The Handy Men Read online

  Jack tamped down a flare of anger. He didn’t like that Dean was overthinking this and getting hurt over what might happen. “If we fuck her right, she’ll never want us to leave. Until her parents show up. Who cares what the townspeople think? Unless we’re fucking in the town fountain, they can piss up a rope.”

  “You’re such an asshole sometimes.” Dean groaned.

  Jack rubbed him through his jeans. “If we stay tonight, we’re telling her exactly what we want from her. If she says no, then we have our answer. I can shrug off any embarrassment and make it better so we can all still be friends.”

  Stroking the hair off Jack’s shoulder, Dean pulled him in for a kiss. Jack speared his tongue into Dean’s mouth, feeling Dean’s cock twitch and harden under his palm.

  “She’s not going to say no,” Jack said. “But you need to protect your heart. I had to learn that the hard way with Stephanie. She’s your Stephanie.”

  Dean shook his head. “No, she’s my Paige.”

  …

  Paige frowned at the storm clouds rolling in and zipped up her hoodie against the powerful wind coming off the water. Ducking into the general store, she decided to pick up some supplies in case she lost power.

  “Better batten down those hatches, Paige,” Caillie Berns said. Caillie was the local potter and always dressed like she was going to dance in a gypsy caravan. Caillie had been a good friend of Paige’s mother. She remembered the two of them drinking wine on the porch all day long during the summer. Or at least it seemed like all day. Back then she didn’t understand why they didn’t go fishing or swimming or play volleyball. Now, she could appreciate just swinging on the glider and emptying wine bottles like it was her job. Today, Caillie had on a patchwork blouse that billowed out when she walked, and a flowy gauze-like skirt. In the basket slung over her arm was a bunch of celery, almond milk, and two avocados.

  “Stocking up on the essentials?” Paige asked.

  Caillie nodded. “The ferry is leaving early today. If the storm’s bad, we might be isolated for a few days.”

  “Oh crap,” she said. “I’ve got to get back and tell Jack and Dean so they can beat the storm home.” Paige had plenty of bread, milk, eggs, and toilet paper. All she needed was some candles, matches, and D batteries. For her flashlight. She put another set in her basket, too. For Mr. Buzzy.

  Caillie hung around while Paige gathered her products. “How are things going with the renovations?”

  Paige looked up from trying to decide between the apple cinnamon jar candle and the fresh linen scent. She got both. “Good,” she said with a sigh. “We’re going to get everything done with a week to spare.” She hoped.

  “You should have started earlier,” Caillie said, swaying in the aisle to music that only she could hear.

  “Yeah, well legally I couldn’t until the closing was final. I was lucky Jack and Dean had time to help me.”

  “Lucky, huh?” Caillie drawled.

  Paige brought her things up to the front to check out while Caillie continued to dog her steps. “How’s the pottery going?” Paige asked, trying to make small talk, even though she just wanted to get back to the Nutmeg Inn. “Do you have enough inventory to last the summer?”

  “Oh yes, definitely. Let me know if you want to add to the serving platters. I can do mugs to match.”

  Not this year. Her budget was stretched super thin. But Caillie was very talented and matching mugs would look polished and professional. Maybe she could squeeze a few more bucks out of the budget. “Okay, I will.”

  “How do you like Jack and Dean?” Caillie asked.

  Paige brightened as Mrs. Milligan scanned and bagged her items. “They are truly the best. I would be lost without them.” She handed Mrs. Milligan her credit card. “I can definitely give them a good reference if you need anything done around the studio.”

  Aside from being excellent handymen, they were smart, funny, and the best friends she could ever hope for. The fact that they took all the glares and frowns from the townspeople without ever being snarky or rude made them saints in her book. They had really helped her through a difficult time in her life, and she would never forget that.

  “I wasn’t talking about their handyman gig. I was speaking more intimately.” Caillie waggled her eyebrows.

  Paige almost dropped the bags that Mrs. Milligan handed her. Had Caillie watched Jack and Dean in the pavilion? Maybe it wasn’t the first time. Maybe they did that every Thursday and she was the last to know. “What do you mean?” she asked, needing to make sure it wasn’t all in her wild imaginings.

  Grabbing her arm, Caillie tugged her into the alley between the general store and the fish market. “Everybody knows they’re swingers.”

  “Playground swings?” Paige’s brain couldn’t comprehend her words at first.

  Caillie groaned. “Don’t play dumb.”

  Paige’s face heated up when she realized what Caillie meant. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

  “They’re pretty kinky. They used to date a local girl a few years ago.”

  Paige blinked. “Which one?” She didn’t think the guys were bisexual, but she wasn’t surprised.

  “Her name was Stephanie. I don’t think you ever met her.”

  “No, I mean who dated her? Jack or Dean?”

  “Both of them. At the same time.”

  “What?” The bags slipped out of her fingers and the jar candles smashed on the ground. “Oh shit.”

  “You should have gotten tapers,” Caillie said.

  “Were they seriously dating?”

  Caillie looked around to make sure no one was looking. “I’ll say. Until she got pregnant. She wanted Dean to marry her. But he wouldn’t. He married Jack instead.”

  Paige wasn’t sure her legs would support her if she received any more shocks. “Where is she now?”

  “She left the island. I haven’t seen her in two years. Her parents, though, live on a sailboat half of the year, but the other half they live in the big house on Dune Street. You might run into them over the summer. They should be coming back any time now.”

  “What about the baby?”

  Caillie shrugged. “Haven’t heard from Stephanie since she left. I asked her whose baby it was and she said it could have been either of them.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Paige shook her head.

  “So, with all the times the three of you spent together, they didn’t once come on to you?”

  Thinking back on the little kisses and caresses, Paige sighed. Those were more affectionate rather than the boys trying to escalate a situation. Still, her heart wouldn’t slow down at the thought that it was possible. “Maybe they don’t do that now because they’re married.”

  “Maybe,” Caillie said, sounding disappointed. “I guess it’s for the best. You don’t want any type of scandal or gossip marring your opening day.”

  Frankly, Paige didn’t think sex with consenting adults could be a deal breaker for people who wanted a nice place to stay on the shore. If her blueberry pancakes weren’t up to snuff or if the beds were lumpy, now those would be a problem. “Why would anyone care?”

  “People around here would care. You want to stop getting the freshest fish?”

  Paige balked. “The fishermen wouldn’t sell to me if they didn’t approve of who I was dating?”

  Caillie snorted. “They’re the least of your worries. People eat up these little details. Do you want your private life on social media?”

  “No, of course not. But I still don’t think anyone would choose where to stay on their vacation based on my sex life.” Or lack thereof.

  “You’d be surprised. If you want to attract families, your reputation has to be pristine.”

  It was like talking to her mother.

  “Not to mention your mother would be mortified.” Caillie trilled a little laugh.

  “I try to avoid discussing my sex life with”—anyone—“my mother,” Paige substituted.

  “Have you spoken
to her today? She and I had a lovely conversation last night.”

  Forcing her eyes not to roll, Paige could only imagine what was discussed. It probably had to do with how she hadn’t worked hard enough to hold on to her ex-husband.

  “Not yet,” Paige said between her teeth, and then forced her grimace into a tight smile. “Why?”

  “I asked her when she was coming down to visit, and she said you hadn’t gotten back to her yet.”

  “I’m still booking last minute reservations,” Paige said, backing up. “I should really get those tapers.”

  “You do that.” Caillie waved. “And don’t forget to call her. I’m looking forward to seeing your parents again.”

  Paige left as quickly as she could. She tossed out the bag with the broken glass after retrieving her batteries from it then stocked up on scentless candle tapers. Her mind was flitting all over the place. Jack and Dean might have a daughter or son out there. They liked women. They’d shared a woman. Her heart was thudding in her chest as a haze of lust came over her.

  She remembered how they stood waiting for the ferry. So she hadn’t imagined their erections, after all.

  “Oh crap. The ferry.” Paige had to get home and make sure they were on the last one and safe and secure in their beautiful home on the mainland before the storm hit.

  Chapter Seven

  They missed the ferry. They’d gotten caught up at their house on Dune Street. Apparently, their last tenants hadn’t left the place in pristine condition. It was obvious that they loved the place. Jack mentioned they were going to move in someday when they were ready to start a family, but Dean just shook his head.

  It didn’t have any power, so Paige offered to let them stay at the inn. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved, terrified, or anxious. Probably all three. Jack and Dean acted like it wasn’t a big deal, but she was sure they’d rather be on the mainland. Storms on the island weren’t much fun.

  They managed to put a few boards up in her front windows to protect the glass from the winds, just in case. The ocean was rolling, and they had to drag Dean away when he made a comment about wishing he had his surfboard with him.

  They made it inside before the rain really started coming down. Jack set up the game board while Dean did some last minute things around the inn. Paige swore they were more nervous about the storm than she was. It was just a squall, nothing too serious.

  Of course, they lost power a few hours later. Luckily, the steaks and baked potatoes had finished cooking, so they had dinner by candlelight while the wind howled and shook the house.

  “She’ll stay together,” Jack said after one particularly hard rattle.

  “Sorry about the lights,” Dean said. “It’s not the wiring. It’s the island’s power grid. The generator should have kicked on, though. I’ll make that a priority tomorrow morning.”

  “I hope we don’t have to buy a new one,” she said.

  “I’ll make it work.” He winked at her and Paige flushed, remembering Caillie’s words. She was dying to know about the child Stephanie had, but in all their conversations about friends, family, and life in general, they never brought up that they were bisexual or that they had a kid. Had Caillie been lying to her? Or didn’t they trust her with that information?

  After dinner, they helped her with the dishes and then brought another bottle of wine into the living room. Dean made a fire in the fireplace while Jack lit every candle they had and placed it around the room. It made everything cozy and warm. The fuzzy edges from the candlelight blurred further on the second bottle of wine.

  Jack, who had a one-track mind when it came to Monopoly, had set up the board on her leather ottoman and tossed pillows on the floor so they could sit around the board and finish their game. As per usual, Jack and Dean were losing. Paige wouldn’t give them a break, even as they tried to wheedle their way out of paying rent by offering free passes on their properties or trading her a utility. She’d gotten all three light blue properties early in the game and put hotels on each of them. It wasn’t a game winner, but it was a hit in the pocketbook almost every time they passed Go.

  Leaning back on the couch, Paige happily watched the two of them take their turns. Jack’s long blond hair hung loose on his shoulders, and his T-shirt showed off his biceps and the koi fish tattoos on his arm. Dean scowled at the board. His shirt clung to his chest, reminding her that he had six-pack abs hidden under there. Her mind wandered a little about their Stephanie, wondering how to bring her up.

  Thunder boomed and Paige jumped, spilling her wine over her blouse. “Shit,” she said.

  Dean took her glass out of her hand while Jack quickly unbuttoned her shirt. “We need to get some seltzer on this,” he said.

  As his fingers made quick work of the buttons, she swallowed hard. She had a moment of sheer embarrassment and a flash of lust when his finger brushed over the cups of her bra. So this was it. Jack was going to strip her and make wild love to her. Paige caught her breath in excitement. But then, he was whisking the shirt away into the kitchen.

  She was an idiot.

  After removing his shirt, Dean popped it over her head. The fresh scent of clean laundry and lime citrus cologne tickled her nose.

  As he helped her get her arms through his sleeves, she tried not to be aware of how great he smelled or the slight darkening of hair on his cheek as his five o’clock shadow grew in.

  “You’re such a klutz,” he said.

  “It’s not my fault. It sounds like World War Two out there,” she grumbled. In the kitchen, water was running. “Just leave it, Jack. It’s an old shirt.”

  “He thinks it’ll give him some brownie points if he lands on Connecticut Avenue.”

  Paige snorted. “Then he hasn’t been paying attention.”

  Leaning back against the couch next to her, Dean’s arm brushed against hers.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” she said, feeling if she didn’t ask him about Stephanie she would burst.

  “We should be playing truth or dare if we’re going to do that.” He grinned at her.

  “Okay. Truth or dare?”

  “Dare.”

  “Seriously?” Paige rolled her eyes. “Fine. I dare you to answer my question.”

  “I think that’s cheating.”

  It probably was, but the only other dare she could come up with was “I dare you to French me,” which was a little too high school for her taste. “I dare you to tell me about Stephanie. It’s all in the wording of the question. Like Jeopardy…” Paige trailed off when she saw his expression. “Look, forget about it. It’s stupid. I shouldn’t have been listening to gossip.”

  “No, that’s all right.” Dean rubbed his hand over his face. “I just wasn’t expecting that. What do you want to know?”

  “Do you or Jack have a child with her?”

  Dean went slack jawed. “Uh no. Why do you ask?”

  Paige sighed. “You know Caillie Berns, the potter, right?”

  “Oh her.” Dean’s lips tightened.

  “She said that you guys were swingers and got her pregnant.”

  Jack barked out a laugh from the doorway. “Stephanie wasn’t pregnant, and we’re not swingers. I got the stain out and hung your blouse over a chair to dry.”

  “I’m so embarrassed.” Paige put her hands over her cheeks. “I should never have believed Caillie.”

  “Stephanie was our girlfriend,” Dean said.

  “You both went out with her?” Paige asked.

  “At the same time.” Jack sat down next to her.

  “Did you know about each other?”

  It was Dean’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, we were a threesome.”

  “Oh.” There went her blush again.

  “But she was worried about what her parents would think. At the time, I lived down the road from her parents on Dune Road. We met while I was jogging. I was dating Jack at the time, but he lived on the mainland. We hit it off, so I introduced her to Jack.”

  “We
hit it off also.” Jack grinned.

  “So we all dated for a bit. All three of us.”

  “At the same time,” Jack added again.

  “I get it,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “One thing led to another, and eventually we spent every night either at my house or Jack’s. She decided that my place was too close to her parents, so we were going to move into Jack’s house, and I put mine up for rent.”

  “But she got cold feet,” Jack said. “She was worried what people would say about her living with two men.”

  “Then her family started issuing invitations. They wanted to meet her boyfriend. She didn’t want to tell them we both were. Then her best friend, Allie, got married.”

  Jack groaned.

  “She asked Jack to stay home so she could introduce me around as her man.”

  “The tattoos again.” Jack nudged her.

  Paige nudged him back. “I love them.”

  “Do you?” he asked.

  “Take off your shirt and find out.”

  Jack whipped it off his head.

  Smiling, Paige traced the koi fish on his bicep, catching a faint hint of his aftershave. It was a sensual amber fragrance that smelled exotic and sexy. It made her want to roll all over him. “Were you hurt about not going to the wedding?”

  “Shit no. It wasn’t even an open bar.”

  But she could tell it still rankled. She reached down to hold his hand. The thunder boomed again and the pieces on the board jumped.

  “We should probably get back to the game,” Paige said.

  “I’m not done with your dare yet,” Dean said. “If people are starting to talk, I want you to hear the full story from us.”

  “Okay,” she said. “But you don’t have to tell me if it’s too painful. I’ll just tell people to mind their business.”

  “Like that will work,” Jack said with a sneer.

  Paige rubbed her cheek on his arm. He kissed the top of her head. Warm desire coiled in her stomach and she refused to think about all the delicious possibilities this could bring up.

  “Allie’s wedding was the beginning of the end for us,” Dean said. “Stephanie didn’t want anything to change, except she wanted to get married. Preferably to me.”