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Bridget lifted her hands to her breasts. Cupping them. Holding them up as she played with her nipples.

It was quite a show. Matt couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was a seductress, sexy as hell.

“Goddammit, that’s hot, Bridget.” Mark’s voice sounded rough, almost pained. “I’m going to come now. Jesus. I’m coming.”

Bridget smiled as the first drops of Mark’s come hit her stomach, then the tips of her breasts. His brother was decorating her delicate skin with pearls and Bridget accepted each one with genuine pleasure.

When the last of Mark’s offering fell, so did he. His brother collapsed on the other side of their city angel, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. Mark placed several soft kisses on her cheek.

“Spend the night with us,” Matt said, silently praying she would say yes. There was no way he could let her go back to New York yet. Maybe not ever. “Stay with us tonight.”

She looked at him, then nodded. “I’d like that.”

Matt moved closer, resting his arm along her stomach, parallel to his brother’s. Together the two of them held her, sheltered her. It felt perfect. They were an ideal union of three, and it was right.

Chapter 7

As they pulled up to the house, Bridget tried to suppress her giddy grin. She was riding in the middle of a pickup truck—a pickup, for God’s sake—between the two handsome twin cowboys who’d just rocked her world. She wasn’t sure how she could be so incredibly happy while living in the midst of a nightmare, but there it was. Pure happiness.

They walked into the house together. Matt held her hand as Mark lightly wrapped his arm around her waist. She wasn’t sure how to explain it, but no matter what they did, they fit.

Rodney rose from the couch as they entered the living room. Bridget knew instantly he had news. From the look on his face, she suspected she wouldn’t like it. Jacob walked from the kitchen with two beers in his hand.

“Hey guys. We weren’t sure when you would be back. Rodney just got here and wanted to go out looking for you. I convinced him to have a cold one and hang out instead. How was the picnic?”

“Great,” Matt said, lifting the empty basket. “That beer looks pretty good. You want one, Bridge?”

She nodded, though her gaze kept drifting back to Rodney. She needed to find a way to get him alone. “Do you mind if I go visit Jewel?”

“Not at all,” Mark said. “I can go with you if you’d like.”

“Actually, I thought maybe Rodney would want to come. I’ve been meaning to introduce them.”

Rodney stepped forward quickly. “Yeah, I’d like that. All she talks about is this horse.”

When it looked like Mark would offer to tag along, Bridget tried to cut him off at the pass. “You know, I’m kind of cold. Do you think Jessie would mind if I borrowed one of her sweatshirts?”

Mark shook his head. “I doubt it. Why don’t I go get it and I’ll meet you two in the stable?”

“Sounds great.” Bridget hastily grabbed Rodney’s hand and tugged him toward the door. As they stepped into the yard, she looked at him. “Talk fast.”

“I think I found Ellen.”

“Oh my God. Really? Where is she? Can we talk to her?”

Rodney reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of newspaper. “I tore this out of today’s paper.”

It was an obituary for Ellen Updyke. Bridget looked at the name for several moments.

Rodney couldn’t resist pointing out the obvious. “Up. Ellen.”

Bridget nodded. “That’s her. I remember that name. God. I’m such an idiot. One night we were talking about our families. Lyle mentioned his godmother. I made some stupid joke about it being a rather unfortunate name. I forgot.”

“Lyle must have remembered the joke.”

A horrible thought crossed Bridget’s mind. “Oh my God. Was she killed?”

Rodney shook his head. “No. She was old. Eighty-three. According to this, she had a heart attack.”