“The missing supplies!” I cried joyfully. “This… this is everything that was missing from—”
“Yes.”
Julian lifted three great beams onto his shoulder. Before he could take a step though, we were all standing in front of him.
“How the hell did you find them?” asked Noah. “The guys who took our stuff?”
“And what do they look like now?” smirked Chase.
“I didn’t,” answered Julian. He should’ve been strained from holding up so much weight, but his voice hardly changed at all. “This isn’t our original stuff.”
My brows crossed in confusion. So did the others.
“I placed a re-order,” Julian said simply. “Now hurry up and help me unload this stuff. I only have an hour to get their trailer back, or they’re going to charge me for—”
I pushed past Chase and Noah, to stand between them and Julian. “Wait a minute!” I cried, my voice cracking. My heart was heavy, totally laden with emotion now. “W—Where did you get the money for all this?”
Noah walked to the supply pile and dropped his load. The timbers clacked loudly against each other on the graveled earth.
“I have a little savings,” he shrugged simply.
Thirty-Two
MADISON
The day wore on. The wall got finished. The rest of us let up a little cheer as Julian laid the last of the stones, and then went right to work on the courtyard, without even stopping to take a break.
Chase and Noah worked late as well, straight into the night. They gave me two very long kisses goodbye, their hands roaming everywhere as they took turns making out with me. It was insane, how wet I got. How crazily turned on I was by the time their truck rumbled down the driveway, leaving just me, Julian, and the rest of the night.
Dinner had been ready for an hour when I found him still kneeling over the flagstones, digging and excavating, cementing and resetting the ancient cobbles. He was like a machine. A big, delicious, well-muscled machine that I couldn’t honestly believe was all mine.
“Come inside baby,” I urged, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Please.”
He finally did, and I served us two re-heated plates while he washed up and sank heavily into his chair. For the first time since I’d known him, he actually looked tired.
“Eat,” I said sliding a cold beer his way. “After that…” I smiled warmly. “I’m going to take care of you.”
Julian didn’t just eat, he inhaled his food. He got up for seconds, helped himself to thirds while he was there, and then sat back down.
“Glad you like it,” I chuckled, spearing a little round potato on my fork.
“It’s good,” he mumbled. Then, looking up: “Real good.”
It was such a relief, seeing him arrive this morning. And not just show up when I’d thought I’d lost him, but actually pay money out of his own pocket in order to round out the supplies we so desperately needed.
God, I love him.
The words just tumbled out of my head. I did love him. And not just because he was helping me, but because of the man he was. The type of person who would go out of his way — and even put himself at a disadvantage — for his friends. The type of guy who appreciated me enough to work for free. To finish a job he was no longer paid to do.
Aren’t they all doing that, though?
They were. All three of them. Each of them sacrificing time and money to help me reach my end goal. I loved them for that. Noah, Chase, and yes, Julian. My friends. My lovers. My three sexy saviors.
All three of them were equally amazing.
I twisted the cap off another beer as Julian’s phone rang for the second time. It happened to be facing me, and I ‘happened’ to see it. Both times, the name ARIANA popped up on the screen… along with a breathtaking photo of a beautiful young woman.
Julian didn’t answer it either time. He just kept eating. When I saw a voicemail message pop up, my stomach twisted itself into a knot.