Chapter Seventeen

Grim looked across the booth at Josh. His best friend was more relaxed than he'd been in weeks, and it didn't have anything to do with the steak and fries he'd eaten. He'd also downed a salad when Nicole had pointed out vegetables were a necessary part of life. Josh had an indulgent smile on his face as Nicole told Christa all about her new friend.

Spending time with their girl had Josh looking like himself again.

"He's so cute. We think he's probably got some terrier in him," Nicole was saying.

"And chihuahua, given how he shakes," Josh joked.

Nicole wrinkled her nose his way. "He's scared. And maybe cold."

Buddy was sleeping in his crate in Christa's office. He had some excellent doggie anxiety meds which he might need for a while because that pup had seen some things.

"He looks adorable," Christa said. "I can't wait to meet Buddy when he's awake."

Christa started talking about her Labrador. The café was hopping tonight, and they'd been lucky to get a table. There was a PTA committee meeting going on in the back room and some kind of church group eating together at a bunch of tables they'd shoved together. He kept an eye on Alyssa, though. She was sitting with her mother across the way, staring over at them from time to time.

She might be a problem.

But the real problem was sitting in a booth in the back.

Ezekiel Smith.

He'd chosen the last booth and Grim couldn't see who he was with, but it was likely his brother and two stepbrothers. They never took their mom anywhere except to church and to buy groceries. He was actually surprised they would spend money on something like a meal out.

There was another man there, a taller man, though, who couldn't be one of his brothers.

Despite the peace and joy of spending the evening with Nicole, a sense of dread trickled in.

Christa stepped away to grab their desserts, and Nicole took a long drag off her iced tea.

"I talked to Kim today and she said the case is going well, though she might need to come out and interview me again," Nicole said quietly. "Jack wants to hire a PI in the area to revisit the criminal case, but I'm worried reopening it could shake some stuff up."

And she was scared. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Harlow can't stay here forever," Nicole mused. "What are we going to do when she needs to go home?"

"Harlow is fine right where she is for the time being." Josh leaned over and reached for her hand. "And we should watch what we say in public. They're always listening."

She flushed. Grim couldn't imagine how hard it was on her to have to measure her every emotion, to always try to fade into the background, though there had been times her good nature hadn't allowed it. He was grateful for those times because Kimberly Kent had turned out to be a godsend. He wasn't going to let Nicole know it, but he'd kind of listened in on the meeting she'd had with the PI. Jack and Harlow had been there, and everyone seemed confident Kim could untangle the problem.

Nicole was going to be free.

It was up to them to ensure she didn't go anywhere.

Which was why his gut tightened as he watched his father put some money on the table and stand up.

"They're watching me now," Nicole said with a sigh.

"They're watching me, darlin'." Josh gave her a wink. "No one can take their eyes off my handsome face."

Sometimes the influence of Pops showed up in his best friend. Dad's influence was always there, but when Josh smiled and winked he was all Sam. He hadn't seen that sunniness in Josh in weeks.

Nicole's nose wrinkled. "You think entirely too highly of yourself. I think they're watching Grim because of his broody good looks."

He was worried they were watching him because of something his asshole stepfather was putting out.

Josh glanced around the café. "Nope. It's definitely…" His best friend's face went blank. "Is that who I think it is?"

Grim sighed. "Yeah. He's been here the whole time. I'm pretty sure he's got at least two of my brothers with him, but I can't tell who he's talking to."

Nicole twisted her torso, trying to figure out who they were talking about.

"I can," Josh said, and his tone had gone arctic. "It's Hazelton."

A chill went up Grim's spine. Jim Hazelton ran the feed store. What was his stepfather doing with the feed store owner? He couldn't forget about the fact that his stepfather and brothers had been preaching about how sin was causing the trouble with the local cattle. And sin was the word they always associated with his new family.

Now they would associate it with Nicole.

"Maybe I should check on Buddy." If he wasn't sitting here perhaps his stepdad wouldn't cause a scene.

All the assholes in his life were right here in the café. Alyssa kept looking over like she was planning to approach them but hadn't worked up the courage yet.

He felt like all their joy was about to get slashed and burned.

Was this how it always would be? Had he brought this down on them all?

"Or you can sit here and enjoy your dessert," Josh said with a frown. "He wants to start something, I can handle him. Same with our other problem. I thought she was the only thing we had to worry about tonight."

Only because he hadn't seen the real trouble coming their way.

"What's going on? Why would Grim need to leave?" Nicole's sweet happiness was replaced with obvious anxiety.

His stepfather was talking to Jim Hazelton and reached a hand out. They shook like they'd decided on something.

He probably wouldn't like the decision.

"Maybe we should all head home," Grim said, wanting to avoid the confrontation. The public confrontation he was pretty sure was about to happen. It wouldn't bother him. Josh would actually enjoy it.

Nic was the one who would get hurt. She was the one who would see what it meant to be his woman.

His stepfather walked toward them, flanked by his stepbrothers. Peter's eyes flared when he saw him, and he slapped at John's arm to get his attention.

Sharks. They smelled blood in the water.

Grim started to slide out of the booth, but Josh stopped him.

"We're not going anywhere," Josh said. "They want to start something, we can finish it."

"That's your stepfather?" Nicole asked.

Grim nodded. "Yes, and if I walk out, he'll leave you alone. He likes to cause scenes. It makes him feel righteous."

His stepfather had a gleam in his eyes, the one he had before he started a sermon on how the world was evil and only he could protect his flock.

"Here we go," a deep voice said.

That was when Grim realized the minister of the Presbyterian church was sitting at a table to their left with his wife.

"I know I'm supposed to love everyone, but some people make it hard," his wife declared.

Pastor Mike looked over Grim's way. "You okay, son?"

Grim nodded.

"He's going to be." Josh's eyes had gone flinty.

"Is now not a good time to remind you Jesus wants us to turn the other cheek?" Pastor Mike offered with a sigh.

"What's happening?" Nicole asked again.

"Well, if it isn't the reason we're all in trouble." Ezekiel stopped at the head of the booth, his sons flanking him.

"What kind of trouble are you talking about?" Josh asked, looking bored. He sat back as though he wasn't ready to kick someone's ass.

Which Grim knew damn straight he was. "Move along. There's nothing you could say to me that matters."

"We know you don't care," Peter sneered. "You gave in to evil long ago."

"Evil?" Nicole asked, obviously confused. She looked his way. "Babe, I thought you were kidding or overstating things. They really use the word evil?"

"Hey, you should move along." Christa couldn't get to the table because his relatives were crowding her out. "They're having their dinner."

Ezekiel's frown deepened. "And you're fine with serving degenerates. If you ever wonder, woman, why no one of good reputation will patronize your establishment, it's because you don't have any standards."

Christa glanced around her crowded café. "I think I'll stick with the degenerates."

If she thought a logical comeback would do anything to get rid of his stepfather, she didn't know him at all. "If you want to talk to me, let's go outside."

Josh's head shook. "You're not going anywhere with him."

Ezekiel turned, and his arms came up. "People of Willow Fork, there is a devil among you. Has anyone wondered why the good, God-fearing ranchers of this town have lost so much lately?"

They were back to this. Grim groaned.

"Is he talking about the beetles in the feed?" Pastor Mike asked. "I thought Grim was the one taking care of that."

His stepfather had everyone's attention now, and he preened under it. "Jared is the very saboteur who placed the bugs in the feed. He does it because he's got Satan in him. It is a sad fact of life that some of us are born evil, and my stepson is one of them. He is here on earth to harm real men. To do Satan's work."

"I'm sorry. Are you fucking kidding me?"

Grim's brows rose because it hadn't been Josh who asked the question. Nicole had slid out of the booth and was standing in his stepfather's space. He started to go after her. Josh held him back.

"No, you let her have her moment. She can handle this," Josh said with a surety he didn't feel.

"You think that man who spends all of his time helping animals is making them sick?" Nicole asked.

"Shut your mouth, woman," his stepfather said, his tone harsh.

"No. She doesn't have to shut her mouth at all," Christa replied. "You need to leave and don't come back." She pointed the feed store owner's way. "And if you are involved in this nonsense, you can get banned, too."

Jim Hazelton's hands came up. "Christa, I was here alone and they cornered me. I don't believe Grim snuck beetles in my feed. It happens sometimes, and I wasn't careful enough about checking it when it came in from the vendor. That's where they got in. There have been some other cases around the state. But they won't listen to me, and they're damn intimidating."

"Not as intimidating as I am," Christa declared.

"The devil lives in my stepson," his stepfather went on, his hands going up in the air.

"You say that when women wear tank tops to a gym class," Nicole pointed out.

"And when we wear leggings." The oddest supporter stepped up. Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest and stood beside Nicole. "And when we breathe in public. You know it is not my fault that your sad-sack sons can't control themselves."

Pastor Mike actually clapped. "Don't forget that he tried to get the new pizza place shut down because he doesn't understand we don't live under Leviticus. You know, Ezekiel, a good slice of pepperoni would change your world."

"Heretic," his stepfather hissed.

"We are so sick of you harassing us." Debbie Vanderburg moved in beside Alyssa. She'd gone to high school out at the resort.

"Yes, maybe it's time we take this to the city board," another voice said. "I know I'm sick of my daughter crying because those idiots call her a whore."

"You aren't listening to me." His stepfather seemed to understand this wasn't going how he'd planned. "Do you even care what's happening to our town?"

"What's happening is we have an excellent vet who managed a bad situation without losing a single bred heifer," Nicole announced. "And he didn't do it so his business got better. It can't get better. He doesn't need the money. He does it because he cares about this town and its citizens."

"Grim came out at one in the morning because my yorkie ate a chocolate bar," Shelia James announced.

"It was milk chocolate flavored," he said. "Not enough cacao to hurt her."

"But you showed up," she insisted. "I was scared as hell, and you got out of bed and came to help me. And you brought along Joshua so I had something real nice to look at."

That sent a laugh through the café.

Josh merely nodded. "I was glad to help."

"Ladies, I understand that he's a work of art, but his head is going to get so big it won't fit through the door," Nicole said with a smile.

"Well, then his daddy will buy a bigger house," Alyssa pointed out.

Another huge laugh.

His stepfather had flushed. "Does no one care that the devil is here?"

"I think you see the devil in everyone because he's inside you," Nicole said. "He sure isn't inside Grim. Grim is full of love, and he's one of the best men I know."

"Here, here." Pastor Mike raised his glass. "Best vet in Texas and a good friend to all."

John put a hand on his father's arm. "Let's go, Dad. They've all given in. They're not worth saving."

"It's because of his whore," his stepfather spat.

And then he and Josh were both on their feet.

Nicole stepped in front of them. "Nope. We're good here. I did recently get an excellent car out of this relationship, so I don't care what he calls me."

"That's because Jack Barnes is addicted to smushing cars," someone yelled.

Christa was cackling with laughter.

"We're all whores to you," Alyssa said, pointing a finger his stepdad's way. "All we have to do is exist and we're whores until we're under the thumb of some man, and you know what, then we're whores when it's convenient. I don't like Nicole. She does not dress well."

"Hey," Nicole said.

Alyssa shrugged. "Girl, you showed up in a crew neck men's shirt, mom jeans, and freaking Crocs. You were unfashionable even for this part of the world, and that is hard to do. I'm offended you dress like that and get called a whore. A whore should at least wear a damn V-neck. And some fuck-me heels."

"I'll be sure to get her some," Josh said with a chuckle.

Nicole's nose wrinkled. "I'm not really a heel girl."

"No, you like bare feet, baby," Josh whispered.

Because subs got to pick. Heels or bare feet. He liked Nic's feet. He liked to rub them and tickle them and suck on her toes.

This wasn't so bad. How had he thought for a second his Nic would wither under the pressure?

Of course he was surprised at her ally. Her mean-girl ally.

"Maybe this town ain't worth saving," his stepfather stated and then strode out of the place.

"Good riddance," Christa called out.

Pastor Mike was on his feet, hand reaching out to Grim, who shook it. "Hey, are you okay? I know we're all laughing about that drama your stepfather played out, but it also had to hurt."

It weirdly hadn't. Having Nicole stand up for him had settled his heart. "I have a dad. Two, actually, and they love me. I don't need that man in my life. I wish there had been something more for the woman who gave birth to me, but she made her choices."

"And Abigail Barnes-Fleetwood made hers," Pastor Mike said with a nod. "Good. You three, if you need anything, you let me know. I might not live your lifestyle, but I don't believe love is degenerate."

"I wish you would tell Pastor Fred at the Baptist church," Alyssa said under her breath.

"You come by any time you like, Alyssa, and we'll talk about God," the pastor said and rejoined his wife.

The patrons of the café went back to their meals, but there was a buzzing through the space that couldn't be denied.

"You three sit down and enjoy your pie," Christa ordered. "This is on the house."

"Chris…" Josh began.

She waved a finger. "Nope. I know you're a little moneybags, but I get to give gifts too, and there is no greater gift than my lemon meringue pie." She frowned at Alyssa, who was still standing there. "You going to cause trouble?"

"No, ma'am," Alyssa replied, sounding humbler than Grim could remember. "I would never endanger my momma's ability to get your Saturday morning cinnamon rolls."

Christa nodded and walked away.

Alyssa took a long breath and faced Nicole, who was tucked in beside Josh now. "Nicole, I would like to apologize to you. It has recently come to my attention that I can, on occasion, be less than fair to the people around me."

Josh's brow rose.

Alyssa frowned. "Fine. I can be a bitch. I thought I could have my cake and eat it too, and I wasn't in a relationship with Josh for the right reasons."

"It wasn't much of a relationship," Josh corrected.

"Who told you he's thinking of firing you?" Grim asked.

"He's not going to fire you," Nicole argued.

Alyssa shrugged a slender shoulder. "My mom, and she told me I would deserve it and made me go and spend time with this therapist in Tyler. I hate the whole examining my own actions stuff. It's awful. But I meant what I said to your stepdaddy. One of the things I'm working on is the fact that when I don't stand up for myself, I tend to put my anger somewhere else. Like on Nicole. But I'm not going to feel bad for saying what I did to Ezekiel Smith."

"You shouldn't," Grim replied. "You keep standing up to him. He has no right to make you or any woman feel uncomfortable."

Alyssa turned to Grim. "Also, I just got the cutest poodle and she's so sweet, and I don't want to have to drive her into Tyler for checkups."

At least he had some value. "Bring her by the shelter and I'll check her out."

"Are we okay, Nicole?" Alyssa asked. "I know I'm a bitch, but I do feel bad about saying those things. Especially when I think about those Crocs. You don't have any other shoes, do you?"

"How about you stop at I'm sorry and I'll tell you I accept your apology and will ensure that Josh doesn't visit his vengeance upon you," Nicole replied dryly.

Alyssa's smile brightened. "Oh, that works. I like my job. There aren't a lot of places to work around here, and I didn't like the city. The people there are… Well, I didn't get along real well with them. I belong here, so I need my job until I lock down a man. Though my momma says I shouldn't trust any man to take care of me the rest of my life. Mostly because Daddy is married to a woman who's only a couple of years older than me now. I refuse to call her Mom. I remember her from high school."

"Alyssa, is there anything else you need now that we've effectively put a leash around Josh's inner beast?" Grim was getting annoyed because he wanted to be alone with Nic again.

Alyssa shrugged. "No. I'm good now. I'll bring Brit Brit by next week. See y'all at work."

"That is a woman who knows how to protect herself," Josh said with a frown. "I still think it would be better if I could fire her."

"Is she bad at her job?" Nicole asked.

Grim didn't care, but this was Nicole's choice.

"No," Josh admitted. "She's a good accountant. She catches things other people miss. But I don't like her being around you."

"Well then I won't be around her since I think I'm going to learn how to run the shelter," she announced.

That took Grim off guard. "You want to run the shelter?"

"From what I can tell right now you've got a patchwork quilt of people in charge. You're not even open at all on Tuesdays or Thursdays or Sundays. The city's animal services are terrible. I can run the shelter during daytime hours, and we have volunteers and the paid employees covering the rest. I can talk Abby into helping me fundraise. I can do this."

"I thought you were coming to work with me," Josh complained.

"Babe, I think your family has ruined me for nine to five, sit at a desk all day office work," she admitted as she picked up her fork. "Turns out I love waking up early and helping your dads with the horses. I love feeding the chickens your mom keeps and getting eggs for our breakfast. I loved working with Grim to make sure those puppies are healthy. My almost degree was in business. I can run it. I can do it."

Grim reached out a hand, covering hers. "We know you can, and I'm more than happy to turn it all over to you. Tell me when and where you need me and I'll be there. Josh is jealous because he thought he would get to have you around all day. He was thinking that once we prove you can trust us, he could haul you into his office a couple of times a week and have his way with you."

Josh leaned against her. "That's a pretty accurate representation of how I feel."

Her lips kicked up in a sexy grin. "I'm right down the block. He can walk if he wants to see me, and I'm going to have a perfectly nice office. Once I show your mom, she'll trick it out for me." Her smile went wide. "Did I mention how much I like having a mom? It's one of the world's great experiences. How did I get along without an older woman to advise and coddle me?"

Josh chuckled and turned to his pie. "You say that now. You should have been around when Grim and I were sixteen and got caught drinking beer by the back pond."

The memory was oddly sweet since it was the first time he'd realized he could screw up and Abby would forgive him. "She verbally tore a strip off our hides. And then we all sat down to dinner and Olivia kept asking us what beer we would pair with Mom's pot roast."

"Olivia was there," Josh grumbled. "Literally sitting beside us, but she took off before Pops found us so she got away with it. Our sister is a vicious brat, and I don't envy the man who has to take her on."

"Men," Nicole replied with a laugh. "Olivia promises me she's finding two men to settle down with, and she won't accept less. So I have the job?"

Grim sat back. "It's yours, baby."

She started to chat about all the things she planned to do and Grim ate his pie, perfectly happy with how the night had gone.

* * * *

Josh parked the SUV and wished the night didn't have to end.

Despite all the crap that had gone down at the café, he wouldn't change it. Yes, he'd still wanted to fire Alyssa, but Nicole seemed to be having none of it, and he knew when to back off. But that didn't mean he wouldn't watch her.

"We'll help you get Buddy up into your room," Grim offered.

"Did anyone call and tell Mom we're bringing home a very shaky… I mean, we're sure it's a dog, right? It could be a large rodent," Josh teased.

Nicole wrinkled her nose at him. "Mean, Joshua Barnes-Fleetwood. My new baby is a sweet puppy."

"I mean I wouldn't call him a puppy," Grim argued and then managed to avoid the playful slap that came his way from Nic. "Not because he's not a dog. He is. I checked and everything, but he's at least three years old. You can tell by the teeth."

"You guys have to be nice to Buddy." Nicole sat in the back seat with Buddy's crate, though the dog was still asleep and would be for hours according to Grim. In the morning they would start letting him get used to being around the family. "And no. I didn't call your mom. Do you think she's going to be mad?"

"That you brought home a sad stray?" Grim asked with a shake of his head. "Absolutely not. She loves a stray. I'm proof of that."

"And me," Nicole said, sounding happier than she had in weeks.

"Neither of you is a sad stray, and one of you is going to get in serious trouble if she continues down that line of thinking." His inner Dom knew he'd lost the war to fire Alyssa, but he was holding the line on this topic.

"So Grim gets to put himself down but I don't?" Nicole asked like that was a normal, natural question to have.

"I'm not going to spank Grim's ass if he talks bad about himself, but I might kick it," Josh replied.

"I'd like to see you try, brother. You sit in an office all day, and I wrestle large animals," Grim said confidently. "But I get your point. Why don't we pull up to the big house so Nicole doesn't have to walk."

Because he didn't want to drop her off at the big house and come home without her. He wanted her in the bed they shared, nestled in between him and Grim. He wanted to wake up next to her and leisurely make love to her before they all got ready for the day. It hadn't been long, but he'd come to love their mornings together. And afternoons. And nights. "Yeah, that's a good idea. For such a small critter he needs a lot of stuff."

"Or we could stay here and I could accept the inevitable," a soft voice said.

The words sent a shock of hope through him. "Nicole?"

Grim had turned in his seat. "Baby, I think we should talk about what happened tonight. You don't have to make any decisions. I'm fine."

She looked to Josh, confusion on her face.

"He thinks you might be willing to sleep with us because you feel bad about what happened earlier," Josh translated. He might be doing a lot of that in the future because Grim and Nicole sometimes had trouble talking about their feelings. It was something they could work on.

"I'm not asking to come home because I feel bad for you, Grim. I'm asking because I miss you both so much it makes me ache inside. I'm asking because I love you and I think you love me, too, and I'm ready to be done with letting what happened to me in the past control my future," she said quietly.

The whole world suddenly seemed warmer. Kinder. "I love you so much, Nic. Nora. What do you want to be called?"

"I like Nicole. I think I want a fresh start," she admitted. "Nora was a name given to me by two people who didn't care about me. I picked Nicole because it sounded happy. I feel like Nicole. But guys, I don't think I can handle Nicole Barnes-Fleetwood-Burch. Maybe I can keep my fake last name, too."

Josh was having none of that. He was about to do one of his patented lay-down-the-law things that might get him kicked to the couch, but Grim saved him.

"I've decided I can love my biological father without clinging to his name," Grim said with a sure nod. "He would have wanted me to be happy, and part of that is having this family. I want us to share a name. I want us to have kids someday and have all the things a family has. I'm going to change my last name to Barnes-Fleetwood. This is my family, and I'm never going to let you down."

Emotion welled inside Josh. It had been a hell of a night, and it wasn't through because he doubted Nicole wanted to sleep in the guest room. When she was in, she was all in.

There would be a wedding on the ranch, and it wasn't years away.

He put a hand on his brother's arm. "I'm glad. I know our parents will be thrilled to have you take the family name. It's your right. Dad would say it's been your right since the day we brought you home."

"Since the day I finally found my home," Grim said.

"And I found mine," Nicole agreed. "So let's get our sweet boy inside and let me show you how much I love you both."

Josh and Grim had that dog settled in no time. When Buddy's crate was set up and Nicole was satisfied the little guy was nestled down for the night, she took their hands.

"I missed this place," she said solemnly. "I missed being here with you."

Josh's whole body came alive, but he had to be sure. "Nicole, if you stay with us tonight, it's forever. I want to give you all the time you need to be sure."

"As much as I want you," Grim began, "I have to agree with Josh. I can't love you tonight and have you be unsure again tomorrow. Tonight was a lot. Baby, I know you handled my stepfather well, but he won't stop."

She shrugged as though it wasn't a problem. "He might once the women of this town start applying pressure. I think once we all start yelling back, he'll figure out he's not welcome. And if he wants to come for me, well, he's going to have to deal with my family. They're kind of intimidating."

Actually, it wasn't a bad idea. "Maybe it's time you went into town with the dads. You've been holed up on the ranch for weeks. I don't think anyone understands how fully a part of us you are now."

"But if Dad took her to dinner or she rode along with him and Pops to pick up supply shipments, they would get the message," Grim mused. "My stepfather is an asshole, but he knows not to mess with Jack and Sam."

"I'm supposed to go to some meeting with Abby next week," Nicole offered. "The historical society or something."

Josh groaned. "Then maybe you can be our inside girl. Mom is entirely unreasonable about our office building. Soften her up. We need upgrades."

Nicole got into his space, going up on her toes so she could brush her lips against his. "I'm probably going to come down on your momma's side of that fight. I think we should keep the town square as charming as it is now. One of the things I'm going to do with the shelter is upgrade the building. It's an atrocious prefab right now, and I want to offer training classes and doggie daycare. And Grim's getting an office so he can have office hours and not have to run out to everyone's house all the time."

"I am?" Grim asked.

So Nicole was taking charge. He liked it. "You are. I think what our woman is trying to say is she's going to make it clear there are boundaries. And if tonight was any indication, the townsfolk will honor them. I hope you understand how many people tonight stood up for you?"

Nicole turned to Grim. "Because they know how good you are. Because they value you for your intelligence and your kindness. They might think we're weirdos for being in a threesome, but they also understand we're still good people."

"This town is changing, and they won't put up with your stepfather's bile for much longer." Josh felt it in his bones. The younger generation had rarely had a problem with him and Grim, and it seemed they were starting to convince their parents that love was love whether they understood it or not. "It'll be different for our kids."

Because his parents had blazed a trail, and all he had to do was follow it.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to be married before I start talking about kids," Nicole said primly.

"Oh, I can get a ring on your finger this weekend," Josh promised.

That seemed to startle her. Her mouth came open, and she bit her bottom lip. "But you can't. I mean it wouldn't be legal. I didn't think about that. Josh, it could be years before I can legally change my name. I know Kim thinks she can do it, but what if she can't clear me?"

Grim moved behind her, his arms going around her waist. "We'll find a way. I don't care if she never clears you, we'll find a way to make this work."

Those two needed some optimism. He stepped in so Nicole was surrounded by the two of them. He tilted her head up, looking into those gorgeous eyes of hers. "You will be cleared or I promise you I'll find a way to ensure the threat is taken out. I don't want you to worry about this. We have our protocols in place, and we're trusting the experts." There was something she didn't know, but now he wondered if it was wrong to keep it from her. "Kim's talking to Laura Holloway in the morning."

"My sister-in-law?" Nic asked, obviously surprised. "But she's Ted's wife."

"And he's emotionally abused her for years," Josh explained. "It's not the first time Kim's spoken to her. She talked to her at the beginning of the case, and she got the feeling there was something the woman wanted to say but couldn't. Laura wants out of her marriage, but she's scared."

"Why wouldn't you…" Realization dawned in her eyes. "You're offering her money so she can leave safely."

"Quite a bit," Josh agreed. "We're going to pay for her attorney and the costs to move her across the country back to her parents in Michigan. Laura has evidence that Ted and not you killed Micah. Kim and her son are certain it's enough to clear you and it will hold up in a court of law."

"He didn't want to tell you because he was worried you would argue with him about the money," Grim whispered in her ear, his hands on her like he could lose her if he let go.

Josh was putting all his cards on the table. "We won't miss the money, baby. But we would miss you so fucking much. My whole family agreed to this."

Nicole's eyes closed, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Josh. And you, Grim. Thank you for loving me."

He held her and when her eyes opened, his mouth found hers. It was gentle at first, a promise the love they had would always be there. Then she turned and Grim kissed her, too. He watched as his best friend in the world kissed the woman who would be their wife. Here there was zero jealousy at all. His jealousy had been rooted in the fear he could lose them both, but now they felt settled. They felt real.

This was the start of his family.

Grim turned her toward Josh. There was a flush to his friend's face that let him know emotion was riding him hard, too. "Get her ready. I'm going to get my kit."

His kit. Because they would need lube and a plug to prepare her for what they really wanted.

Nicole's arms floated up around his neck. "You're going to make love to me together tonight."

"Is that a question, baby? Or a demand?"

"I don't know. Which one will get the big bad Dom to spank me?"

"All you ever have to do is ask." He ran his hands under her shirt, feeling soft skin beneath his palms. "Did you miss it? Did you miss the discipline?"

She nodded. "Yes, Josh. I dreamed every night about how you and Grim touch me, how you worship my body. I never thought I would crave something like this, but I do. I wouldn't if I didn't trust you, if I didn't love you and believe fully you love me, too. I've been scared I can't trust my instincts. Worried I made a mistake once so I'll make it again and again, but I've learned. I've grown. I'm not the woman who thought I could fix the man. You don't need to be fixed, Josh. Grim doesn't need to be fixed."

She'd come so far. He lowered his forehead to rest against hers. "You don't need to be fixed, Nic."

"No, I need to understand what I want and need and ask for it from the people I love. From the people who love me. I spent my whole life wondering how I would get through, how I would just survive sometimes from one moment to the next. How to please the people around me so they let me stay. Now I've started to wonder who I can be, what parts of me I can explore, because I'm not worried about pleasing people." She flushed. "It's not that…"

He knew where she was going. "Baby, you don't have to change to keep my love. You can be irritated. You can get mad as hell at me or Grim and we'll still be here. You can make mistakes and your family will still love and support you."

"Except Olivia." Grim chuckled as he walked back into the room. "She'll throw your ass under a bus if you get caught underage drinking."

A soft smile hit her lips. "I'll try to avoid that."

"I can think of other things to do." If Grim was back then the bedroom was ready, and he hadn't done his job. He lifted Nicole up and into his arms. "Come on, baby. We want to welcome you home."

In the sweetest way possible.