Page 40 of Bossy Mountain Daddies
Buck and Ford exchange a glance, neither looking surprised.
"What about her?" Ford asks carefully.
"About how we're all into her," I say bluntly. "And how that could get complicated."
Buck takes a big gulp of his beer. "Already is complicated, if you ask me."
"I saw you with the book today," I say to Ford. "And you with that fancy lunch," I add, looking at Buck. "Not exactly subtle, either of you."
Ford shrugs, unapologetic. "She's spectacular."
"Yeah, she is," I agree. "Which is why I don't want this turning into another Miranda situation."
The name hangs in the air between us. We almost never talk about Miranda.
"Skye's not Miranda," Buck says firmly.
"No, she's not," Ford agrees. "But that doesn't mean we couldn't still end up hurting each other if we're not careful."
I nod, relieved they understand. "Look, I like her. A lot. But she's not staying. And while she's here, I don't want to make her feel... I don't know, pressured or confused."
"Not my intent either," Buck says.
"So what are you suggesting?" Ford asks, his eyes sharp. "We all back off?"
"No," I say slowly. "I'm suggesting we be honest. With her and with each other." I take another drink, gathering my thoughts. "If she wants to spend time with one of us, or two of us, or all of us—that should be her choice. No jealousy, no pressure."
Buck raises an eyebrow. "You sure you can handle that? Sharing?"
"Can you?" I counter.
He considers this, then nods slowly. "For her? Yeah, I think I could."
"It would be different this time," Ford says. "We're different. We’ve learned a lot from the past."
"Exactly," I say, feeling a strange mixture of relief and sadness at the acknowledgment. "Plus, Jed will fix her car eventually and she’ll move on. No one gets too attached, no one gets hurt."
Buck snorts. "Bit late for that, don't you think?"
I can't argue with him there. "Maybe. But we can still handle this like adults. Be honest about what we want, what she wants."
"And what do you want, Griff?" Ford asks, his gaze direct.
I stare into my beer, searching for the right words. "I want her to be happy," I say finally. "And I think... I think maybe we all have something different to offer her."
Buck nods thoughtfully. "I can see that."
"So we're agreed?" I ask, looking between them. "We let Skye make her own choices, we respect those choices, and we don't let it come between us?"
Ford raises his bottle. "To honesty."
"To Skye's happiness," Buck adds.
I clink my bottle against theirs. "To no regrets."
Chapter 12
Buck
