Theirs to Treasure (Beyond Monogamy Book 1) (3 page)

“Is?” He glanced toward her.

“The threatening letters still come by the truck load, but we take precautions to keep us safe.”

“Don’t you ever fear that one day someone opposed to the choices your family and the company represents will intend to harm you?”

“If you mean are there times I’m afraid for my life, or the lives of those I love, the simple answer is yes. I was raised to stand up for what I believe in, and I’ve seen the good things this lifestyle as to offer. My dads made sure I could handle myself. I think they were rougher on me because I’m their only daughter. Self-defense lessons nearly every day growing up, even now we still work though the routine at least once a week. I think I was ten when they first took me to the range and taught me gun safety. When I turned twenty-one they made sure I received my concealed weapon permit. Even with all that, we have security at the house, and they usually travel with us when we’re meeting clients.”

“Then why did you come alone today?”

She turned slightly in her seat to look at him. “This situation called for a little more privacy, and after my father and I spoke about it he felt I would be fine. He assured me that one of you would pick me up at the landing strip and would take me back. With Jake—the pilot—standing by for when I wanted to leave, we thought it would be acceptable to make this journey without my normal security detail.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Though I’ll say this now…if you or anyone else here have other ideas on why you brought me here, I suggest you rethink it. I’m not just some woman who needs someone to protect her. I do a fine job of that myself.”

“How could we have called you here for other means when we didn’t know you’d be the one who would arrive? We expected Paul Nelson.”

“It wouldn’t have been unheard of to invite someone under the pretense of seeking their services only to hold them hostage to use them as leverage to try to get the new law reversed. If it were anyone else other than Mr. Dalton, it could be said that you sought a ransom.”

“If you thought any of that, you wouldn’t have come.”

She nodded. “You’re right. If there was even the slightest doubt. I wouldn’t have come, not even with a team of security guards at my back. I’d rather pass over a client, no matter who they are, and live another day than risk myself or my family. After all, as much as I love the work I do, this is just a job, and family is so much more than that.”

She wasn’t sure what to think of Kain. One minute he seemed to open up to her, to let down his hard exterior, and then it was as if she was back at square one. He was distant, and the way he phrased things put her on edge as if she was on trial. If he did this with a prospective match, it could make for an icy beginning, one that might never get past the first step.

Once she got a better understanding of the others and decided if she was actually going to take them on as a client, she’d have to sit down and talk to him about his off-putting attitude. Otherwise, they were wasting their time.

The SUV pulled up in front of a sprawling log home with wide windows that took advantage of the amazing Wyoming views. It was set on a mountain, looking down on the town and across to the next mountain peaks. The picture of the three of them before it didn’t do the house justice. Huge logs the size of Paris’s waist made up the external walls in a warm honey color that stood out perfectly against the snowy backdrop. The outside was stunning, and she couldn’t wait to step inside because she was sure there was more beauty within.

“We had this house custom built for our needs before Aiden retired, but it’s nice to live here full time,” Kain explained as he observed her awe.

“It’s beautiful.”

He looked back at the house as if he was seeing it through her eyes and smiled. “It is, but to fully appreciate it you have to see the inside.”

“Is there a reason you’re keeping our guest waiting in this weather?” A man with dark brown hair, and the deepest chocolate brown eyes she had ever seen, came toward them.

“Miss Nelson, this is Cody Knight.” He shifted his intense stare to Cody. “She’s Mr. Nelson’s daughter and is here representing Beyond Monogamy.”

“Welcome.” Cody held out his hand to her. “Don’t let Kain put you off. His bark is worse than his bite.”

She returned his smile as she accepted his offered hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Please call me Paris.”

His smile showed off the boyish good looks that hadn’t shown in the picture and she had to admit those perfect dimples in his cheeks made her knees weak. If a match for these three was going to work, she might need to get Cody at the forefront of it. His welcoming smile and easy attitude would make someone feel more comfortable than Kain’s cold stare.

“Come on. Let’s get you inside where it’s warm. Aiden should be done with his phone call by now and we can get started.” He led her across the cobblestone driveway to the stairs leading up to the deck and front door.

“I’d like to meet with all three of you first and then each of you separately.”

Cody turned enough to look back at Kain. “You didn’t tell her?”

“Tell me what?” she questioned before Kain could answer.

“Aiden has requested to meet with you first. He had planned to meet the plane but an unexpected business matter came up that had him otherwise engaged,” Cody explained as they made their way up the stairs.

She nodded as he opened the front door and she stepped into the warmth of the house. The heels of her boots clicked against the foyer’s marble floors as she moved deeper inside. The logs from outside continued within, but everything else was warm and inviting.

“Let me take your coat.”

Without looking at Cody, she slipped it off and handed it to him. Her gaze scanned the space she could see. Through the large opening, she spotted a living area with a kitchen just off to the right, open and welcoming. Only a large kitchen bar with wood bar stools separated the two spaces.

“I’ve got something to do. Show her into his office.” Kain slipped past them and headed down the hallway to the right.

Cody shook his head before looking back at her. “I swear, he does have a better personality hidden under that attitude.”

“I think he’s upset that I had to take my father’s place today due to unfortunate circumstances, and I don’t think it helped matters that he didn’t call before I showed up, to let the three of you know.”

“It wouldn’t have changed anything. Kain is very protective, and he doesn’t like change, but he’ll come around.” He handed her the laptop bag she had set aside while she took off her coat. “If you’ll follow me, I’m sure Aiden is wondering what the delay is since he probably saw the SUV pull up from his office.”

She slipped the bag over her shoulder and followed him. “I understand he’s put out that I came instead of my father, but I’m still here to get the job done. If he’d prefer to go with another company because it didn’t work out how he wanted, that’s his choice.”

“No,” a deep voice announced from a room just steps before them.

“That would be Aiden.” Cody nodded to the office. “I’ll make myself scarce while the two of you discuss business, but I look forward to sitting down with you shortly.”

She watched him disappear down the hallway before the voice from the room caught her attention again. There behind a large cherry wood desk was Aiden, looking just like all of the pictures she had seen of him in the media. His blond hair was spiked on top while the rest was buzzed close to the scalp. His light purple shirt, almost a pale lavender, had the collar button undone, making him appear more approachable.

“Please come in. I’m Aiden Dalton.” He came around his desk and she caught a glimpse of the blue jeans that encased his long legs. “You’re not Paul, but I’m assuming you’re with Beyond Monogamy.”

“Yes.” She held out her hand to him. “Paris Nelson, his daughter. Due to unforeseen circumstances he was unable to make it today.” She was getting tired of explaining her presence and where her father was. It reminded her why they preferred to meet with everyone together first instead of going over the same things repeatedly.

“I’m sure that pleased Kain, but I have no doubt you’ll do a great job. Please have a seat.”

“Normally we prefer to meet with all of the clients together, then conduct private interviews,” she explained once again.

“I understand, but I’d like to speak with you before the others join us.” He waited for her to take a seat before he leaned against the edge of his desk. “I’m assuming you’ve done your research, you know who I am, so you’ll understand how delicate the situation is.”

“I knew who you were before I opened your file. I might not be much of a football fan and I rarely have television on, but my brother London is a big supporter of yours. You might not play any longer, but he’d still flip over backwards to meet you. Which is why I’m here instead of him. Your request is being kept quiet, only my parents and I know about it or even that I’m here.”

“I appreciate that.” He smirked. “While I’m thankful to have fans, playing football was never about that. I did it because I loved the game, and when I had to give it up I thought my life was over.” He rubbed his knee, as if just thinking about it made the pain return.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve never been a diehard sports fan, but there’s more to life than football.”

He nodded. “You’re right, which is why you’re here. Since I got out of the game I realized how much life has to offer. There’s so much I’ve been missing. Which brings me to my point. We’re looking for someone we can spend the rest of our lives with, not someone who can only see the dollar signs or the fame from being with someone with my background.”

“I understand that and will do everything in my power to find you the perfect match. You should know it’s not going to happen overnight. Simply due to your career, your situation is more advanced than some of the other cases we’ve worked with, so I want to take extra care to make sure it’s perfect. The first step is for me to talk to all of you, to gather a better understanding of what you want and need from someone.” She scooted forward on the chair. “I’m assuming that since the three of you have decided to do this together that you’ve spoken about what you want as a group, what you’re willing to sacrifice in order to make it work. No one woman is going to have everything all three of you are looking for, so we need to have the most important factors and go from there.”

“We have. Each of us have our own personalities, wants, and needs, but when it comes to finding the perfect woman for us we’re on the same page. Though before we get started on that, I’ll call them here.”

“That was it?” She managed to keep the surprise from her voice but she felt her eyes widen.

“Your father called after Kain left to let me know you’d be taking his place today. So I only wanted to make sure you understood about my career and the challenges it would cause in your search.”

“If you knew, why didn’t you tell Kain?” She nearly shot out of her chair. “For a moment I thought he was going to ask me to get on the plane and go back to where I came from. He was pretty put out that I took my father’s place today.”

“Cell phone service is spotty in the mountains and when I tried I couldn’t reach him. I figured it would be a nice surprise to keep him on his toes so I just left him a message that I wanted to speak with you when you arrived.”

“That’s evil, do you know that?” She shook her head and laughed. “Poor guy.”

“It’s good to keep Kain on his toes. He’s been with me for over a dozen years as my lawyer. While he was working his way through law school he did security for me occasionally.”

“With a stare like his I have no doubt he was good at that. When he looks at you, it’s as if he’s looking through you. Let’s put it this way, he’s not a guy most would test.”

“He was very good at his job, even after he became my lawyer, he was good to have by my side when I needed extra security. Even now that I’m retired he won’t give up the role of bodyguard.” He stood and walked around the desk. “We’ll meet in here unless you prefer to gather around the dining room table.”

“This is fine. Maybe we could sit over there, it would be less formal.” She nodded toward the small sitting area to the right of the door.

“Please feel free to make yourself comfortable or set up whatever you need while I call them.” He moved to the intercom mounted on the wall next to the desk. “Kain, Cody, if you could join us.”

“That’s handy.” She pulled her notebook out of her bag and sat back on the sofa.

“Each of us has our own space to escape to so the intercom makes it easy when we need each other. It’s also hooked up in the barn.”

“Barn?”

“That’s Cody’s area mostly. He was raised on a ranch and keeps horses here. In the summer he runs a riding camp for children, and throughout the year he gives underprivileged kids a chance to experience the joys of horses and riding.”

“That’s sweet. I’ve never been riding, but I know people who have and they say there’s nothing like it.” She twirled the pen between her fingers.

“I thought everyone might like a drink.” Cody entered carrying a tray. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, this is iced tea but if you prefer something else—”

“Iced tea is fine.” She accepted once of the glasses from the tray. “Once Mr. Fitzgerald joins us, we can get started.”

“We’re on first names here.” Aiden took one of the glasses before he sat on the only chair between the two sofas. Kain entered and Aiden turned to him. “I suspect you were doing your normal checks.”

Kain looked toward her before he glared at Aiden. “I don’t believe this is the time to discuss such things.”

She smirked at him. “You can answer his question because I suspect you’ve been running a background check on me. Without a doubt, you did them on my parents, and most likely completed some checks on all of us, but now that I’ve shown up instead of my father, you wanted more in-depth checks. Am I right?”

“Least you can do is tell her the truth.” Aiden took a sip of his drink.

Kain nodded and lowered himself onto the sofa across from her. “Yes, I did. You didn’t honestly expect me to let a stranger into our home without doing the standard checks, no matter whose daughter she may be, did you?”

“Knowing you, no.” Aiden leaned back and smirked. “You have the floor now, Paris.”

“Thank you.” She leaned forward. “Aiden mentioned that you’ve talked about what you want in a spouse and that’s the first step. Now I’d like to know why you chose to go through Beyond Monogamy versus doing this yourself.”

“I’ll answer that.” Kain leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Sharing a wife was something we decided on years ago. I was raised in a family with two fathers, and because of that, there was always someone there to throw the ball with, to come to my games no matter what sport I played. My mother never seemed happier than when she was with my fathers. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood the risks they took. I knew that one day I wanted the same thing my parents had.”

“Like Kain, I was raised in a similar family.”

She turned to Aiden, confused. “Everything I’ve read about you shows you were raised in an average family. One mother, one father, a loving environment, strong family ties.”

“If you’ve read that biography then you’ll also know my
aunt
lived with us.”

The way he stressed
aunt
made her wonder if she’d missed something in her research. “Yes. To help care for you and your mother while your father was traveling for work. I believe I read your mother had breast cancer and passed away a few years ago.”

“Yes, but what was kept hidden from the media was my so-called aunt was also my mother. My father was committed to both of them as his wives. Unlike now, they couldn’t have an actual wedding joining the three of them, but in their hearts they were married and we were a family.”

“Then why was it kept a secret? I mean, I understand why it was kept a secret then because it was illegal, but why now? Why not come out and tell the world?”

“That is my father’s secret to tell, not mine.” He smiled as if remembering the joys of his childhood. “Though if you’ve been watching the media, there have been hints that there’s a wedding on the horizon for my father. He’ll legally marry his second wife in the coming months. It will be a small ceremony for close friends and family. Only those closest to them understand that this is more of a renewal of their vows than an actual wedding.”