Bound & Teased (24 page)

“What did you do with Judy?” Jed asked.

“We went to my apartment. I called Dr. Pam, and she came over. After a few hours, she had a place for Judy to stay where she’d be safe. Pam started counseling Judy the next day.”

“What about you?” Ry asked.

“Me? I packed up my apartment, arranged for my stuff to be shipped here, got in my car, and came home.” She kissed Ry’s jaw and then Jed’s. “It was time. I was tired of New York, of my father and Walter, but I also missed Gran.” The fluttering in her stomach encouraged her to continue. “And I missed both of you. I missed your voices, your strength and your attention.”

The room went silent, and Katie peeked at the men from beneath her lashes. The surprise and love on their faces caused the last of the tension to drain out of her body.

“What you saw didn’t color your views of us and our lifestyle?” Jed asked.

“No. There was nothing safe and sane about what my father and Walter were doing. What we do is safe, sane, and consensual.”

“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ry said.

“New York was just a place to live, and I missed home. Felton’s Creek was home. Gran is home. You are both home. I let my father convince me what I would have with you was nothing but violence and shame. But he was the one with the violence and shame issues, not me.” She snuggled closer to the men. “He made me doubt my feelings for both of you and doubt myself as a woman. But you’ve shown me real love. I will never doubt us or what we have together. I don’t.”

“Never,” both men whispered.

****

Saturday morning the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky. Ry finished setting up the sheriff’s office booth then went to help Jed unload the horses from the trailer. This weekend was the annual Felton’s Creek Celebration.

There was everything from booths selling homemade crafts and foods, to Jed with pony rides for the kids, to small carnival rides. It was just a chance for the entire town to be out and celebrating.

Katie was going to be helping Miss Mazie at her tea booth, and then later, the three of them would find a spot on the grass to watch the fireworks. After what she told them the other night about her father and Walter whipping the young lady, Ry was still amazed how she reacted to him and Jed.

Her father and Walter only wanted to cause pain and degradation, whereas Ry and Jed wanted to give her pleasure, taking her to the next level of satisfaction and sexual release. Her submission was a gift one he would honor for the rest of his life.

“Hey, Jed, I’ve been thinking,” Ry said as he helped with the horses.

“That’s dangerous.”

“Watch yourself, sub.” Ry grinned, and Jed just laughed. “How do you feel about making us permanent with Katie?”

Jed stopped in his tracks and stared at Ry. “Are you serious?”

Ry nodded. He’d been toying with the idea in his head for a while, and after she told them about her father and ex, he wanted nothing more than to find a way to keep her in their lives. “It’s time. We’re not getting any younger.”

“How do you think we should handle this?” Jed moved the horse into the temporary stable.

“We have to ask her first?”

“I know that.” Jed shut the stall door and leaned against it. “Who does Katie marry?”

“I’ve been thinking about that, and I’m hoping you’ll agree. But there’s another issue.”

“And that is?”

Ry frowned. Usually Jed was the one to jump into things without thinking. “We’ll be coming out to the whole town.”

“Our parents never hid their relationship with each other.”

“No they didn’t.” Ry fondly remembered going out with his family and being proud of having two dads, and a special mother who kept him and Jed in line.

“You’re parents were married,” Jed said, leading the last horse into the temporary stabling. “But my dad never married your mom nor did he collar her.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. What he was suggesting wasn’t necessarily welcomed in most places. Alternative lifestyle was the current politically correct term. “True, but are you telling me you’d be willing to play a third without being committed to Katie and me?”

“I am committed.” Jed marched over to him. “But legally, only one of us can marry her.”

“True. Tell me how you feel about this.” Ry was putting a lot on the line here, but he wasn’t willing to lose Katie or Jed. He’d compromise if needed. “I’d like to marry Katie. If she agrees, we can legally have her name changed to both of our last names.”

Ry studied Jed’s face, his nerves stretched taut when Jed didn’t respond. But his features were bland, containing no anger or fear. Maybe he was receptive to this.

“And then we can have a collaring ceremony with her,” Ry continued. “We can both collar her, and the three of us wear rings.”

Jed’s eyes widened, and Ry blew out a breath.

A grin broke out over Jed’s face. “We need to tread carefully with Katie on this. But I like it.”

“I agree, but I love her, and it’s time.”

“Agreed. I love her and you, you big lug.” Jed pulled him into a hug, and Ry returned it.

“I love you too, sub. So let me tell you what I found in Monroe. Actually, we can run to Monroe right now and pick it up and be back before the celebration starts.”

“Let’s go.”

****

“Enjoy your tea,” Katie said as she handed the bag over to the older woman.

“Oh, I will.”

Katie put the money in the register and sighed. It had been busy most of the day at Gran’s booth. The Felton’s Creek Celebration always brought a lot of people in. While she had dinner each night this week with Ry and Jed, she’d only seen them in passing today.

Jed had a small ring set up for pony rides, and Ry would roam around, looking absolutely delicious in his uniform.

“Why don’t you take a break?” Gran asked.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, go.” She patted Katie on the shoulder. “Go find your men.”

Katie grinned and kissed Gran’s cheek before leaving the booth. Gran was such a wonderful woman.

She was halfway to the riding ring when little Tommy Miller ran into her, his blond hair sticking out and his shirt dusty.

“Oops, sorry, Miss Katie.”

“It’s okay.” After helping Tommy gain his footing, she straightened to see her father and Walter standing in front of her. Her stomach dropped. She’d hoped they left town. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk,” her father said.

Tommy wrapped himself around her legs. Katie knelt down. “Tommy, go to the riding ring right now,” she whispered in the boy’s ear. “Let Jed know I sent you. Nowhere else, understand?”

Tommy nodded, let go of her legs, and took off running. She could only hope he’d tell Jed what he saw.

Chapter Thirteen

“Sheriff, sheriff.”

Ry turned from the horse ring at the sound of the young voice. Tommy Miller came running up to him out of breath. “Easy, Tommy.” He knelt down and took the small boy by the shoulders. “Where’s the fire?” It was a question he always asked when kids were like this.

“Miss Katie,” he panted. “There are two scary men with her.”

Ry jerked his head up, trying to see to Miss Mazie’s booth but he couldn’t. “Good job, Tommy.” He stood. “Jed, we’ve got a problem.”

Jed hopped the fence and marched over to him. “What’s up?”

“Katie’s in trouble.” He looked down at Tommy. “Where was she, Tommy?”

“Over there,” he waved his hand in the direction of the tea booth.

“Thanks, buddy.” Ry smiled.

“Go get your ride.” Jed turned Tommy toward the ring and gave him a pat on the head.

Together they sprinted in the direction Tommy had waved. It didn’t take a genius to guess that her father and the ex were here and harassing Katie. Well, it was time to show them a united front. It didn’t take them long to find her. Katie was standing with her feet apart, her hands on her hips as she gave the two men standing in front of her hell.

“What’s going on, sweetheart?” Ry asked as he and Jed encircled her. His arm went around her waist, and Jed’s went right above his. Ry brushed his lips against her right temple.

Jed did the same on her left. “Okay, Kitty Kat?”

“Better,” she whispered, melting into their embrace.

The older man in front of Katie made a noise, and Ry looked him over. Lines creased the man’s forehead, his hair gray and his lips pinched. He must be Katie’s father. The man standing next to him was younger, and his expression of distaste made Ry want to laugh. He had to be the ex.

“I told you to leave,” Katie said, steel running through her voice.

Ry was proud of her. She wasn’t going to take any crap from these two.

“Not until you agree to come back to New York.”

Ry squeezed Katie’s waist, and Jed did the same.

“I’ve already told you, Father. I’m not coming back.”

“Maybe this will change your mind.” Ry didn’t like the gleam that came into her father’s eyes. The man was up to something. “You come back to New York, and I won’t expose these two to the entire town.”

Ry started to remove his arm from Katie’s waist, when she wrapped hers around his waist, tightening it to let him know she supported him.

Katie lifted her chin and stared at her father. “First off, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m happy, and I don’t plan on leaving Felton’s Creek.”

“How the hell can you be happy in this little hick town?” the younger man asked.

Katie took a sharp breath. “It’s not a hick town, and you stay out of this, Walter.”

“It comes down to choices, Katherine. Either come back to New York with Walter and me or I expose these two to the entire town.”

“Expose what?” She shook her head.

“How about I tell everyone here how these two have been with my daughter, together, and doing unspeakable things to her, against her will?”

Ry and Jed took a step forward, and Katie latched onto their belts. Ry glanced down at her, but she was staring at the two men. Her grip on their belts didn’t ease up.

The carnival music, ringing bells, and the voices from the celebration were more prominent at Katie’s silence. Damn. He was the one who told her they didn’t flaunt their relationship in front of the town. But he wasn’t going to keep it a secret, either. It was time to take a stand.

He glanced over at Jed, who was staring at him. Jed nodded. They were in agreement. It didn’t matter who knew about them. They weren’t giving Katie up without a fight.

“Katie.”

“No, Ry.” Her voice was low and tight. “You are such a hypocrite, Father. Have you conveniently forgotten what I walked in on before I left New York?”

Her father’s gaze turned freezing cold. He held up his hand. “Excuse me, everyone.” His voice was loud enough to garner attention.

Katie’s chin dropped to her chest, and Ry’s heart contracted.

“Is there a problem?” Mayor Thompson asked, walking up to them.

It was do or die time. Ry stiffened his spine.

“Yes, these two men won’t leave my daughter alone so we can talk.”

“You say you’re Katie’s father?” Mayor Thompson asked.

“Yes, that scum is.” Gran’s voice was strong and clear. All eyes turned toward Miss Mazie, who held two young teenagers by the ears. More people gathered around the group. “I saw these two boys talking with Randall behind my booth, and I just happened to overhear the conversation. Tell them, boys.”

The boys looked down at their feet, scuffing their toes in the grass. “We’re the ones who keyed the car, broke the windows, and some of the other stuff,” one said.

“They said to just scare her, but they never paid us,” the other said, pointing at Katie’s father and Walter.

“What about the attempted robberies?” Ry asked.

“We didn’t try to rob anyone. I swear, Sheriff. We would never do that.” The one boy looked up at him, and Ry saw the truth in his eyes.

The boys’ parents had joined the group, and both sets glared at their children. The fathers stepped forward and took an arm of each son. “We’ll take care of this, Sheriff.”

“Bring them by the office. I’m sure we can work something out with the judge for community service for the entire summer to pay for the damages.” But that still didn’t explain the couple of robberies they’d had.

The boys groaned.

The older teen glanced from Ry to Katie’s father. “He hired two ex-cons that live in Monroe to do the robberies, Sheriff. They bragged to us about it, but we refused to help.”

Ry’s anger built. It could have been much worse than it was. Ry nodded then turned his attention back to Katie’s father.

Randall’s gaze was still hard and defiant. “It’s their word against ours.” A sinister grin spread over her father’s lips, and Ry had a bad feeling.

Katie’s head was still bent.

“These two men standing here are anything but upstanding citizens. I don’t know about the state laws around here, but they are perverts. They are not normal. They prefer having sex together and share a woman.”

“We’ve done nothing wrong,” Ry whispered in her ear.

“Damn right.” Her head came up.

“Katie?” the mayor looked at her, then to Ry and Jed.

“Mayor.” Her voice was soft, hesitant. She glanced up at Jed and then Ry. She cleared her throat. “We’ve done nothing wrong, period. I love Ry McKade and Jed Malloy.”

Jed jerked, and Ry did the same. She loved them? Why hadn’t she told them?

“These two men make me happy, and if Felton’s Creek residents can’t understand and accept it, then it’s the town’s problem.”

Ry let out a breath, and he heard Jed do the same thing. Okay, this wasn’t the way he wanted this to go down, but the hell with it. He’d resign as sheriff if need be. He wasn’t giving up Katie or Jed.

The mayor stared at the three of them before turning his attention back to Katie’s father. “I don’t give a damn who you are,” the mayor said. “You are a stranger to this town and so is this fellow.” The mayor waved his hand at both of them. “Ryland and Jedidiah are upstanding citizens of this town. Ryland is our sheriff, and he will be for a long time. Jedidiah donates his time and horses so the kids know how to ride and learn about them. As for Katie...”

The mayor glanced at her. “She is a beautiful young woman, a brilliant accountant. What they do in their private life is their business. I will stand behind them. Who’ll join me?” The major stepped next to Ry.