Taking a Gamble on Three of a Kind (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “Luke,” she said, pretending to be happy to see him. “How nice to see you.”

  “So you do remember me?”

  “Of course I do. Is your brother here, too?”

  “Adam’s around. The last time I saw him he was dancing with April Mathews. You remember her, don’t you?”

  How could she forget April? The cheerleader, Homecoming Queen, and all-around girl next door with a superior attitude that had been the envy of every girl in high school. She thought she’d be married with kids by now and not out dancing with the Rowan brothers.

  “Just because I’ve been away at school doesn’t mean I don’t remember people. My mother tells me you’re working with your father now.”

  “Yup. Adam and are both helping Dad with his practice. He needs to retire and live it up a little. Keep hoping your mother will agree to marry him. She’s pretty stubborn. Not that much unlike you if I remember that dance you took a fit over.”

  Luke and Adam had been seniors when she was a freshman and in a totally different social group, but they had always been cordial to her whenever they happened to run into each other. She had been without a date for the Spring Fling, and her mother had asked the Rowan brothers to be her date. She had been mortified, but pleased that they had said they would. However, her father had been livid. She had heard her mother and father fighting, which was something they never did. She had come out of her room and stood at the top of the stairs where their voices had carried up to her.

  “You know as well as I do that those boys are seniors and shouldn’t be within ten feet of a freshman, especially my daughter. She’s no match for them. I can’t believe you asked them to take her the dance.”

  “They’re good boys, and Jack said he thought it was a fine idea.”

  “I’m sure he did. He thinks those boys can do no wrong. I’m not going to have them break my daughter’s heart or worse. She’s far too good for them, and I’m not giving them a free card to use her. Boys their age like nothing better than to take advantage of an innocent girl like Jenny. Don’t think I haven’t seen the way they look at her.”

  “Come on, Carl. You’re not serious. They would never hurt Jenny.”

  “They’re Rowans and that’s all I’m going to say.”

  Immediately her mother’s voice had lowered, and Jenny couldn’t hear her response. The next day her mother had called Jack and told him it was Jenny that had said no to the dance. What excuse she had used, she didn’t know. The unwanted memory brought with it the warmth of embarrassment that crept upward from her neck, making her wish the memory could have stayed buried along with the crush she had secretly harbored for the twins.

  She knew Luke was waiting for a response. Not taking the bait, she said, “You guys come here often?”

  “It’s a good place to blow off a little steam, and the drinks are cheap,” he said with a laugh, leaning in closer to her. The woman sitting next to her smiled at them before she inched off the stool and walked toward a neon sign that flashed “Women.”

  “You coming back?” Luke shouted to the woman’s retreating back.

  Turning, she smiled. “Nope. Sit down and enjoy yourself, handsome.”

  Luke gave her a wink and a wave before he turned back to Jenny and sat down.

  “You don’t mind if I sit here next to you, do you, Jenny?”

  Would it matter if I did? “Please yourself.”

  “Most times I do. Thanks. We’ve got some catching up to do,” he said, his eyes slowly appraising her from head to toe. “You’ve grown up nicely since we used to play doctor.” Jenny couldn’t believe that Luke had just made reference to something she had assumed he had forgotten about long ago. She couldn’t stop herself from wondering what it would be like to play doctor with him now, since he was one. Feeling the heat of embarrassment crawl up her neck, she turned her interest back to her beer and away from the handsome man that was making her stomach do unwanted flip-flops.

  Chapter Two

  Luke held up his empty beer bottle. The bartender nodded in acknowledgement and returned with a new bottle and took the old one. “Glad to see you’ve got some company, little lady,” he said, giving Jenny a knowing smile.

  “Old friends,” Luke said. He was smiling, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. The bartender turned and walked away. “Watch out for that guy. He loves the ladies, especially the ones that are beautiful and young. He’s a chronic flirt.”

  “And you aren’t? That crack about playing doctor with me wasn’t meant to be flirtatious?” Jenny asked sarcastically.

  “I didn’t realize I was flirting. But if you want me to, I can oblige.”

  “Don’t talk stupid, Luke,” Jenny said, wishing he’d go away and leave her alone. “I’m not in the mood for it.”

  “Damn. What are you in the mood for?”

  “Not for your kind of entertainment, that’s for sure.” Normally she would have never been so rude. But nothing about today had been normal, and she was still reeling from her mother’s confession. She wasn’t about to sit here and let Luke Rowan have his fun at her expense, regardless of how many times she had dreamed of him and his brother giving her more than the time of day when she was still a wide-eyed, innocent kid.

  “Damn, the kitten’s got claws. But I’m not averse to a little pain if the end result gets me what I want,” he said silkily. “But just to put your mind at ease, I’m not interested in getting you into bed if that’s what you think. One Clayton woman in the family is enough. No disrespect toward your mother, but not sure sleeping with her daughter would help my father’s cause.”

  “I’m certainly going to sleep better tonight knowing I’m off your radar.”

  “You’re not disappointed, are you?”

  The humorous glint in his eyes made her want to slap his face. When did he get so damn arrogant? Maybe he always had been and she just hadn’t noticed.

  Luke was just about to continue the conversation she was hoping to end, when a large hand planted itself on his shoulder. He looked up. “Hey, Adam. Look who I ran into,” Luke said, turning back toward Jenny.

  “Jenny Clayton,” Adam said with a smile. “Your mother told me you were coming home from school. She’s really missed you. You’re all she talks about.”

  “Really?”

  “Whenever I see her, she’s always singing your praises. I understand you’ve done very well in school. She was worried you might not want to come home for the summer. I’m glad you did. She missed you a lot.”

  “Well, I was busy with school. I had things I had to do.” She knew he wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty, or at least she didn’t think he was. She knew now that she should have never stayed away from home so long at a stretch, but she had her reasons. However, if she hadn’t, maybe her mother would have confided in her sooner and things wouldn’t have gotten so out of control. But there was little she could do about that now.

  Jenny felt another set of eyes on her. For the first time she realized Adam, who resembled Luke but was not identical, had his arm draped around who else but April Mathews. She groaned inwardly. My night is now complete. “Hello, Jenny,” April said, not smiling. “Fancy running into you in a place like this. I thought you’d be the type to go to more sophisticated places that served those fancy drinks.”

  Speaking of claws, April certainly hadn’t lost hers since she had seen her last, nor had she lost her looks. She was dressed in a tight shirt and short skirt that did nothing to hide her curves. Even her long hair, that was now bleached blonde, was tied back in a ponytail like she had worn in high school. The girl was obviously stuck in the past.

  “Hello, April. Nice to see you, too,” Jenny said, giving her the same courtesy of not smiling.

  Ignoring the two women, Adam said to Luke, “April and I want to go over to The Cedars. They’ve got a real band, and we thought it would be fun to do some line dancing.”

  “Sounds good,” Luke replied. “But I’m not going unless Jenny comes, too. You
remember how to line dance, Jenny?”

  Practically everyone in Brilliance knew how to line dance. It was almost a requirement along with knowing how to ride a horse.

  “I don’t like dancing,” she lied.

  “Now I know that’s a lie,” Luke countered, staring her right in the eye. “Your mother told us you won a dancing contest in eighth grade.”

  Obviously, Adam had been telling the truth about her mother’s inability to stop talking about her.

  “Good old Mom. Is there nothing she hasn’t told you two about me?” She’s certainly kept a lot of things from me, including how close she’s gotten with all the Rowan men.

  “So you do like to dance. You just don’t want to dance with me, is that it?” Luke’s stare was unnerving.

  “Leave her alone, Luke. She obviously doesn’t want to come with us,” April whined, grabbing Luke’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  “I said,” Luke said pointedly, his eyes never leaving Jenny’s, “that I wasn’t going unless Jenny comes, too.”

  She didn’t want to go, but she didn’t want to sit here at the bar with the bartender waiting to pounce on her either. She also wasn’t ready to go home and face her mother. She still wasn’t sure what she was going to say to her, not that there were a lot of options. Making her feel worse than she already did wasn’t something she would take any pleasure in doing. She loved her mother, but right now she didn’t like her much.

  “Give me directions. I’ll follow you there.”

  “Adam and I came here together with April. I’ll ride with you. That way I can make sure you don’t get lost.”

  “Smart man,” Adam said. “We’ll see you there.”

  Adam and April walked away from them and toward the door. Luke put some bills down on the counter.

  “I can pay for my own drink.”

  “I’m sure you can. But I’m paying for it. No argument.”

  Arrogant and bossy. He obviously was used to getting his own way. She didn’t want to cause a scene, and it was only one beer. She picked up her purse that was hanging on the hook under the bar before she stood up. Luke draped his arm across her shoulders. He must have felt her stiffen.

  She felt his breath on her ear. “Just directing you toward the door and through the crowd,” he said, bringing her body closer to his.

  As soon as they were out the door, Jenny moved away from him. “My car’s over here,” she said, walking in front of him.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said mocking her.

  She pulled out the keys from her purse and pushed the button to unlock the doors. Luke moved in front of her and opened the passenger-side door and grabbed the keys from her hand. He walked quickly to the driver’s side.

  “You’re not driving,” Jenny said, wondering who he thought he was.

  “I’m driving,” he said, his hand on the door handle. “I know where we’re going and it will be easier this way. You can relax and enjoy the ride. Besides,” he said snidely, “this way you won’t have to worry about what I’m doing with my hands.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t interested in getting me in bed, not that you’d have any luck in that department.”

  “I did say that, didn’t I?” he asked, opening the door. “However, I’ve been known to change my mind. Best that I drive.”

  “You really are something, Luke Rowan. Give me the keys and stop bossing me around.”

  He continued to look at her with an innocent smile on his face. “I’m doing this for your own good.” He slid into the driver’s seat and shut the door behind him.

  And he called her stubborn. Sighing, she slid into the passenger seat without looking at him. She slipped on the seat belt and tried to stay calm. Luke was a forceful man who liked to take charge. She’d be lying if she said he didn’t turn her on, however, he was a Rowan and that complicated everything. All she wanted to do was relax and forget her troubles for a little while and although she was hard-pressed to admit it, maybe Luke was what she needed tonight. She could feel the tension leaving her body.

  * * * *

  Adam and April had already found them a table when she and Luke entered The Cedars. Most everyone was dressed in costume. Lots of leather, fringe, and cowboy boots. She looked down at her jeans and high heels. She wasn’t even sure she could dance in these shoes.

  “You look great. Those shoes really show off those long, lovely legs of yours,” Luke whispered in her ear before pulling out a chair for her.

  Once again she thought about a time when she would have loved for either one or both of the brothers to have said something like that to her. However, times had changed, and she wasn’t that girl any longer. She liked being free to choose and do as she liked where men were concerned. She had never been in love and was glad now more than ever. If loving someone like her mother had her father was the catalyst for such an abrupt change in personality when they were taken away, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to give another person the power to destroy her like that.

  “Things are in full swing here,” Adam said, laughing at his play on words.

  “Adam, sometimes you’re so corny,” April said, looking up at him adoringly. “And, you,” she said, turning to Luke, “were such a gentleman to make sure Jenny found the place.”

  “Hey, that’s us. Corny gentlemen,” Luke said, giving Adam a conspiratorial wink.

  Jenny turned her head toward the dancers and away from April, who was practically sitting in Adam’s lap. She hadn’t been out dancing in a long time. She found herself enjoying the way the men and women moved with such grace and precision.

  “When this dance is over, I’m dragging you out on the dance floor if I have to,” Luke said as the waitress approached their table. He ordered beers for all them. What if she hadn’t wanted a beer? Luke was way too sure of himself for her. The song ended and many of the dancers dispersed. However, a good many stayed put, waiting for the next song.

  Good to his word, Luke grabbed her hand. She didn’t feel like being dragged, so she followed him onto the dance floor. However, he turned and looked down at her feet.

  “Kick them off. Barefoot is better.”

  She hated to admit that he was probably right. Her heels were way too high for dancing. She slid them off and kicked them toward their table. April and Adam walked right in front her.

  “Whoa, there,” Adam said, dodging a shoe. “Those things are dangerous.”

  April just shook her head and pulled Adam out onto the dance floor and away from Jenny and Luke. For some reason she felt incredibly nervous, and that made her mind go blank. She froze. Thankfully something clicked in her brain just as the music started and she found her feet moving in sync with Luke’s—right, left behind right, right again, and then the left meets the right. She repeated the steps, adding to them as the dance progressed.

  Luke was an excellent dance partner. They had only danced a few dances before she begged him to let her rest. “I think I’m out of shape,” she said breathlessly.

  “It’s like riding a bike. Once you learn how, you never forget.”

  Jenny nodded, grateful he was leading her off the dance floor and back to their table. She picked up her shoes before she sat down. She slipped them back on.

  “You need a pair of boots.”

  “I have a couple pairs. I just haven’t worn them in a long time.”

  She lifted her bottle of beer to her lips and practically emptied it. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was. The waitress was passing by and Luke ordered another round for the table.

  “So,” he said, bringing his attention back to her, “when do you have to go back to school?”

  His question should have been an easy one, but in light of the evening’s revelations, it almost brought tears to her eyes. She wasn’t going back to school. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She stared at the beer bottle before she lifted it to her lips.

  “It’s not a trick question, Jenny.”

  “I think I’m going to sit th
is next year out. Take a break.”

  “Does your mother know?” He asked with what seemed like real concern.

  “Yes. She does and she agrees with me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. We have some things we need to work out together. Missing a year of school isn’t the end of the world. Students going for their doctorate in art history don’t always finish in four or five years. Some go as long as eight.”

  “Is that what you want? Funny that your mother never mentioned you weren’t going back at dinner the other night.”

  “She has dinner with you guys a lot, does she?”

  “Doesn’t she tell you anything about us?

  “No, not really.”

  “That’s a little strange,” he said, looking at her as if she were somehow to blame. “Well, she comes over a couple times a week. Dad takes her out for dinner, too. They enjoy being together. It makes no sense to me why she won’t marry him unless there’s an obstacle she hasn’t told him about.”

  “She still misses my dad. I’m not sure she’ll ever get remarried.”

  “My dad misses my mother, too, but being alone for the rest of your life when there’s someone who you care for that wants to be with you, that’s crazy. She needs to move on.”

  “That’s one of the reasons why I’m not going back to school.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The moving on part. She does need to move on, and I’m going to help her do it.”

  Luke was silent for a moment. “Am I missing something here? I get the feeling you’re holding something back.”

  Jenny shook her head. She wasn’t about to tell him that her life was in ruins and moving on could mean moving away from the home she had always loved. “No. Just that she needs me now and I’m going to be here for her.”

  Again, Luke just stared at her. “Do you not like my dad?”

  “Your dad’s a great guy. Of course I like him. I always have.”

  “Sounds like you might be trying to break them up or something.”