Mark swallowed hard. He hadn’t caught sight of Diane at all and they had been there for over an hour. He told his brothers about finding her on the side of the road the other night, drenched with her see-through dress on. He also told them about her night at the dance hall and about hooking up. It pissed him off. He would have loved to have pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless on the side of the road. But God knows he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from having all of her. Hell, he imagined taking her in the rain up against the side of her Jeep. He thought about getting out of his car outside her home and seeing if she would welcome him in.
“Do you see her? What’s wrong with you?”
“No, I don’t see her,” Mark said and continued to watch Diane’s sister with her men. It was a sight that tugged at his heart. Two years ago he never would have thought that watching three other men care for their loving woman while pushing their child in a stroller was the greatest thing. But now things were different. He had his brothers back safe from the service, he was working for the government less and less, and they were finally coming to terms with their attraction to Diane, and the need to start making their feelings known.
That was easier said than done. He traveled often for work. The government job wasn’t supposed to be full time anymore. Mark was sick of the gruesome crimes, dealing with the evil criminal minds, and mostly, being away from his family. He wanted to set roots. That was why he talked his brothers into moving out here to Pearl. They needed to slow down and enjoy life after years of living on the edge and in the midst of danger. After coming to Pearl to help with a case and meeting Diane, he knew the time had come.
He thought about Lucas. He was his biggest concern now. Despite the man’s need to remain so closed up and lost in thought even as he hand carved the wooden clocks he made, their bond as brothers was still there. Meeting Diane had changed all of them, and now that they were on the same page and making the necessary changes in their lives, it was time to take action.
How the hell could they just stand by and watch her go out to dance halls, perhaps hook up with other men, when she was meant for them. There was still that concern that her shy act was just that, an act. But now that they wasted nearly a full year watching her, they pretty much knew she really was shy. More importantly, she didn’t date at all.
“Oh shit. I see her, and I don’t like what I’m seeing,” Drake whispered. Mark’s heart immediately started to race, and when he spotted Diane, their woman, she was walking with a group of young men from town. All single, all interested in Diane.
Her long brown hair was pulled to one side, and she was wearing an off-the-shoulder white blouse with a slim-fitting skirt that flared right above her knees. The tan mid-calf cowgirl boots were embellished with sparkles along the trim that matched the trim on her skirt and her blouse. From here Mark could see she was wearing one of those sexy halter tops beneath the blouse, yet the buttons were too high to expose the abundant amount of cleavage their woman had.
She was shy, reserved, and classy, but most importantly, she didn’t date or at least that they knew of. He was glad that his brother Lucas wasn’t here. The man would tell them to forget about Diane and just let him live his life alone.
Things were going to change, and that would be sooner than later.
“If that asshole Colin puts his hand on her waist that close to her ass again, I’m going over there,” Drake whispered. Mark felt the same way, but they were at least five years older than those men, a good nine almost ten years older than Diane’s twenty-six years of age. Fighting potential competition off in front of her was not exactly going to win over a woman like Diane. She was built with curves in all the right places. She was gorgeous, a real looker, but seemed oblivious to it. Every single guy in town and out who met her hit on her and flirted. Mark and his brothers knew they needed to do things differently, or they could lose their chance to make her their woman.
“She’s headed this way,” Drake stated.
“Good, let’s get her away from those assholes. See if she’d like to join us for some lemonade or something.”
“Good afternoon, Diane. You look amazing.” They both turned to hear Sage say to Diane. Dale and Virgo gave them a tap to their shoulders and they turned to greet their friends.
“What’s going on?” Virgo asked Mark and then nodded his head toward Sage and Diane who were smiling and talking.
“Not much,” Drake said, and then they turned toward Diane and Sage.
“Hey guys, what’s going on? Is Lucas here, too?” Sage asked and then kissed them on the cheek hello.
“No, he’s working on some things at the house,” Drake responded and then looked at Diane.
“How are you doing today, Diane?” Mark asked and moved closer to her. The guys she had been walking with remained a few feet away as if they were just waiting to resume where they left off with Diane. Well, that wasn’t happening.
“I’m good, and how are you two?” She smiled and then shyly looked away toward Sage.
“We’re walking over to grab some drinks. Do you want to come along?” Sage asked them.
“Definitely.”
“How about you guys?” Virgo asked Mark and Drake.
“Sounds good,” Drake replied, and then they all headed over to the lemonade stand.
Mark and Drake immediately took position on either side of Diane. Every chance they had to bump her, rub against her, inhale her perfume, or ask her a question, they took advantage of. Mark couldn’t believe how nervous, excited, and just so damn attracted he was to her.
“Did you get the other tires checked out on the Jeep?” Mark asked, trying to make conversation.
Diane looked up toward him to answer his question. “After you called Willie, he had the entire jeep checked over,” she replied with a little bit of attitude. Was she angry with him for calling Willie? Well, she shouldn’t be. He was looking out for her safety.
“I’m glad to hear that. A young woman shouldn’t be out so late at night to begin with, never mind in a vehicle that isn’t in top condition,” he added, holding her gaze.
“The Jeep is three years old. I was handling the flat tire fine.”
He raised his eyebrow at her.