Dalton, Tymber - Stoneface (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (39 page)

“I’m proud of me, too.” She shrugged. “I figured if you and Liam could stand up to your parents, then it was time for me to try to take my life back, too. I got tired of being scared of everything. I like having a life again.”

* * * *

By noon, the men had picked up the moving truck, rental car, and cleared out Liam’s storage unit, while Gwen and Ruthie organized the packing of Gwen’s house. Gwen was leaving most of the furniture for Ruthie, but she had three rooms full of floor-to-ceiling bookcases she needed to empty and pack the contents.

By four that afternoon, they were halfway done with the house and Liam declared them finished for the day. “We need to get ready for dinner.”

Gwen’s stomach tensed as the reminder threatened to do what the flight from Rapid City hadn’t. “Can’t you go? I’ll stay here with Ruthie.”

Tim pulled her to him. “We’ll be there with you, honey. Strength in numbers.”

Jack jumped into the shower with her. He wore a playful smirk. “Think of it this way, either they’ll accept the situation, or they won’t. Either way it doesn’t matter, because it doesn’t change a thing between us. Right?”

“Right.” She let him gather her into his arms. “I just want peace.”

“Honey, honestly? When have you and your brother ever had peace with your parents?”

She sighed. “Never.”

“Right. That’s what Liam told me, too.” They heard the bathroom door open. “Tim, come here.”

He stuck his head into the shower. “What?”

“You brought it, right?”

Tim frowned briefly before he apparently understood what Jack meant by his question. “Yeah?”

“Brought what?” Gwen asked.

Jack smiled at her, but spoke to Tim. “Go get it.”

“Now?” Tim asked.

“Yeah, now.”

“Now what?” Gwen looked from Jack to Tim.

Tim left and reappeared a moment later. Jack and Gwen had finished and were drying off. Tim and Jack, both stark naked, dropped to one knee before her and each took a hand. “Will you marry us?” Jack asked as Tim slipped the ring on her finger.

She couldn’t speak. In shock, she just stared at the ring.

Tim said, “Technically you’re marrying me, so I wanted him to actually pop the question.”

The huge solitaire amazed her. “How did you decide who it would be?” she finally managed to ask. Part of her realized that probably wasn’t the most practical or romantic question, but it was the only thing she could think of.

Jack and Tim stood. Jack kissed her first. “I want it to be him because of the business. Makes life easier. We’ll both wear rings and take the vows though. So, are you going to keep us hanging?”

“Yes!”

Tim smiled. “Yes, you’re going to keep us hanging?”

She lightly smacked him on the shoulder. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

* * * *

Jack rode in the backseat with Gwen while Tim drove. Liam rode shotgun and gave Tim directions. Gwen felt her anxiety ratchet up close to vomit-inducing levels.

“I really don’t want to be here, guys.” Gwen said this from the safety of the rental car’s backseat as she stared at her parents’ house.

“Remember what you told me before I had my heart-to-heart with Pete?” Jack asked.

“That was different.”

“This is easier,” Jack insisted.

“Says you,” she groused. “You don’t know our parents.” She glared at the house.

Liam left his cane in the car, and after finally coaxing Gwen out of the backseat, the men flanked her and gently guided her to the front door.

Their mother frowned when she noticed Liam wasn’t using his cane, but hugged him without mentioning it. “You look so good!”

“I feel good, Mom.” Gwen huddled close to Jack and Tim as Liam introduced the men. “Mom, this is Detective Jackson Kelly, and Timothy Ellis.”

Gwen prayed Liam didn’t opt for a repeat performance tactic of lobbing his news bombs during dinner like the last time they’d eaten with their parents.

Their father stood aloof in the living room doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “You didn’t have to bring a cop to make sure I wouldn’t hold you two hostage,” he sniped.

Gwen found her backbone and started to reply, but their mom beat her to it. “David, you shut your mouth right now. What did I tell you? Behave, or go to bed.” She planted her hands on her hips and glared at her husband.

Both Liam and Gwen gasped. “Mom!”

She turned to them and smiled. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Ruthie,” she whispered, softly enough their father couldn’t hear. “She’s rubbed off on me.”

Gwen couldn’t help but laugh. Their father glared, but kept further comments to himself and joined them at the table. Overall, dinner went better than she expected despite her father’s dark and moody silence. Tim, Jack, and Liam kept up a lively conversation with their mother. Gwen kept sneaking looks at her father and knew from the dark glare in his eyes that he would explode upon finding out the news.

Hell, even if I tell him I’m joining a convent and turning into a nun, he’d probably explode.

She realized she was stroking the engagement ring with her thumb. It felt strange and yet right to once again have a ring on that hand.

Jack and Tim both jumped up to help clear the table before dessert. They insisted on Liam and Gwen staying at the table with their father.

Liam shot her a secret wink while their father wasn’t looking.

Oh, crap.

“So, Dad, how’s work been?” Liam asked.

“It’s been like work,” he grunted. “Unlike some people, I don’t get to go driving all over the country on vacation on my brother’s dime.”

Gwen felt her stomach heave. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she heard a sudden silence descend in the kitchen.

Liam, however, laughed. “Aw, you’ve got that backward, Dad. More like I get to loaf on Gee’s dime while she chauffeurs me all over the place.”

She dared a look. Liam wore a pleasant grin while their father scowled at him. “I think it’s stupid,” their father barked. “You need to be near your doctors, and she needs to get a real job.”

She saw the tendons tighten in Liam’s neck, but his grin never faltered. “She has a real job. One of her last books hit number three hundred on Amazon Kindle, and it spent a couple of weeks at number one on her publisher’s website.”

“Couldn’t have been good if it wasn’t higher on Kindle.” For the first time in her life, Gwen wanted to slap the smirk off her father’s face.

Liam was far from done. “No, you’ve got that wrong. There’s over several hundred
thousand
books on Kindle, Dad. Anything that breaks the top ten thousand, that’s good. Anything that breaks the top thousand, especially from an independent publisher, is amazing. Anything in the top five hundred…” He laughed. “Just goes to show you how much you don’t know about your most successful child, but why would you care?” He examined a hangnail and blithely said, “Not like she had an affair with a married man and got knocked up out of wedlock—”

Her father slapped the table as he roared with indignation. He bolted out of his chair. Gwen forgot about her fear as she jumped to her feet, sure that he was about to go after Liam. Their father didn’t move, however, just stood there and glared at her.

Her brother remained seated and nonplussed. “What’s wrong, Dad? The truth hurts, doesn’t it? The daughter you refuse to give her due is the child you should be the most proud of.”

“Li, it’s okay,” she said, trying to defuse the situation, although how that would be possible in this current plane of reality, she wasn’t sure. “I’m used to it.”

“Well, I’m not,” Liam insisted. “You deserve recognition for your talents, even if he doesn’t agree with how you make your living.” He finally glared at his father as he slowly stood. “And by the way, I’ve got a hot news flash for you. We’re moving, permanently, out to South Dakota. Ruthie’s buying Gee’s house.” He reached a hand out for her and she slowly walked to stand next to him. “Jack, Tim, can you come in here?”

Even though she couldn’t see her, Gwen knew her mom had been huddled by the kitchen doorway. She hustled in, ahead of the men, and took up a position behind her and Liam. Jack and Tim followed and stood behind Gwen.

“Do I get the honors,” Liam asked Gwen, “or did one of you want to do it?”

Jack laughed. “I think you’ve done enough, but thank you.” He rested one hand on Gwen’s shoulder and she fought the temptation to lean backward into him. “Mr. Oxford, I have a feeling you’re not going to like this news, but let’s get it out in the open. Tim and I are marrying your daughter.”

Gwen didn’t like the sudden crimson hue in her father’s face. “What?” he finally whispered. Just because she thought he was an overbearing jerk sometimes didn’t mean she didn’t love him or wanted him to keel over from a stroke.

Tim rested a hand on her other shoulder. “Us. Her. Hitched.” He gently poked her. “Show him the ring, sweetie.”

She held up her hand and her mother gasped. Gwen wasn’t ready for it when her mom pushed her way through the men and hugged her. “Oh, congratulations, honey!”

Gwen knew the worst was yet to come, and her father didn’t disappoint. “What do you mean you
and
Tim are marrying Gwen? That’s impossible!”

Jack took over. “Not really. Tim’s legally marrying her, but all three of us are changing our names, hyphenating them.” He looked at Tim and the love in his expression nearly made Gwen cry right then and there. “We love each other, and we love Gwen. We’re only complete when the three of us are together.” He turned back to her father. “No, it’s not traditional, but it’s not really your business what we do in the privacy of our bedroom.”

Her father’s mouth opened and closed a few times without any sound coming out. The crimson shade deepened to nearly purple. Then he turned without a word and stomped out of the living room. They heard him go upstairs and slam the bedroom door.

“Well, that was fun,” Liam quipped.

Their mom still looked a little shocked, but she had tears in her eyes. “Are you happy?” she asked.

Gwen nodded. “Very. I’m sorry it’s not normal and you can’t brag about us at church, but I love them and they love me.”

Her mom looked at Tim and Jack and waggled her finger at them. “You promise to take care of my baby girl?”

The men smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” Tim said. “I promise we’ll take good care of her.” Jack nodded, too.

Her mother hugged the men, then Liam. “You’re going to stay out there too, aren’t you?” she sadly said.

He nodded. “Yes, Mom. I’m sorry, but I’m happy out there.”

“Can I come visit you all out there?” she softly asked.

“Of course,” Jack said. “You’re welcome any time.” He cleared his throat. “You and your husband.”

She sat heavily and waved her hand at the doorway in a dismissive gesture. “Him? Hah! That’s a laugh. I doubt I’ll get him to speak Gwen’s name for a while. He’s still upset with Amy and barely speaks to her. I don’t even tell him when I go to spend time with her and…Bob.” She stumbled over the last word as she looked at Gwen.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Gwen assured her. “I know you love her. I don’t hold that against you.”

“I don’t tell Ruthie anything about them unless she asks. I feel bad about what happened, but in a way maybe it was for the best, you know? I guess that sounds sort of sappy, but look how much better Ruthie is now without Bob. She’s working and driving and dating and has a life. I’m not excusing what Bob and Amy did, and I’m not saying they were right. But it all worked out.”