Page 26 of Single Mom’s Mountain Men (Mountain Men Reverse Harem #1)

Patty

D inner was an interesting affair. The girls were distracted by the dog – now named Wiley after his cartoon coyote ancestor.

He was curled up asleep in an old log basket that Charlie had dug out from God knows where and lined with an ancient pillow wrapped in an old towel.

His bowl of chopped up turkey and potatoes was only half finished, but his belly swelled with satisfaction.

He both looked and smelled a lot better after his wound had been carefully but thoroughly examined, and then the whole dog had been washed, rinsed clean and dried by Doctor Charlie with Nurses Maddie and Katie in anxious attendance.

Charlie had made Mitch hold the dog tightly in place whilst he sewed up the one nasty tear where his leg had been badly cut by the rabbit trap.

The dog had whimpered and struggled but to give him his due, he’d never once tried to bite either Charlie or Mitch.

The leg was badly bruised, but didn’t seem to be actually broken, so with luck he’ll make a complete recovery fairly quickly.

Of course, Maddie and Kate couldn’t take their eyes off him and both of them had cried when Charlie had put the stitches in, but now they were just excited about the new member of the family and wanted to go eat with him, but I made them stay put and finish their dinner.

"You can play with him tomorrow when he's rested," I told them. "Now eat, and then off to bed."

They pouted but ultimately they acquiesced, making sure to kiss each man on the cheek before they rushed to their room.

Additionally, there’s an interesting energy between Wes and Charlie.

They keep sharing glances and these aren't angry glances as usual. They are... questioning almost? Preparatory? Almost as if they’re conspiring together, which obviously cannot be the case.

It's hard to describe it, but there’s definitely something going on.

After everyone retires to their rooms, I stay behind to do some light cleaning. I’m wiping down the table when Wes sticks his head through the kitchen doorway.

“Hey,” he says, all traces of his earlier annoyance disappeared. “Can I talk to you in my room for a second?”

“Sure.” I drop the rag into the sink and wash my hands, wiping them dry on a towel before walking to him. “Hey about the dog, I’m sorry I didn’t back you. If you want I can go tell Mitch…”

“Nah it’s fine.” He even smiles to prove he has no hard feelings. He looks in a better mood than he has all week, which is odd because I could have sworn he was upset just hours ago. “You and the kids like the dog?”

“Um… yeah I guess.” I used to want a dog when I was younger, but my foster mother didn’t care for dogs, and after I was on my own I could barely afford my own bills, never mind taking care of another living thing.

And when the girls told me they wanted a dog, Keegan made it clear that it would never happen.

"I don’t need some rodent dirtying up my house," he had said. "We have a linen sofa, Patty. I can't believe you would even ask me that."

I had put it out of my mind and never asked him again, but the idea of having a dog never truly left me.

Maybe because to me, having a dog was a pinnacle of the American family dream.

Whenever I watched sitcoms there was always a dog, a loyal thing that would love and protect its family no matter what.

Having a pet seems to always unite everyone together.

Maybe, it was that ideal of a complete and happy family unit that I liked so much.

But I don't want to impose my dreams on this family and make Wes uncomfortable in the process.

“But I’m not insisting we have to keep the dog just because my daughters and I happen to want one.”

“I kinda think we do,” Wes comments wryly. “My brothers are goners for your daughters. I think they would sooner kick me out than get rid of that dog.”

“They wouldn’t.” Now, I feel even worse. “Seriously, if it bothers you I’ll tell Mitch that we don’t want to keep the dog. The girls would understand that taking care of an animal is a huge responsibility to put on someone, and the fact that this isn’t their house...”

“I already told you I’m not bothered by it,” he chuckles. “I’m not a fan of dogs but it’s not like I hate them. Besides, I’m a goner for your daughters too, and I don’t want to do anything that might upset them even a little bit. The dog is staying and that’s final.”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my lips “Thank you.”

His eyes drop to my lips for a spell before his lips curl. “You hold onto that gratitude.”

I cock my head. Before I can ask him what he means by that, we reach his room and he holds the door open for me. I enter and then pause when I find we’re not alone. Charlie is there, lounging on a chair by the opposite wall next to Wes’ bed.

“Charlie?” I hear the door close behind me and glance questioningly at Wes. He has a look on his face that I can’t quite decipher. I turn back to Charlie. “What’s going on?”

Wes’ boots click on the floor as he comes into view. I realize for the first time that he's dressed in a clean, pressed shirt and clean blue denim jeans. And is that a hint of cologne I smell? “Are you going somewhere?”

“I was,” he says. “Because I didn’t feel like staying in my room and moping all night.”

“Moping? About the dog?”

“No.” He grins. “About you.”

"About..." My breath hitches and I blink a few times. “About me?”

"Yes." He takes a few steps closer to me, and even though he’s not as imposing as his brothers, I feel like some of the air is slowly getting sucked out of the room. “You have to have realized Patty that I’m crazy about you.”

Whatever little breath I managed to retain goes whooshing out. I shift back, shaking my head.

“I mean it’s obvious. I think about you all the time.

When we fooled around in my car… I have to tell you that's one of the hottest encounters I've ever had. I dream about it. A lot. I think about it an unhealthy amount of time every single day. I'm jacking off so much I fear I'll go blind. This is weird for me, Patty. I'm not really the type to fantasize about one woman, but you've consumed my thoughts entirely...” His gaze darkens as my back hits the wall. He props his hand on the wall above my head. “I want you fiercely Patty. I thought it was something that would go away if I ignored it, or if I headed out to Cockrey’s and got blind drunk and got off with so me local girl, but it doesn’t look like it will. I don’t feel like trying to get rid of it at this point. I’ve decided to just give into the madness and stop fighting it so damn hard.”

A breath passes through my lips as he leans down. He’s blocking my view of Charlie now but I can’t forget he’s there, watching us. Watching his brother say that he’s apparently crazy about me.

As much as Wes’ words are frying my brain, I can’t help but think about why he's saying this in front of his brother.

And then Wes answers my questions before I can ask.

“The only problem with this scenario is, that my brother wants you too, as fiercely as I do. And he’s not willing to back down.

" He gestures behind him and his eyes drop to my lips again.

"I could keep fighting him for you, but I've decided not to. I think ultimately, our fighting is going to hurt you and as irritating as he is, I don’t want to hurt him either by keeping you all to myself.

" He smiles slowly, wicked heat gleaming in his gaze.

"Charlie's lucky that I’ve never been the selfish type anyway.

I've always been good at sharing and I don't want to force you to choose between the two of us. "

“What are you saying?” My words are breathless from the combination of Wes’ gaze, Charlie’s proximity, and the nature of our conversation.

“I’m saying that it doesn’t have to be one or the other,” Wes whispers, licking his lips while staring at mine. “You can have both of us, together if you want. And in that way, we can both have you.”

“That’s…” A foolish idea. It’s scandalous. Deviant. Totally unacceptable.

And so utterly titillating.

Already the images fill my head of the three of us together. Wes kissing me. Charlie is sucking my nipples. Wes' cock in my mouth with Charlie pushing into my pussy .

Oh God, the two of them together would drive me to the very pinnacles of ecstasy. It would drive me out of my mind with passion.

It would be insane, but insanely good . The thought is making my body heat up, my nipples pucker, my pussy dampening.

My next breath hits Wes right on the lips.

Still, I have to maintain some decorum. I have to think with my head and not with my quivering pussy.

“Wes, this is a very twisted thing you're proposing,” I tell him, trying to keep the desire out of my voice. “You can't just come up with it and then drag me and Charlie to–"

“I’m not dragging poor Charlie into anything. It might surprise you to know that he's the one who proposed it in the first place.”

Now that shocks me. My eyes widen as Wes shifts so I can gawp at Charlie. “You did?’

Charlie finally peels off the chair, walking to us. When he gets to me, he takes Wes's place, leaning over me, taller by a head.

His eyes are dark and his voice rumbles low. “You’re wet, aren’t you?”

I gasp. “How do you..”

"I can smell it." His voice is like an earthquake thrumming through the air, into my body.

"I want to taste you again, darling. I need to taste you.

" He drops his head to my shoulders, inhaling me and I feel myself shiver.

"I don’t mind at all if you want him too.

I'll give you anything you want, baby. I’m more than happy to share you with Wes, just as long as I can have my share of you too. "

The words dry up in my throat. Any protest disappears as Charlie starts to drop gentle kisses onto my neck.