Page 23 of Twins for the Silver Foxes

A deep,shuddering inhale raised her shoulders to her ears. “That’s awful.”

“Yes,it is. And then, for him to pass at such a young age…” Why did tragedy strike Henry’s family with such brutal efficiency? He’d been gone from our lives for years. We’d lost contact with his daughter and had no reason to seek her out. We were strangers to her, strangers who had nothing to offer except tales of a father she barely remembered. Perhaps we should have tried harder to stay in the girl’s life. We’d been locked in our own grief, allowing it to cause us to immerse ourselves in our businesses. Ryland left the country for eight months, his longest consecutive trip. He’d sent messages to let us know he was okay, but it hadn’t stopped me from worrying that grief would pay us a second visit.

Warm fingers gripped mine tightly.Hannah leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “I’m sorry, Arthur. And I hate to leave this stool, but I need to prepare breakfast.”

“It’s okay.”I released her hands. I’d learned to deal with everything on my own. Life had taught me never to rely on anyone. Scott and Ryland were slight exceptions, but even they were not privy to the full extent of my inner turmoil.

Hannah brokethe moment of connection at the right time. Had we stayed like that much longer I risked more than attraction. She walked away from me, and a premonition that I accept her absence as fact invaded my thoughts.

I longedfor it to be wrong. I’d yearned for the kind of closeness I felt with Hannah. She made the days tolerable, changing the tapestry of my daily routine and calming the chaos in my life. I’d developed an aversion to change. Or perhaps I’d always possessed it, simply allowing it to take control after losing access to my daughter. Routine turned to misery after years with nothing to brighten my life.

The brutalityof my marriage falling apart and losing my daughter, it was all part of me, locked deep inside. I hoarded pain so that it kept me from feeling anything else.

Hannah threatened that shield.She offered a chance to take back the beauty of my life and shape my future into something bright and bold.

“No pancakes today.”Hannah turned on the stove and grinned at me over her shoulder. “We used all the pancake batter and I forgot to buy more.”

“I supposewe’ll have to make do.” I pretended to frown, but it refused to stay in place when Hannah bounced my way. “What are your plans for today?” I asked her.

I neededthe distraction to keep from dragging her back into my lap and burying my grief in a rousing fuck fest. Knowing she’d enjoyed last night opened the door to many possibilities; causing me to almost share my conversation with Scott and Ryland after he’d put her to bed. Would Hannah consider expanding all our horizons for the summer? We had more to offer than one night beside the pool.

Hannah cooked as she talked,her words and actions full of life and vitality. She looked my way, and the same look of desire I felt shone in her. We were not done. Not by a long shot.

12

HANNAH

So far, this summer has been the best of my life. After our night by the pool, I waited to see if things would develop into something further or if we’d all go back to the employee/employer relationship. To my utter delight, all three men seemed determined to give me the sexual experience of a lifetime.

Nights when Liddy fell asleep early, we made our way to one of their rooms on the other side of the house. They made sex more than exciting—they created a sexual playground—one where nothing was off limits. Anything I wanted, they found a way to make it happen. Things I’d never even considered became my new normal. Orgasms so powerful they left me seeing stars. Thinking back to the sex I’d known before my silver foxes seemed callous and absurd.

Thank goodness I still had time with them, though summer was moving faster than I thought possible. Living with them was a wild, carefree experience. More than that, it gave me a chance to experience life outside of our rundown home. It gave me time and money to give Liddy the Christmas I wanted to give her, the kind of Christmas she deserved to experience every year.

“Look, Liddy.” Arthur sank onto the squishy mat beside my daughter and pulled out a box from behind his back. “Do you know what these are?”

Liddy’s eyes went wide as saucers. She scrambled into his lap and tore the box from his grasp. Her nails dug into the flaps, a frustrated frown appearing as her tongue poked out between her lips. She shoved the box back toward Arthur. “Open.”

He laughed at the demand and cracked open the seal, dumping the Legos onto the floor in front of them. They were the giant block style perfect for her small hands.

Scott and Ryland were busy building a dollhouse in the corner. I’d told them they didn’t have to buy her more toys, but they doted on her. Spoiled her, if I was being honest with myself. Liddy took it all in stride. She’d been without toys and dolls for so long that every new present sent her into a tizzy of excitement. Part of me worried that receiving so many toys now would ruin the effect on Christmas, but that was something I’d deal with later, if necessary.

“What do you want to build?” Arthur held out two blocks.

Liddy grabbed them both and stacked them together. “A house.”

“You got it.” He handed her blocks and she began to create. He helped when she held up pieces she had trouble connecting.

I pretended to be reading my book, but really, I was watching all three of them interact with Liddy. They were all taken with her. They did so much more than just buy her gifts. They spent time with her, listened to her, and made her feel special. They treated her like I’d always wanted her father to treat her. I’d given up on the idea of finding a man and falling in love. Who had time for dating when I had bills to pay and a toddler to raise? But watching them gave me hope.

Ryland tilted his camera in my direction, asking a silent question. I nodded, and he raised it up, clicking the shutterbutton at the exact moment Liddy threw her head back and laughed upside down at Arthur.

He’d captured the joy on her upturned face many times these last few weeks. I’d seen his handiwork time and again in photos that took my breath away. Liddy and I both had been smiling more than ever. I felt foolish at times for how often I found myself smiling at nothing in particular.

Another click caused me to turn around. Ryland grinned at me from beside the chair, having snuck up on me while I was distracted. He did that a lot, catching me unaware and snapping pictures of me in my natural state.

“Delete that.” I pointed at him. “You were supposed to ask first.”

“But then I would have missed this.” He spun the camera around to show me the picture. There I sat in the oversized chair, my feet drawn up beneath me. I looked straight ahead, the camera catching my profile and the hint of a smile that creased my lips. Sunlight caught on my exposed skin in a warm glow that accentuated my hair and brightened the blue in my eyes. It was a staggering photo full of raw emotion as I stared at my daughter being treated like a princess.

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