One Bride for Five Brothers

I’m at her side in a flash, sticking an arm out in front of her protectively. Could be snake, could be a…

“Bunnies!” she gasps. Automatically she reaches down as if she's going to touch them. I grab her wrist and pull her back, encircling her in my arms.

“You can’t touch them, you know. The mom won’t come back if she smells you.”

She glances up at me, panting, smiling. The sun lights her eyes up like little blue flames. Suddenly she pushes up on her toes and catches my mouth in hers, kissing me sweetly. I taste the salt, taste the strain and work she's just been doing.

“Of course I know that,” she breathes, winking. “I just wanted to get your arms around me.”

“Oh, you did, did you?” I ask, brushing her hair up off her forehead. She fits so nicely in my arms, I could sweep her up, take her over to the pile of hay, spread her out…

“It feels good,” she sighs. She wriggles against me, brushing her hips against mine. Instantly I'm hard and eager. I remember her mouth, that sweet, pillowy hole, right there…

“Vanessa, we can't.”

Her eyes darkened. “We can't? But just yesterday…”

“Yesterday was amazing,” I tell her. I set her d

own gently and take a half step away for safety. “Completely amazing. For all of us. But we have an agreement among ourselves…”

She shakes her head. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and pouts sweetly. Oh, who would know, right? She wants me, I can tell.

“Vanessa, it's what's best for our family. Try to understand.”

“So, let me get this straight. You guys really expect to always be… at the same time? All of us?”

I shrug. “Not forever. Certainly there could eventually be some one-on-one time. But not right at the beginning.”

“What's at the beginning?” she pouts.

I struggle for the words to explain it. How do I make it all sound normal? How do I not scare her off?

“Listen, there's definitely a part of me that would like you all to myself. But I have to think about the family. Once we’re on the same page…”

“So this is for real?” she quirks an eyebrow at me. “It wasn’t just a one-time free-for-all? You really are all for one? Like you said?”

“And one for all,” I nod sincerely. “And we want to make sure that you like it like that too. That you're ready.”

She purses her lips, nodding and glancing away. After a few seconds, she looks at me again.

“I'm ready,” she nods.

I suppress a chuckle. “You don't know that for sure,” I caution her. “It could take a while. We’re willing to wait, Vanessa. We’re willing to work you into this, to go as slow as you want —”

“I don't do things slow, Stan,” she quips. “It’s like driving stick — you don’t know how it’s done til you’re doing it, right? I don't wait for things… I don't hesitate. I'm a grown woman, and I know what I want.”

My eyebrows go up. “Oh really? You're really wanting to —”

“All of you,” she interrupts, nodding emphatically. “Yes. Let's do it. Then we’ll know.”

Chapter 10

Vanessa

Dad was right, getting everything back into the moving truck took almost no effort at all. It was like closing up an umbrella. Dismantling a Lego playset.

Just to make it easy, I put all my stuff back in the Subaru and figured I can navigate everything to the cabin, probably find a path through the orchard. I suppose I could've asked the guys to help me, but I didn't want to antagonize my dad or grandstand in any way.