Seven Roses (Haremworld)

“I’ll start.” Luther exhaled sharply and then lifted his head. “This

town means a lot to me. It’s where my wife and I made our memories before she was taken from me. She was a lot like you, Samantha. She wasn’t from Granite Falls, but she wandered into town on a cross-country trip when she was just a wayward young girl. I didn’t know what she was running from at the time, but she found peace in Granite Falls—with me. It’s been ten years since she passed and I honestly don’t think I could ever settle down with someone again. That part of me just seems gone. Maybe it’s the result of spending too many years wandering in sin while I drank my youth away, but when I met you—I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time...” He sighed deeply. “There is no way I could ever get married again, but I miss having someone to take care of. I miss having someone to love...”

“I’m sorry that happened to you.” Samantha seemed a bit torn about what he said, but she didn’t immediately run away after one of us gave her their story, so I figured it should continue. I motioned to Major.

“Afghanistan broke me.” Major picked up his beer and took a large gulp before sitting it down. “When I left Granite Falls to serve my country, I was proud to wear the uniform. I wasn’t prepared for the horrors of war. I was barely more than a kid when my boots hit that desert and I was forced to kill people to survive. It didn’t seem right—it felt more like slaughter than service. When my tour was done, I came back to Granite Falls. It’s the only place I feel peace. I had my fair share of women while I was away, but none of them really ignited a fire. It was just a few minutes of pleasure to get that sweet release. Once I returned from the desert, I couldn’t even feel that. I was fine living here without sex, but it is the companionship I’ve grown to miss... It wouldn’t be fair for me to drag a woman into my mess and leave her unfulfilled, but this arrangement would give me the companionship I need, and ensure you never feel like you want more. If I fail, there are six other guys to make sure you are well taken care of.”

“Thank you for your service.” Samantha reached for her glass and sipped her wine. “That’s really heavy.”

“Blue?” I turned to our local bartender.

“I don’t have a tragedy to lay out for you. Life has actually been pretty good for me. I don’t say that to be disrespectful to anyone here. All of my brothers and sisters left Granite Falls as soon as they could. I was the youngest kid and after my father passed, I felt like I needed to be there for my mother. Life has just become a cycle now. If the itch comes, I find what I need, I just don’t get it in Granite Falls. I won’t be the guy who cuddles you after I’m done or fixes you breakfast the next morning—but I’ll make sure you are always satisfied.” He chuckled. “That is about all I have to offer.”

“That isn’t true.” I shook my head. “He’s cocky, but he really is a nice guy. He fills a certain dynamic here, because we don’t want you to just be taken care of, we want you to be satisfied in every way.”

“Which I could do.” Axe folded his arms and looked around the room. “With or without everyone in the room. I’m just not really looking for love or a relationship. I don’t know what side of the law I’ll end up on when I wake up in the morning. It doesn’t seem fair to drag someone in that. You’re beautiful, Samantha. I’d love to know I could come home to you and never have to worry about you being left alone if I fuck up like I always do.”

“You will.” Sheriff James narrowed his eyes at Axe. “I’m practically salivating at the idea.”

“Come on, Jesse.” Steve let out a sigh. “Can’t we put this behind us? Axe has never hurt anyone. So what if he’s a bit wild—so what if he breaks a law selling something that is practically legal at this point. You weren’t always this much of an asshole. We both had to deal with Dad’s bullshit, but neither of us had to become him.”

“I didn’t hate Dad like you did.” Jesse tightened his jaw and the brotherly turmoil seemed evident in his eyes. “I was proud to pick up his badge—but that decision cost me the women I loved.”

“She left you just like Mom left him. The cycle can end here. Samantha is what we both need.” Steve tried to calm his brother and Jesse did seem to relax.

“I know she is.” Jesse looked to Samantha. “I get it, you’re probably wondering what the fuck is wrong with us to even consider this or offer it to you. Granite Falls needs a sheriff and I’m the one who chose to wear that uniform. My divorce was a bit of a mess. I don’t know that I could ever go through that again. I do need someone though, someone to make it all worth it at the end of the day when it feels like I’m just churning bullshit to make more bullshit.”

“He does.” Steve shook his head and sighed. “And so do I. We’ve both been trying to keep the peace here in Granite Falls. He keeps people on the straight and narrow—I try to keep good people like Axe away from his old-fashioned beliefs. I left town when I was old enough, even played college football for a while until I blew out my knee. I didn’t expect my older brother to turn into my father while I was gone. I feel like I need to stick around now just to keep him from going too far down that dark path. I truly believe you could be an answer to our prayers. You could bring a bit of peace, give the seven of us a purpose outside of what we deal with on a daily basis, and be cared for by all of us.”

“Wow...” Samantha seemed to be contemplating what she had heard.

“As for me...” I let out a sigh and picked up my drink. “I’m just too busy to find someone. You’ve noticed there aren’t many women around here. That is our curse, but it is also a gift. It gives us a chance to come together and put aside our differences to love one very special woman that could make us all happy.”

Chapter 7: Samantha

Hearing the stories of all the men in Granite Falls left me with a bit of confusion. They all seemed to be sweet guys with a number of flaws, but collectively they had managed to find focus with me. There was something about being there with them that warmed my heart more than I had ever really felt before. The world outside of Granite Falls was cruel. Finding a man amongst the liars and little boys trying to prove themselves was a bit exhausting. I had never thought about finding happiness with more than one man. I wasn’t sure how I could take care of seven guys who would all want a turn with me—especially since I was still a virgin. I felt like I should be honest with them. If they were considering the arrangement laid out and I was becoming more open to it, then they needed to know the truth as well. I wasn’t some perfect angel who rolled into town. I was a bit a mess myself.

“If someone would have told me I was going to come to Granite Falls and end up sitting at this table with the seven of you, I would have thought they were crazy. If they told me I would receive this kind of proposal, I would have thought I was dreaming. I feel like you are offering me something that could be amazing, but none of you really know me...” I picked up my wine glass and took a drink.

“So tell us.” Mayor Danvers leaned forward.

“The first thing you need to know is that—I’m a virgin.” I watched a collective shock erupt around the room for a moment.

“Now the rest of you understand why I couldn’t get laid.” Axe laughed

“There’s no shame in innocence.” Luther smiled warmly and motioned for me to continue.

“I’ve been hurt before. I fell for someone that I thought I could trust and he lied to me. Since then I haven’t had the best luck with guys. I’m not sure I can be the girl you’re looking for.” I shook my head back and forth. “I’m not sure I could be lucky enough to hit the jackpot with seven guys all at once when I can’t even find one decent guy.”

“Give us a chance.” Mayor Danvers’ tone was a little firmer than it had been before. “Give this town a chance. Let us show you that you can hit the jackpot.”

“I’m considering it...” It was all I could say without buying in or running for the door.

My consideration seemed to bring a bit of hope to the crowd. They started serving dinner and took turns making sure my drink was always topped off and I barely even lifted my fork to eat. It was like having an entire restaurant staff making sure I didn’t even have to raise a finger if I wanted something. I switched to water instead of wine because I wasn’t sure my decision should come with the influence of alcohol. It was hard to agree to such a strange arrangement, but as the evening continued, I found it harder to just say no. When dinner was over, we went to the living room and talked a little more, all of them listening to me and paying attention to my every word. Even when I rambled, they were intently focused on every word. I thought about my life and I questioned what direction I was truly headed. College was over and I had really only went because it was expected. I wasn’t chasing a dream or looking forward to slaving away just to keep food on the table. Life in Granite Falls would be a bit old-fashioned, but I made peace with my decision. It seemed like the most incredible offer I would ever get and being taken care of by seven extremely hot men wasn’t one I could turn down.

“Okay...” I stood up and Mayor Danvers immediately stood to assist me.

“What do you need? You can stay seated, we’ll get it for you.” He had a smile on his face as he approached.