Northern Exposure: Compass Brothers, Book 1 by Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon Read Free Book Online

couple minutes his wife had sunk onto the floral-patterned sofa in Vicky’s parlor and crashed. He studied her even breathing across the bar that opened into the family room of the ranch house while he finished drying glasses.
    “I can clear these up.” Vicky reached up to pat his back.
    “I’ve got them.” He smiled over his shoulder but couldn’t hold her assessing gaze for more than a moment. “Almost done.”
    “If you squeeze a little harder you’ll shatter it. I’m fond of that pattern.” She tsked then applied pressure on the bunched muscles of his forearm until he paused. “Things will be all right.”
    He set the final cup on the counter then absorbed Vicky’s hug. She didn’t hound him to speak. Instead, she hung on until some of the tension seeped from him.
    “There, that’s better. Now, take that girl of yours home. She’s exhausted herself.”
    “I can’t believe she got Silas’s old room ready so fast.”
    “That isn’t what wore her out.” Vicky stared at him as though he were slow. “Enough hiding, Colby. JD promised he spoke with you this morning. Maybe he didn’t do a good enough job?”
    “It’s not fair for you two to gang up on me.” He laughed then kissed her cheek. “JD did fine. It’s just…”
    “What?”
    “It’s been so long. If Si had taken her immediately maybe it would’ve been different. I wouldn’t have known what I was missing. If I lose her to him now, I’ll never survive it. But I want them to be happy. Both of them.”
    “So I guess you’ll have to make sure all three of you win now, won’t you?” She squeezed Colby as though she weren’t condoning an illicit arrangement for her own son.
    “How did you guess what I was thinking?”
    She withdrew a fraction of an inch, one brow raised. “Why do men always think they’re so subtle when they’re after something?”
    “You’re okay with…?” He didn’t how to describe the relationship he had in mind. He needed the three of them to be together, equals bonded permanently.
    “It’s called a triad, Colby.” She chuckled when a blush heated his cheeks. “Plenty of people enjoy ménage. Shoot, in our day, JD and I—”
    He choked. Christ, what was he, thirteen again?
    “Yeah, well, you get the point.” She grinned, relishing his discomfort a moment more before turning serious. “What’s in your heart? Don’t listen to anything else. A hell of a lot of people objected to JD and me when we first started dating.”
    “Why?” His head tilted as he absorbed the sincerity of her statement. He couldn’t imagine two people better suited. What could society have possibly objected to?
    “‘Cause I was so young. He was handsome as sin, wealthy and nearly twenty years my senior. People couldn’t believe affection or tenderness was involved.” She grinned. “And he had quite a reputation for having a dark edge in bed.”
    “Okay, enough!” He didn’t need to picture JD’s dominant personality translating to sex. It reminded him too much of his dreams of Silas. He shook his head. “It’s funny, I don’t see any of that when I look at the two of you. I can’t imagine either of you with anyone else.”
    “Exactly, Colby.” She patted his cheek then nodded. “Folks might gawk or run their fool mouths at first. In time everyone else will accept you. I can’t picture the three of you any other way.”
    “He’s been gone so long.” He wished he could kick his own ass when his whisper caused his surrogate mother to wince and the sheen of tears glistened in her eyes. “What if things are different?”
    “If I know my boy at all, he’ll be the same as ever. Headstrong, noble and hard-working.” Vicky nibbled her lip as if debating whether to speak her mind. He waited her out, glad when she continued. “You needed this time, Colby. To grow into your own without Silas here. I think if he’d stayed, you never would have become so independent. You’re a man to be proud of, honey. You