She watched Charly be led away by Seth to the other five Strong cowboys the woman was also engaged to. It was so clear that Charly was happy, deliriously happy. What did that feel like?
“All the men in this town are Neanderthals if you ask me. Even mine.” Jessie pointed to her husbands, who numbered five in total, standing in the corner only ten steps away. The Wilde brothers. Only the eldest of them gave her the creeps. No wonder since Austin Wilde was the reason she was in Northern Nevada in the first place. “What do you think of my situation, Mac?”
She wasn’t about to cast dispersions on Jessie’s untraditional lifestyle. “I think it’s nice.” Wilde was a place like no other. What would it have been like growing up here? Feeling accepted? Normal?
Jessie sighed. “You don’t think Charly and I are crazy for taking on so many men? I sometimes think I’m completely nuts.”
“You’re not nuts, Mrs. Wilde. You’re in love.”
“What about you? Maybe not love, but definitely interested in learning more about a
couple of men in this town, right?” Jessie asked pointedly.
The woman was dangerously close to the truth. “What do you mean?”
“I see how Wyatt and Wade look at you. I’m not the only one. Everyone can see it in their eyes and in yours.”
She sighed, realizing her cover hadn’t been blown. Not yet, anyway, even if her daydreams’ foolish distractions had been. “I’m happy for you, Jess, but that kind of life isn’t for me.”
She knew the poly life too well. Two women had been living with her grandfather when her mother had died. Being hers and her brother’s only living relative, Pappy became their guardian and brought them to his home.
She loved her grandfather. She even loved Doris and May, his better halves. The two women weren’t blood relations, as Mac’s grandmother had been gone for some time, but they were sweet and loving. Pappy was amazing, kind, and terrific with her and Trent, but his unconventional ways came with a price.
At a very young age, Mac had seen the glances of judgment and pity from the more conservative adults back home. Growing up in Pappy Harold’s house, she and her brother had endured much from the citizens of their neighborhood in Denver.
Her throat tightened as the memories of her childhood reminded Mac of her mission.
She turned her head to the man that might be the key to finding her brother. Her heart stopped when she realized Austin was staring back at her. Maybe her cover had been blown.
Jess exhaled a sweet sigh. “I love my guys, but I’ve got to keep them on their toes. It’s quite a job.”
Austin turned his attention to one of the other brothers, and Mac felt her insides settle back down.
He couldn’t know. She’d been flawless in the execution of her mission. As far as everyone in Wilde knew, she was Mackenzie Hill, not Kristen Mackenzie Green. Until she found her brother, that had to stay intact.
“And from what I’ve seen, Jess, you do a good job of keeping them on their toes.”
“Actually, it’s more like the other way around.”
Prodding ever so slightly, she continued, “I bet the toughest one to deal with is Austin.”
“Not as much as you might think. I understand him, and he understands me.”
“Do you get to see him much? Running the mine and the club must keep him burning the candle at both ends.” Mac knew Austin worked long hours at both. She’d deduced he was a control freak within a couple of days of arriving in Wilde. She appreciated that trait in him, having it herself.
Self-reliance had its benefits. It also had its drawbacks.
“Alone time with each of my guys is very important to me. They all make sure that happens, especially Austin.”
“Date nights with each of them?” She couldn’t imagine how any woman could trust one man let alone multiple.
What about a traditional relationship for her? Like every little girl, she’d dreamed of a day when a prince would sweep her off her feet. But she wasn’t a little girl anymore, and princes only lived in fairy tales. This was the cold, hard, ugly world. Opening her heart up enough for love wasn’t something she likely would ever be able to do, even with the possibility of the kind of happiness Jess and Charly had found, not that it would ever present itself to her. The road of hard knocks had taught her one thing for sure. There was one person she could rely on—herself. Better the single life for her.
“Yes. I have special moments and places for each of my guys. Jackson loves taking me to Colorado for a weekend getaway. Phoenix is big on picnics. He’s quite the cook, you know. Dustin and I go horseback riding. Denver and I take long drives. I think I’ve seen more of Nevada than any other woman.” Jess closed her eyes and smiled. “Austin and I spend a lot of time in his office at the club.”
“Must be a special place for you and him.” Whatever it took, she had to get into that office, and breaking into it wasn’t out of the question for her.
Jess opened her eyes. “Very.”