No Other Way: Sparks in Texas, book 4 Page 17

  “Johnnie saw it. He knows.”

  “You’re right. He does. Apparently, Mom and Dad both made their peace with Johnnie before he died. I was so angry at them for so long, I was too blind to see things that were happening right in front of me. My mother stopped by the house quite a bit those last few months before he passed away. They took walks and talked. I always assumed she was whining to him about her husband, giving Johnnie the same ‘poor me’ routine I got, even though he looked forward to her visits. She admitted they spent a lot of time talking about me. Johnnie gave her advice on how to mend the fence. God, we all wasted so many years.”

  “So you’ll make up for lost time. They were okay with…” He let her fill in the blank.

  She nodded. “Dad was already on board, and he either filled Mom and Granddad in before tonight or they just figured it out. Either way, they said they’re happy if I’m happy.”

  The smile on her face lit up the entire room. Then she tilted her head and placed her hand on his cheek. “I’m sure your parents will be okay too.” He lifted one shoulder, not feeling her confidence. When she added “eventually,” he realized she knew his battle wouldn’t be so easily won.

  “Yeah. At least Tyson’s parents won’t be blindsided when he goes to talk to them. They know what’s coming. Dad didn’t feel up to the wedding today, so they’re snug as bugs in their bed, sleeping, blissfully unaware of what’s coming their way tomorrow.”

  Harley laughed and rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Cal, you’re not one of the Seven Horsemen of the Apocalypse, riding in with a plague. Just say the words. We should have said something right from the outset. You guys have spent the better part of a month worrying about this until it feels so big, it seems impossible.”

  He pulled her close, holding her tighter. “You’re right. That’s exactly what we’ve done.”

  “I know it’s not the easiest path, but there’s no other way for us to go. You know that, right?”

  “I don’t want another way, angel. I want this. You, me and Tyson. Tomorrow, I’ll come clean. I’m finished pretending I’m not completely in love with you, Harley Mills.”

  She lifted her face and Caleb gave in to the pull. He kissed her.

  When they parted, Tyson was standing nearby.

  “How would you guys feel about bouncing early?” he asked.

  Caleb nodded. “Let’s go.”

  They said their goodbyes then rode home in relative silence. For the first time since embarking on their romance, they crawled into bed, sex the furthest thing from their minds.

  Harley wrapped her arm around Caleb’s chest, her leg tossed over his. Tyson spooned her from behind, his hand resting on Caleb’s waist. The three of them lay quietly, Caleb’s thoughts consumed with the coming confrontation with his dad.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Harley said at last.

  “I know,” Caleb said. “As long as I have you two, we’re going to be just fine.” As he said the words, he realized they were the truth.

  He was exactly where he belonged.

  Chapter Twelve

  Caleb sat at the counter at Sparks Barbeque the next morning, staring at his cup of coffee. He’d spent a wakeful night, working out what he’d say to his dad. Finally, he gave up on pretending to be asleep when his restlessness kept disturbing Tyson and Harley.

  He’d crawled out of bed, showered and came here for caffeine. The Feed and Seed opened in an hour, but his dad would be getting there right about now. Sunday morning was typically slow business-wise, as most folks were in church. They could talk without interruption.

  Which meant it was time for Caleb to pay the bill and the piper.

  He was just about to ask Adele for the check when someone claimed the stool next to him. Caleb glanced over, surprised to see his dad.

  He should have fucking known better than to delay his visit.

  As always, the news in Maris had managed to travel faster than the speed of light. His parents hadn’t attended the wedding. But that didn’t mean they didn’t know every single thing that happened.

  A fact made more obvious when his dad asked, “Want to tell me something, Caleb?”

  “How did you hear?”

  “Phyllis Barton was ringing your mother’s phone at six a.m. this morning. The woman has no boundaries.”

  Caleb grimaced. “Should have expected that.”

  Dad cut straight to the chase. “How long has it been going on?”

  “Since Harley got back to Maris.” Actually, his heart had been lost in the barn after Johnnie died, but his dad didn’t need all the nitty-gritty details.

  “How long is it going to last?”

  Caleb didn’t hesitate to reply. “Forever.”

  Dad winced. “Caleb, this kind of thing…well…I’m not sure forever is in the cards.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “No, I’m not. It’s illegal. And unnatural. And the hell of it is, once it’s over, your reputation is going to be sullied beyond repair.”

  Caleb shook his head. Before he could say more, his dad went for the jugular. “Your mother’s worried.”

  “I’m thirty-two years old, Dad. I know my heart. I know what I want.”

  “And you think that’s Harley and Tyson? I don’t even understand how that works. Are you gay?”

  “No.” Caleb was starting to suspect he was actually bi, but this conversation was bad enough without throwing that into the mix. Despite his frustration with his dad’s reaction, the man actually wasn’t reacting any differently than Caleb had expected. He’d known this talk would suck. Dad wasn’t disappointing him there.

  “I’m not sure you’ve considered all the ramifications of your actions.”

  “Actually, I have. And I’m sorry, Dad. But I can’t walk away from something that makes me this happy.”

  “You’re endangering everything we’ve worked for, Caleb. Our businesses, our livelihood, our standing in the community.”

  “I’m not living my life based on other people’s opinions.”

  “What about your mother and me? Do our feelings about this count for anything?”

  Caleb sighed. “I love both of you very much. You know that. And I’m sorry this is hurting you. But I’m not walking away from Harley and Tyson and what we have together. If you care about me, you won’t ask me to do that.”

  “What does Judge Sparks have to say about this?”

  Caleb shrugged. “I don’t know. Tyson is talking to him this morning.”

  “I can’t imagine he’ll condone this.”

  “It doesn’t matter if he does or not.”

  Dad looked as if Caleb had struck him. “I didn’t raise you to act like this.”

  “Like what, Dad? A free thinker? A risk taker? My own man? Sorry to break it to you, but that’s exactly how you raised me. You don’t answer to anyone, either.”

  His father was a leader in the community because he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, to stand up for his beliefs.

  Dad rubbed his eyes wearily. When he spoke again, his voice was tired, less aggressive. “What do you expect me to say about this, Cal?”

  “You don’t have to agree with me. I actually know you won’t. But can you give me time to show you why it works? Can you respect my feelings enough to step aside, but not walk away?”

  His father fell silent for a long time. Caleb didn’t seek to fill it with more words. He’d said all he needed to say. The ball was in his dad’s court.

  “I need some time to think about this,” Dad said at last. “Why don’t you take this week off?”

  Caleb swallowed heavily. “Just this week?”

  Dad hesitated, and then nodded slowly. “Yeah. Just this week.”

  “And then?”

  “Come over to the house for lunch on Thursday. We can talk more then. I just need…”

  “Time,” Caleb repeated.

  His dad nodded as he stood and walked away without saying goodbye.

  The conversation hadn’t
gone well, but in truth, Caleb had imagined much worse.

  He ordered another cup of coffee and sat there as the restaurant slowly filled up, more and more people stopping in for Sunday breakfast.

  “Looks like your morning’s been as shitty as mine,” Tyson said, sinking down on the stool next to Caleb with a heavy sigh. Adele had a coffee cup in front of Tyson, filled with the hot brew, in under thirty seconds. She offered both of them a sympathetic smile, and then she simply walked away to let them talk.

  “No advice from one of your cousins?” Caleb said as Adele moved away. “Man, we must look like a couple of sad sacks.”

  Tyson chuckled. “I went to see my dad this morning.”

  “Mine left a little while ago. How’d it go?”

  “Surprisingly okay. I think Jeannette’s relationship with Luc and Diego actually helped my case. Dad’s not as easy to shock these days.”

  Caleb snorted. “That’s good. Meanwhile, my pop is reeling. And apparently my mother is fretting.”

  “Everything we expected? You out of the will? Disowned?”

  Caleb shook his head. “No. I’m not sure, but even as upset as my dad was, I think he was trying to understand it. He loves you and he loves Harley. He always has. If it had been two strangers, maybe he would have flipped his lid, lost his shit. As it is, I think deep down he’ll get it. Eventually. Even if he doesn’t want to come out and admit that.”

  “That’s funny. That’s what my dad said. Almost exactly. Said I’m his son and he loves me and nothing I could do would ever change that. Then he said if I was going to go off the deep end and do something insane like fall in love with two people, at least I had enough common sense to pick people worthy of that emotion.”

  Caleb chuckled. “Damn. That’s pretty cool of him.”

  “Yeah. Dad’s pretty cool. And your dad will come around too. He’s just going to be a tougher nut to crack. Which we knew.”

  “We did. I’m going to lunch on Thursday to talk to him and Mom together.”

  “Think it would help if I went with you?”

  Caleb considered that, appreciating the offer. “I’m not sure. Let me think about that and I’ll let you know.”

  “You think he’s hesitant to embrace this relationship because he’s worried about business?”

  “I’m sure that’s part of it. He prides himself on his role as a leader around here. He’s probably as worried about his reputation as mine.”

  But Caleb had faith in his father. Despite his straight-and-narrow ways, his dad valued his family above everything. Caleb clung to the idea that somehow, somewhere down the road his dad would come around.

  “So we did it,” Tyson said.

  “And no one died.”

  “And the town didn’t burn down.”

  “And no meteor struck the planet.”

  They chuckled.

  “Any regrets?” Tyson asked.

  Caleb shook his head. “Only that we took so long to do it.”

  Tyson laughed. “Jesus, man. It’s only been a month. So what’s next?”

  Caleb knew exactly what Tyson was asking. While they’d been okay with touching in the dark, that was where it ended. In the harsh light of day, there had been no discussing it. Hell, they’d barely acknowledged it. It was like they left it all in the bedroom and pretended it hadn’t happened.

  “I think it’s time we piss or get off the pot.”

  Tyson rolled his eyes. “Never get tired of your crude, yet accurate observations. You’re okay with…” Tyson waved his hand between them.

  “Yeah. I am. You?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, we’re taking it up a notch?” Caleb asked, realizing that if a female had been involved in this conversation there would have been at least seventy-two thousand more words. He and Tyson didn’t need to beat the dead horse. The writing had been on the wall for weeks.

  “I think we are.”

  “Where’s Harley?”

  “I left her in bed.”

  Caleb grinned. “Let’s go home.”

  “Race you there.”

  * * *

  Harley hadn’t meant to sleep in so late, but it was rare to get the king-size bed all to herself. After Caleb and Tyson had gone out to talk to their fathers, she’d intended to get up and make herself an early breakfast.

  Then she’d rolled over and slept the sleep of the dead for another two hours. Something she never did.

  She almost felt guilty about being so relaxed and peaceful, considering what Tyson and Caleb were going through this morning. But after so many years of nonstop family drama, everything that happened last night felt like a dream. One she didn’t want to wake up from.

  So she didn’t.

  “Seriously?”

  She opened her eyes and grinned when she found Caleb and Tyson standing in the doorway. She’d heard them come in, but sheer blissful laziness kept her in bed. Besides, why leave the bed when she preferred them joining her there?

  She sat up. “How did it go?”

  Caleb stripped off his shirt and then his pants. “We’ll talk after.”

  “Just tell me if it was good or bad.”

  Tyson shrugged as he took off his own clothes, reclaiming the spot he’d abandoned a couple hours earlier. “Both.”

  That told her nothing. And everything. They’d expected Tyson’s dad to take things okay, given the fact Jeannette had already blazed the threesome trail in the Sparks’ family. And they’d known Caleb’s dad would not take it well. So basically everything they’d anticipated had come to pass.

  She glanced at Caleb, studying his face. He was smiling at her, his eyes unclouded by the anxiety that had been there since last night.

  “You’re okay?”

  He nodded. “I love you, Harley. Nothing on earth is going to change that.”

  She smiled and fell into his open arms. Harley placed her lips on his, intending to give him a comforting kiss, but that idea was quickly swept away when Caleb pressed her lips open, his tongue touching hers.

  The kiss turned molten in seconds. Tyson, never one to be left behind, cupped her breasts, kneading the sensitive flesh in the way she loved, the way that never failed to set her aflame.

  There was something different about them. Something freer. Easier.

  She pulled away a few inches from Caleb and twisted, creating a circle, rather than remaining a physical barrier between them.

  “Kiss,” she whispered, making it clear she didn’t plan to be a part of it.

  Neither man hesitated. One second they were facing each other, the next their lips were connected, taking each other boldly, passionately.

  “Holy shit,” she murmured. They broke apart to look at her.

  “Harley—” Tyson began.

  “I get it now. Watching the two of you…”

  Caleb grinned as he reached for her. He kissed her, and then turned his face back to Tyson. Then Tyson kissed her. It was hot, sensual. So much more than Harley could have imagined.

  “Need you,” she gasped, when Caleb gave her the briefest moment to suck in a breath of air.

  “Want you,” Tyson almost growled. His hand slid around her waist until he found her ass. Twisting, he pulled her over him. He stroked her ass before giving her one quick, hard spank.

  “Hey!” she said in surprise.

  “Caleb promised you a spanking last night.”

  Harley narrowed her eyes, and then decided to take matters into her own hands. She reached out, gripping each man’s dick in one of her palms. Stroking them firmly, she tilted her head, seductively, letting them know she was more than adept at distraction. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather do something else first?”

  Tyson looked at Caleb. “She’s really fucking good at that,” he said through gritted teeth.

  Caleb chuckled. “No kidding. I’m not stopping her. We’ll just spank her longer later.”

  She continued to stroke their dicks as Tyson and Caleb leaned closer to each other
, kissing once more. The three of them had slept together—had sex—nearly every single night for the last month. Yet, this time felt like the first time.

  The best time.

  Tyson gripped her wrist and pulled her hand away from his cock so he could twist her. Once again, she was in the middle, Tyson at her back. His erection rubbed against her ass, while Caleb’s bumped against her stomach. Both men were hard, ready to go.

  She turned her face and kissed Tyson as Caleb bent and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth firmly.

  “God, more.”

  She needed friction. And pounding. And she needed it now.

  Caleb lay back on the mattress, pulling Harley on top of him. She wasted no time, lifting her hips as Caleb placed his cock at her pussy. They both groaned in pleasure as she slid down, taking him fully inside her.

  Tyson knelt behind her, his fingers stroking the place where they were joined.

  “Jesus,” Caleb muttered. “That feels so good.”

  Harley bent down to kiss Caleb, her breasts pressed against his chest. She was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her and tightened his grip.

  “I can’t move,” she said.

  “Tyson,” Caleb said, not loosening his hold on her. “Come here.”

  Tyson moved to their side as Caleb reached for the pillows, propping his head up. Harley figured out his intent in a moment and she was delighted. She grasped Tyson’s cock and pulled it toward her and Caleb’s waiting mouths.

  Together, they licked and stroked his erection, taking time to suck him in. Their own lips continued to meet and touch as well. As far as sexy kisses went, Harley was fairly certain they’d just created the world’s greatest one.

  Tyson’s fingers curled in her hair, tugging it until her scalp stung. The pain morphed into pleasure that had her pussy muscles clenching against Caleb’s dick.

  Caleb grunted. “Pull harder, Ty.”

  Tyson pressed his cock deeper into her mouth as Caleb tilted his hips, moving in even farther. Harley was on sensation overload, but given the muttered curses and soft moans from her lovers, it was safe to say she wasn’t alone.

  She was almost there, when suddenly Tyson retreated, his cock escaping her lips with a pop.