Authors: Elle Saint James
Even though this job as caretakers of the DRMC property for this first season was a temporary situation. Eventually they’d move back to their own ranch up north in Montana. He wondered if that would be a problem. They still had a little more than a year here, but Colorado wasn’t exactly their home forever. Unless Stella didn’t want to go. For the first time in his life, Dominick decided that he’d be willing to consider staying, if that was what she wanted.
“You know, if you’d told me a week ago I was considering a permanent relationship with even one man, I would have laughed in your face. Now I can’t imagine not being with the two of you.”
Tyler kissed her lips as if to seal the suggested future between them all. Dominick, energy partially restored, also kissed her. Perhaps after dinner they could discuss what might happen next. He was surprised to discover he wanted commitment. With their lives on hold being caretakers, he hadn’t even considered the idea of finding someone perfect to share with Tyler. The old adage of finding what you want when you stop looking certainly applied here.
An hour later, the three of them had taken a quick shower and returned to the kitchen to find Clay sitting alone on a stool at the island with a cup of coffee in hand.
“When did you get back?” Dominick asked.
“About an hour ago.”
“Hi, Clay,” Stella said from behind him. She moved around and leaned on the island with her elbows.
“Hey, Stella.” He sipped his cup once and then asked, “Is your bitchy boss behaving, or do I need to explain to her what overprotective bodyguards are all about?”
Stella expelled a long sigh. “Oh, you know, Claudia is always going to be Claudia. She rarely changes. Today she was very interested in Dominick when he stopped by, though. Perhaps you should make yourself available as a bodyguard for him as well.”
Clay laughed out loud as Tyler piped up to ask, “You went by her workplace?”
Dominick nodded once in Tyler’s direction. “Yep. I had the estimate for her car. And I invited her here tonight so you wouldn’t be such a petulant child and continue your bad mood any longer.”
“Thank you,” Clay said, clearly happy Tyler wasn’t moping around. “If I had to hear one more reality show I was going to find a very big gun and take out the flat screen. And I love that flat screen.” He turned to Stella. “He’s been a like a little sad, lonely puppy since you left. Seriously, it’s embarrassing.”
Stella reached out to stroke Tyler’s hand. “I’m glad I could cheer you up.”
Tyler took her hand, lifted it to his lips gently, and kissed her knuckles. “You could really cheer me up by moving here. I think you should quit your job with the bitch and come here to be our chef.”
“Sorry, lover, I need a paycheck.” Stella’s mood had shifted to serious and Tyler hadn’t noticed. She pulled her hand from his grasp.
“We could pay you,” he insisted, apparently not understanding her independent streak, as if the lack of a mere paycheck that was the only problem she faced. Dominick knew better than to push her. She needed to figure things out for herself.
“Calm down, Tyler or she’ll have me clock you one.” Clay sent him a sharp look. He understood. Dominick also sent Tyler a look that told him to shut it. A confused look crossed his features briefly, followed by one of sudden understanding and contrition. He finally dropped the subject of her employment as chef. “Sorry. I was only thinking of myself.”
“It’s okay.” Stella walked over to the refrigerator much like she had on her first day in their kitchen. “So what’s available to cook anyway? I’m getting a bit hungry. I guess I should have asked if food was included in the evening plans.”
Dominick followed her. “You don’t really have to cook. Clay can whip something up for us.”
Clay flipped him off. “I’m not your servant.”
“Well, did you already eat?”
“No. I just came in, realized where you were, made a pot of coffee, and waited.” He took a long sip from his steaming mug.
“Fine.” Dominick crossed his arms. “We’ll just eat whatever you’re making yourself after you finish your coffee.”
“Who says I’m making anything?” Clay slurped his coffee again.
“Please. I was only joking. I’ll make dinner,” Stella insisted. She pulled out a package of chicken breasts and the butter container like she owned the place. “Give me forty minutes or so and some privacy. I’ll put something together.”
Clay’s eyebrows went up as she pulled a couple more items from the refrigerator and piled them on top of the package of chicken cradled in one arm. She wasn’t shy about helping herself to their food stores, which delighted him. He wanted her to feel at home. Wanted her to feel wanted. Dominick suspected Clay was equally delighted not to be the DRMC’s one and only signature chef for a change.
Dominick kissed her cheek. “We’ll be out in the great room if you need anything.”
She nodded without looking at him and headed toward the pantry, still carrying the items she’d snagged from the fridge. She did have particularly good focus when it came to creating meals.
He motioned the other two out of the room. Clay glanced at Stella over one shoulder with a half-smile shaping his lips before sliding off his stool and exiting the room.
Thirty minutes later she’d prepared a mound of crispy fried chicken strips, mashed potatoes with homemade chicken gravy, and a simple green salad tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.
The three of them devoured every crumb of chicken, smear of potato, lick of gravy, and crunch of green in less than half the time it took her to prepare the feast.
She then went to the freezer and pulled out some chocolate chip ice cream cookie sandwiches she’d whipped together for an after-dinner treat.
Clay took one bite of it and said, “You’re hired. I relinquish my manly apron of completely inadequate cooking to you with great glee.”
“I’m glad you liked everything.”
“You should know that I was ready to hire you at my first bite of mashed potato. I only waited in order to be polite and not talk with my mouth full, which didn’t happen until there wasn’t anything left to shove in my mouth. Seriously, awesome food.”
“Thanks, Clay.”
They lingered over coffee late into the evening, sharing stories and laughing. They talked about their lives. What had brought them to this time and place. She’d lost her mother a year before, and was pretty all alone in the world, but didn’t feel sorry for herself. She was a fighter.
Stella spent the night snuggled between the two of them in Tyler’s oversized bed. Even though they didn’t make love again, he felt closer to her than ever before. He thought about his coming trip up north to their Montana property. If he didn’t absolutely have to go early next week at the latest, Dominick knew he’d gladly stay behind and court Stella to ensure she understood their desires. They wanted her. He wanted her.
She got up with the dawn and made them cinnamon cake before she left for work. She didn’t however, promise to ever come back. He sensed her hesitancy to make a permanent life with them. Dominick wouldn’t push her, but knew she would be perfect for them.
Clay asked Dominick what Claudia’s full name was before they’d gone to bed the night before. He’d seen it on her name tag when she’d interrupted their kiss in her office. So he told Clay her last name was Hart. He also asked for a general description and Dominick gave him that, too. He didn’t know why the information was important, but Clay had his own reasons for much of what he did. Plus, Dominick suspected Clay had a big soft spot for Stella because she cooked for them. More than that, they’d formed a bond, and Dominick knew Clay would keep an eye out for her from now on. That knowledge made the coming trip away easier.
Dominick trusted he wouldn’t do anything he wasn’t supposed to without at least checking with them. Likely he wanted ammunition in case he had to go up and pretend to be her overprotective cousin.
Dominick decided to ask Stella to stay the weekend so they could convince her they were serious before he had to leave.
He couldn’t think of anything more satisfying than knowing she’d be waiting when he returned.
* * * *
As a practical life rule, Clay tried to keep his nose out of other people’s business, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the name of Stella’s bitchy boss. Claudia Hart. Her first name was a bit unusual, but the addition of her last name didn’t even make a tickle of memory come into his mind. Did he know that name? He wasn’t sure. Possibly.
Claudia’s description also seemed very familiar, but he couldn’t bring forth any details from his brain as to why. Perhaps he could dig up some dirt on her, if the elusive memory would eventually come back and present him with a direction to go in, he’d research just in case it was needed.
He certainly didn’t do it because he was feeling “cousinly concern” for the new woman in Dominick and Tyler’s life. Or perhaps he
was
doing it for exactly that reason.
They looked good together, the three of them. Likely they belonged with each other even if
they
hadn’t quite figured it all out yet. As an impartial observer, he noticed the interested and happy light in their eyes when they spoke to each other. He knew Dominick and Tyler hadn’t planned to make Colorado their permanent home, but he wondered if a green-eyed, beautiful blonde was about to change everything for them.
He hoped so. His own love life was fraught with complication, so it was nice to see a trio in the first blush of love. Sappy to be sure, but nice just the same. He admired Dominick and Tyler. They were stand-up guys, and the further friendship they’d forged here at the DRMC ranch these past several months had been meaningful to him. He would be fine if they stayed on instead of eventually moving to Montana.
Clay decided to make a few calls and do a quick and public internet search later on this week. If he didn’t find what he wanted there, he’d do a few not so quick and not so public searches in order to find what he wanted.
He just knew he’d read about or heard about a bitchy woman named Claudia before last night during dinner with Stella. And he didn’t like unsolved mysteries. Especially ones involving beautiful women his good friends were obviously in love with whether they realized it or not.
* * * *
Dominick had left Colorado with trepidation in his heart. Stella had come back the next night, on Friday. At his persuasive request, she then stayed the entire weekend with them. They’d taken her out on the snowmobiles, showed her the property, and had a grand time just being together. While the most recent weekend had been satisfying on many levels, he hated to leave town at this juncture of their tenuous relationship. The conversation had strayed into vague territory regarding a future between the three of them. He sensed that Stella was treading carefully through any talk of permanence without outright turning them down.
While Dominick had wanted to set firmer goals, and while Tyler scouted online for engagement rings, he told himself to cool his jets and tread carefully. Stella was an independent woman. She’d lived on her own and by her own rules for a lengthy time. He admired her tenacious spirit. He’d never crush it.
Tyler, as if sensing her ultimate withdrawal from their tight circle of three, had made last-minute plans for the time Dominick was going to be out of town. He asked her to visit him on Monday for lunch, since her office was so close to the DRMC ranch. Like he didn’t want to let her out of his sight for too long, because she might not come back.
Dominick told him as much right before he’d left for the airport. “Don’t push too hard, or she might bolt.”
Tyler shrugged passively. “It’s just a lunch date.”
“Where you plan to have sex with her if at all possible in the time allotted. Even if it means that she doesn’t get any food to eat.”
“I’ll let her eat. Probably. So what? I adore her, and I sense she’s almost ready to reconsider a future with us. I want to keep our connection firmly in place, even while you’re out of town.”