Page 4 of Her Alaskan Men

“How did you get her off Skitterish? I doubt he just handed her over to you because Mama said so,” Ethan asked, his tone filled withsarcasm.

“Well. Well, I had to pay him,” Jacobmumbled.

“Howmuch?”

“All the money I was supposedtobank.”

“Fuck,” Zachwhispered.

She could actually feel Ethan's fury even without him sayingaword.

“I had to, Ethan. I couldn't let her get away from us. She was meant for us, don't you see? The money we paid for her was a very small pricetopay.”

“The money we paid for her was all the money we made crab fishing. It was supposed to last us a year at least. We almost lost our lives.” Ethan’s shout reverberated around the room likethunder.

“Ethan, look, let's give the kid a break, okay. What's done is done. There is no way Skitterish will buy her back from us for the amount we paid. That's more money than he has seen in his whole life. Now we need to look at other options,” Zach placed his hand on Ethan's and Jacob's shoulders as hespoke.

“I wouldn’t do it differently if I was given another chance, Ethan. I know she's the one. I know that withmylife.”

“It's okay, Jacob. Let me handle this, okay?” Zach’s words were meant to soothe, prevent the situation from getting out of control. They needed clear heads toreign.

By the way Ethan was grinding his jaw, Summer thought he might never sayanotherword.

“We aren't going to get our money back, not if we sell her again.”Zachsaid.

“No way, we're not letting her go. Ethan, she's staying here with us.” Jacob faced Ethan and was met with stormysilence.

“Which means,” Zach continued, “we have to make the most of the situation. She'll have to take over your duties in the house, Jacob, and you'll have to come to work with us until we can earn at least a half of what you spent on her. Our winter won't be as extravagant as it would have been otherwise, but it will definitely be a lot better than anyone else's around here. We'll also have to send her back to wherever she came from before winter reallystarts.”

“No.”

“Jacob, we can't keep her forever. For now, that's the best plan we have and it's the only plan that we'll use. Ethan?” Zach asked. There was a remarkable amount of respect between the two older men for each other. They also seemed to protect Jacob a lot, even Ethan for all his glowering nature. Yes, well so they had a nice family dynamic. But whatabouther?

This was really bad. Now they were planning out her life like she was property. Well, she supposed that was exactly what she was. She’d been bought and sold, her liberty stolen. Her right to make her own decisions was a thing ofthepast.

“Ethan,” Zach said, prompting a response from the other man. After a deliberate silence and one more glare from him directed straight onto her, henoddedonce.

“Good, then it's settled,” Zach smiled. Ethan wasn't impressed and actually neither was Jacob, who clearly wanted to keep herforever.

“Hmm, excuse me. I don't think it's settled at all. No one asked myopinion.”

“You're right, little one,” Zach said, coming toward her. He crouched down beside her and the scent of forest and man and musk filled hernostrils.

The way he said ‘little one’ caused a slow wave of heat to fill her cheeks, but it shouldn’t have.Right?

“But these are grown-up matters,” he smiled at her, knowing full well he wasannoyingher.

“Just goes to show how much you know about grown-up matters.” She snorted. “If you did, you would give me a chance to buy myself back from you.” Did she really say that out loud? Yup, she’d entered theTwilight Zoneforsure.

“I have thought of that. But I couldn't do that to Jacob, you see. I want to give him a chance to see for himself you aren't the girl he thinks he's looking for. You will do us that favor. Now I'm going to release you.” He opened the cage and offered herhishand.

She groaned as she took his hand and straightened her body which creaked and cracked and screamed in pain from being in such an uncomfortableposition.

She stumbled, but both Zach and Jacob caught her. Then Jacob kneeled down and started vigorously rubbing her legs, under the coat and up to herthighs.

“Hey,” she shouted and slapped hishandaway.

“I was only trying to help. I give the best massages,” Jacob said, clearly hurt by herrejection.

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