Page 70 of Orphan Girl's Mountain Men

I take a deep breath, realizing how petty I am being. I've got to stop this wallowing in self-pity because it sure as hell won't get me anywhere. Yes, with Reed, I can believe he's doing this for fun—simply indulging himself because of the taboo nature of the act. With Lennon, though, things must be at least partially serious. He's never been the type to have sex for the heck of it. I've suspected from the beginning that he has feelings for her, which makes everything even more fucked up and complicated.

It means that I'll look like a hypocrite if I tell Reed to stay away from Hailey, while allowing Lennon to continue his relationship with her. Doing that would most likely cause problems between the two of them, and perhaps between Reed and me as well. The best thing I can do is stay out of it and simply let things take their course. It isn't my business anyway, strictly speaking.

"Uncle Dean?"

I spin around from staring out the kitchen window and find Grace at the doorway, holding her favorite teddy bear. My heart softens, and some of the tension eases from my bones as I walk to her, picking her up in my arms.

"Hi, honey. Did you wake up?"

She nodded. "Where's Daddy?'

"He'll be back soon. He went to do some work."

"Can I stay with you then?' she said. "I get scared sometimes when I sleep alone."

"Of course. In fact I tell you what, why don’t I take you back to your bedroom and tuck you in, and read you a story, eh?" She nods.

With a new task to occupy myself with, holding her safely in my arms, I take her back to her room and lay her down on her bed. She wriggles under the bedclothes and I tuck her in carefully, then sit beside her to read her a bedtime story. At leastif nothing else, this will help to put the situation with the others out of my head.

It was a vain hope though. Even after reading Grace a story and watching her eyes flickering closed, her breathing slow down, until she was fast asleep, even after going back to bed myself and crawling under the covers, the scenario between Reed, Lennon and Hailey shows up in my dreams. I toss and turn, sleeping fitfully and awaking early. If I can't sleep, I can at least work. I sigh, get dressed again, splash some water on my face, head for the office and reach for the laptop and the goddamned business accounts.

At that moment, I hear a soft knock on my door, but I choose to ignore it. I don't think I've got it in me to talk to Lennon or Reed right now. The door opens anyway, and I can hear soft footsteps approaching me, standing behind me. I know who it is now, because I can smell her scent—floral, fruity, a trace of sandalwood. Internally I sigh. Now Hailey's come and found me in my office, where I hoped I’d be left alone in peace, and I guess she wants to talk about it, when I'd rather pretend it's not happening.

I turn and look up. The guilt in her gaze tells me that this is something she needs to get off her chest, so I sigh again—out loud this time—and give her the floor.

She swallows and twiddles with her thumbs for some time before she admits, "Something happened last night. With me and Lennon, and Reed." She shuts her eyes as a heated blush takes over her face. "I know, I know. I messed up, and this is like the fifth or sixth one since I've been here. I don't know if Ican keep to our deal living here, and it might be better for me to move back to the lodge."

"No." I've checked out her lodge a couple of times this week while Reed was working on it. Even with the improvements he's making, it's still way away from being livable. No way am I sending her back there. "You'll stay until they're done fixing up your place."

"I don't know if I should. I'm…attracted to you. All three of you." Even more shame twists her face, and her lips purse in her self-derision. "I don't know what that says of me, but it's true. Last night, I couldn't resist…I was…" She takes a deep breath. "I can't promise that it won't happen again."

"I get it," I tell her, my voice hoarse from the storm she's raging within me. "In fact, I already know about what happened last night."

She gapes at me and I raise my eyebrow, desperately schooling my expression into one of professionalism even as my cock twitches in my pants, my libido suddenly freed from the thought that she wants them but not me, at the realization that she wants all of us.

"It's fine," I manage. "As long as it doesn't interfere with your work, I don't mind."

"Really?"

I nod and smile even though it's painful. She gives me a tentative smile back.

Good, we've got through this difficult conversation. I think. But then, she adds, "There's something else that I want to talk to you about."

Oh God—what can it possibly be this time?

"Okay, go on."

She swallows nervously, then looks me in the eyes and says: "It's about the boys—about Lennon and Reed, I mean."

I nod to show I understand. "Go on. What about them?" Not my favorite topic right now, the ungrateful bastards, but okay, better to hear about it, whatever the problem is, than find out later when the issue has had time to get worse. "What have they done this time?"

"No, no… it's nothing like that!" Her hands are open, her voice indicating that I've got it wrong. Okay, let's hear it then. "Alright, well suppose you tell me what it is then?"

"Yes, of course." She swallows once again. "Sorry, this is a little difficult, a little delicate. And you might think it's not strictly my business—well I guess it's not my business at all… but… but I am pretty sure they'll never ever tell you this themselves, and I think you ought to know. Because… well… because you deserve to know."

Jesus Christ—this is beginning to sound serious. Are they thinking of leaving? I am fully aware neither of them are as set on the whole farming thing as I am, but I thought they were happy enough. After all, we're doing okay now. We've put in all this hard work, and finally it's all beginning to show for us. What on Earth has gone wrong?

"Tell me the worst," I say, grimly, turning to face her completely.

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