break, and she went to look.”

  “Oh no, what went down?” Jeb pushed.

  “She had a gun, ran back when she saw a man in a mask entering the house, and she yelled and said she had a gun and would shoot him. As he headed out, she shot but missed him and hit the wall.”

  “Thank God she had the gun.”

  “Wish we caught the burglar. Could be the same guy.”

  “Definitely. I’ll check in with the sheriff over there.”

  The guy walked away, and she could tell that Jeb was affected.

  “An open case?” she asked him, and he explained.

  “Shit, and he’s sticking around the area, so he’s after something.”

  “What though?”

  “Could be old stomping grounds, a familiarity he has with the neighborhoods.”

  “I didn’t think of that. I figured he was after money, and the better hits would be middle-to upper-class homes.”

  “It could be that simple, and if he’s on the run, authorities looking for him, then he would be able to use the location around him to get what he needs like funds in order to relocate. Obviously he isn’t willing to chance taking a bus out of the area, or like I said, maybe there’s something holding him here.”

  He stared at her and nodded, but then he didn’t look away, and she didn’t know what he was thinking as he looked at her lips, her breasts, and then to her eyes again. That was when she saw Everett and Rhett enter the bar, and Everett looked very unhappy. She squinted, and Jeb turned to look.

  “Holy shit, those two never come out here,” he said.

  She realized that Coda probably told them she was here and they came out to see her and spend time with her together. Immediately, her heart began to pound inside her chest. Jeb stood up and so did she. Everett got to her first, slid his arm around her waist,
and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her hello on the mouth, surprising her, and at the same time, Rhett placed his hand on her shoulders, and as Everett released her, she turned toward Rhett, who kissed her next. She was overwhelmed to say the least and quickly slid her hands along her skirt and stepped back, only for all three men to stare at her.

  “You look gorgeous. What are you drinking? I’ll go grab us a round,” Rhett said to her, and Jeb spoke for her as she turned, held onto the chair, and looked toward the dance floor.

  She smiled as she saw Keith dip her mom, hold her close, his hand possessively on her ass. Everett pressed against Adalee’s back and placed his hands over hers on the chair. He kissed her neck, and she shivered.

  “Baby, please don’t close us out. Not tonight,” he said to her, and she could sense the strain in his voice, a sadness maybe.

  She turned to look at him, and sure enough, he looked tired. “What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head, wrapped an arm around her waist, and kissed her neck. “Let’s just say I need this, and Coda’s text brought me out of a fury I was in.” Everett kissed her ear. She locked gazes with Jeb who stood behind him. “I need to go make a call and check on this thing,” Jeb told her.

  “Okay,” she said to him and watched him go toward the hallway. Jeb was a tall man, with wide shoulders, a very dominant presence just like Everett and Rhett. Coda, on the other hand, looked unemotional and right now a bit angry as the three guys who hit on her earlier were looking over this way.

  She ignored them and covered Everett’s hand. “Want to talk about it?”

  “No,” he snapped. She turned in his arms, and he stared down at her with his hands on her hips now.

  “I want to see you, talk to you,” Jeb told her.

  “Talking is fine. Anything else and I’m liable to have a panic attack.”

  He winked and stepped back and took a seat as she did. As Rhett returned, he took the seat next to her. She felt Rhett’s hand on her back caressing her, and Everett held her hand on his lap. “Your mom is having a good time, huh?” Everett asked as he glanced at the dance floor.

  She was staring at his face, noticing the circles under his eyes and the tension in his forearms. She stroked his arm, and he looked at her, seemingly shocked by her touching his bad arm and stroking it. “You pushing yourself again and not following Donny’s orders?” she asked, and Rhett snorted.

  “She got your number, bro,” he said and took a sip from his beer.

  She had her legs crossed, and when he didn’t answer but instead looked upset, released her hand, and then squeezed her knee and held her gaze, she felt on edge. “We talked about things, you and I, our experiences that day in the park. Good days and bad days, same go for nights,” he said and didn’t look away from her.

  “I know that feeling,” she replied, holding his gaze.

  “You both had your incidents in the departments you worked for around the same time?” Rhett asked her.

  She leaned back and looked at him, but felt Everett’s hand on her knee and then he caress up the side of her thigh. Her pussy tightened, and her breasts tingled. She was getting used to being touched by them despite her uncertainty. Everett scooted his chair closer so he and Rhett were trapping her between them.

  “When Everett and I were talking about it the other day, we realized that it actually happened on the same night.”

  “Holy shit, that’s crazy,” Rhett said and rubbed her back.

  Everett squeezed her thigh, his palm now up under her skirt a little higher, and he just kept caressing her. “Don’t you want the beer Rhett got you?” she asked him, and he stared down into her eyes.

  “Got a bit of a headache.”

  “Then why did you come out? You should be resting.”

  “And miss seeing you? Spending time with you and my brothers? No way,” he said to her and licked his lower lip.

  “Everett, I thought we talked about the whole slow thing? I mentioned it to Rhett and to Jeb, as well.”

  “We can do slow,” Rhett said and slid his hand under her hair.

  She turned to look up at him. “You two touching me like this, kissing me when you want to isn’t going slow at all.”

  “Can’t help it, baby. Your lips are just too appealing,” Rhett said and then kissed her shoulder.

  The scent of his cologne, the feel of their masculine hands on her was breaking down the walls, but there was still a fear. Like she was trying to get a hold of the nightmares at night, the fear in the dark, and her uncertainty about holding a gun again and shooting. The test she needed to take was next week, and she could wait to take it, but then the sheriff would need to hold her guns at the department. She looked away and toward the dance floor.

  “Seems you have something on your mind, too,” Everett said, and she shook her head. Jeb returned.

  “How did it go?” she asked him.

  “Same MO. Looking like it was our guy,” Jeb said with his hands on his hips.

  She stood up, fixed her skirt, and then moved closer. “Maybe the public needs to be made aware of this guy? Perhaps putting out his picture, posting it up around the towns might help?” she suggested.

  “There’s some red tape to get through, but we can post to departments.”

  “Red tape why?” she asked.

  “There seems to be more going on than just this guy on a rampage for money. Let’s just say a connected murder case,” Jeb told her.

  “Shit. Well, if you need any help, another set of eyes, a detached party, just let me know,” she said to him.

  Jeb eyed her over so seriously and then reached out, gripping her hip as he drew her closer. She pressed her palms to her chest as he used one hand to caress up her back and under her hair and the other to hold her practically by her ass and lower back. “You are damn special, and I appreciate the offer. Might just take you up on that if it means more alone time. Getting to know one another I mean,” he said with a wink and then lowered his mouth to kiss her.

  She let him, caught off guard by his commanding sexy expression and quick sultry move pulling her close. When he released her lips, she tilted her chin down, took a deep breath, and exhaled, keeping some distance from his chest. “This is like getting tag teamed, and there’s no place to run,” she said, and he snickered. She tightened up when she felt the hands on each shoulder from Everett and Rhett.

  “Just wait until Coda gets a hold of you, too. They’ll be no running, baby, only going deeper,” Jeb told her, and she looked away from him and toward the bar to lock gazes with Coda, who stared right at her and licked his lip.

  She didn’t know what she was going to do or how she would handle this. All she knew was that she liked it. She liked them, but it could be because she was feeling vulnerable and still recovering from her injuries. Especially the emotional ones and losing her partner and two other cops.

  “I think I should go over there. I know that look. Adalee is overwhelmed, Keith. I told you about her not sleeping well, and waking up and just staring into the darkness outside.”

  Keith kept his arms around her waist as they danced to a slow song. “Maybe she needs to talk to someone. You know a counselor or something. From what you explained, she was out of it for weeks. She missed the actual funerals for her partner and the other two officers killed.”

  “She did, but then her friends from the force drove her to their houses so she could make her condolences and show her respect in person. She said she felt like it made things better for her instead of more guilt about not even going.”