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“Yeah.”
His father shook his head, a chuckle coming from his mouth.“Well, sometimes this old world pays us back in ways we didn’t dream of. Ican’t talk you out of this, can I?”
Josh shrugged. “If you don’t want to meet her, it’s okay.You give me a date when my feelings will be valid to you, and I’ll mark it onmy calendar.”
His father sighed. “See, that is karma biting me in the assbecause I can’t exactly give you a lecture on how stubborn you’re being. I knewyour momma was the one for me and Sam after our first date. Sam knew before Idid. But you need to be sure before you start parading her around town.”
“She said she doesn’t care. She knows what we want.” Joshhad told her, but he wasn’t so sure she’d taken them seriously. If he had toguess, she hadn’t been treated well in relationships before, and it wouldn’t bethe first time a man had lied to a woman to get into her bed.
Which was why she should have woken up next to him.
“Knowing what you want and dealing with being in anontraditional relationship are two different things,” his father said. “Ithink it’s safe to say it hasn’t bothered me or Sam, and your momma has made ahappy life for herself here, but she was older and more settled into who sheis. She’d seen a lot, and those experiences built her confidence. I know it washard on her when she was younger.”
Because his mother had been born in Willow Fork, and she’dhad a relationship with the richest boy in town as a teen. She’d been pregnantwith Lexi when he’d died, and Abigail Moore had been driven out of Willow Fork.She’d found a way to put herself through school and build a life for herselfand her daughter. She’d only come back to Willow Fork when her mom needed help,and then she’d met his dads.
The thought of Nicole being put through the same treatmentmade his heart clench. “You don’t think it was worth it to Momma?”
“I know it was.” His father gave him a sympathetic look.“But like I said, she was older and more settled. It’s hard for you tounderstand because you came out of the womb knowing exactly who you are andmaking not one damn apology for it. I’m afraid you got that from me, andcoupled with the stable childhood we managed to give you, it’s made you farmore centered and grounded than I was at your age. For a long time Sam was myfocus and this ranch was ours. We didn’t even think about marrying a woman untilwe were well into our thirties and we loved one who could handle everything weneeded.”
“Dad, say what you need to say and say it plainly.” Hewanted to get to the heart of whatever was bothering his father. “You don’tthink she can handle the pressure that will come with being in anonconventional relationship. You don’t even know her.”
“No, but I know people, and I know if you’ve never had aménage relationship in your life, it can be hard to wrap your head around,” hisfather said.
The whole conversation was making Josh antsy. “So you thinkwe shouldn’t ever get married.”
“I think you know a lot of women who have been around thesetypes of relationships, who won’t think twice about loving two men. Whosefamilies won’t blink at the relationship.”
He knew exactly who his father was talking about. Most ofhis father’s closest friends were in similar relationships. They understoodboth ménage and BDSM because their parents lived the lifestyle. He knew damnwell his fathers and their friend Julian Lodge would have been thrilled if heand Grim had hit it off with Chloe Lodge-Taylor, but they were just friends.The same had been true with Greer and Harlow Dawson, the daughters of Ben andNatalie and Chase Dawson. They felt more like his sisters.
“But Nicole’s the one I feel for.”
“All right, then you need to pursue it,” his father saidwith a nod. “But be careful with her and be patient with her. Watch her becausesometimes our women try to spare us by not telling us they’ve been hurt. Shewill get looked at differently.”
He didn’t understand. “There are women my age who go throughguys like they’re sampling chocolate, but if they’re from the right family, noone questions them. If they’re from the wrong family, they’re whores. I cansleep with anyone I want and I’m just a guy sowing his oats. Nicole should beable to do anything she likes and as long as she’s not hurting someone, theworld shouldn’t have a damn opinion.”
“I agree with you, son, but that’s not how this town works,and it likely never will. I think most of the younger generation is better, buteven there you’ve got mean girls and assholes who will find it fun to ruinher.”
His heart ached at the thought. “I don’t want to ruin her.”
“You won’t ruin her,” a familiar voice said. Pops wasleaning against the barn door. “Your dad is forgetting so much of ourcourtship. I know Abby was older and more settled, but she also had beenthrough all of this before, and I know damn well it scared her. Not once didyour dad think of backing down. Do you know why? Because he knew we were goodfor her. I would have moved her out of here if she couldn’t handle it becauseshe was the center of our lives. Don’t let worry get in your head. Grim will doenough of that for the both of you. Remember one thing. You are a king in thistown, and if they don’t respect your queen, they can accept the consequences.”
Willow Fork, for all it liked to look down on theBarnes-Fleetwood family’s unconventional relationship, was also dependent onthem. The two biggest employers in the town were the Barnes-FleetwoodCollective and The Willow Fork Tranquility Spa and Resort. For the most parthis parents were completely reasonable.
But there was a time to be ruthless. He would never threatensomeone’s job for not liking him. But if someone tried to cut Nic down to size,he would show them what he could do. “I understand. I’ll get the word out. Noone messes with her or they get to deal with me.”
“They get to deal with your family,” Pops said. “All of us.”
His father nodded. “All of us. I’m sorry, son. I guess thetruth is I’m older and feel like I have more to lose. Your sister alreadyspends most of her time either in Bliss or Dallas, and I don’t like the idea ofyou and Grim leaving, too.”
“We live here, Dad. I mean at some point we’re going to wantto add on to the house, but neither one of us has any intention to move,” hepointed out.
“You might have to if Nicole can’t get what she needs here,”his father countered.
“What else could she need? She won’t need money.” This was aridiculous argument. “It’s early. Can we not borrow trouble?”
“There won’t be any trouble you can’t handle,” Pops said.“Between you and Grim, you’ll take care of anything that goes down. Now, Ifound the problem, and it could be bigger than we think.”
“You already went out to the back field?” He knew Pops wasspry, but that was fast.
