Finding Home (12 page)

Andy couldn’t seem to stop shaking her head. In fact it felt like her whole body was shaking. What was her mother saying? What were they doing?

“Your father is entering into hospice,” Claire said, and Andy didn’t know if her mother was shaking or if she was shaking her mother where she still held her hand so tightly.

“Hospice?” Chloe asked.

“It is a way for him to die with dignity in his own home, surrounded by the people and things that mean so much to him. It is what he wants,” she looked up at glanced back and forth between her daughters. “He wants this. He needs this. To be with us and to be at home in his room when the end comes.”

“What about pain?” Andy asked. “Will he be suffering a lot?”

“No. They will manage his pain right up to the end,” Claire promised.

“And will we be limited on how much time we can spend with him?” Chloe asked.

“No,” Claire said with another smile. “That is another reason to go with hospice. There are no visiting hours to restrict our time with him. He’ll have a nurse who will come check on him as well as help us. We can call her when we need to, and she will answer any questions that we have.”

They clung to each other as they all dealt with just what this meant. Their dad, husband, grandfather was dying. Death could come quickly or gradually over the days, weeks and months to come. Somehow they would all have to find the courage to face what the future held, a way to put on a brave face for the man who meant so much to them.

“I have to make a call,” Andy said but couldn’t seem to make herself move from the table.

“I’ve already called Carmen,” Claire said softly. “She’ll be here sometime this evening.” She looked at Andy, and Andy could see the deep sorrow in her mother’s eyes. “She’ll probably want to stay at her house, Andy. But I’m hoping to convince her to stay here at the house for a while.”

Andy shook her head. Whatever it was that had kept her Aunt from coming home was being put aside while they all banded together to deal with this new hand that fate had dealt them.

“I’ll make sure the room is ready for her,” Andy said.

“You could move in here for now as well,” her mother said.

Andy shook her head and smiled softly as she thought of Jordan and Jackson. They were going to be getting their wish a little sooner than she had planned. “I’ll be staying somewhere close by. Very close.”

Claire smiled. “I’m not sure that I want to know right now just where you’ll be.” Andy could tell that her mother had an idea already. “I just want you to be happy, honey. That is all I have ever wanted for both of my daughters. Happiness and love.”

Andy left her chair and knelt beside her mother’s. Chloe did the same on the other side, and as one they wrapped their arms around each other and held tight as tears flowed and hearts broke. Cancer, that vicious disease that attacked so indiscriminately, was claiming another soul. And another family was falling apart as they lost the fight to survive.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Those were the words that kept going through Andy’s mind. As well as knowledge that with every ending there came a beginning. She was losing her dad, but she was gaining Jordan and Jackson. Not a trade. But a gift nonetheless. One she was more grateful for every moment she packed.

It hadn’t taken long. She hadn’t brought that much with her. So within a half hour, she had her things back in the cases and ready to transfer to her car and then to the ranch where her two men were. Maybe she should have called and warned them that she was heading over for good. But honestly, she was anticipating the look on their faces when she showed up on their doorstep. It was the one bright spot in her day right now.

She was just checking to make sure that there was nothing left in the fridge that would spoil when the back door opened and her Aunt Carmen entered the room. With a cry, she was across the room and in her aunt’s arms. They held tight, both crying and shaking. This was not the reunion that Andy thought they would eventually have.

“I’m so glad that you’re here, Aunt Carmen,” Andy whispered as they finally broke apart and moved towards the kitchen table.

“Of course I’m here, Andrea,” Carmen said looking all around her. Andy wondered just how long it had been since her Aunt had been back to this place.

“Too long,” Carmen said as if answering Andy’s thoughts. “I’ve been running away from here for way too long. It was time for me to come home anyway. I have my own ghosts to lay to rest.”

“I’m here if you need me,” Andy told her.

“I’ll be fine, chica,” Carmen said. “But we can lean on each other. How is Joseph?”

“He was still sleeping when I left. But I gather that Mom went over everything with you. The cancer? And the decision to stop treatment and enter hospice?”

“Yes,” Carmen nodded and her eyes filled with fresh tears. “Of course he would want to stay strong as long as he can. Cancer can be such a vicious bitch.”

“Yes, it can,” Andy agreed.

Carmen glanced at the cases that Andy had set out.

“I’ve cleared my stuff out so that you can stay here if you want,” Andy told her.

“Andy where will you be?” Carmen asked her. “At your parents’ house?”

“No,” Andy said, and Carmen narrowed her eyes and looked at her hard.

“Then where will you be?” Carmen asked.

“Aunt Carmen, I’m a big girl,” Andy started. “I’m going to be staying at the ranch that borders Dad’s. Close enough that I’ll be able to get there very quickly when I need to.”

“And who lives next door, Andy?” Carmen wanted to know. Her aunt was like a pit-bull. Andy shook her head and laughed.

“If you must know, it’s where Jordan has been for the last year,” Andy stated. “With his brother.”

“So you and Jordan are back together?” Carmen looked delighted at the thought.

“Well, yes,” Andy agreed glad that she could talk to her aunt about anything. “But it is a little more complicated than that.”

“What do you mean complicated?” Carmen demanded, going right into protective mode. “This is what you want? To be with Jordan?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Andy confirmed. “But I’m also with his brother Jackson. We’re kind of all together.”

“A ménage? With brothers?” Carmen’s grin turned wicked. “Andy, you bad girl!”

“Aunt Carmen,” Andy laughed. “Even better, they are twins.”

“A man identical to Jordan? Oh, you lucky girl,” Carmen sighed.

“No, not identical twins,” Andy said. “But just as fantastic. You’ll meet Jackson. I’m just not sure how Mom and Dad and Chloe will deal with all this on top of everything else.”

“Ah, so you don’t plan on hiding this,” Carmen commented with a nod.

“No,” Andy confirmed. “I’m done hiding, running, and denying. I’m looking forward to seeing where this ménage relationship might lead. I still love Jordan, and I’m almost there with Jackson as well.”

“Oh, Andy,” Carmen reached across and took Andy’s hands in hers. “I’m so happy for you. At least there is a lining in this black cloud.”

“Aunt Carmen, I want you to know that I am here if you ever need anyone to talk to,” Andy told her squeezing her aunt’s hands with hers. “I don’t know why you have stayed away from here, what your ghosts are. But I’m here if and when you need me.”

“Thank you, chica. I know that,” Carmen sighed. “But some things can only be dealt with on your own.”

Andy nodded and just held tight to her aunt’s hands. Whatever it was, it had kept her aunt away for long enough. But she had no doubts that they would all band together as a family and be there for each other. Aunt Carmen might feel that she needed to deal with it on her own, but she would definitely not be alone.

Andy wasn’t surprised to see both Jordan and Jackson head towards her car when she pulled up. They’d had to let her in at the gate. Who had a guard at their gate in this part of Texas? Must have to do with the club they were building. She was just lucky that she was let right in with no questions asked. It was kind of nice. The hunk on duty had called her ma’am and tipped his hat at her. Living here would have more perks than she imagined.

And two of them were heading her way right now.

Jackson
opened her car door and held his hand out to help her exit the car. How chivalrous of him. It made her smile and wonder what other little surprises she would notice as their relationship grew.

“We were just plotting on how to get you out here, and here you are, right on our doorstep,” Jordan said with that slow, easy smile of his. When she thought of what he had done for his brother, it made her heart glad. He was a good man, better than even she had imagined.

She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Jordan and hugging him tight.

“What was that for?” he asked, hugging her back. “Not that I’m complaining. I just want to make sure that I keep doing it.”

She grinned up at him. “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “You will.”

She turned back to Jackson and pulled him close too so that she was sandwiched between the two men. “Hmmm…” she murmured. “My favourite position.”

Both men laughed, and she could definitely feel the excitement building behind their zippers. She couldn’t wait to get inside and build it even higher. She’d never seen the actual house. That would be interesting.

“Where does Cole live?” she asked making them laugh again.

“In the building over there,” Jackson said pointing in front of her towards a one story house that sat back a little further. As she looked, she noticed the drive continued around to Cole’s house before circling around to the other buildings. Yes, it was going to be nice to live here.

She tossed her keys to Jordan, and he had to release his hold on her to catch them.

 
“What is this for?” he asked.

“My bags are in the back,” she said as she turned to snuggle closer to Jackson’s chest. “I’m here to stay for a while.”

“Hopefully forever,” Jackson whispered against her hair.

“Hopefully,” she agreed and went willingly when Jackson turned and took her hand to lead her towards the door to what would now be her home.

“I’ll just take Andy in and show her around,” Jackson threw over his shoulder at Jordan.

“Make sure that’s all you do without me,” Jordan yelled, and Andy felt her laughter building up again.

The house was beautiful. Jackson led her around showing her the spacious kitchen with the small, comfy table as well as the formal dining room. There were offices downstairs as well as a room for their cook, a lovely little man that she was told she would meet in the morning, making her wonder what she would be doing for dinner. She hoped they planned on feeding her.

The rest was a blur until he took her up the stairs and to the bedroom they would all be using. It looked like they had both just started moving their stuff in as well, and Jordan was already there, her cases on the floor in front of one of the many closets. There were three of them, all walk-ins, and if she wasn’t mistaken that last door led to a master bath that looked heavenly from where she stood. But she would have to check it out later as it seemed they had something else planned first.

Jackson
’s hands were already working on removing her clothes. She stared across at Jordan watching him remove his clothing as he watched Jackson remove hers. There was something about watching Jordan while feeling Jackson’s hands on her that made her even hotter and wetter.

“I can see your nipples from here,” Jordan told her. “Are you wet?”

“Yes,” she whispered, and then cried out as Jackson bent low to slide a finger through her slit.

“Hell, yeah,” he moaned. “She’s slick and ready.” He slid that same finger around to her anus and rimmed it. “And we’ll just make sure that she’s ready for everything.”

She groaned and held tight to his shoulders while he did just that. His finger moved back and forth from her wet cunt to her ass as he lubricated her with her own juices. She was shaking with need when he finally stood to lead her towards the bed that Jordan must have been preparing as Jackson prepared her.

The lube and condoms laid out in easy access on the table beside the bed. And the bed was monstrous. She’d never seen one this large before. It looked bigger than king sized. More than big enough for the three of them to do whatever they wanted.

Jordan
stood beside it and stopped her when she would have moved onto it.

“Let Jackson get on first,” he told her, running his hands up and down her arms. His fingers were whisper soft and his lips were even softer where he bent and brushed them along her throat. She felt those strong fingers rub across her nipples and cried out with need. She wanted him to pinch them, to bite them, to suck them deep into his mouth. She wanted that sharp edge that would push her closer to her own edge of surrender.

Jackson
must have been ready because Jordan moved away and turned her so that she faced the bed where Jackson waited. She climbed on and straddled his legs, moving up until her wet cunt grazed the tip of his bobbing erection. He braced one hand on her hip to hold her up and with the other guided his cock through her slit, coating the condom that covered him with her juices.