Page 117 of Undone

“No running in this house!” Evelyn yelled out. “You’ll tumble down the stairs and break your neck!”

Danica took the last step into the kitchen, fighting her own grin. “I’m in one piece, Mom.”

“By the grace of God!” Evelyn huffed. “Now…” She turned back to Dayne, opened her mouth, then closed it with a shake of her head before focusing on Dylan, Ford and Erin. “Where were we?”

Dylan purposely misunderstood and reminded his mother where she was. “Inourkitchen.”

“Yes, that’s right. Making my children breakfast because apparently, it’s too much effort to keep me up to date with their lives, even though I’m only fifteen minutes or a phone call away.”

Dylan groaned over the mother’s guilt. This time he didn’t bother to muffle it.

“Is that bacon I smell, Mrs. Lyons?” Ford’s tone was sticky sweet.

Still wearing his shit-eating grin, Dayne reached behind his mother and held up a piece of crispy bacon to show Ford before shoving the whole strip in his mouth.

Evelyn whacked Dayne’s arm. “Don’t eat that. They’re for breakfast.” She turned back to Ford. “Call me Evelyn.” She pursed her lips as she studied the three of them. “So, you three are in a single relationship.”

She sounded far from shocked. In fact, she said it matter-of-factly.

Huh.

“And how does that all work?”

Oh no.Erin’s stomach churned.

“Kind of like an outlet, Mom,” Dayne explained so helpfully, “where you can plug in two appliances at a time.”

Holy shit.

“Oh,” Evelyn breathed, then she nodded. “Makes sense.”

Makes sense?

Erin glanced over at a pale Dylan who looked like he was waiting for the floor to open up and swallow him. If that happened, she was grabbing Ford and they were escaping down that hole, too.

This conversation was not one she wanted to have this morning. Or any morning. While Dylan’s siblings knew about the threesome, no one thought to warn his mother, who used to live on this very ranch and, like she said, now only lived fifteen minutes away.

Truthfully, she was surprised rumors spread by the locals working at the resort weren’t floating around town. And if they were, that Evelyn hadn’t run smack dab into any. Especially since she got together with groups of ladies on a regular basis wholovedto gossip.

Erin narrowed her eyes on Dylan’s mother.

Holy shit.The woman knew and this was all an act. Erin would bet money on it. She expected Dylan to tell her without her having to ask.

“A relationship with three people is the same as with two,” Dylan said.

“Except with extra body parts and ho?—”

“Enough!” Evelyn scolded Dayne sharply. “As long as my children are happy, I don’t care how many body parts orholesit takes.” She turned her gaze to Dylan. “Are you happy?”

Now it was Dylan’s turn for heat to creep up into his cheeks. That had to be a first.

No one moved or said a word while they waited for his answer. In fact, Erin didn’t think anyone even breathed.

“Yes,” he answered. “I am, Mom.”

Her eyes softened and so did her smile. “That’s all that matters.” She clapped her hands. “I guess we should put out two more place settings, then.”

Their mother began to buzz around the kitchen.

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