Ten Mountain Men's Baby (Love by Numbers 9)

“Thanks.”

“But you’ll always be my little brother.”

I growled at him.

“And you’ve got something on your mind, Ryker. Something’s troubling you. I can tell, and I’d like to help if I can.”

I shrugged. “It’s Holly. I’m worried about her.”

“Worried how?”

“Well, you know she’s going back on the trail.”

He swatted down my concern. “She’ll be fine.”

“I’ve no doubt about that. But will she come back here when she’s finished?”

He pursed his lips and nodded.

“I mean, she’s got a life in California, friends, a dental practice.”

He rocked his head from side to side. “True. But she’s got friends here. And lovers. And she’ll have no trouble setting up her practice in town.”

“I know.” I looked away, dejected. “But it would be so easy for her to go back to California. I couldn’t fault her for that.” I sighed. “I miss her already.”

“Stop it.” He put his hand on my back and pushed me toward the party going on in the living area. “We’ll show her such a good time tonight that she’d have to be crazy not to come back.”

“That’s just the thing; she is crazy.”

Gannon’s advice was good, though. Her decision was out of my hands. All I could do was be supportive and show her the best time I could, show her that she’d never been more loved or had more fun than she could have here with us.

I shared my concerns and Gannon’s proposed strategy with my other brothers. And like good brothers, they all sympathized and helped me put Gannon’s advice into practice. Miles did his part on the guitar. He tried to play up-tempo bluegrass music, but Lawson, Shaun, and Holly danced as if it was slow, sultry jazz, their hips grinding to a very different rhythm.

“I think you need to change the tune,” said Will to Miles.

Miles motioned with his head to Holly and the boys slow dancing. “I don’t think it much matters.”

Brock took Holly from Lawson and Shaun and moved her around the dancefloor in his imitation of a tango. Holly clung to him with her legs straddling his hip. It was all a drunken mess, but we laughed and had a good time.

Finally exhausted, Holly collapsed into Ted’s arms who carried her to the corner where he set her on his lap and held her against him. His hand caressed her thigh, and I watched from the other side of the room, feeling an erection bulge in my pants.

I regretted inviting Wendy. I could sense Holly wanted to take things further, and I was eager to witness it unfold. But Wendy’s presence held her back. On more than one occasion, I spotted Holly necking with one of my brothers, then she’d get a glimpse of Wendy watching her, and she’d pull away—right when things were about to get good.

Holly and I were on the same wavelength regarding Wendy. I was the one who could watch. No one else, or no one who was not a Chandler.

I was relieved, happy even, when Wendy started saying her goodbyes.

“Are you sure you can’t stay?” I said. “Holly’s about one drink away from taking the guitar and doing her Elvis impression.”

“Regrettably, I’ll have to miss that,” she said, “but thank you for inviting me. I had a great time. But I’m afraid I’ve got a big day tomorrow. Can’t be staying out too late.”

“I’ll see you to your car,” said Holly.I was in the kitchen cleaning up. The party was still going strong, but I had a lot of pent-up tension, and I always found that cleaning could provide a good substitute until I could get my release in other ways.

“That bitch!”

I turned from the sink and saw Holly storming in. My heart caught in my throat. I’d never seen her angry before, and it was intense. I made a mental note not to get her angry if I could avoid it.

“What happened?” asked Brock.

Holly didn’t answer him. Instead, she continued from the entryway into the kitchen. “I can’t believe it!”

She was coming at me, and I was frightened. “What happ—”

“We were nice to her,” she cut in, “invited her to our party. I thought we were friends!”

“Babe, slow down,” I said, and I took her hand in mine. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

She turned to the front door and pointed. “That… that bi… that fu…. Aggh!” She balled her hands into fists, gritted her teeth, and paced the kitchen.

Brock and Owen stood at the kitchen doorway and watched in silence.

Holly spun around to face me. “Do you know what she said to me?”

I shook my head.

“She said she found a better story here, at this party than anything ‘Mirror, Mirror’ was up to.”

I chuckled.

“You think this is funny?”

I put my hands up defensively and took a step back. “I don’t get it. She wants to write about us. That’s great.”