Finding Her Fantasy (17 page)

Erik had delivered a fatal shot, but Clark’s had missed its mark, just grazing Erik’s
shoulder.

Clark’s eyes dimmed as he dropped the gun and fell to the side, where he remained
motionless. Erik raised his gaze to the constable, who stared in shock.

“I guess he didn’t want to go to jail,” Erik murmured.

The constable lowered his gun and glared at Erik.

“What?” Erik said with a shrug. “He pulled his gun first.”

“I told you to leave that thing behind,” the constable snapped.

Erik snorted. “Right. Like that was going to happen.”

* * * *

Melinda recognized the soft mumble of Erik’s deep baritone even before she opened
her eyes. Erik was talking to someone. Was it Jon? An image of Jon and Erik covered
in blood and lying lifeless on the floor went through her mind. Her heart sped up
in fear. She opened her eyes wide and glanced frantically around the room.

Jon was immediately by her side. “Hey. You’re safe,” he said softly as he brushed
her hair back from her brow.

She sighed and rested back against the pillow. The bright hospital lights increased
the ache behind her eyes, and she squinted as she looked up at Jon. “I had a dream
you and Erik were dead.”

“We’re far from dead,” Jon said with a grin.

Melinda lifted her hand and touched her swollen cheek as she watched Erik pace at
the far side of the room. He was talking to someone on the phone, but from the way
his jaw jerked, Melinda assumed the conversation wasn’t going well.

Speaking made her face hurt, so she mumbled as best she could, moving her mouth as
little as possible. “Who’s Erik talking to?”

“Your brother.”

Melinda winced. “No wonder he looks pissed.”

“Yeah, they’ve apparently been bickering back and forth for a while.”

“About what?” she asked.

“You.”

Melinda scowled. “Me?”

“Marcus wants you to come home. Today. Erik would prefer you make that decision.”

She snorted softly. “I would prefer to make that decision, too. Marcus is getting
a little too controlling of late.”

Jon grinned and patted her leg.

“Besides, the threat’s over, right?”

Jon nodded. “Right.”

Melinda glanced between Jon and Erik. She felt as though there was something to read
between the lines, something left unsaid between them. She wasn’t sure she could say
she loved them, but the thought of never seeing them again left a gaping hole in her
chest.

What would they say if she wanted to stay longer? If she wanted to explore what a
threesome relationship would be like for real? Did they feel the same?

She tried to get some sort of answer by looking at Jon, but he kept things hidden
pretty well. She turned to Erik just as he hung up the phone, and tried to gauge him
as well, but he looked more angry than anything.

“I hope Marcus didn’t chew you out too much,” Melinda said.

Erik’s lips twisted, but the amusement didn’t reach his eyes. “Marcus is worried about
you. He wants you back home where he can see firsthand that you’re fine and recovering.”

Melinda bit her lip deciding it was either now or never. “Well…he can wait.”

Erik studied her with that intense, I-can-see-into-your-soul look that left her weak
in the knees, but there was also a glimmer of hope in his eyes that made her heart
skip a beat in excitement.

“Are you saying you want to stay?” he asked.

“Are you asking because you want me to stay?” she hedged, wanting to tell them how
she felt, but also not wanting to be the first to say it.

Jon snickered nervously. “I’m thinking that we need to just get this out there. I’ll
start. Mel, I want you to stay. I…” He sighed and took her hand in his. “I have feelings
for you. I’m not sure what those are yet, but I would like the chance to figure it
out.” He looked over to Erik. “Your turn.”

Erik rolled his eyes and then moved to sit on the other side of her bed. He swallowed
and took her other hand in his, holding tight. He finally lifted his head and met
her gaze. “I agree with what Jon said.”

Melinda’s lips twitched slightly. Joy made her stomach flutter. Even though it wasn’t
a declaration of love, it was a start, a possibility. “Men of few words.”

Erik’s lips twitched as some of the tension began to lift. “I’m afraid I’ve never
been one for flowery speeches.” He reached out and chucked her under the chin playfully.
“I do know there’s something here, though. We just need the chance to figure it out.
Now it’s your turn. What do you think of all this?”

She gave a breathy, nervous laugh. “That we’re nuts.”

Erik and Jon chuckled. “That we may be,” Erik said in agreement. “I have no idea how
we’re going to make a relationship like this work.”

“I may have a few ideas,” she said and her face flushed.

Jon raised an eyebrow. “Really? Care to share?”

A nurse walked in with the doctor, stopping what Melinda wanted to say. “Can we talk
about this when we get home?”

Erik’s eyes sparkled with promise. “Oh, that’s a given.”

Eight months later

Melinda taped up the last box and set it aside. Her house was finally all packed up
and ready to go on the market. With a satisfied sigh, she glanced around the room
and smiled. Some of the furniture would stay to make the house look more lived in.
The pieces she couldn’t live without would be shipped to Belize.

“I still can’t believe you’re doing this.”

She turned to smile at her brother, who leaned against the entryway into the formal
living room.

“Moving to Belize or marrying two men?”

“Both.”

Melinda snickered and set the tape on top of one of the boxes.

“I have to admit, though,” Marcus added. “You look amazing.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“But it’s more than looking healthy. You’re no longer reed thin, but you have this
glow about you. You’re happy.”

“I am happy. Is that so hard to believe?”

His lips twitched. “Not when I look at you.” He pushed away from the wall and walked
toward her. “I have to say that your telecommuting for work has been the perfect fix.
It’s so much quieter at the office. We should’ve thought about this a long time ago.”

She slapped his shoulder, making him laugh.

“Is he giving you a hard time again?” Erik asked with amusement as he walked into
the room and dropped another box onto the pile. “Just say the word, and I’ll kick
his ass for you.”

Marcus snorted. “Dream on.”

Chuckling, Marcus slapped Erik on the back of the shoulder before looking around at
all the boxes to be shipped down south. “I sure hope you guys bought a big enough
house for all this crap.”

“Hey, it’s not crap,” Melinda chided.

“Oh, no,” Marcus drawled. “Of course not.”

“The house is probably bigger than we really need, at least right now,” Erik said,
then smiled. “But I’m sure we’ll grow into it.”

Marcus curled his lip, making Melinda giggle.

“Plus we needed extra room for when you come to visit,” Melinda said as she gave her
brother a pointed look.

Marcus scowled, but Melinda didn’t miss the spark of devilment in his eyes. “I see
you all the time over the computer whenever we have meetings, what do I need to come
down there and visit you for?”

Melinda frowned and tried to slap her brother on the shoulder again, but he laughed
and dodged, making her miss.

“I think Melinda has hopes that you and Andrew will find the perfect girl. She’s in
that if-I’m-happy-then-everyone-should-be-happy phase,” Erik said with amusement.

Melinda put her hands on her hips. “And what is wrong with that?”

“Not a thing, baby,” Erik said as he walked past her and placed a quick kiss on her
cheek.

“Boy, she’s got you whooped,” Marcus teased.

“Damn straight,” Erik said with a grin as he left the room and headed down the hall
for more boxes.

Marcus was laughing as Jon stuck his head in the door and shouted, “Truck’s here.”

“Well,” Melinda said as she let out a slow breath. “Looks like we’re almost done.”

Jon walked over and put his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a squeeze as he leaned
in and kissed the back of her head. “Is this everything that goes?” he asked.

“Most of it,” she said with a nod. “I think Erik went to get the last two boxes from
the master bedroom.”

Marcus headed toward the hallway. “I’ll see if he needs a hand.”

“Thanks, Marcus,” she called out.

Jon wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back against him. “So this
is it?” he whispered. “The official start of our lives together. No second thoughts?”

She lifted her hands and gripped his arms. Leaning into him, she smiled. “No. You?”

He kissed her temple and made the butterflies in her stomach flutter to life. “Not
a one. The house is finished and the wedding is planned. Now you just have to pick
where you want to go on your honeymoon.”

She snorted. “Why do we need to go anywhere? We have a gorgeous house on a beautiful
beach.”

“If a honeymoon at home is what you want…”

She turned her head and rested her cheek against his strong chest. “Why not? I have
everything I could ever want at home.”

“Me too, sweetheart, and I know for a fact, Erik concurs.”

Melinda smiled. She did have everything she’d ever wanted. In spite of all the crap
she’d been through, she’d still managed to find her fantasy.

The End

Publisher’s Note

Please help this author's career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased
this book.

Trista Ann Michaels can be found deep in the mountains of Tennessee writing her stories
by a swift, flowing stream. The sound of running water has always relaxed, as well
as inspired, her. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a paralegal for a prominent
prosecuting attorney; that is until she met the man of her dreams, her very own airline
captain by the name of David. When she isn’t writing, she can be found piddling about
in her garden or watching movies. Her favorite pastime is traveling, and you can always
find her at a RWA meeting, sharing her writing experiences and encouraging fellow
writers to follow their dreams.