Page 72 of Embracing Desire

“Yes, but having her here with us and the kids?Some parents might be upset.You’ve never had a woman help before, and you know as well as I do this could cause gossip.It’s happened before.”

“Fuck.”Jed gripped the fence hard.The last thing he wanted was for Katie to be hurt.“I want her here.I don’t want to hide her away.”

“I agree.We just need to be aware there may be a backlash.”Just then a tan, mid-sized car pulled up.“Tommy Miller’s parents.”

Jed took a step and then stopped.The couple saw him and Ry, waved, and then made their way to where Katie played with the kids.They both watched as Katie greeted Tommy’s parents.They talked for a few minutes, then the couple took Tommy’s hand and went back to their car.

“See you next week,” Tommy’s dad yelled before they got into their car and drove away.

Ry let out a breath, and Jed sighed.

“Well, that seemed to go well,” Ry said.

“Yep.”Jed heard one of the girls giggle.Katie was squatting, talking to the girl, and his heart squeezed.

Ry’s gaze was on Katie and the girl too.“I’ve found what I think will work in one of the catalogues I got last week.”

“It’s a big step.”After Katie had watched the two of them play together, he and Ry had talked.They wanted to have Katie with them permanently.

“Yes, but we’ve wanted to make her ours for a long time.”

“I love her,” Jed said.

“I do too.”Ry slipped his arm around Jed’s shoulders.“And I know she has deep feelings for both of us, otherwise she would have told us off that first day in her grandmother’s kitchen.”

“What happens if she refuses?”Jed didn’t want to think about that, but he needed to.His heart was too invested, and the last thing he wanted to do is have it shatter.Hell, he hadn’t stopped loving her since she was before she was eighteen.

“We convince her.Simple as that.”Ry squeezed his shoulders before releasing him.“I’m heading for the house.I’ll be waiting for you two.”

Jed watched Ry saunter away and grinned.How lucky was he?The two people he loved more than life itself were with him.

* * * *

Katie let out a sigh.Playing with the kids had tired her out, but it was all good.

“Momma’s here,” Lucy said.The little girl was the last one to be picked up.Ry had already gone to the house, and Jed was finishing up in the stables.

Janice Collins stepped out of her big black SUV.Her husband ran the local bank.Katie walked Lucy over to Janice.

“Hi, Janice.”Katie put a smile on her face.While she and Janice had been in the same high school class, they’d never been friends.Janice preferred her cheerleader friends to a bookworm like Katie.

“Katie.”Janice looked down her nose at her.“Lucy, get into the car, please.”

Lucy threw her arms around Katie’s legs before running to the SUV and climbing in.

“I’m surprised to see you here today,” Janice said, picking an imaginary piece of lint off the front of her silk blouse.

“Why is that?”Katie tilted her head.

“You have heard the rumors about Jedidiah and Ryland?”Janice waved her hand.“Being seen with both of them in public and now in private can only hurt your reputation.”Janice’s sickly-sweet smile almost made Katie throw up.

“First off, Ry and Jed are two of the best men I know.They don’t cheat, or drink to excess.We’ve had some nice lunches and dinners in town.Jed asked for help with the kids today.”Katie kept her gaze fixed on Janice.“Besides, what I do in my private life is no one’s business but mine.”

“And what about your grandmother?What about her reputation?”

“Gran?”For a moment, Katie was thrown off balance, but then she saw the malicious gleam in Janice’s eyes.“Gran can take care of herself.And this really isn’t a conversation I care to have with you, especially when your child can hear us.”

“Are you telling me how to raise my child?”

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