Epilogue

Melissa

“I can’t believe Mom roped you into this,” I said.

Brian, my younger brother, shoved a box of my clothes into the back of my SUV. “I can’t believe you’re actually leaving Toledo.”

“Why do you say that?”

He wiped his hands and shrugged. “I always pictured you staying in Ohio. Like, forever.”

The old me would have done exactly that. Settled down in Toledo, popped out a few kids, and called it a life. Maybe I would’ve been happy.

But I was glad I was doing something different.

“Toledo is fine, but…”

Brian pointed at me. “Exactly. Toledo is fine , but life shouldn’t just be fine. It should be awesome. And there are places in the world more awesome than Toledo.”

“Is that why you picked a college in California?”

“Yes!” he said as if I should’ve already known that. “California is about as far away from Ohio as I could get, and only because Dad said he wouldn’t pay for my tuition in Hawaii.”

“Alaska is even farther,” I pointed out while closing the back of the SUV.

“Ugh. I’d rather stay in Ohio,” he muttered.

I gazed up at my apartment building for what would be the final time. It wasn’t a bad place. I had liked it here, more or less. It was fine.

But like Brian had said, life had more to offer than just fine .

“Okay,” I said, turning away from the building. “Let’s do this. Twenty-three hours to Crested Butte. If we make very quick bathroom breaks, we can be there by this time tomorrow morning!”

Brian stared at me. “Start over, and say different things this time.”

“Fine. Eleven hours to Omaha, where we’ll spend the night in a hotel.”

“And where you’ll buy me dinner.”

I climbed into the driver’s seat. “Why do I have to buy you dinner?”

“Because I’m doing you a favor by making this drive with you instead of flying back to college. You owe me.”

“I owe you? I’m giving you my car to have this semester!”

“Then you should buy me dinner because I’m a broke college student.”

“I’m even more broke than you.”

“I’ll settle for a Chili’s or something.”

“You’ve got a deal,” I quickly said.

I started the car, took a deep breath, and left the town where I had spent the entirety of my life.

But I wasn’t sad. Not even a little bit.

“You can take over when we stop for gas,” I said.

“Fine,” Brian replied while texting on his phone. “I don’t understand why you don’t need a car in Colorado.”

“Everyone bikes everywhere!” I replied excitedly. “And I mean everyone . Kids, retired people with grey hair, and everyone in between.”

“Is that why you settled on that little town?” he asked absently, still focused on whatever was on his phone.

“That’s part of the reason,” I said. “I just really liked the vibe there.”

“Is vibe the name of the guy you’re seeing?”

I laughed. “What makes you think I’m seeing someone?”

“Because you’re my dumb older sister and I know when you’ve fallen in love.”

“Love?” I made myself laugh again. “Nobody is in love, Brian.”

“You’re a bad liar.”

“I promise,” I said, picking my words carefully, “that I am not interested in a single man in Crested Butte.”

“Whatever,” he muttered. “Tell me when it’s my turn to drive.”

It was a long drive, but not terrible. Corn fields and soy beans as far as the eye could see through Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. The hotel we picked outside of Omaha was next to a cluster of restaurants. Brian suggested the Applebee’s, but I quickly shot that down and we ate at a TGI Friday’s instead. I’d throw myself off a mountain before eating at another Applebee’s. I had moved on, but that didn’t mean I was ready to poke the wound.

That night, when I was ready for bed, I texted the guys.

Me : We’re in Omaha. Halfway there! We’re going to hit the road early tomorrow, so I’m hoping we’ll get into town around five in the afternoon.

Ash : You’re actually moving out here? I didn’t think you were serious. This is awkward. I started seeing someone.

Noah : LOL

Me : Is that a joke? From ASH?

Ash : What’s that supposed to mean?

Me : You don’t make jokes.

Jack : She’s right. You don’t.

Ash : Fuck you guys. I’m a goddamn delight.

Noah : Sure you are, big guy.

Jack : Whatever you say!

Ash : Hey Noah, you have a water leak. Looks like someone cut the main line with an ax. The damage is contained to your bedroom and toy room.

Noah : Don’t even joke about water damage. Especially while I’m not home. If any of my airplane models are damaged, I’m making you sleep outside in a tent again.

Ash : I’ve gotten used to luxuries like beds and electricity. I’m never sleeping outside again.

Me : You aren’t there right now, Noah?

Noah : I’m at the clinic in Ouray. I’ll be back in a week.

Me : You won’t be waiting there when I arrive? Really?

Jack : He’s just joking. He gets back tomorrow afternoon.

Noah : I’ll probably roll into town right before you do, actually! But I wouldn’t miss it for the world :-)

Noah : Unless, like, there was a medical emergency. That’s not a joke, I would legitimately have to take care of that before driving back.

Jack : You’re bad at jokes.

Noah : Not as bad as Ash.

Jack : True.

Ash : Man, fuck you guys.

Me : See you tomorrow 3

“What are you giggling about?” Brian asked from the other bed.

“A funny dog video.”

“Suuure,” he said skeptically.

The second day of travel was more interesting than the first. The flat plains of Western Nebraska seamlessly became the flat plains of Eastern Colorado. Then the Denver skyline appeared in the distance, with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains just beyond.

I shivered with excitement. I was finally here .

Except I wasn’t there yet, because Crested Butte was in the middle of the state and we still had four more hours of driving. Fortunately, the drive through the mountains was more scenic than any drive I could imagine. Tall, jagged peaks covered with pine forests except for the snow at the top. Steep valleys with winding rivers cutting through the rock. Even Brian put down his phone and admired the view.

“Okay,” he said. “This is pretty dope.”

“See?”

“California is still better.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

The final hour driving into Crested Butte seemed to take forever, but eventually the highway ended and became the main street that cut through town. I pointed out everything to Brian: my favorite little coffee place, the sandwich shop that made the best turkey club, and Secret Stash , which had the best pizza.

A few minutes later, we were pulling into Jack’s campsite. A place I had called home for only a week, but would now be my home for the foreseeable future.

And there, sitting on the porch of the Indigo Cabin, were the three real reasons I had chosen this town. Jack, Noah, and Ash all smiled as one as I hopped out of my SUV.

“We made it!”

Jack glanced at his watch. “You’re a little early.”

“We made good time.”

“She wouldn’t let us stop for food,” Brian complained while getting out of the passenger side.

“You make it sound like I starved you. We picked up food and ate it in the car.”

“Hey, check out those cats.” He wandered over to Jack’s porch, where two of the four cats were lazily licking themselves.

Jack was hurrying down the steps, and I rushed forward and threw myself in his arms. He lifted me up, spinning me around like it was something we had rehearsed before putting me back down on solid ground. Then it was Noah’s turn to wrap his arms tightly around me and sigh with satisfaction.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered, inhaling deeply. “I’ve missed how you smell.”

“That would sound creepy from anyone else.”

“I went to medical school,” he said with a big smile. “It’s my medical opinion that you smell nice.”

“Oh, well in that case.”

Ash came up and hugged me from behind. He had to bend down to put his cheek next to mine, and his arms slowly tightened until it felt like my ribs were cracking.

“Okay!” I said.

“Sorry,” he replied. “Been waiting a while to do that.”

“Okay, so which of you is the reason my sister is moving here?” Brian demanded as he returned from petting the cats. “Which of you is her boyfriend or whatever?”

The four of us looked at each other.

It must have been obvious, because Brian’s eyes widened. “Fuck me. It’s all of them, isn’t it?”

“Your brother’s smart,” Jack said.

“He does go to Cal Tech,” I replied.

Brian gave me a goofy grin, then said, “You slut.”

Ash growled and strode across the space toward Brian. My brother took a few steps back, holding his palms out defensively.

“It’s okay!” I said, grabbing Ash’s arm. “He’s my brother. He’s called me much worse.”

“I have!” Brian said. “Much worse!”

Ash glared at him, then nodded. “Yeah. All right.”

Brian let out a deep sigh. “Seriously, I’ve said some horrible things to my sister. One time I said she’s a walking yeast infection. And the number of times I’ve used the C-word…”

“Not helping your case,” I said.

“She’s right,” Ash growled. “You’re not.”

Brian smiled nervously. “Message received.” He looked at me. “So you… you’re seriously seeing all three of these guys?”

“Yeah. I am.” It felt strange to say it out loud. I hadn’t told anyone. My parents were oblivious. They thought I was seeing one of the guys—Dad thought it was Jack, while Mom hoped it was Noah—but they didn’t actually know the truth.

Brian gave me an appraising look. “Hell yeah, Melissa. I wish I had three girlfriends.”

“That,” Ash said, stabbing a finger into Brian’s chest, “was the right answer.”

“Let’s unload your stuff,” Noah suggested. “Then we can all go celebrate with pizza and beer.”

“I talked to Theresa, and the Indigo Cabin is all yours for as long as you want it,” Jack said.

“I don’t want it for free,” I quickly replied. “I’m not a freeloader anymore. I want to pay full price once I get a job.”

Jack crossed his arms over his broad chest. “We can discuss a discounted rate. A long-term rate.”

“How long-term?” Brian asked while grabbing a box from the back of the car. “Didn’t you say you want to try living in a bunch of different places?”

“We’ll see,” I replied. That was what I had told Mom and Dad, but now that I was here? It didn’t feel like my first stop in a series of new towns.

It felt like the one .

“We’ll work it out with Theresa,” Jack said before hefting a box and carrying it inside.

It didn’t take long to move all my stuff inside. Ash wiped his hands on his jeans and said, “I’m starving.”

Jack smirked. “I know a place.”

“Who’s driving?” Noah asked.

“All of us.”

The five of us jumped on the campsite four-wheelers and took off along the trail, just like on the tour a few weeks ago. Jack took a shortcut rather than the scenic route, leading us to the barbecue place a mile outside of town.

“That was amazing!” Brian said, removing his helmet.

“We can do it again tomorrow,” Jack promised. “I’ll take you along the really fun route.”

“Brian’s hitting the road tomorrow to get to California before—”

“I can show up a day late,” he interrupted. “I’ll miss the big Kappa welcome party, but this is more fun.”

Sure enough, Jack took my brother out on the four-wheelers again the next morning. Then, after lunch, Ash gave him a mountain biking lesson. I went along too, cruising down the same trails I had when I was in town a few weeks before. Brian was like a little kid again, cheering and demanding to go again after every run.

“This place is awesome,” he said the following morning while loading up the car to leave. “I can see why you picked this place.”

I glanced beyond him, where Jack was feeding the cats on the porch. “Yeah. It’s special here.”

“And, uh…” Brian ran a nervous hand through his hair. “Sorry for calling you a slut.”

I cocked my head. “You really mean it, don’t you.”

“Now that we’re older, I just…” He searched around for the words. “I want you to be happy. And you seem happier here than you did in Toledo. It’s nice.”

I smiled. “Yeah. It’s nice.”

We hugged, and then I sent him on his way. Something in my chest tugged as I watched the car disappear down the road. I hadn’t told my parents about my three lovers—and I wasn’t sure if I ever would tell them—but having Brian know about my situation and give his approval meant more to me than I expected.

The guys all had work today, so I spent my time going around town looking for work. Small mountain towns like this were always short on labor, so it wasn’t hard to find a few prospects.

“Right now, I’m leaning toward Marlene’s Diner and the Roasted Bean coffee shop,” I told the guys that night while we ate pizza at Secret Stash. It was a pleasant evening, and we were sitting at a table outside, right on the main street. “Between the two, I should be able to piece together enough shifts to pay for my rent and start saving money.”

“You’d be fine going back to serving food?” Noah asked around a slice of pepperoni. “It’s not, like, a step down?”

“Moving here is a step up,” I replied. “Whatever I have to do to make that happen, I’m happy about. Even serving food.”

“Theresa said they’ll be looking for help at the campsite,” Jack suggested. “They need someone to man the front desk during check-in times, and handling a few chores related to the cabins.”

“You don’t want to keep doing all that stuff?” Noah teased.

“Fuck no,” Jack replied. “I’m a minority owner now. Aside from maintaining the four-wheelers and a couple of other small things, I’m happy to hand the rest off to someone else. I’m looking forward to taking on more forestry contracts up in the mountains. Get away for a few days a week.”

“Good,” Ash said.

“Glad you’re happy for me,” Jack said, surprised.

Ash took a long pull of beer and shook his head. “Don’t care about you. If you’re gone a few days a week, it means we get more time with her.” He pointed his beer bottle at me.

“Now, now,” I said. “There’s plenty of me to go around.”

Jack squeezed my thigh under the table. “There’d better be.”

“But regarding the campsite… I don’t think I’m interested. I don’t need to replace Sam that much.”

Noah and Ash both froze, shocked by what I had said. Then their eyes swung toward Jack.

“What?” Jack asked.

“You usually flip the fuck out when someone mentions… her,” Noah said.

Ash nodded in agreement.

“I flip out when you assholes mention her,” Jack clarified. “Mel can bring her up all she wants. Besides, that wound has scabbed over. It’s fine.”

Noah and Ash shared a look, and seemed skeptical.

“That,” Jack pointed at them, “annoys the shit out of me, though.”

Noah held out his palms. Ash just leaned back and shrugged.

“Let’s go back to talking about how there’s plenty of Melissa to go around,” Noah said to change the subject. “Who are you… hanging out with tonight?”

“Good question.” I casually sipped my beer. “I was going to let you three fight over me. Best argument wins.”

“I’ve got a winning argument,” Jack said. “Spend the night with me.”

“Not that convincing, if you ask me,” Noah muttered.

“Nope,” Ash agreed.

“Spend the night with me,” Jack repeated, “and Noah and Ash.”

I made a funny face. “But you don’t… You aren’t into that. We talked about this.”

He smiled slowly. “I’m willing to try it. That’s how much I want you.”

Everyone was silent for three long seconds.

Noah raised his hand to the waitress. “Can we get the check?”

As soon as we were in Noah’s 4Runner, Jack started making out with me in the back seat. I could feel how hungry he was, my own emotions and desires mirrored back at me. It had been too long since I’d felt his lust-guided tongue in my mouth, the squeeze of his fingers on my flesh.

And he was just one of the men who was going to worship me tonight.

“Remember that thing we did?” I asked in the car between kisses. “That I had never done before, and left me really sore?”

Ash whipped his head around to look at me from the front seat. “Remember? I couldn’t forget if I tried.”

“Well, I think enough time has passed,” I replied. “I’m not sore anymore.”

Noah groaned happily.

“What’s she talking about?” Jack asked.

Ash rumbled with laughter. “You’ll see.”

We arrived at Noah’s place in the blink of an eye. The moment I stepped out of the car, I was passed off to Ash’s waiting arms. His lips found mine in the dark night, softer and more sensual than I would have expected from the big man. Then I was yelping as he hefted me into his arms and carried me inside.

We only made it to the living room before Noah was pulling me out of Ash’s arms and lowering me to the couch. I’d imagined this happening on the bed, but I was as impatient as they were, especially when Noah fisted my hair and tugged my head back so he could kiss down my neck.

I opened my eyes and saw Ash and Jack watching hungrily. I raised my eyebrows at Jack, a silent question, and he responded with a grin.

Yeah. He was into this.

Ash shoved Noah aside and cupped my jaw, taking possession of my mouth. I spread my legs more for him so he could sink into my body, pressing his weight against my jeans. I was wet within seconds, both from the feel of his tongue in my mouth and the thought of what they were going to do to me tonight.

While Ash slid down between my legs and unbuttoned my jeans, Noah removed my top and bra. The air felt cool on my breasts until he took them in his warm hands. He kissed me on the lips for just an instant before bending to my chest to lick my nipples, first the left and then the right. I moaned and buried my face in his blond hair, kissing his head and savoring his scent.

Ash’s tongue was a tornado against my pussy, lapping up my juices while his fingers spread me wide. “I love how you taste,” he breathed into my sex. “I could eat you all night long.”

“I would let you,” I crooned back at him.

Next to the couch, Jack was slowly undressing himself while watching them explore my body with their tongues. He was tan and bulging with muscle, the skin pulled taut like he had chopped wood recently. He held my gaze with a look in his eyes that told me he was going to really enjoy what he was going to do to me. I shivered with anticipation.

When he was fully nude, he came over and moved his friends aside without any hint of awkwardness. He lifted me off the couch into his arms like I weighed nothing. I felt his throbbing cock brush against my pussy, and I yearned for him to fill me. He must have read my mind, because while holding me up with one strong arm, Jack reached down and aimed his hard length upward, sliding the head in between my drenched lips. Then he lowered me hard , impaling me on his waiting cock.

I cried out with surprise and ecstasy at suddenly being filled completely. I draped my arms around his neck and pushed my hips into him, taking every last inch I could. His dark eyes slackened with pleasure and his tongue flicked out against my lips.

“I love being inside you,” he said in a deep voice. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about since you started the hike again. It’s where I belong .”

“I was so mad my brother stayed an extra day,” I breathed, barely able to contain the ecstasy between my legs. “I wanted you yesterday .”

“You have me now.”

We kissed as his hands gripped my thighs and began moving me up and down. He held me in the air with ease as we fucked, a chiseled statue of a man. I was dimly aware of Ash leaving the living room and returning moments later. He came up behind me and kissed my neck while Jack and I made love. His calloused fingers rubbed my skin, sliding down my spine and between my cheeks…

There was a click as a bottle opened, and then Ash pulled his fingers away. When they returned they were slippery. They immediately found my tight backdoor, rubbing in a circle around my ring and then plunging inside, one finger and then two. The lubrication did its job; there was a slight feeling of pressure, but no pain. If anything, there was more indirect pleasure from his fingers.

“It’s a tight ass,” he rumbled into my ear. “I don’t know if she can handle both of us.”

Jack grinned wolfishly. “I’ve learned not to underestimate this woman. I think she can take it.” He kissed me hard. “Can’t you, Mel?”

“You’re so big,” I said over my shoulder. “I don’t know if I can handle it.” But my entire body was alive with excitement and curiosity. I wanted to try.

I wanted to do so many things with these men.

“I’ll go slow,” he promised.

Ash removed his fingers slowly. I sensed him lubricating himself, and then Jack stopped moving so that his cock was only halfway inside me. Ash’s chest pressed against my back, sandwiching me against Jack wonderfully. I felt the tip of his cock between my cheeks, demanding entrance into my most forbidden hole. Properly lubricated, the tip slid inside easier than I expected. So did the first inch of his shaft.

I’d had anal sex once before, but it was with Noah, who wasn’t small—but he also wasn’t as large as Ash. Having a cock sliding into my ass while Jack was already filling much of my pussy… it was tight. It made it feel like the very first time, where the pressure was so intense I wondered if I could handle it.

But the pleasure was just as intense. Maybe even more so. Wedged between them with their cocks inside me, a moan of ecstasy escaped my lips. Jack stared deeply into my eyes.

“She likes it.”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you like fucking me while he’s in my ass?” I asked.

Jack grunted. “You have. No. Fucking. Idea.”

Noah chuckled on the couch while stroking himself. “She’s taking it like a pro.”

Ash moved in and out of my ass, just a few inches at a time while Jack held me in place. That’s all I could handle, and he sensed as much. I could feel Ash’s cock sliding against Jack’s, rubbing against my inner wall from two sides. It was amazing. It was forbidden. I was being double-penetrated, one cock in my ass while the other was in my pussy. It was the kind of sexual depravity I had never even dreamed about in my wildest fantasies, let alone the kind of act I thought I might actually partake in. Soon I was moaning loudly with every little pump Ash gave me.

And then Jack started moving.

The pleasure was like someone had abruptly pressed a vibrator against my clit. Every ounce of ecstasy bombarding me was ramped up to eleven as they fucked me at the same time, alternating with each other. As Ash’s dick slid a few precious inches into my ass, Jack’s pulled out of my pussy. Then Jack pushed in, and Ash pulled back. All the while their chiseled bodies held me in the air, smothering me from both sides. I was the meat in a sexy mountain man sandwich.

“Is that okay?” Ash whispered into my ear.

“Uh huh,” I gasped.

“Are you sure?”

I responded with a long moan. “Tell me where your cock is.”

“It’s in your ass.”

I moaned louder. “Tell me more. Describe it to me.”

“Ash isn’t much for descriptions,” Noah said, still jacking himself off to the sight of us. Waiting his turn.

“It’s deep in your ass,” Ash rumbled while he fucked me. I was so full from them. “My throbbing cock is buried deep inside your tight little ass. I can feel you squeezing around me.”

“Yeah?”

Ash tugged on my earlobe with his teeth. “It’s all I can do not to explode right now. But I’m not done with you.”

I couldn’t stop my climax from overwhelming me. I shivered and shuddered and cried out in their arms. My vision went white and their grip on me tightened, fingers digging into my flesh while their cocks pounded me back and forth, urged on by the sounds of my ecstasy, and the orgasm went on and on and on until I had no breath left in my lungs.

I was weightless in their arms, and then I was gently being lowered down. Jack slipped out of me as Ash sat on the edge of the couch, cock still inside my rear. Then he laid on his back and pulled me with him so that I was flat on his chest, facing upward.

Noah appeared between my legs with a hungry look on his handsome face. “Now it’s my turn.”

I moaned as he buried his cock inside my pussy in one long stroke. His hands gripped my thighs possessively, and he rolled his head back and moaned to the ceiling.

“You’re tighter than I remember.”

“My fault,” Ash said underneath me, breath stirring in my hair.

“I’m just going to hold right here for a minute,” Noah said. “I want to savor the way you feel.”

“Taste yourself,” Jack said, coming around the side of the couch and shoving his dick into my mouth. I accepted him eagerly, wrapping my lips around his shaft and swirling my tongue around his head, savoring my own womanly taste. Noah was done savoring me, because he soon began rolling against me. I reached behind me and cupped Ash’s cheek with one hand, and dragged my other fingernails down Noah’s bare chest. Whatever willpower the doctor had was quickly banished, and he began crashing his cock inside me with every frantic thrust. All the while Ash remained deep in my ass, unmoving underneath me.

The three of them filled all of my holes at the same time, using me like a pincushion for their pleasure. And based on the noises they made and the way they gripped my body, their pleasure was tremendous . Ash bear-hugged me from underneath, palms squeezing my breasts while Noah held my thighs. Jack was stroking himself while I sucked on his tip, the frenzied motions of his fist hinting that he was close.

The pleasure was so intense, so heightened, that a second orgasm came upon me by surprise. But rather than ebbing, the intensity remained high, undulating waves of bliss that coincided with every one of Noah’s thrusts.

Shockingly, Ash was the first one to come even though he wasn’t moving inside my ass. It seemed as though Noah’s cock driving into my pussy was enough stimulation. He gripped my breasts tightly and breathed heavily on the back of my neck, ragged gasps, then cried out and spasmed within me, hips shoving up into me while he shuddered with release.

“Oh fuck,” Noah said, who must have felt what was happening. His eyes widened and his mouth chewed at the air. “Melissa, oh my God, Melissa …”

Jack stroked himself off faster and faster. “Wrap those lips around my cock. Don’t let go. I’m going to fill that pretty mouth and I want you… I want you to swallow every… ohh, every drop… ”

His cock shuddered and his come splashed into the back of my throat just as Noah came in my pussy. That moment, while the three of them came inside me at the same time, was pure bliss. My body could bring three men to climax simultaneously. It was empowering, even outside of the pleasure.

And the pleasure, by itself, was greater than I could have ever imagined. I was screaming around Jack’s crown, arching my back and bucking involuntarily, my body possessed by their triple cocks. A minute or an hour, I wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but when it ended I was panting like I had just hiked straight up a mountain.

Noah collapsed back onto the couch, and Jack managed to find one of the chairs to sink into. I cuddled with Ash on the couch as he slowly grew soft within me. It was a sad sensation, the retreat of his manhood, but I found myself giggling.

“Okay,” I said. “That’s the only way I want to do it from now on. One man will never be able to satisfy me again.”

Jack gave me a silly grin. “Really?”

“I’m exaggerating,” I admitted. “But only a little. That was incredible .”

A few bathroom breaks and showers later, and we all regrouped in Noah’s bed. It was crowded with four, but I certainly didn’t mind. And to Jack’s credit, he seemed totally comfortable with the others.

“Tell me something about each of you,” I whispered while cuddling with Ash. We had agreed to take turns cuddling, and he was first.

“The cats at camp aren’t strays,” Jack admitted. “I rescued them from the shelter in town.”

“No shit,” Ash said.

“We already knew that,” Noah added.

Jack sat up and stared over at them. “What the fuck do you mean, you already knew?”

“Jasmin, who works at the shelter, came into the clinic a while back and told me. She said she didn’t take you for a cat owner.”

Ash’s laughter vibrated up into my own body.

“Fuck y’all,” Jack muttered. “We had mice. It was basically a business agreement.”

“Whatever you want to tell yourself, buddy,” Noah said.

“Your turn, Doctor Richardson.”

Noah leaned over and kissed my head. “Is it weird that it turns me on when you use my title?”

“Is it weird that it turns me on saying it?” I replied.

“Here’s a good one. But it can never leave this room.”

“I promise,” I said.

Noah cleared his throat. “There’s a guy who visited the clinic in Ouray last month who had… too many of a body part.”

“What body part?” I asked.

“You’ll never guess.”

“Fingers,” Jack tried.

“Nope.”

“Nipples?” I asked.

“Ears,” Ash said confidently.

“Nope and nope,” Noah replied. “This guy had two penises.”

“No. Fucking. Way,” Ash said.

“Fuuuuck,” Jack whistled through his teeth.

I pretended to get out of bed, swinging my legs over the edge. “I’ve got to go. My true love is waiting for me in Ouray.”

“Hey!” Noah said.

Jack grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back into bed. “Talk to me when you find a guy with three dicks. Otherwise, we’ve got him beat.”

I giggled. “You sure do.”

“One of them is much smaller than the other,” Noah explained. “But it’s functional.”

“I’ll be damned,” Jack said.

“Okay, Ash. Your turn. Tell me something nobody else knows.”

“I can’t beat a guy with two dicks,” he complained.

“Just try.”

“Ash isn’t my full name. It’s short for Ashley.”

He said it so matter-of-factly. Like he was commenting on the weather. The rest of us turned to stare at the big, tattooed man.

“Seriously?” I said.

“You have a girl’s name?” Jack asked.

“It’s a man’s name, too.”

“Yeah fucking right.”

“Lots of men are named Ashley. Look it up.”

It was cute how defensive he was being.

“So your full name,” Noah said, “is Ashley Jameson?”

Ash hesitated for a heartbeat before saying, “Yes.”

“Why did you hesitate?” I demanded. “Wait. What’s your middle name?”

“Don’t have one.”

Jack reached over and grabbed a wallet off the bedside table. Before Ash could stop him, he had procured a driver’s license.

Jack started laughing. “Oh my God.”

“What?”

“Ashley Laurie Jameson?”

I gasped. “Laurie!”

“Oh my God,” Noah said between bouts of laughter. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to us. And I’m including Melissa’s arrival.”

“Fair,” I said.

“Laurie is a man’s name too,” Ash muttered.

Jack tossed the wallet back onto the table. “It definitely isn’t.”

“You haven’t read Little Women?” Ash demanded.

“You have read Little Women?” I countered.

Ash clenched his jaw. “This is why I don’t share things.”

I rolled onto his chest and kissed his chin. “I love your name.”

He grunted.

“Seriously, I love it. And here’s something you three don’t know about me. I know I said I was going to try a bunch of different towns, but I’ve settled on Crested Butte. This is where I want to live.”

Jack smiled. “Yeah, I figured.”

“Same,” Ash said.

“You love it here now,” Noah pointed out. “But maybe get through your first Colorado winter before you make a decision.”

I sat upright in bed, shocked. “Oh crap. I forgot all about the winter.”

Their laughter filled the bedroom, and Noah grabbed my arm and pulled me over to cuddle. I really had forgotten about the winter. Maybe that part would suck.

But I was certain of one thing: I was happy with the three of them, no matter the weather.

The future wasn’t guaranteed, but the present? It was pretty much perfect.