Page 45 of Puck Me, Baby

He sighed, seemingly curling into himself. “Even now that you’re married?”

I huffed. “I think especially now. They’d be able to rationalize that I did it as a favor to you so that the heat stayed off the three of you. I think they’d actually appreciate thinking we concocted a fake marriage rather than it being a drunken spur of the moment decision.”

“Jacques has always been scared that the more people who know, the more likely it will slip out.”

“And Trav?”

“He’s afraid of losing them. His parents…. I’ll let him tell you about them. But Sophia and Pierre took him under their wing. We’re both like other sons to them. He doesn’t want to risk disappointing them.”

“They were awful. My parents,” Trav interjected from behind us.

I startled, not having realized he was there.

“I love Sophia and Pierre. They’ve been better parents to me than my own, that’s for sure.” Trav sighed and sat down on my other side.

Instinctively I reached for him, interlacing our fingers.

“They were abusive. My father got drunk and violent. My mother just didn’t care. She abused whatever she could get her hands on. My sister and I got taken into care when she was nearly ready to age out. I was sixteen.”

“Oh God,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

His smile was tight. “I don’t have any contact with them anymore. My sister uses too. I’ve tried to help, but she won’t accept it. Sophia and Pierre are the closest people to parents that I have.”

Before I could second-guess myself, I spoke. I didn’t even know what solidified my decision, but now that I’d made it, I wanted them to know.

“I don’t want any money from Jacques. I don’t want to take this from you.” I gestured to the property and the homestead. “I’ll sign whatever he wants me to sign. I’ll stay for as long as we’re all comfortable with me here.”

Trav hugged me and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

Lincoln knocked his shoulder into mine. “Good,” he said.

I hoped I didn’t regret my decision. For his sake and mine.

seventeen

Carina

Thedoorbellchimedthroughthe house, and Jacques lifted his head off Lincoln’s lap. He eased himself up from his spot on the outdoor sofa and headed inside.

“Hey, man,” he greeted as he opened the door and waved to me, beckoning me over.

I went inside as Jacques gestured for the people to come in. The man was holding a tray, the woman a couple of bottles of wine.

“Carina, this is Carter and Sarah Hewitt. Hewitt, Hux, and I are on the front line.”

I looked like a complete mess. Wearing leggings and a short flowy dress with my hair in a messy bun atop my head, I wasn’t even remotely stylish. Compared to Sarah, I looked like I’d just woken up. But I bit back my self-consciousness and said, “Hi, nice to meet you.”

We had the firepit going and were comfortable on the outdoor sofas, listening to music. The playlist I’d chosen was Aussie bands from the seventies, eighties, and nineties—Cold Chisel, Crowded House, Midnight Oil, and The Living End. Travis was firmly in the country-music-or-die fan club, and Jacques and Lincoln were easy, happy listening to whatever we wanted.

Hewitt and Sarah acted at home in the house. They’d clearly been here before. Hewitt went straight for the oven and slid the tray inside while Jacques turned it on. Sarah popped the bottles into the refrigerator. then hugged me.

“It’s so good to meet you. We thought Jacques would be a bachelor forever,” she said with a smile.

“Yeah, well.” I shrugged and smiled, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Jacques really had forced all three of them into the closet. It broke my heart that he’d had to do that. Now, they were celebrating me coming along in complete ignorance of his other partners.

“Congratulations,” Hewitt said, wrapping me in a hug and startling me out of my thoughts. “Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you,” I replied with a smile.