Plenty of Chances [Plenty, FL 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Gabe pointed to his own chest. “It’s me she’s pissed at. I’m the one that has to make this better.” He put his hand on Gran’s lined one. “I will apologize, Gran. But she may not be able to forgive me. She might want Jason still, but she and I have some bad stuff between us. I don’t know whether she can give me another chance.”

  Gran relaxed and smiled. “So you do still love her?”

  Gabe chuckled. “I do. Or maybe I should say I still love the Sami I knew. She’s probably changed, Gran. I know I have. If this is going to work, we’re all going to have to fall in love. All over again. It won’t be easy. There’s a lot of water under the bridge.”

  “Are you willing to try?” Jason asked. “Are you willing to put in the work?”

  Gabe nodded. “I am. There are no guarantees. She may not want a Dom who owns a BDSM club. You know how uptight Sami could be.”

  Jason remembered well. Sami had been self-conscious about her body and just about everything else. It had been hard for her to really let go during sex. She’d enjoyed it but always seemed to keep part of herself locked away.

  Gran picked up her fork and began to eat her pot roast from the diner. “I appreciate how you’ve been honest about your club and all. Everyone thinks an old woman will be shocked. Hell, I’ve got stories that would curl your hair not the other way around.” Gran pinned them both with a stare. “I hear you give pleasure lessons at the club to the men in town. Teach them how to make their women scream is how I heard it.”

  Jason felt his face go warm and Gabe’s was the same. Gabe scraped a hand down his face. “Something like that.”

  Gran nodded. “That’s good. You can use sex as a way to snare her. Make her fall in love with you physically. Where the body goes, the heart will follow is the old saying.”

  Jason’s eyebrows went up. “They actually say that? Do you think that’s fair to trap her with sex?”

  Gran looked at him with exasperation. “Of course it’s fair. You intend to make her happy, don’t you?”

  “Hell, yes.”

  “Then isn’t it to her benefit? You’re going to make her happy and take good care of her. That’s not a punishment, boys. I want to see my granddaughter settled and happy before I die. Maybe even a grandchild or two.” She shook her fork at them. “I got her to stay in your house. The rest is up to you. Don’t waste any time. She’s got that scared, ‘I’m about to run’ look. You need to make this happen.”

  Jason was back on his heels at her vehemence. “Got it. We’ll do everything we can to make her fall in love with us again. For all of us to fall in love again.”

  Gabe rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. “We only have one obstacle.”

  Jason blew out a breath. “Yep. We do have that.”

  Gran scowled. “What obstacle?”

  Gabe sighed. “She doesn’t trust me. She can’t love me, really love me again, until she can trust me. Trust takes time.”

  Jason slumped against the wall. Time was something he didn’t think they had much of. Sami could leave again at any moment.

  Gran started eating her pot roast again. “I have an idea about that. Pull up a chair and I’ll tell you all about it. This is for my granddaughter so we’ll pull out all the stops.”

  * * * *

  Samantha walked up the stairs of Jason’s house, dragging her suitcase behind her. She’d basically brought almost everything she owned with the thought she might not be able to return to her apartment. She needed to give Sadie a call and see if anything had happened since this morning.

  Samantha pushed open the door at the top of the stairs and knew immediately it was Jason’s room. His scent was everywhere, and she dropped her suitcase on the floor and walked into the room even as her brain was telling her to turn around. She stopped in front of his closet, the door wide open and ran her hands over his uniforms, all hung up neatly and smiled at the clothes tossed carelessly on the bed. Jason had always been challenged when it came to cleaning up after himself.

  She turned to leave but a framed photo on the bedside table caught her eye and she picked it up, tears welling in her eyes. The photo has been taken at one of the Plenty Christmas parties that seemed like a lifetime ago. All three of them had been happy and smiling, with her ensconced in the middle of Gabe and Jason, their arms slung across her shoulders. She looked young and happy without a care in the world.

  It was a long time ago.

  She carefully placed the picture back and headed out of the room and down the hall. The second door beckoned and she couldn’t stop herself from peeking inside.

  Gabe.

  The room was spotless, everything in its place. Gabe liked things just so and had often been driven to his wit’s end by Jason’s haphazard housekeeping. She pulled back, unwilling to see if he, too, had a picture on his dresser. She headed to the door at the end of the hall. At the time she’d left, the entire upstairs had been demolished for renovation. The older homes in the historic district were beautiful but many needed a great deal of work and this home had been no exception. Jason and Gabe had lived in the downstairs, working on the kitchen and back porch and yard, saying they’d get to the upstairs eventually.

  She pulled her battered suitcase into the room and gasped. The room was beautiful. What Jason had described as brown and blue was actually a warm chocolate brown paired with a light blue. The room was enormous and probably took up half the top floor. Against the wall flanked by two large windows was a gigantic four-poster bed. The furniture was two-toned with light and dark wood and she immediately knew that Gabe had made it with his own two hands. He’d always been a talented carpenter with a detailed eye. It must have taken him weeks to make the headboard alone.

  She found two large closets and another oversized walk in closet before walking into a luxurious bathroom with a jetted tub, three sinks, and a huge shower. She walked out and sat down on the bed, overwhelmed by what she had seen.

  They’d created this master suite for sharing. They intended to share it with the woman they loved. It was like a sword in her heart to realize she wasn’t that woman. Hadn’t been for some time. Everything in this room had been planned and built with their future in mind.

  She was suddenly angry with them for putting her here. Putting her in a position to see this, something she’d never be a part of. She didn’t belong here anymore.

  She rummaged in her purse and pulled out the prepaid cell phone she’d purchased at the big box store a few days ago when her old cell had been destroyed. She punched in a few numbers and was relieved when Sadie answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, girl. You make it to Plenty okay?”

  “I did. Is everything okay there?” Sami held her breath.

  “I haven’t heard from him but I’ve been at work all day. Maybe he’ll give us a few weeks of peace and quiet. Didn’t you just pay him?”

  She blew out her breath in relief. She hated to leave Sadie and Trish, her other roommate, in the line of fire, but she didn’t have a choice. She’d needed to come see Gran.

  “I did. You remember what to tell him if he does come there or call?”

  “Of course. I tell him you went to Atlanta to visit an old girlfriend. No mention of Plenty. When are you coming back? Or are you coming back?”

  It had been Sadie who had given her the advice to take as much as she could fit in her suitcase. Sadie had even offered her money, but Sami wouldn’t take it. Sadie didn’t have much more than Sami did. In fact, all three of them, Trish included, were pretty much busted all the time. They all worked crappy menial, minimum wage jobs to keep a roof over their head and some food on the table.

  “I don’t know. Gran needs me right now. Maybe I can get some work while I’m here. I can’t stay though.”

  “Why not? Seems to me the perfect place for you. You have people that care about you there, Sam. If I had family somewhere, I sure as hell wouldn’t live like this.”

  Sami plucked at the bedspread. She’d only told
Sadie a part of the story of why she’s left Plenty. “It’s complicated.”

  Sadie sighed. “There’s a man involved then.”

  “It’s not about a man.” It was about two of them, actually.

  “It’s always about a man, honey. I’ve been there and worn the T-shirt. Don’t let anyone chase you away from your family. Stay in Plenty. There’s nothing to come back here for.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see. Call me if you hear anything. Or I’ll call you in a day or two. Miss you.”

  “Miss you, too. Don’t worry about anything here, just worry about your grandmother.”

  Sami hung up the phone, shaking her head. She didn’t remember the last time she wasn’t worried. It was a part of her life now with no end in sight.

  Chapter Two

  Sami padded down the stairs, yawning and stretching. She’d had the best night sleep she’d had in a very long time. Gabe and Jason’s home was located on a quiet street, much quieter than the apartment she shared with Sadie and Trish. The bed was luxurious in its comfort and she’d fallen asleep soon after arriving and slept straight through the night. The sun was already high in the sky. She’d slept almost fourteen hours in a row.

  She came to an abrupt stop when she saw Jason in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee. The delicious aroma practically lifted her up on her toes, pulling her into the room. Jason looked so handsome in his uniform that emphasized his wide shoulders and tight butt. The amazing thing was he had no idea how gorgeous he actually was. The man was oblivious. He turned and gave her a smile.

  “Did you sleep okay? I looked in on you last night to see if you were hungry but you were dead to the world.”

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about him seeing her while she slept. Maybe she’d started snoring in the last few years.

  “I was pretty tired. I’ve been picking up as many shifts at work as I can.”

  “Coffee?” He grabbed another mug from the cabinet and she nodded, watching as he prepared her coffee exactly as she liked it.

  He hadn’t forgotten.

  He handed her the mug and she sat at the table trying to think of something to say. After all this time, she didn’t know what to say to Jason. He deserved more than an apology. She’d run out on him when he’d needed her the most. It didn’t say much for her character.

  Jason pulled a couple of pieces of toast from the toaster and plopped them on a plate and placing it in front of her.

  “You missed dinner. You need this more than I do.”

  He grabbed the honey from the cabinet and sat it next to her plate.

  Shit, he remembered everything.

  She shook her head and pushed the plate toward him. “I can’t eat your breakfast.”

  “Eat, and don’t argue.” Jason pointed to the plate and turned back to slide two more slices of bread into the toaster. She knew better than to argue with him and squeezed the honey on the bread before biting into it hungrily. She hadn’t eaten since lunch and she was starved.

  Jason settled with his own toast and coffee across from her. “What do you have planned today?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll go see Gran this morning. Maybe I’ll call Lacey and Becca. I’d like to spend some time with them while I’m here.”

  “So you’re not planning to stay?”

  She sighed. Talking to Jason when he was in this mood had never been easy. “I’m here for Gran. Once she’s better, I’ll need to go back.”

  “To your job? It’s nice of them to give you the time off to see Gran.”

  Her job wasn’t nice at all. Her boss was a real prick and he’d fired her when she’d asked for the time off.

  “Yeah, it’s a great place to work.” She couldn’t believe she’d said that and hadn’t been struck by lightning.

  He stood up to pour himself more coffee. “Gran would like you to stay. She’s not getting any younger, Sami. She needs you here.”

  Sami stared at her coffee cup. She felt like ten kinds of slime, but she wouldn’t bring her problems into her grandmothers remaining years.

  “I’ll come visit more often.” She played with her spoon. “Thank you for being here for her when I couldn’t. I’m relieved you were there to find her when she fell.”

  Jason warmed up her coffee. “Actually, it was Gabe that found her. I was on duty and on the other side of town.”

  “I can tell you’ve both kept an eye on her. I’m thankful. Where is Gabe anyway?”

  Jason nodded towards the stairs. “Still sleeping. He closed the club and probably didn’t get to bed until four this morning.”

  “Club? What kind of club does he manage?”

  Jason’s mouth tipped up at the corners. “Owns. He owns a club at the edge of town. As for what kind of club, I’ll let him tell you about it.”

  Things really had changed. She’d always assumed Gabe would become a carpenter and build furniture. She’d never pictured him as a businessman.

  “Good for him. What else has changed?”

  Jason stood up and rinsed out his cup, taking his time answering.

  “Lots of things. Lots of people. New people have come to town, some have left. Like you. New businesses. Some things never change, of course.” He grinned. “Tom and his wife still argue like cats and dogs. I swear Ryan’s ready to pull his hair out.”

  That made Sami smile. Tom was a real character and his wife was something else entirely. No one in town blamed Tom for pissing off his wife so she wouldn’t speak to him for a while.

  “Do they still have bingo down at the firehouse?”

  Jason chuckled. “They do. Charley’s still closes early on that night.”

  Sami groaned and put her hand over her stomach. “I love Charley’s pizza. It’s the best pizza I’ve ever had.”

  “Then we’ll go tonight. After we take dinner to Gran.”

  She swallowed hard. “I wasn’t hinting around. I’m sure you have better things to do than entertain me while I’m here.”

  Jason leaned against the counter. “Is that your subtle way of asking if I’m seeing somebody, Samantha Jane?”

  She hated being called by her full name and he knew it. He knew how she took her coffee and toast and he knew she was ticklish behind her knees and on her neck. He knew too damn much.

  “It’s none of my business if you’re seeing someone.”

  She almost sounded convincing. Problem was, she wanted to know.

  “I’m not. I’ve dated since you left, but I haven’t been serious with anyone. I was hurt when you left.”

  There it was. He’d put it out on the table. His expression was bland as if he was discussing the weather or the new traffic light on Main and Oak.

  She took a deep breath and gathered every ounce of courage she had. It was time to face the music. “I’m sorry I left the way I did. I thought I was doing the right thing at the time.”

  “Was it the right thing?”

  She couldn’t tell him how badly things had gone for her. Everything was a fucking mess.

  “Hindsight can’t change anything. I left and I’ve had to deal with the consequences of that decision.”

  “Gabe left not long after you did.”

  She nodded. “Lacey told me.”

  “I was alone. You both were gone. You both left me. For a time, I blamed myself.”

  Her gut burned with shame. Everyone had paid the price for her stupidity and selfishness.

  “It wasn’t your fault, Jason. I swear. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know that now.” He leaned forward, his palms flat on the table, looking her right in the eye. “I blamed Gabe for driving you away. That drove him away.” He straightened up. “Then I blamed you.”

  “Do you still blame me, Jason?” She had to turn away from the intensity in his gaze. More than anything, she wanted to reach out and pull him close to her. She’d missed his body pressed tightly to her own. She’d missed being touched and loved by him. It was a constant pain in her heart she’d grown used to, and ev
en encouraged. It had been her link to the past.

  “Not any more. We all did the best we could at the time. None of us were equipped to handle the emotions and issues that Gabe and I came back with after Iraq.”

  Her eyes burned with tears. “Thank you for that. I still blame myself, though.”

  Jason grabbed his car keys. “Sounds like a waste of energy, sunshine. Forgive yourself.” He headed toward the front door. “We’ll eat out tonight. Have a good visit with Gran.”

  Her eyes welled with tears and she didn’t try and stop their slide down her cheeks.

  He’d called her sunshine.

  * * * *

  Lacey was grinning and waving when Sami walked into the new coffee shop in town. Josh’s Java was near the Sheriff’s office and Ryan Parks had spied her crossing the street and came out to give her a hug. He’d interrogated her about what she’d been doing since she left and why she’d stayed away so long. She imagined he was a very effective lawman if he questioned criminals the way he’d questioned her. She’d found herself stammering until he’d finally taken pity on her and invited her to dinner at his house so she could meet his new wife, Jillian.

  Lacey jumped up from the table and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. “Girl, it’s about time you came home. I’ve missed the hell out of you.”

  Sami rolled her eyes and settled herself at the table overlooking the street. It was a sunny and warm afternoon in Plenty and she felt herself relax as she absorbed the expressions of happiness on the faces of the residents. It had been a long time since she’d been around people who were truly happy and content with their lives.

  “I’ve missed you, too. I heard you’re living at home again. What’s going on?”

  A waitress appeared at their table and took their orders before Lacey could answer. Lacey was a miniature version of Jason with dark hair and twinkling blue eyes. Lacey and Jason had two other sisters who Sami adored, but it was Lacey she was the closest to. Lacey had the same sense of humor that never failed to crack them both up while others didn’t even get the joke.