Double the Fun

Jane nodded and walked them to the door. They hesitated at the threshold, and she knew what they wanted. Smiling, she lifted on her toes and kissed first William and then Rys. It certainly wasn’t a swoon-worthy kiss, but the smiles on their faces had her body heating anyway. Once the door was shut behind them, Jane leaned back against the wood. Her mom stood in the entryway to the kitchen, her smile wide as she stared at Jane. Jane’s cheeks heated when she realized her mother had most likely seen her kiss them on the lips.

“I’m glad you finally woke up, honey.” With that, her mom turned and went back into the kitchen. Jane stood there for a moment, her mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out. Her mother may have hinted about a relationship with the Holden twins, but Jane never thought that if she was actually faced with it, she would approve. It looked like Bridget Silver had no problem with her being with two men, especially when those men were Rys and William.

Now, if only she could make sure the town wouldn’t condemn her for being with them, maybe she wouldn’t feel so frightened to tell them all that she loved Rys and William and to fuck off. After years of being looked down on, she shouldn’t give a shit what any of them said, but she found it wasn’t easy for her to just ignore what was being said and keep her emotions out of it. In truth, every time someone gave her a dirty look, or she heard “white trash” or “tramp,” it broke her down just a bit more.

She shouldn’t care, because what she and the Holden boys had shouldn’t be tainted by the ignorant words of a few townies who didn’t know half of what their relationship was made of. Just knowing her mom approved made her feel warm and safe. Others might not agree, but the only people in her life who mattered didn’t have a problem with her loving two men.

Chapter 21

A bonfire was set in the middle of a vast field. Brooklyn not only owned Rowdy’s, but he also owned more than fifty acres of wooded land that even had a rambling brook. His family had lived in Ecstasy since the first settlers nearly a hundred years ago, and she even thought she heard that one of his family members was a founding father. Rys and William flanked her as they made their way toward the large group of people standing around the roaring fire. The flames had to be eight feet high, the yellow and orange flickering and popping. The closer they got, the louder the sound of classic rock filtered through the night.

“Yo, if it isn’t the Holden twins.” A few of the guys came up, and Rys and William slapped them on the back in the greeting men usually did. Dyllon and Jacob Michaels, brothers who were a few years older than Jane, smiled and greeted her. William’s hand landed on the small of her back, and she took strength from the gentle touch.

Rys looked down and smiled at her. “Beer?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Rys looked at William and asked him without actually saying anything if he wanted a beer too. After a second, he headed toward a line of kegs and disappeared in the thick throng of bodies and shadows.

“Hey, it’s little Jane Silver.” Jaxx Mason sauntered over to them, and she was struck by how gorgeous he was. Hell, a lot of the guys in Ecstasy were good-looking. Maybe it was something in the water.

“Hey, Jaxx.” He reached out and ruffled her hair like she was some little kid. He was only a few years older than she was, yet he acted like she was his little sister. She had to admit it was endearing.

Olyver Eberhardt was right behind him, beer in hand. Olyver, owner of Eberhardt Construction, had a wide grin as he stopped in front of her. His dark hair and eyes looked like spilled ink in the darkness that surrounded them. She thought he and his sister Eva were part Italian or some other Mediterranean ancestry.

“Hey, girl.” He wrapped one arm around her, and she couldn’t help but smile. He had always been nice to her. Eva too. “You’re looking good. These jackholes treating you right?” He tilted his beer to William and then to the crowd that had swallowed Rys.

“Yeah.” She chuckled at his pseudo-serious look.

He gave a tight nod like her answer was satisfactory. “No one been giving you a hard time, have they?” Olyver watched her over his beer as he took a long drink.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” She looked around and noticed the guys had formed what looked like a protective circle around her. Jaxx stood in front of her with William to her left. Olyver was to her right, and the only gap in their circle was a small sliver, just enough that she could see Rys coming back with three beers between his fingers. When he reached them, he gave Olyver a pointed look until the man raised his hands in surrender and moved beside Jaxx so Rys could stand to her right. Looking around at them, she didn’t care if anyone thought she was a slut because she kept company with a lot of Ecstasy’s most attractive and eligible bachelors. They were all nice to her, never condemning her or her mother for all the mistakes her father had made.