Her Three Wilde Champion Men (Wilde, Nevada 2)

He kissed her tenderly.

Did he really mean it when he told her that he loved her? Or was it just the heat of the moment? Doubt began to creep up inside her.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he asked, looking straight at her.

She closed her eyes, fighting back the unshed tears. “Nothing is wrong, Brandon. That was wonderful.”

“Don’t give me that, baby. I can feel the change in you. What’s going through that pretty little head of yours?”

She opened her eyes and confessed, “Love? Love is a big word.”

“Damn right it is. You’re the first woman I’ve ever said it to. This is a very big deal to me.” He brushed the hair out of her eyes.

It hadn’t been just lust that had pulled those words from his lips. She smiled, feeling so happy, so hopeful, so cherished. “Am I still the judge here?” she asked teasingly.

“Yes, you are. What’s the verdict?”

“Guilty, as charged, counselor. I think I would like to go to court more often.”

He laughed. “I love you, Shelby. I will always love you.”

“I love you, Brandon.”

Chapter Sixteen

Alex followed Justin, who was in his beat-up Ford pickup, driving to their family cabin, the place where Shelby was. On the passenger seat beside him was the box of chocolates he had bought for her. Justin had insisted on being the one to bring her flowers.

Brandon was at the cabin, too, keeping an eye on her, making sure she was safe. Brandon had made it clear to him and Justin that he wasn’t ready to pursue Shelby.

Alex grinned, knowing that Brandon would come around eventually, but glad his brother would be empty-handed today. The old high school competitiveness was back, though he believed they would eventually end up sharing her. He wasn’t sure how such a thing would work, but for Shelby he would make sure it did. In the meantime, getting a leg up on Brandon and Justin in the race to win her heart first would be fun. But that wasn’t the only race they had to run. She was in trouble. Real trouble. Byrd had won the first round. The trial was set. Shelby was accused of two murders.

His gut clenched. He’d turned just about every stone trying to find any shred of evidence that would help prove Shelby’s innocence. He and Justin had come up empty-handed.

Brandon was trying to get her court date moved to a later month. His brother had questioned Norma and Lily over the phone, but still needed to verify their alibis as soon as possible. God, Samantha, Norma’s homicidal daughter, would’ve made a viable suspect. But Samantha was dead. The Mexican cartel was still their primary lead, but getting any evidence against the syndicate was proving beyond difficult, even with Austin Wilde’s help and connections.

Fuck! Things were going from bad to worse. Charly Wynn knew the score and had granted Alex a leave of absence from his duties with the hospital construction. She was Shelby’s friend and knew about the murder charge.

He hated to leave all that work to Charly, but he had to do it. Shelby needed him now. She needed him and his brothers. Even with the hectic search for witnesses, a part of his busy mind continued to mull over Justin’s declaration about Shelby.

“Shelby’s from Wilde. She wants all of us.”

Since long before high school, Alex, like all the kids in Elko, had known about Wilde. It was a big joke between jocks always hinting at the homoerotic element such a family would produce. “Are you going Wilde on us, Champion?” one of the jerks on the football team had asked mockingly when he’d learned about Alex’s friends in Wilde. The Strong brothers were like another set of siblings for him. He’d never understood their life, but had known them for a long time. None of them had a shred of gayness inside them, not that it would matter to him if they did. He’d met Michael, Jessie’s old fiancé, who was now with Harry, a former Elko football star. Great guys, both of them.

Are we really going to go Wilde? Hell, yeah.

There were only three of them as opposed to the six Strong brothers. The Strongs had figured out how to share Charly. Surely Brandon, Justin, and he would be able to do the same for Shelby. Even though he and his brothers had always been competitive, they’d always been able to share the things that were important. And there wasn’t anything or anyone more important than Shelby.

If he got a chance to ask Seth Strong how he and his siblings had made it work with Charly, he would. But with the murders still unsolved and with Byrd chomping at the bit to pin it on Shelby, having a chat about the poly life with his old friend would have to wait.

He’d told Justin and Brandon he would give the Wilde way a try. He meant it, too. Ever since that night at his apartment, Alex knew he could never live without her. His brothers were more than just siblings. They were his most trusted friends. Together, they would find a way to learn how to create the life she deserved.

As he pulled his Mercedes next to Justin’s truck in front of the cabin, he wondered if Brandon was still set on keeping things focused on just the case. His brother had made that quite clear when they’d posted Shelby’s bail. You’ll come around, bro. I know you will.

Grabbing his gift for Shelby, Alex got out of his car, and Justin was already on the front porch holding the roses for her, his limp nearly gone. He bet his little brother could still beat him in a race, even with his bum leg.

They walked inside and didn’t see either Shelby or Brandon.

“Back porch,” Justin said, heading that way.