She smiled at him when he made eye contact. “My past is my past. I don’t dwell on it. All I care about is now.”
“The past came knocking at our door. No one’s allowed to screw with your life,” Gabe said. “I won’t allow it.”
She wriggled awkwardly against him. “He’s just a control freak. I haven’t seen him in years. I’m sure he wished my mother never had a daughter when they were married. When he started crossing the line, even my mother wouldn’t believe me. In fact, I think she hated me even more.”
“What line?”
Annalise shrugged. “Weird touching, inappropriate comments, and just a sixth sense that he wanted more than a stepfather should.”
“I knew it,” Archie said.
“The moment he opened his big mouth, I knew he was bad news,” Gabe said. “Nothing to worry about, darling. You have us now.”
She smiled, and it melted his heart.
“I like the sound of that. I’ve never really had my own family. I’ve always been an inconvenience.”
“That nonsense is over. You’re the only woman in our lives, and you belong here on the ranch with us.”
Vinny sat on the edge of the bed. “None of us have ever really had a family. We’ve only had each other. Now we have you. Everything feels right for once in my life.”
“I thought for sure Gabe would ruin everything for us,” Archie said.
He turned and scowled at his friend. “There’s nothing wrong with being slow to trust. It only proves Annalise is exactly where she’s meant to be.”
Gabe kissed her atop the head.
Today was a good day.
“I can’t believe this is real,” she said. “I mean, I thought about it, but it didn’t seem possible.”
“The four-way?” Vinny asked.
“Yes, that.”
“We’re not normal men,” Gabe said. “We’re used to taking care of each other. It’s only natural we share everything.”
“What about jealousy? What will people think? I feel like this is all bound for failure.” Annalise sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover her nudity.
“Don’t worry the outside world. It never did us any favors,” Archie said. “As for us, why would we be jealous if we all get to keep you? Now women can’t ever break us apart because there’s just one to share.”
“It’s just that most men tend to be possessive of their woman.”
“You haven’t seen nothing yet,” Gabe said. He grabbed the back of her neck in a secure grip and held her close. “You belong to us now. Only us.” Then he kissed her to seal the promise.
All her worries and concerns were sobering, but she didn’t know Archie and Vinny like he did. They were one well-oiled machine, and now that he really thought about it, this arrangement couldn’t have worked out better.
****
Annalise walked down the aisle at the grocery store, checking the ingredients off her list. Even though she was officially dating all three cowboys she worked for, she still enjoyed cooking for them. It was more than a job now. It was her new lifestyle and a dream come true.
All the men had kept their distance the past few days since Gabe took her virginity. It had been fast and sudden, and she should have told them the truth about her lack of experience, but it had still been one of the most memorable days of her life. They’d been all over her, touching, tasting, and kissing. It felt like an erotic wave washing over her and she was helpless against them. They knew exactly what they were doing, and that experience and control was an additional turn-on.
They never asked about her stepfather again. She couldn’t believe he was still trying to control her life all these years later. He was a freak, and she wanted nothing to do with him or her mother. That chapter of her life needed to close. She wasn’t asking him for money or help, so why couldn’t he just leave her alone and focus on his precious wife and daughters?
Vinny had dropped her off at the grocery store before going on a feed run. He’d probably be back soon to pick her up, so she picked up the pace. Tonight, she was going to make her famous chicken pot pie from scratch. The guys loved it, and making them happy was her new motivation in life.
After paying for her food, she pushed her cart outside to the parking lot and waited at the front of the store. It wasn’t as hot today, but it was still early, so it was deceptively pleasant. She twirled her hair to one side, watching the clouds drift across the crisp blue sky. Vinny promised to take her to the coffee shop before heading home, and she looked forward to it. She was very easy to please, but Gabe, Archie, and Vinny always seemed to go above and beyond to make her happy.