Deer Run was a small town, and they didn’t take well to outsiders—especially outsiders who lived openly in a polyamorous relationship.
“She likes you, too.” Aidan smiled warmly at her. “We were going to do this in Vegas, but my mother-in-law wouldn’t hear of it. And don’t try telling Abigail Barnes what she can’t do. I tried to explain that it would be difficult to get married in Deer Run. Abby just sicced Jack on everyone, and presto, here we are getting married.”
“And just how does this work, Aidan?” George asked.
Coming from anyone else, the question might have sounded judgmental. From Professor Hobbes’s mouth, it was a mere curiosity. Aidan didn’t even blink.
“Lexi is going to be formally married to my partner, Lucas. Lucas has already changed his name legally to O’Malley. Lexi won’t be married to me in the eyes of the law, but our hearts are a different matter.”
George smiled warmly. “That sounds very nice, Aidan. I’m happy for all three of you. Beth, dear, I believe I should find a seat.”
Mouse took her father’s hand and led him down the aisle to find a place to sit.
Aidan frowned at Bo. “When are you going to let that girl go?”
“Mouse?” Bo asked. “She’s my friend. Why should I let her go?”
He actually couldn’t imagine his life without Mouse. Mouse was always there. Mouse was the one person he could count on.
“Because that girl is in love with you. And her name is Bethany. Why you insist on calling her by that ridiculous, demeaning nickname, I have no idea. She’s a nice girl. She’s smart and kind. She deserves some respect.”
“Hell, Aidan. I like the hell out of Mouse. I don’t mean any disrespect. It’s just what everyone in our class has called her since first grade.”
She’d been as quiet as a mouse, and the name had stuck. Bo didn’t mean it as an insult. It was just who she was. He’d known her most of his life, couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t. She’d always been there, in the back of the room, a quiet presence he could count on.
“Do you understand what she is, Bo?” Aidan asked, his face taking on that serious look he got when he was just about to launch into a fatherly lecture.
Bo sighed. They’d been over this before. “She’s not a submissive. I don’t believe in that bullshit, Aidan. I’m fine with whatever you, Lucas, and Lexi want to do in the bedroom, but don’t treat it like it’s a religion or something. Mouse doesn’t want a man who chains her up and spanks her ass.”
“Have you asked her?” Lucas asked, walking up. Lucas was a mystery to Bo. He liked the man, but Lucas had a perpetual amusement with the world that Bo just didn’t understand.
“Hell, no, I haven’t asked her,” Bo shot back at his almost brother-in-law, partner-in-law. Hell, Bo didn’t know what to call Lucas. It was all a mess, but it seemed to work for them. Not for Bo. He wasn’t getting involved in any of that kinky stuff. “And I’m not going to. As far as I can tell Mouse isn’t into anything physical, and I’m fine with it staying that way.”
Lucas wouldn’t be swayed. “I wasn’t merely talking about her sexuality, though I bet it’s in there. She would likely be just as submissive in bed as she is in her life.”
They had been over this argument numerous times, and Bo was starting to get annoyed. “I told you, Mouse isn’t submissive. She’s just real nice.”
“And you’re taking advantage of that,” Aidan insisted. “If her father weren’t sick, I would seriously consider sending her back to Dallas with Julian. She needs a Dom. You can’t be that for her. You need to encourage her to go to Dallas when she can.”
Bo felt the sudden need to punch his brother in the face. “I will not allow her to go.”
Lucas stepped between them. Despite the fact that Bo had healed the breach with his brother months before, they were still brothers. They still fought on a regular basis.
“How about we shelve this fight until after we get married?” Lucas straightened Aidan’s tie. “I believe our bride is ready.”
A smile crossed Aidan’s face as his hand found the back of Lucas’s neck. Bo had never seen anyone smile the way Aidan did when Lucas and Lexi entered a room. He might not understand what those three had found, but damn, he envied it sometimes. Bo didn’t even look away when his brother leaned in and kissed Lucas.
He was getting used to it. The town of Deer Run, however, was not. A wedding was a big event in a small town, but everyone was ignoring this one. All they’d been able to talk about this morning at Patty Cake’s was the news headlines about Trevor McNamara. The former golden boy of Deer Run had gotten his ass in trouble again. This time with a bunch of strippers and cocaine. Bo tried not to think about how much he’d liked the man at one time. At one time, he’d been Bo’s mentor.
“Let’s go get our girl,” Aidan said to his partner. He turned to Bo, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m really glad you’re here. I know this makes it hard for you in town.”
It did. His buddies gave him shit about it all the time. When Bo settled down, he was going to find a woman who really fit into this town. He loved his brother, but he didn’t want to be an outcast. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. Now you go and get married.”
Bo was supposed to sit up front with the family, but the truth was Lexi’s family scared him. He felt way more comfortable with Mouse and her dad.
When her hand found his, he let his fingers curl around hers. His whole body relaxed, and he could breathe again. That was what Mouse always offered him.
And she wasn’t going anywhere. She was going to stay right here in Deer Run. And just maybe, when he was ready to settle down, if he hadn’t found anyone else, maybe he would talk to Mouse about getting married. That thought brought a little smile to his lips.
“What’s so funny?” Mouse asked.
“Nothing,” Bo replied, taking her hand more firmly in his own. “I just had a silly thought.”
Except when Lexi walked down the aisle, he couldn’t help but wonder how Mouse would look in a white dress.
Nope. She wasn’t going anywhere.
There wasn’t anywhere else to go.
Chapter Two
Two years later
Mouse Hobbes stared at the house in front of her, excitement growing. The key in her hands felt a little unreal. Her house. The old Bellows place was hers as of noon today. Every board, every piece of furniture, everything in the house was hers. All of the land along with a detached garage and a barn that looked like it might house a serial killer was hers. It seemed like a mighty big adventure.
“Are you sure about this?” Bo stood at her side, his handsome face staring at the house like it might jump out and bite him.
It wouldn’t bite him. But pieces of it might fall on him, Mouse allowed. Even now, one of the shutters was banging against the side of the house in rhythmic time to the wind. She was definitely going to have to fix that. She’d bought all the house’s problems at auction, too.
“Totally sure,” she promised. Despite the problems, she knew this was the way to go. She’d been dreaming about it for years.
Mouse didn’t buy the rumors that the place was haunted. It was just a little run-down. Like all things in this old world, it needed a bit of love and attention. She had both of those, and no one left to spend them on. She relished the idea of taking the big farmhouse and turning it into a place for a family to live in.
And the money she would make by fixing it up and reselling it wouldn’t hurt, either.
“It looks like it might fall down around you.” Bo kicked at the porch step. Mouse was happy when it held up. His eyes glanced over the yard. Along with the house had come two acres of property. “I wouldn’t be shocked if old lady Bellows didn’t leave you a couple of surprises, if you know what I mean.”