Love Under Two Loners [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “No, I wasn’t thinking it was charity. I was thinking that it’s looking like our decision to come here to start over was the best damn decision Rich and I ever made.”

  Jake grinned. “Count on it. Now, let’s head back to the New House. It’s hot as hell out, and I could do with some of Mother’s sweet tea.”

  “That sounds good,” Donny said. “How soon do you think Aunt Samantha will be able to get started on this?”

  “Oh, Mother loves nothing more than decorating. Well, actually, that’s not entirely true. She loves a good court battle more. But since those are few and far between these days, this will make her very happy.”

  “I’m all for anything that will make Aunt Samantha happy.”

  Jake clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a Kendall, all right.”

  Donny grinned. He didn’t need that explained. Kendalls tended to want to make their womenfolk happy. New York or Lusty, it was, after all, how Kendalls did things.

  * * * *

  “Are you sure this isn’t an imposition? I mean you said it’s a welcome home party for your cousins, and I’ve never even met them.” Iris Gibbs was quite aware she was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. It was a habit she’d had all her life. Being an adult didn’t have any influence on the emergence of the habit, either. Whenever she felt a little off balance, or unsure of her footing, her teeth captured that lip as if the answer just needed to be chewed out.

  She took a moment to turn her attention back to the mirror hanging in the hall and inspected her appearance. Her riotous blond curls were somewhat tamed by a scrunchie and a few well-placed pins. Her blue eyes were neither sparkling with happiness, nor dulled with worry. Actually, her moods had been blessedly more even over the last couple of weeks. Was it because self-knowledge had sunk in and she no longer thought of herself as an emotional train wreck? Very possibly. Her face was makeup free except for the bit of mascara she’d put on and the nearly nude lip-gloss she’d just eaten off. A quick swipe with the latter, and she looked decent enough to go out. She just didn’t know if she really should.

  “Mom will be very disappointed if you don’t come,” Tamara said. “And you’ve been here long enough to know that’s something to be avoided.”

  Iris grinned and followed her friend to the kitchen. She loved Samantha Kendall, and not just because she was the kind of self-possessed and self-assured woman Iris wanted to be when she grew up. Iris loved her because she’d become a real mother to her best friend, Tamara.

  In the two weeks she’d been visiting, Iris had come to understand the changes, the very wonderful changes, in her best friend. Between the love of those two flyboys her friend had married, and the family and town that now claimed Tamara as theirs, her best friend was truly, down to the bone, happy.

  Iris noted that Tamara was waiting for an answer. Sometimes my mind just wanders off on its own. “You’re right. I really wouldn’t want to disappoint Samantha.”

  “Good answer.” Tamara laughed and then hugged her. Iris had really missed her friend. She’d been able to come and visit her from time to time, but while Iris had been working, those visits had been very rare, indeed. Doc Murdock, a curmudgeonly old veterinarian near San Marcos, had kept killer hours, right up until he’d retired a couple of months ago. And since Iris had been his only assistant, she’d kept killer hours, as well.

  But she hadn’t minded, not one bit. Working for him these last few years was as close to achieving her dream of becoming a veterinarian herself as she was likely ever going to get.

  She’d graduated high school, but college had been out of the question for her. She hadn’t been smart enough to earn a scholarship, and with three other mouths to feed, her mother had needed her to get to work and help support the family.

  Going to work for Doc had been the answer to her prayers. Not only did she get to learn at his elbow he’d also paid for her to take her veterinary assistant’s course. He’d paid her well, too, so Iris had been able to help her mother. She’d done her duty by helping to support the family until a year and a half ago, when her mother had remarried. Iris didn’t mind Tom Carson, though she couldn’t say she’d really warmed to her stepfather.

  Maybe I didn’t give him a fair chance. Iris was willing to admit that she might have been a little unfair in her assessment of the man—and likely in the way she’d idolized her father, too. She’d been ten when her daddy had died, and in the years since, she knew she’d built him up in her mind to almost super-hero status. Thinking of him as nearly perfect had given her courage to go on when things had seemed too hard—or too lonely. Or when she’d fallen into those times when her self-esteem had been nowhere to be found, which had been fairly often.

  If her dad had been larger than life, then some of that had to be in her, too.

  But in the last couple of years—after her mother had married Tom and they and her siblings had moved to Austin—she’d begun to feel differently about herself and how she’d lived her life to date. She moved into her own small apartment close to where she worked, and she discovered she could make it on her own. Iris was able to manage, and those bouts of self-doubt had come less often, even if the sense of being settled had escaped her.

  Not even the fact that she was nearly three months unemployed was changing her self-image, either. Although she did hope she would find something soon because the money she’d saved was dwindling. Being in Lusty enabled her to answer want ads in Waco and Gatesville, but so far, she hadn’t had any luck. It had also brought her a new friend in Jillian Jessop, and the beginning of an understanding of her own innate nature. So she didn’t let herself despair.

  Something will turn up soon. I just know it.

  “Are we ready, then?” Morgan came into the kitchen with Hunter cradled in one arm against his chest, his car seat in his other hand. Henry was right behind him with Cathy and her seat.

  One of the reasons Iris had accepted Tam’s invitation to come and stay for a few weeks was to help her friend with those adorable newborn twins. But Tam hadn’t really needed her for that. She had never seen two men so devoted to being dads. In fact, the two of them pretty much embodied everything she’d imagined her own father had been.

  “We are, now that I’ve finally convinced Iris that her presence at the party would be welcome.”

  “Not just welcome, but necessary,” Henry said.

  “If you stayed back,” Morgan said, “then Mother would blame us for having said something to offend you.” The man actually had the acting ability to shiver, backing that statement up.

  Or maybe it wasn’t acting. Iris had already observed that not only did Samantha’s husbands and sons adore her they honestly respected her and even feared her a little, too. Pleasing her was apparently one of their top priorities.

  It actually took more time to get the babies in their car seats and the seats into the vehicle than it took to drive to Lusty Appetites.

  “The Town Trust hosts parties here at Kelsey’s all the time,” Tam said. “We have engagement parties, welcome parties for babies, and, in this case, a welcome party for two cousins who’ve relocated from New York.”

  “So, they’ve never actually lived here in Lusty before?”

  “No. Rich and Donny are brothers, sons of one of the dad’s half-brothers.” Henry took a moment to make sure that Cathy was covered sufficiently with her light blanket. The little girl, just three months old, looked up at her daddy with what Iris thought were adoring eyes. “Two of their cousins arrived last year and are settled in here. Now all three of the dad’s triplet half-brothers have sons living in Lusty.”

  “Wait. Your dads, who are triplets, have triplet half brothers?”

  “Before our grandfathers met and fell in love with Grandmother Miranda,” Morgan said, “they were in Virginia, both of them commissioned naval officers. This was during the time leading up to the Second World War. There, they met and fell in love with a woman from New York named Judith Merrick. At the end of the summe
r, Judith returned home. Our grandfathers tried to get in touch with her, but their letters were returned. It was clear she’d considered their interlude together only that, an interlude.”

  “And she never told them she was pregnant?”

  “No, not until her sons were grown and she discovered she was dying. She wrote a letter to our grandfathers, to be delivered after her passing. That was actually the same year that our mother took a wrong turn that turned out to be a right turn and ended up here in Lusty.” Henry said. “Eventually Judith’s sons came here to meet their fathers—and their half brothers. We’ve been family ever since.”

  “What an incredible story. How did your grandmother Miranda feel about that?”

  “Grandmother Miranda welcomed them,” Morgan said. “She told them she knew she’d never replace their mother but that she was there for them if they ever needed her. Our uncles took the name Kendall—which they each bore as a middle name—as their surnames. They’d never liked their adoptive stepfather, who’d turned out to be a criminal. All this happened before we were born, of course. We simply grew up with uncles and aunts and cousins who didn’t live in Lusty.”

  Iris thought she’d known everything there was to know about this small Texas town with the unusual and yet appropriate name. She’d been through the museum twice, fascinated both times by the vivid saga told there. Clearly there was much more to learn about this fascinating family.

  The restaurant was crowded, but people weren’t just sitting at the tables. They were mingling, talking, and laughing. Music played, and above a large buffet service, a sign read “Welcome home, Rich and Donny!”

  “Come on. Since you haven’t met them yet, I’ll introduce you.”

  Iris didn’t get a chance to demur. Tam just grabbed her hand and plunged them both into the crowd. Iris followed in her wake, not the least bit surprised that the throng parted for her diminutive friend. Then the dynamo came to a sudden stop, and Iris nearly plowed into her from behind. The next thing she knew, Tam spun them around so that Iris was in front, with Tam’s very strong hands on her shoulders.

  “I’ve got just the woman for you! Rich, Donny, this is my best friend, Iris Gibbs. Iris, meet two Doctors Kendall. Rich has a Ph.D. in literature, and he’s a teacher.” Tamara pointed to a man with reddish-blond hair and blue eyes. The slight beard made him look scholarly. Then she pointed to the other man who didn’t look much like his brother at all. He had dark hair that maybe could have used a trim and eyes a slightly lighter shade of blue than Rich’s were. Iris blinked, wondering what the odds were that they all three of them should have blue eyes. Then Tam’s words pulled her back to the moment. “Donny’s degree is in veterinary medicine. He’s opening a clinic right here in Lusty and needs a certified veterinary assistant. Donny, Iris worked for nearly ten years for Doc Murdock over San Marcos way before he retired. That was a couple of months ago, and Iris has been looking for a new job ever since.”

  Iris just managed to snap her mouth closed so she didn’t look like a fish sucking in plankton. Tamara had spoken each word as if there’d been a timer on her and she needed to get it all said fast. That part wasn’t unusual, as Iris had heard her friend do that before.

  What had her gaping wasn’t even the fact that here before her stood a veterinarian in need of an assistant. No, what had her in shock was the fact that the two men standing before her looked like Greek gods. Tall, handsome, virile Adonises who should have a goddess each on their arms. Or, since this was Lusty, at least one beautiful buxom goddess between them.

  I really wish Tamara had let me know I was going to be facing a possible employer. True, Iris didn’t do fancy dress or tons of makeup, and beautifully buxom would never be a phrase used to describe her. But still.

  Tamara drew in a deep breath. “If you ask me, this is a match made in heaven!”

  “Or at least one made in Lusty.”

  Iris had no idea who said that sotto voce, and she couldn’t ask because all the spit had dried up in her mouth. Then things just got more bizarre when one of the Adonises took her hand in his.

  “So, you’re a certified veterinary assistant? This must be my lucky day. Come with me. We’ll talk.”

  “Oh…but…um, I don’t have any of my paperwork with me and…” Iris wondered if there was an old-fashioned looking glass she’d somehow stepped through. Between the ways one Kendall had her hand and the other was looking at her as if she was a tasty morsel presented for his consumption, she didn’t know what would happen next.

  “Sure you do.” Tamara held out a large envelope. Before Iris could blink, Donny Kendall grinned and took the paper from her friend.

  “Perfect,” he said. “Thank you, cousin.”

  “There’s a table in back,” Richard Kendall said, “where we should have a bit of privacy for at least a few minutes. Follow me.”

  Chapter 2

  Iris refused to think about how being “commandeered” by two very attractive, very alpha-type men made her feel. In the last few moments she felt as if she’d entered an alternate reality. The only thing that kept her from worrying was that she knew she was completely safe here.

  Inside Lusty Appetites, within sight of her best friend, her best friend’s husbands, and, probably most reassuring, her best friend’s mother-in-law, Iris knew she had nothing to fear.

  When Donny Kendall held out her chair for her, she sat. It was all she could do not to sigh. Iris did like a man with manners.

  “Iris, would you like a soda, or sweet tea, or perhaps a cup of coffee?” Richard Kendall asked.

  “I’ll have a sweet tea, please.”

  Richard nodded. Then he was off, heading toward the buffet, and Iris’s attention fell to Donny. I really have to stop thinking of him as Donny. His name is Dr. Donald Kendall, and he might be my new boss.

  Iris didn’t have any trouble imagining this man being her boss. There was something about him that engendered a sense of authority and one of compassion. Just as his brother had looked like a teacher, this man looked like a veterinarian.

  “I can see we’re not the only ones Tamara just played,” Donny said. “You had no idea she was going to do that, did you?”

  Iris shook her head. “Not even a clue. I’d actually thought I should stay back tonight, seeing as this was a family party. I didn’t want to be in the way.”

  He grinned. “There’s no such thing as being in the way here in Lusty, and no escape from a Kendall—even one by marriage—who’s made up her mind.” He tilted his head to the side. “Have you known Tamara very long?”

  “Since high school. She was ahead of me, but that didn’t matter. We were both pretty much loners, and we clicked.” Iris still recalled the day Tamara came to the school for the first time, a recent arrival in the area, living with her bachelor uncle. They’d both been surprised to discover each other because that connection had been nearly instantaneous.

  Richard returned carrying a small tray. He’d gotten them all glasses of tea, as well as a bowl of chips with salsa.

  “Thank you.”

  “We can arrange to have another meeting Monday, if you’d be more comfortable,” Donny said.

  “No, this fine, Dr. Kendall. I wasn’t expecting a job interview, and maybe I’m not dressed appropriately for one, but there’s no sense wasting the opportunity, is there?”

  “Absolutely none. And please, call me Donny.”

  She actually liked the name Donny but felt the moniker a little too familiar. She needed to maintain a strict professional relationship going forward. She just wished that sexy images of the man—along with his brother—would stop taking center stage in her mind. Trying to divert her own lascivious thoughts, she asked, “Donny and not Donald?”

  The man grinned. “My cousins—the ones in New York—used to call me Donald Duck. It ticked me off so much I shortened my name to Don. Then they started calling me Donny, and I knew the only way I was going to win that war was to become Donny.”

  “Kids can
be so mean,” Iris said. “Even when they’re not trying to be.”

  “They can, indeed. Especially male cousins.”

  Iris felt compelled to give them both a warning. “They have something here called ‘cousin-speak.’ I’ve seen it in action. You may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire in the teasing department.”

  “We’ve already seen cousin-speak in action,” Donny said. “But we’re not kids anymore and can give back as good as we get.” Then he picked up the envelope he’d taken from Tamara. “Just give me a moment to go over your résumé.”

  “Tamara mentioned that you’ve been staying with them for a couple of weeks,” Richard said.

  “I came to visit, and to give her a hand around the house, because, well, twins!” Iris sought out her friend in the midst of the Kendalls. “I should have known she’d have everything under control. She simply amazes me sometimes. And those husbands of hers pitch right in, too. But I’ve enjoyed this break. There never seemed to be time to get together and catch up in the last couple of years. And then Doc retired and I had nothing but time.”

  “I guess there’re not too many openings in this area for veterinary assistants?” Donny asked. Apparently he was a very fast reader because he’d already gone over her paperwork.

  “So I have been discovering. That was my other reason for accepting Tam’s invitation to come for an extended visit. I thought I’d have more luck in Benedict County than I had around San Marcos. I was just beginning to think I would either have to go to a bigger city or find a different career path.”

  “Your former employer gave you quite the glowing recommendation.”

  Iris smiled. “I was so awed by that. Not so much that Doc gave me a positive reference, because I knew I did good work for him. But that he was so effusive in his praise simply stunned me. Doc is a man of very few words.”

  “He must have really cared about you.”

  “He moved to California just before I came here. His daughter lives there, and he wanted to be close to his grandkids.”