When she was alone at night, staring up at the sky, she often slept outside the trailer where she lived. In the summer heat, it was just too damned hot. She had often dreamed of a man who’d come and love her. Then of course, there were the dreams of three men, three brothers, which she kept as a secret to herself.
No one could ever know that she had a crush on Shawn, Parker, and Casey. The Smith brothers.
There was no way she could have them treating her any differently just because she liked them.
So, she didn’t stare at them when she saw them without shirts on, nor did she fawn over them like other girls did.
Their large, muscular bodies didn’t register to her. She loved hanging around with Shawn, and he was her best friend. She hoped in time they would come to mean nothing to her. These were just the thoughts and fantasies of a teenage girl.
“Well, if it isn’t trailer trash and perv,” Ben said.
Shawn sighed, and she rolled her eyes.
“That’s an improvement from stinky and gross,” she said.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t have much in the way of an imagination,” Shawn said.
Neither of them lingered to see what Ben wanted to say, and they made their way outside.
She spotted Parker and Casey leaning against the car waiting to pick Shawn up. He was going fishing for the weekend, and had wanted her to go as well. She’d told him no. The sight of fish freaked her out. She spotted a group of girls trying to gain their attention, and that was what she never did.
Never would she let them know how attracted she was to them. The last thing they needed was a screaming, infatuated girl around them, so she pushed her feelings aside and treated them more like friends. It was easy to do with Shawn. They were the best of friends, and had been since kindergarten.
“Hey, I’m not done with you two scum!”
Poppy stumbled forward onto the pavement as she was shoved from behind. Her bag pushed up, and as she landed, she hit her head on the hard surface.
She went a little dizzy.
“Hey there,” Parker said, helping her to her feet. When she nearly fell on her ass, he caught her around her waist, holding her up.
“Shawn?” She felt a little weak, a little sick. Hitting her head had taken something out of her. She turned toward the sounds of screams and shouts.
Years ago, her best friend had been pushed, and he didn’t get back up to defend her. Now, he was pounding the fuck out of Ben, slamming his fist repeatedly against his face, and it was making her feel even more ill.
“Stop him,” she said. “I don’t want him to get expelled.”
Casey, the oldest Smith brother, was there and grabbed Shawn. “That’s enough. I think he’s learned his lesson, don’t you?”
“You ever push her like that again, I swear I’ll fucking kill you!” Shawn growled each word. The violence of him shocked her.
The principal rushed over. “What is going on here?”
Parker held her close. She pressed a hand to her forehead and came away with blood.
“Ben decided it was fun to push a young woman to the ground,” Casey said. “My brother took exception to that.”
Casey held onto Shawn as her friend glared at the principal.
The principal glanced over at her, and she saw he was pissed off. He didn’t like her or her mother. She’d seen that over the course of many sneers and reprimands from him. He didn’t like her sort.
“Ben, what do you have to say?”
“Yeah, Ben, what do you have to say? I mean it was assault. My brother was just using self-defense. The cut on her head will be more than enough proof that the sheriff needs to investigate,” Casey said.
“It’s fine,” Ben said. “I shouldn’t have pushed her.”
“What should you say, Ben?” Casey asked.
“I’m sorry, Poppy. It won’t happen again.”
“Right, that mess is cleared up. Off you go home.”
Shawn moved out of his brother’s hold and went to her. He cupped her face as Parker held her tightly.
“You need to go to the hospital.”
“It’s fine. Just a cut. I’m sure.” She pulled out of Parker’s arms. “Have a great fishing trip.”
“Nice try, Williams. Get in the car,” Casey said. “Mom can have a look at your head, and she can decide.”
Even though she didn’t like being bossed around, being taken care of by them felt really damn good.
****
Two years later
Shawn threw a stone into the lake and frowned. He was missing Poppy. Her father had decided to pay a visit to his kid after nearly five years of being absent.
“What’s got you being lazy when shit’s to be done?” Casey asked, taking a seat beside him.
“Nothing.”
“It’s summer. Besides working on the ranch, how come you’re not going out all that much? When I was your age, I was out all around. There weren’t enough chicks for me to be around.”