“Fuck,” Shannon cursed.
“My sentiments exactly.”
“And you’re not going to tell me what you found, are you?”
Jaycee picked up a handful of potato chips and started eating them, one at a time. “Nope.”
“Bitch,” Shannon mumbled. Grabbing a can from the counter next to her, Shannon popped the top and took a drink of the cool liquid. After only a couple of sips, she came up with the perfect solution—Sarah.
Sitting her drink down, Shannon smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Oh,” she breathed. “Now I feel stupid. We need to talk to Sarah. She spends a lot of time with Katie-Anne, and she’ll know everything. She is one of those people. You know what I’m talking about? She is the person that everyone tells everything. She probably knows all the dirty secrets in Serenity. It’s a gift, and she doesn’t even know she has it.”
“No shit,” Jaycee replied. “Since she has been spending time with us, she’s weaseled more secrets out of me than I’m willing to admit.”
Shannon raised her eyebrow. “Oh really? Ones that Katie-Anne and I don’t know?”
“Hell no,” Jaycee shot back. “I tell the two of you everything you ever wanted to know and a hell of a lot more. It’s just different with Sarah somehow. You, me, and Katie-Anne have been friends for all of our lives. That is not the case with Sarah. Yet she fits right into our little friendship ménage, and we are sharing our deepest, darkest secrets with her. It’s just strange.”
“True,” Shannon said. “Just remember that it is a good strange, especially now. We can talk to her and find out what the hell is wrong with Katie-Anne.”
Cocking her head to the side, Jaycee gave Shannon an amused look. “Do you really think I haven’t tried that already? Our newfound friend keeps her lips sealed. I had her over last night, and she said nothing. I tried everything I could think of. She wasn’t even bribable with chocolate.”
“Maybe you didn’t try hard enough,” Shannon said. “When she gets here, I’ll corner her, and you can help. Two or more against one always works with the men around here. I think it is high time the girls try it.”
Jaycee shook her head. “That won’t work. Sarah isn’t coming tonight.”
“Well, there goes that plan, damn it.” Picking up her can, Shannon lifted the drink to her mouth then paused and lowered it again. “Wait. Why isn’t Sarah going to be here?”
Rolling her eyes, Jaycee said, “Duh. She thought Deke and Adam would be here, even though I told her they wouldn’t be since they had some work to do.”
“Ohhh,” Shannon drawled. “They haven’t left town yet, and she is still hiding from them.”
“Yeah,” Jaycee replied. “After they threatened to spank her for risking her life to help us, she won’t go near them. It’s kind of funny. The girl is submissive, but she runs from the Doms that she has the hots for.” Snagging a lone carrot off one of the trays, Jaycee munched away. In between nibbles, she added, “Granted, Sarah is completely innocent, and those two men would intimidate a call girl.”
With a giggle, Shannon muttered, “No comment.”
The room grew quiet, both of them sitting together in companionable silence. After what seemed like a lifetime, Shannon said, “We have to figure something out about Katie-Anne.”
“I know,” Jaycee replied quietly.
Shannon lifted her Coca-Cola can to her mouth a second time and drank from it, sucking the liquid down in giant gulps.
Damn, I’m thirsty.
Sauntering into the kitchen with his brothers behind him, Randy zeroed in on the bag of chips lying on the counter and smirked. “Yum. I
love
potato chips. What about you, baby doll?”
Shannon choked, sputtering and spitting Coca-Cola all over herself. “Well, hell.”
“Oh no,” Jaycee cried as she lurched from her stool. “Let me get you something to wipe that—”
All three of the men in the room snapped, “No.”
“I see,” Jaycee said with an odd smile. “I think I hear Gray calling for me.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Shannon commented distractedly as she put her drink down. Grabbing a napkin, she began to wipe the sticky fluid from her face, neck, chest, and clothes.
“U–u–ugh,” Jaycee stammered as she hauled ass for the door. “Yeah. I’ve got to go now, but I’ll be back soon for all the juicy details.”
In a daze, Shannon glanced up at Jaycee. “Huh? Am I missing something?”
“Jaycee Elizabeth,” Jared said sharply, a distinct order in his tone. “Go.”
“Enjoy your
potato chips,
” Jaycee murmured with a snicker then fled the kitchen.
Shannon shook her head. “What? Does she seriously think I’m going to fuck you three in here with everyone in the other room?”
I probably would.
She snorted.
There’s no probably to it. I would totally fuck them with people in earshot.
“Forget I asked.”
“Here let me help you with that,” Jared said as he snagged a handful of napkins and started patting her shirt and skin, too.
“Is anyone else hungry?” Randy asked. “I want some potato chips.”
Personally, I could use a nice salty snack, but I don’t want the kind that comes out of a bag.
Drew didn’t give anyone a chance to respond before offering politely, “I’ll get some from the pantry.”
“You don’t need to go anywhere,” Shannon told Drew. “There are some right here.”
Drew ignored her, crossing the room to the pantry and opening the door. He rummaged around inside before pulling something out. “I thought you might want to try a new brand of potato chips.”
“It’s wasteful to open a new bag when we haven’t finished this one,” she fussed as she pointed at the nearly full bag. “Most kinds of potato chips are a dime a dozen. Now, me, on the other hand…”
“Just try these,” Drew demanded and tossed her the bag.
Pushing Jared’s hands away in time, Shannon caught the green bag. She ripped it open then pulled out a plain-looking chip. Flipping over the deep fried potato slice, she inquired, “What’s so special about
this
kind
?
”
A knock at the front door prohibited anyone from speaking. Curious to see if it was Katie-Anne, Shannon jumped off the stool and took off down the hallway. By the time Shannon got to the entryway, Jaycee had already opened the door and walked out onto the porch.
“Is that Katie-Anne?” Shannon asked. Stepping behind Jaycee, she spotted her other best friend, and her worry morphed to anger. She’d been scared that something was wrong, and Katie-Anne had the balls to show up like this. From the top of her coiffed hair to the tips of her designer stilettos, she looked as though she’d stepped out of a fashion magazine.
“Where in the hell have you been?” Shannon demanded to know. “You are over two hours late!” She realized that she sounded more like an irate parent than a friend, but it didn’t matter. Her mama bear was pissed at her cub, and there was no stopping a mama bear in full-on protective mode.
“I am?” Katie-Anne asked, her brow furrowing in obvious confusion. She glanced down at her Rolex then back up again. “I must have lost track of time. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” Shannon snapped and put her hands on her hips. “We were worried.”
“I’m sorry, Shan,” Katie-Anne said then peered around Jaycee and Shannon into the house. “So where’s everyone?”
“They’re all in the man cave,” Shannon replied with a huff.
“Come in,” Jaycee said. Moving aside, she let Katie-Anne inside the house, just as cheers erupted in the den. “If you can’t tell, they’re watching the end of the Titans and Colts game.”
With a snort, Katie-Anne joined them in the foyer. “Sounds like Gray isn’t going to be happy with his husband tonight,” she commented offhandedly. “He
loathes
football.”
Jaycee shut the front door. “Gray got an early Christmas present from Cade, so he’s in a really good mood,” she said with a slightly knowing, certainly sinful smile.
Recognizing that look, Shannon snapped, “Don’t ask,” at Katie-Anne before she made a snide comment. “You do not want to know. Besides, I’m not in the mood to listen to you bitch about your best friend fucking your
virginal
”—she quit speaking to make an air quote gesture before continuing on—“brother and your
virginal
”—she stopped a second time to make more air quotes—“brother-in-law.”
“Shan,” Katie-Anne said then paused to get something out of her pocket. Pulling out a gift-wrapped square box, she handed it to Shannon. “Here’s your birthday present.”
Immediately, Shannon could tell that the small box had jewelry in it. If she guessed, it was probably a pair of earrings. Knowing Katie-Anne’s taste, it would be gorgeous, no matter what it was. Even though she was still upset, her curiosity overwhelmed her.
“Oh! I love presents. What is it? I’ll bet it’s good,” Shannon said as she ripped at the paper and revealed a hand-carved wooden box. “You always buy the best presents.”
Shannon lifted the lid and gasped as she spotted exactly what she’d expected—gorgeous earrings. Only gorgeous didn’t cover these. With the letters S and D intertwined inside tiny tiaras dangling from silver chains, they were indescribable and obviously expensive.
Admiring the jewelry, Shannon noticed the infamous TL Jacobsen’s logo had been scrawled on the lid by hand.
Oh shit. TL Jacobsen personally designed earrings for me.
Shannon’s eyes misted over, and she willed away the tears. “They’re beautiful,” she said. “But I’m not a Dalton—”
“Yet,” Katie-Anne interjected.
Her best friend had a point. It was only a matter of time before her name was Shannon Dalton. She might as well admit aloud what everyone else already knew. With a nod, Shannon smiled and conceded, “Yet.”
More cheers came from the den along with a couple of shouts of “Touchdown!” followed by a curse. Then the door to the den opened, and Shane walked out. “Is that Katie-Anne?” he asked before he even looked their way.
Jackass.
Shannon’s irritation with Shane couldn’t be held back. Something had happened in Tennessee, and she didn’t like the effect it had on Katie-Anne one damn bit. Not a person to hide her feelings any longer, Shannon said curtly, “I just asked the same thing.”
“Well, here I am, Shane,” Katie-Anne sneered when he joined them.
Damn
. Katie-Anne’s antagonism came out of nowhere. It bothered Shannon to see her best friend like this. But, at the same time, it might be good for Katie-Anne to feel something even if it was only anger.
That doesn’t mean I have to like it…or him, right now.
“Good,” Shane snapped. “The girls were worried about you.”
“God knows you weren’t worried about me,” Katie-Anne said. Her words were barely audible, but they weren’t soft enough to escape Shannon’s ears. Apparently Shane hadn’t missed them, either. He grabbed Katie-Anne’s elbow then started pulling her away.
For a second, Shannon contemplated stopping him then she thought better of it. Katie-Anne had to deal with this.
She
had to, not Shannon or Jaycee. Now Shannon just needed to convince her mama bear of that fact.
With a deep, cleansing breath, she waved at Katie-Anne then walked away regretfully.
Shannon and Jaycee headed for the room filled with their cheering and cursing men. Just as they crossed the threshold, Landon asked, “Do you guys have anything to eat?”
“Sure,” Jared said quickly. Looking over at her, his eyes caressed her face as if they were touching her very skin. “Princess, do you mind grabbing the bag of chips from the kitchen?”
Flashing Jared what she hoped was a naughty grin, Shannon said in the sexiest voice she could produce, “Why don’t you come and help me? I’m sure they have more than one kind.” Licking her lips as slowly and seductively as possible, she murmured, “You know how indecisive I am.”
“Nope,” Jaycee piped up with an ear-to-ear grin. “We only have one kind.”
Rather than wipe the smile of Jaycee’s face like she wanted to, Shannon playfully pushed her friend on the shoulder. “I want the special kind,” she told her.
“Oh,” Jaycee said in her lame actress voice, sounding overly innocent. “Jared, she wants the special kind. You know which one’s I’m talking about, right?” Winking at Shannon boldly, Jaycee clarified, “I mean the ones that involve you eating and her coming.”
“Jaycee, shut up,” Shannon snapped, but her three men’s simultaneous groans drowned her out.
Before she could repeat herself, Drew snarled, “You did
not
tell our sister about one of our favorite potato chips.”
Jaycee snorted, but Shannon’s gasp covered it.
Oh, hell no. I had to have heard him wrong, unless he wants me to bite off his dick next time I’m sucking on it.
Needing to find out what Drew had actually said, Shannon asked, “Did you just say
one of
?” Without giving him a chance to answer or defend himself, she growled. “I better be your fucking favorite, asshole!”
Drew stood to his full height, which should have intimidated Shannon, but it didn’t. Hell, his whole demeanor at the moment made her horny. With a smile, she turned on her heel and ran.