Theirs to Treasure (Beyond Monogamy Book 1) (4 page)

“I’m the only one who wasn’t raised in a family like this.” Cody sat on the sofa beside her, his ankle propped on his knee.

“We’ll discuss that shortly. Right now, I want all of you to understand how this will work. Today I’m here to gather information about all of you, your wants, needs, dreams, and fears. That will help me determine who the right woman is for you. As I explained to Aiden, this will take time because it’s more complicated than most cases.”

“Why is this more complicated?” Cody asked, leaning forward.

“Most clients are a married couple searching for an additional partner. Sometimes they are man and wife, other times they’re a same sex couple, searching for another. The three of you are not a couple, but you’re looking for one to make you complete. That means you haven’t already worked out the issues that come with marriage.”

“We understand. However long it takes, we know that in the end we’ll have the happiness we want. We’ll be complete.” Aiden nodded.

“We decided on this years ago, but because of my legal career, Aiden and Cody agreed we should wait until we saw how the legal battle your family fought ended. If it had been a bust, we’d have found a way of doing it without making it public,” Kain explained. “Which would have been hard for Aiden and myself because our careers are in the forefront of things. But like his parents did, we’d have found a way.”

“Aiden is a public figure so it would have been difficult to keep a relationship like this out of the press. There’s always publicity of the three of you living together here.”

“Oh, we’ve heard all of that.” Cody chuckled.

“Some of the football players I’ve played with won’t come around because they think we’re gay. They can’t stop thinking about all those years in the locker room…” Aiden trailed off as if he didn’t want to think of what had been said by people he had considered friends.

“All three of you need to realize things will only get worse. The media is going to run with the idea of the three of you together, and only advance on it when there’s a woman in the mix. They’re going to have a field day with this. Do you realize what you’re getting yourselves into?”

“Yes.” Cody nodded. “We understand the risks but the rewards are more worthwhile. The people who know us will know the truth, and the others can think what they want. We’ve decided this is what we want and it’s time we take steps to achieve it.”

“Cody’s right.” Aiden nodded in agreement. “I understand there might be changes in my career options, but we’re financially secure. If I never do that work again, we’ll still be fine. Same with Kain, if his legal practice dries up because of this, we’re willing to accept that. Right, Kain?”

“Who knows?” Kain smirked. “We could come up with a whole bunch of new clients.”

“My father Mathew’s career took a hit at first, but now he’s working on a high profile murder case.” She laid her pen on top of the notebook on her lap.

“I’ve heard about that. He’s prosecuting that woman who killed her daughter while they were on vacation because she couldn’t go to the nightclubs at the resort.” Cody shook his head, disgusted.

“That’s the reason he didn’t take Paul’s place today and I came instead,” she explained.

“Don’t you also have a brother who works with the company?”

“Yes.” She nodded to Cody before glancing toward Aiden. “I explained to Aiden earlier why he wasn’t the one who came. He’s too big of a fan to handle business in a professional matter.”

“What matters is she’s here to help us.” Aiden winked at her. “Now instead of questioning why she’s here, maybe we could get down to business.”

Over the next hour, she went over the process, detailing every step, and answering their questions as they came up. Surprisingly, things went easier than she had expected. They had done their research on most of what would happen. They asked questions about what they were unsure of so there would be no confusions later on.

She had come there unsure her family would be able to help them, but now she had a new lease on what she could do for them. At some point in the midst of the conversation, she had decided she’d find them the wife they had waited so long for. Not only that, but she was determined to find them the
perfect
one. They deserved it. Sometime in the middle of all this, she had warmed up to them. She wanted to help them.

Aiden stood near the window watching the cows in the pasture. There was a peacefulness to the view, almost relaxing in a way. They weren’t their cows, but belonged to the farmer who lived on the adjacent property. It was a deal they had worked out when they purchased the property. He could lease the land, giving his cows more room to roam, in exchange for fresh meat when he butchered an animal or during hunting season. It worked out in their benefit since none of them hunted and the land would have been unused anyway.

“Are you listening to me?” Cody sat perched on the edge of Aiden’s desk.

“Yes, I’m listening. What do you want me to say?” He still didn’t turn to look at the others, instead he kept his gaze out the window.

“Tell us you feel it too,” Cody pushed.

“Cody, you’re being too hasty about this. Step back and relax for a minute. She’s here on business. Rushing in head-first and screaming she’s the one isn’t going to make her receptive to the idea.” Kain leaned against the wall, watching them.

“What do you expect us to do then? She’s leaving in a few hours.”

“We need a game plan.” Aiden turned from the window to look back at the two men he was closest to, the ones he would spend the rest of his life with. They had become like brothers over the years, knocking sense into his thick head when he was sinking into a deep depression. If it hadn’t been for the two of them when his career ended, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done. Football had been his life, the only real thing he focused on since he was a child, and to have it taken away from him in an instant was devastating.

At least I went out at the end of one of the best games of my life.

He shook his head, chasing away the thoughts of his past and focusing on more important things. It was time to begin building their future with the one woman who would cement them together permanently, and if they had their way, it would be Paris.

“So what’s the plan?” Cody slapped his hand down on his leg.

“We’re going to meet with her individually like she wants. Answer her questions, but also ask some of our own. We need to know more about her before we can begin convincing her. If we start now she’ll think we’re nuts, and if she leaves here with that in her mind there’s not a chance we’ll get her back here. When she leaves, I’ll take her back to the plane.”

“Aiden, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Kain pushed off the wall to turn toward him.

“I figured you wouldn’t, but you had your time with her and I think I can connect with her on the drive. If anyone has to convince her this is what we want, it’s going to be me. She’s already mentioned the media coverage.”

“They made you look like a player.” Cody shook his head. “I told you that you should have come out against that years ago.”

“They’d have focused on us.” He shrugged his shoulders, as if to convey it was a lose-lose situation. “It wasn’t easy, but neither were good options. Being a playboy in the eyes of the media seemed liked a better option at the time than having them hound us day and night trying to catch us in awkward situations.”

“It would have been bad either way, but now we’re going to have our work cut out for us.” Kain took off his cowboy hat and ran this hand through his hair before putting it back on. “I didn’t make a very good impression on her when we first met either. I was expecting Mr. Nelson, and when he didn’t show I couldn’t help but question our decision to work with the company.”

“Guess I’m the only one who doesn’t have to convince her I’m different than what she thinks.” Cody smirked.

Kain shook his head. “You’re the youngest and your boyish good looks mean you have to convince her you know what you’re doing, including tying yourself to us
and
a woman.”

“Why does everyone treat me like I’m a boy?” Cody stretched out his legs.

“Don’t knock it, Cody. You have the good looks that will win our woman over. Haven’t you noticed how her gaze travels back to you whenever she thinks no one is looking?”

“He’s right,” Aiden said. “Which is why you’re going to talk to her first. Diane will serve the two of you lunch while you’re answering whatever questions she has for you. We’ll eat in here and whenever you’re done Kain will be next. I’m sure she’s going to have the most questions for me, therefore it will take more time and maybe she’ll be able to eliminate some of the questions after talking to the two of you. I’ll meet with her last.”

“I’d say you just want to spend all your time with her.” Cody stood. “While I’m gone I don’t want either of you to worry, I’ll smooth the way for you. When I’m done she’ll want us as much as we want her.”

“Don’t lay it on too heavy,” Aiden warned while he watched him stroll from the room. Then he turned to Kain. “You know he’s going to be overzealous.”

“He always is, which is why he works well with us.” Kain took a seat in one of the leather chairs across from Aiden’s desk. “You know, Paris being the one for us is only going to bring more attention to the situation. Her family is in the center of this new trend, and Beyond Monogamy is getting a lot of attention—both good and bad. It’s going to give us twice the media attention.”

“I had thought about that, but if she’s the one it will be worth it.” Aiden sat down behind his desk. “Before my mother died she told me that when the right woman came into my life I’d know it.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. I’m not sure I ever believed her, but when I saw Paris walk into my office I knew she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I just hoped you and Cody would feel the same way. Everything else will fall into place, it has to.”

His words made him sound so sure, but everything inside of him was turning. He hadn’t been this nervous or anxious when he began playing pro-football. Now he sat before one of his best friends wondering how they were going to make this work, because he knew the woman in the other room wasn’t going to make things easy for them. There was something about her that screamed she wasn’t looking for anything serious, and even if she was it wouldn’t be them.

Don’t worry, darling, I’m going to convince you otherwise.

Paris stared down at the notebook on the table and wondered why she’d even pulled it out again. It wasn’t like she had written anything in it yet. Even when she talked to them as a group, she hadn’t added anything to the notebook, but she had no doubt she’d remember it. These guys were going to stick with her long after she found them a wife. The bond was stronger between them than anyone else she’d worked for in the past.

A bond like that is what I want when I marry.
She leaned back in her chair and let her thoughts roam. Marriage, commitment, and love were things she wanted, but she had always put finding partners for others above her own needs. There was always a concern she wouldn’t find what she was looking for, someone who would understand the family’s company meant everything to her. She wouldn’t just step away from it, or limit the clients she took on. It wasn’t about the fame or the money, what kept her going was the joy she experienced when she saw her matches work out.

That’s why she continued her work, even when the publicity was at its worse. The things the media had said about her and the rest of the family stung even if she knew it wasn’t true. The people closest to them knew the truth and had ignored the media’s comments. She shook her head, not wanting to travel down the road to those memories. She had learned long ago that it wasn’t worth getting upset over what they printed about her and the rest of the family.

“Are you ready for me?” Cody stood in the doorway.

“Yes.” She nodded to the chair across the table from her. “Please sit.”

“Diane will be serving lunch while we talk, if that’s okay with you. She’s an amazing cook.” He took the seat across from her, watching her closely.

“That will be nice, thank you.” She sat up straighter in her chair, unsure if she was uneasy because of his penetrating gaze or because of where her thoughts had been before he came into the dining room. “I’ll cut straight to it. How old are you, Cody?”

“Your research didn’t tell you that?” He raised an eyebrow. “You can’t honestly expect me to believe you didn’t do the background checks on all of us just as Kain did when you arrived.”

“I know what the file says but I want to hear it from you.”

“Thirty-two.” He paused as Diane placed lunch on the table.

“Burgundy wine chicken breast marinated and served over fresh vegetables,” she said, her voice soft and melodic. “I hope you enjoy.”

“It looks delicious. Thank you.” Paris smiled at Diane before the older woman scurried back to the kitchen.

“Can we get back to my age since you seem to have an issue with it?”

“I asked your age because I wasn’t sure I could believe the number in my file. You look younger and I wanted to make sure.”

“So, because I look young you think I don’t know what I’m getting myself into?” He took a bite of the chicken, his gaze fixed on her.

“Aiden is thirty-five and Kain thirty-six, I just want to make sure you’re ready for what you’re getting yourself into. A relationship like this can be harder at times, more problems when starting out. You’re not just working with one person and dealing with their needs or wants. Instead there’s going to be four of you working together, and that will cause more problems until each of you learn to handle it.”

“Aiden, Kain, and I already know that. We’ve lived together long enough to have worked out some of these issues. I understand that by adding another person into the mix, especially a woman, a whole new set of problems could develop. Haven’t you ever wanted something you just knew was right? That’s how all of us feel about this.” He sat his fork aside and leaned forward. “We’re not doing this because it’s the popular thing. We are doing this because it’s what we believe in, what we want.”

“You said why the three of you are doing it but why are you personally interested in this? You could have any woman you wanted, why would you want to share one with two others that you have no sexual relations with?”

“That’s a good question.” He took another bite of his lunch before answering. “My father died when I was young, leaving my mother and me alone. I had just turned sixteen and suddenly I was the man of the house. I gave up sports and everything else to take over the ranch. I was up before the sun, did the chores before school, then after school I rushed home to finish what I didn’t get done that morning. There was no time for anything else. I barely graduated because I was too exhausted to deal with school after working on the ranch all evening. I’d fall into bed and sleep like the dead until my alarm went off.”

When he paused, she stopped mid-bite and looked at him. “I’m not sure that answers my question.”

“If it hadn’t been for my mother’s health and then Aiden’s job offer, I’d have kept the ranch. Now I have a little piece of it here with me. The horses, the riding school, and the work I do with the underprivileged children in the area.” He paused and took a drink of the iced tea Diane had brought out earlier. “If something happened to me, I don’t want to leave my children and wife alone. I want them to have people like Aiden and Kain. They might not have the interest in the horses, and that’s fine, they could close up shop or hire a ranch hand. What is important is that there’s someone there for my wife and children. Unlike when it was Mom and me, we were alone. I don’t want that so that’s one of the reasons I chose this.”

“One of the reasons?”

“I knew you’d ask about that the moment I said it.” He smirked. “I’ve seen Kain’s family. The love he has for both of his fathers and his mother. There’s also a strong connection between each of the parents that I want to have. Aiden’s mother died before I came into the picture but I’ve heard of the joys he had growing up with his two mothers and father. That’s the family I want my children raised in.”

“Family seems important to you.”

“It is. I want a few children. At least one of each but I’ll take what my wife will give me and what we’re blessed with.”

“Have the three of you discussed children? Do the others feel the same way about having them?” She cut more of the chicken into bite size pieces while she watched the joy of the idea of children spread across his face.

“That was covered and we all want kids. Each of us have our own strengths, so we want to teach our children what we know and believe in. I think that will give them a stronger upbringing than I ever had.”