Love Under Three Titans (5 page)

Maggie’s heart pounded in her chest. They’d very deftly put the ball where it belonged, in her court. The brothers Benedict were letting her know that whatever happened next—or didn’t happen next—was completely up to her.

“I can’t tell you that. You know I’m drawn to all three of you. I just don’t know what to do about it. I don’t know what comes next.”

“That’s easy, love.” Richard brought her hand to his lips again and kissed it. “What comes next is we help you set up your B and B. Think of us as your own personal staff. What do you need to do first?”

Maggie was reeling from the effects of Hurricane Benedict, and never mind that they didn’t usually get those kinds of storms in this part of Texas. Had she been foolish enough, that first night, to take the bet that once she was rested she wouldn’t want them? Ha. She thought that might be what they referred to on the boardwalk in Atlantic City as a sucker bet.

The brothers Benedict surrounded her and kept her so off-balance that she honestly didn’t know if she was coming or going—and certainly never had a chance to fight her attraction to them.

As if you really wanted a chance to do that
.

At the moment they were standing, all four of them, in a corner of a huge warehouse looking at bedroom furniture. They’d originally come here so she could see if there was anything that would suit the front parlor.

She wasn’t at all sure she understood how, then, they came to be looking at bedroom suites
.

“So it’s down to this cherry wood set and the oak set, right, love?”

When Maggie just stared at Richard, he continued, “Of course if you would really rather go into Houston and go shopping for a brand-new bedroom set, we can do that, too. Whatever you want, Maggie. Just name it.”

They’d each been saying a version of that—
whatever you want, Maggie
—since they’d picked her up that morning. Trouble was, Maggie didn’t know what the hell she wanted. She was beginning to suspect the brothers Benedict had decided that what she wanted was what they wanted.

Damned if they probably weren’t absolutely right.

Maggie looked around at her surroundings. If she hadn’t known better she’d have sworn that she was already in a furniture store—a big-box store that had everything anyone would need to furnish a house, right down to sets of pots and pans, linens, and dishes.

She’d awakened that morning thinking that when the brothers arrived to pick her up, they were going to carry on from the day before, measuring, making lists, and scoping out the guest rooms in the new B and B. And they did do that, sort of. But somehow, in the process of marking items off her “to do” list, she’d mentioned the idea she had for the parlor, and the next thing she’d known, they were here.

She had picked out some wonderful furniture for that room, so that the only thing she had to actually go hunting for was a chess table and matching chairs.

Now they were looking at the bedroom suites, not for the guest bedrooms, mind you, but for the
master
bedroom. Somehow, they’d decided that that beautiful, huge suite on the ground floor of the house should be the one bedroom
not
available to guests. They’d also talked her into moving out of Adam, Jake, and Ginny’s house. Today!

She’d had no idea when she arose this morning she’d be moving into the elegant Victorian on Park Lane quite so soon. But this idea, at least, really was a sound one. Her hosts had barely gotten together when she’d become their houseguest. She really wanted to give Ginny and Benny and the men who loved them the space they needed to find their rhythm as a family.

Maggie brought her attention back to the question at hand.

The cherry bedroom suite was exquisite and looked to be brand-new. She couldn’t resist running her hand over the dresser. The wood felt warm and glossy, sleek and sexy. She liked the dark rich color of it. It didn’t hurt that the headboard and footboard featured tall, elegant posts. Could it be converted to support curtains? Or maybe she could fashion a canopy to adorn the piece.

Maggie tried to fight her smile but knew she was losing the battle. She’d always wanted a four-poster, canopy bed—ever since she was a child and had seen one in a movie.

The ceiling in the master suite was certainly high enough to allow her to make that fantasy come true.

Maggie wanted the bedroom set. “I really like this. Who does it belong to? I can write a check—”

“You. If you like it, then it belongs to you.” Richard spoke as if stating an obvious truth.

“No, it doesn’t. Look, I know your grandmother insisted that any changes and renovations to the inn be underwritten by the Town Trust, but that offer certainly doesn’t extend to the bedroom I’ll be sleeping in.”

“Maggie said ‘underwritten.’” Kevin grinned at his brothers. “Rick, she speaks your language, bro.”

One look in Kevin’s eyes and Maggie knew he wasn’t making fun of her. He was, quite simply, delighted with her.

Wasn’t that something?

Trevor once more demonstrated that he seemed to be able to read her mood. His hand still stroked her back but slower now, as if trying to convey a greater sense of comfort and support.

His touch was working, too.

“Sweetheart, the contents of this warehouse
belong
to the Town Trust.” Trevor managed to synchronize his strokes with his words, and Maggie felt herself being lulled. “We all have access to what’s here, on a first come, first served basis. If you want this suite, then by all means, of course you can have it.”

“Think of it from a business standpoint.” Unlike his brothers, Richard didn’t give her a coaxing smile, or touch her. Instead, he looked and sounded exactly like what he was—a very astute, and successful, businessman. “You’ll be running a business from which the Town Trust will be taking a profit. If you weren’t going to be doing so, of course you wouldn’t be living in such a large home, with such a large master bedroom. You wouldn’t have need of this furniture. Thus, it really is the Town Trust’s responsibility to at least ensure that you’re comfortable in your business venue.”

Maggie was certain that if she looked up the word “obstinate” in the dictionary, she’d find a picture of these three men. “I’m not going to win this argument, am I?” She met the gaze of each of them. Only Richard was able to keep his expression schooled, giving nothing of his emotions away.

“If it helps,” he said at last, “think of it as you simply
borrowing
the furniture—for the foreseeable future.”

“That’s right.” Trevor smiled. “It’ll be no trouble whatsoever to have these pieces delivered and set up, just as it will be no trouble to have them taken down and away again when you want them gone.”

Maggie laughed. “No, I’m not going to win.” And really, did it matter? “Or maybe I am, because this is simply beautiful, and I really do want it.” She scanned the large space, noting there were several different sets of bedroom furniture. She’d make a note of the styles, because once she selected something for a guest room, then she could work the rest of the room’s décor around it.

“Then you should have it.” Kevin grinned. “And since this is a Saturday, there’re a lot of cousins in town, available to help us move everything.”

“That’s very true, cousin. If we help you, will you help us?”

Maggie turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Behind her stood two men, tall and buff, with dark hair and eyes. She’d never seen them before, but their easy smiles had her smiling in return.

Those smiles seemed to widen, and then she realized that Trevor and Kevin had shifted, subtly, so that they flanked her. However, there was nothing subtle in the way Richard moved. He simply eased her back and stepped in front of her as he greeted the newcomers.

Maggie felt as if she was suddenly swimming in a sea of thick, gooey testosterone.

Then Rick’s voice sounded more than a little frosty when he said, “I don’t believe we called for medical assistance.”

* * * *

“Nice to see you again, too, cousin.”

Rick realized that his greeting hadn’t been exactly cordial. He couldn’t really help that. He’d seen the way Maggie had smiled at the Drs. Jessop, and he’d felt the hair on the back of his neck actually quiver.

The echo of Maggie’s gasp coupled with the feel her stare drilling a hole in his back let him know the lady was less than impressed with him. He sighed and then held out his hand to David. “Sorry, man. It
is
nice to see you again, David. You too, Robert. I’d heard you were leaving Yankee territory, of course, and coming back where you belong. Welcome home.”

“Thanks.” David Jessop shook his hand and nodded to Trey and Kevin. And then he tried to look around Rick in a bid to see Maggie.

Maggie punched Rick in the shoulder.

Rick didn’t know what David and Robert were grinning about, or why both Trey and Kevin turned their laughs into coughs. His brothers should be helping him, not hindering him.

They’re laughing at you, moron, because you’re acting
like
a moron. Step aside and introduce your cousins to your woman
.

He guessed he took too long to process that order to himself. Maggie stepped around him and outstretched her hand.

“Hi, I’m Maggie Morrison.”

Not for the first time, Rick felt as if the intricacies of social interaction were slipping away from him.

“Nice to meet you, Maggie. I’m David Jessop, and this is my brother Robert.”

Robert reached out toward her and offered his hand. “Hi, Maggie.”

Rick realized he needed to man up. He put his hand on Maggie’s back, and when she met his gaze, he sent her what he hoped was an apologetic smile. Then he turned to his cousins.

“Maggie’s new in town. She’s opening a B and B in the old convalescent home.” He turned and met Maggie’s gaze again. “David and Robert are both doctors.”

“Any relation to the Drs. Jessop that run the clinic here in town?”

Rick counted it a blessing that Maggie didn’t seem inclined to object to his keeping his hand on her. He used his fingers to trace a tiny, gentle circle there, just at the small of her back, a half hand’s width above her very fine-looking ass. Simply touching her seemed to restore his mental acuity and settle his emotions.

Robert grinned. “They’re our dads. David and I will be spelling them a couple of weeks a month.”

“I heard they were looking to cut back some.” Trey moved ever so slightly so that he was standing next to Maggie on her right.

“So, Miss Maggie, a B and B! That’s great. Something this town has long been in need of, if you ask me.” David gave her his full smile, and Rick felt himself get a little hostile. He might not be as clued in as most, but damned if he didn’t realize that David was flirting with their woman!

Maggie must have realized it, too. Rick had seen other women fairly melt under such personal attention from his cousins, but that didn’t seem to be Maggie’s reaction at all. She edged just a bit closer to Rick.

“Yes, so I’ve been told. It was Grandma Kate’s idea, actually. I just thought to move to town to be close to my niece Ginny.”

“We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Ginny yet,” Robert said. He turned to give his brother a look that Rick had no trouble reading.

David laughed and raised both hands in the air. “All right, I’ll behave.”

“I’d appreciate that.” Maggie nodded toward him, and Rick understood she was referring to him and his brothers when she said, “I’ve my hands full at the moment as it is.”

“Fair enough.” Robert nodded toward the bedroom set. “If you’ve picked out some furniture, we’ll grab the truck and bring it around and give you a hand with it.”

“We’ve this and some pieces for the parlor, too,” Kevin said. “And that would be great, as we didn’t think to arrange for one of the trucks.” Kevin shrugged. “After we get Maggie’s things moved, we’ll be glad to return the favor. Are you staying in the apartment building over on Elm?”

David shook his head. “No, we had enough of apartment living up north.”

“We needed to be able to breathe,” Robert said. “The good weather’s coming and I want to get my hands in the soil.”

Rick had almost forgotten how he and Robert used to spend time together working up the flower beds and vegetable patches for their folks. Landscaping had actually been his first business venture. “I’ve missed that, too.” He turned to Maggie. “We can have a look at what’s around your inn and put in some gardens, if you like. Robert and I had a pretty good summer gardening business going when we were kids.”

“Great! That’s one area for sure where I’ll need a lot of help.”

“No green thumb?” David asked.

“I do have a bit of a one. But I’ve never actually had outdoor garden space—just window boxes. Then, too, I have no idea what grows in this climate.”

Rick couldn’t resist. He gently took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “You’ll find, love, that almost anything will grow here in Lusty if it’s given the right kind of attention.”

He managed to keep a straight face as the double entendre registered. His cousins and brothers felt no such impulse, laughing so hard he wondered they didn’t embarrass themselves.

Maggie tilted her head and said, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Good.” Rick smiled.
All this time trying to learn how to develop my interpersonal skills, and all I ever really needed was Maggie.

It was a good thought to let settle in his mind for a time.