Illegal, but she could make a case, maybe. The argument started to run through her head. She could just see the judge’s face when she tried to argue that nature really created a woman perfectly to have two husbands. After all, a woman had a couple of places for a penis to go. Darwin. Yes, she would argue pure Darwinism.
“It’s always been this way in Bliss. Back when I was a girl, it was only Fred and Brian and their wife. They ran the Circle G and raised James and Noah, who are now married to Hope. And I can see you already have a whole Supreme Court case planned in your head.”
Her mom knew her well. “It would be a fun argument.”
And really, did it hurt anyone?
What would it be like to be pressed between Jesse and Bare-Chested Ape Man? Damn it. She needed to find out his name.
“I always wondered why you went into corporate law. When you were younger, you always helped people.”
Gemma sighed. Her mom wouldn’t understand. Her mom loved her vagabond lifestyle. Her mom hadn’t been forced to make new friends every time they moved and deal with being the girl in school with mismatched clothes and hand-me-down shoes. Her mom and dad didn’t have an ambitious bone between them. They had chased ephemeral things like love and joy and the perfect song.
Gemma had been forced to live in the real world. The real world kind of sucked. Now she was in a whole town that lived the way her mom did. She was right back where she’d been as a kid. The girl who didn’t fit. “Corporations can help people, too.”
Not often. Next to never. But sometimes. The biggest case she’d managed to work on had been the Tremon Industries case, and the EPA had practically cleared them of all wrongdoing. Gemma felt bad for the people of Calvin who had suffered, but Tremon hadn’t caused it.
She was reminded that she wasn’t alone by the low hum of Nell’s protest. Was she going to start the singing thing now?
Gemma got to her feet. It didn’t matter. She had nothing to do with the case. Christina Big Tits had likely grown back her hair and taken over Gemma’s place as secondary counsel. But hey, Gemma had a new job, too.
“I should go.”
“I’m sorry, Gemma.” Her mom looked up. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it, sweetheart. You had to follow your heart. I really do understand that. I’m so grateful for this time we have now, baby. I love you. This will all work out.”
She nodded, but still didn’t want to stay. “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“If that’s what will make you happy, dear. Just know that everyone is here if you want to join us.”
Gemma got up. Not everyone was here. Would she stay if those two men had been here? Probably not.
Callie came back, a baby in her arms. Nate was with her, holding his other son on his chest like a really cute suit of armor.
“Now, Stella, I have a baby,” Nate said.
Stella growled, but then cooed at the kicking baby, anyway. Nate winked her way.
And Nell stood. She walked straight up to Gemma and reached for her hand. “I have decided to be your friend.”
Callie leaned in. “You asked when you should worry. It’s time. Worry. Like a lot.”
Gemma turned and started to walk off. She just needed to make it to her cabin and she could hide all night long. She could sit and stare at the TV or read some dumbass magazine because the last thing she was going to do was anything productive. And she wasn’t going to make friends. Even if she really wanted to. She wasn’t the type of person who sat around and talked and grilled food. “Why the fuck am I here? Crazy dumbass town.”
She plowed right past Zane Hollister and his little grill, turning to start an apology, but she smacked straight into a wall of masculine flesh. Jesse McCann looked down at her, a grin on his ridiculously perfect face.
Jesse had to stop himself from putting his hands on her. After a nice long discussion with Cade about getting involved with a potentially violent woman, he’d decided to give his brain a chance to catch up with his libido.
Her breasts brushed against his chest, the hard nub of her nipples apparent because she wasn’t wearing a damn bra. His dick immediately began composing a letter to his brain.
Dear Brain—Hurry the fuck up. I’m dying here. Sincerely, your Dick. P.S. The balls are pissed off, too.
“Sorry about that, Gemma.” At least he didn’t sound as completely idiotic as he had before. The pretty blonde in front of him kind of made his brain take a nosedive. He didn’t know a damn thing about her except that she had a really craptastic attitude, but then so did Cade. It was Jesse’s lot in life to be surrounded by difficult people.
“It’s okay.” The words came out in a breathless puff. She shook her head a little and backed up.
She was still wearing those jeans with the stain on them. Just a little trail of grease, but it had transferred from his hand to hers and then to her clothes. A little piece of him marking her.
He could think of other ways to mark her.
“Is she giving you trouble, Jesse?” Cade stood there, holding the package they’d brought, Jesse’s whole reason for forcing them to come out here.
Jesse made sure a smile stayed on his face. Gemma wasn’t the trouble right now. Cade’s past, however, was giving Jesse fits. If Gemma were a normal, everyday, sweet-faced tourist with the same heart-shaped ass and boobs that would fit perfectly into his hands, Cade would have been all over her. Even if she’d been a little cantankerous, Cade would have just seen it as a challenge. He would have plotted and planned with Jesse as to how fast they could take her from mean girl to purring kitten. But Gemma was different. Gemma had struck a chord in Cade, and now Cade was a big old pussy who didn’t want to get his fingers burned.
“Not at all,” he replied shortly. He hadn’t wanted Cade to come with him on this particular mission, but his brother had insisted. “It looks like you’re having a party.”
Gemma shook her head. “No. Uhm, my mom is in the cabin next to me. This is all about her.” She was charmingly graceless, her hands fluttering a little as she gestured back toward the larger of the two cabins. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, a sight that went straight to Jesse’s cock. “They just showed up to talk to my mom and Naomi.”
He was just about to ask who Naomi was when Cade stepped up. “Well, did you really expect them to come for you when you call their town dumbass and crazy?”
And just like that she went from slightly off kilter to ice queen. Her whole body stiffened and a hard look came into her eyes. “I didn’t expect anything. Well, I expected you to be half naked. Look, the Ape Man found a shirt. Nice.”
“Well, I need protection from you, sweetheart.”
Jesse sighed. “You both need flak jackets. I get it. You’re both all wounded and shit. Fine. Cade, why don’t you go and see if Zane needs help with that grill?”
Cade just stared at Gemma like she was a bomb that was about to explode. “I think he’s doing fine.”
“Please.” Jesse bit the word in a way that wasn’t at all polite. This situation was more serious than he thought, but Jesse felt Gemma’s pull, and he wasn’t sure if he was willing to turn away. He needed some time alone with her.
Cade’s mouth turned down. “You’re sure?”
“I am.”
An almost sad look came over Cade’s face, and he passed him the package. “All right then.”
“Cade?” Gemma asked as Cade stalked off. Her blue eyes trailed back toward him.