Her Silver Fox Mountain Men (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Chapter 5

5

Elise

B y the time Mr. Ronald arrives at the cabin, the Wildlife Service offices have left and Oliver and Roman have joined us.

We sit in the living room, surrounded by the chaos left behind by the animals.

I’m in the armchair, clutching my ravaged blanket, a bag packed at my feet. James, Oliver, and Roman have taken the couch while Mr. Ronald stands, rather than risk sitting on a crumbling wooden stool.

“I’m sorry this happened to you, Miss Morris,” Mr. Ronald says, clearly not that eager to be here. He can barely look me in the eyes. “I’m afraid it comes along with living in these parts.”

James gives him a cold glare. “I don’t know about that. I’ve never had a mountain lion come into my kitchen.”

“Well, it’s an old place. I warned her when she first moved in,” the older man says. Mr. Ronald is in his mid-sixties and a widower of ten years. He’s got an apartment in town and rents out the cabin for long-term leases. His health doesn’t allow him to live in the mountains anymore. Too many accident risks for a man in his condition. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”

“Mr. Ronald, we all know you could’ve done better as a landlord,” Oliver cuts in, while James and Roman occasionally steal glances at me. “This whole incident could’ve been avoided if you’d heeded Elise’s request for a few repairs.”

“You’re right,” Mr. Ronald agrees. “I’ll change the latches and the door lock today. I’ll drive into town myself and get the parts.”

Oliver shakes his head. “Oh, I think you’re going to be doing a whole lot more than that.”

Mr. Ronald is getting irritated and defensive. “Hey, I own this place. I’ll run it as I see fit.”

“You can do that. Or I can just call the mayor and explain what sort of lease practices you’ve got going up here,” Oliver shoots back. “We’re frequent attendees at the monthly town hall meetings. I’m sure I’ve heard your name mentioned once or twice from previous disgruntled tenants complaining about a violation or ten. You’re no stranger to it, and most of Rustic is well aware.”

Mr. Ronald steps forward, perhaps in an attempt to make himself look intimidating, but he’s clearly uncomfortable. “Tell me, what’s your relationship to Miss Morris here specifically since you’re so eager to threaten me on her behalf?” He pauses to look at me. “I can always end the lease agreement early, you know.”

“We’re currently hosting her at our place,” James says.

“Which means we have to make sure she comes back to safer living conditions,” Oliver adds. “Otherwise, we’re just going to play a game of back-and-forth until one day, somebody does get killed in this place because you were too cheap to do your goddamn duties as a landlord.”

“I resent that!”

“And we resent grown-ass men taking advantage of hard-working women,” Roman growls. That’s enough to force Mr. Ronald back a step or two.

Oliver leans forward and Mr. Ronald reacts as if he were slapped in the face. “Here’s what you’re going to do. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You’re going to hire a crew to come fix this place up. You’ll replace the door and all of the windows with solid and impenetrable frames. No exceptions. The crew will follow code to the letter, they will double check that the wiring is safe, that all of the utilities are functional, and that no one living under this roof will ever fear for their lives again.”

“You’re also going to hire a cleaning crew to come in and scrub the place down. You’ll be replacing some of the furniture, too,” James continues. “This couch has seen better days.”

“I’m not liking those kitchen counters either,” Oliver plays along. “And that front porch is going to fall apart during the first blizzard.”

Roman stifles a chuckle while I watch the exchange with wide eyes, utterly fascinated by Oliver’s determination to get the best outcome for me. Hell, these three put together are basically unstoppable.

“Y’all are giving me a headache,” Mr. Ronald groans. “It’s too much. The expense ain’t worth it.”

“I know how much Elise pays you,” Oliver refuses to yield. “Use thirty percent of that from the next six months, and you’ll have the investment covered.”

“I have medication to pay for!”

“You’re fully insured, old man. Don’t take me for an idiot. In the meantime, Elise will stay at our house. Be thankful I’m not charging you for this inconvenience.”

It’s hard not to laugh. I manage to take a deep breath as I look at Mr. Ronald. “I work hard for every penny I make, sir. If I’m going to keep paying you rent, you need to provide me with the appropriate conditions.”

“And don’t even think about renting this out to somebody else in the meantime,” Oliver says. “I’ll make your life a living hell if you do. No one’s going to want to get anywhere near this place. They’ll run screaming for the hills long before they stumble upon another mountain lion.”

Mr. Ronald is at an impasse. He could go the hard-headed way and cancel my tenancy agreement. But I can tell that Oliver is serious with every promise that he’s made so far, and my landlord knows it. His only other option is to oblige and get cracking on the repairs. He shakes his head slowly, running his fingers through his thinning, white hair before putting his red ballcap back on.

“Fine, fine. I’ll get a crew together,” he grumbles. “Don’t be surprised if I up the rent.”

“What did I just say?” Oliver snaps.

“Well, how the hell else am I going to make a profit?!”

“You should’ve thought of that before you let this cabin rot!” Oliver replies. “I’ve been here long enough to understand Rustic and its people. Nobody’s going to side with you if you resort to such predatory practices. Elise has been a model tenant up to this point. You’re the one who’s been falling short on your end of things. Be a decent man and do the right thing, or I will get our lawyers involved.”

That’s enough to get Mr. Ronald’s knees rattling.

“There’s no winning with you three,” he says, shaking his head in dismay. “I should’ve known better than to come up here on my own.”

“We’re just trying to make sure Elise gets a fair housing deal,” James replies. “You’re a God-fearing man, and while I understand that you’re eager to turn a decent profit on this place, I think we can all agree that you do need to invest in order to get that kind of return. What happened here last night should never be allowed to happen again.”

“Had James not answered his phone, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” I add with a trembling voice. “It would’ve taken the sheriff a lot longer to reach me.”

“I truly am sorry that you were put in that position,” Mr. Ronald replies, lowering his gaze. “I’ll fix this cabin up to the best of my ability so you can come back to live in peace and safety.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ronald. That’s all I want.”

He heads for the door, giving the room one last look before he steps out.

We wait until we hear the sound of his car engine rumbling before the guys get up from the sofa. The three of them smile and pat each other on the back, understandably pleased with themselves. All I can do is smile. “You were amazing,” I tell them. “I doubt I would’ve gotten him to agree to any of that.”

“It was our pleasure,” Oliver chuckles lightly, the morning sunlight capturing the subtle copper in his blonde hair. It makes his eyes seem even bluer and brighter. “I’m no stranger to negotiations.”

“Yeah, I could tell.”

“Oliver is, in fact, our chief negotiator,” James says, beaming with pride. “There’s nothing he won’t get people to agree to if it benefits us.”

“Consider me impressed,” I reply. And pretty turned on.

Is it the one-plus year of celibacy that has me feeling like this? No. It can’t be. It’s got to be them. Men with gorgeous eyes and sculpted muscles underneath their plaid shirts, dashing smiles framed by nicely trimmed beards, and voices that make my core tighten with pure arousal.

“You’ll be safe with us,” Roman says, picking up on my slight hesitation. “And the twins will enjoy having you around.”

“Tricia and Ainsley will absolutely welcome a new lady in the house,” James agrees. “Janice is a sweet old lady, and incredibly reliable, but the girls already like you.”

“It’s an honor to know they feel that way,” I giggle softly.

It warms my heart to hear this. I like them, too. They’re funny, vibrant, and curious. And they’re whip-smart on top of everything else. Remarkably precocious.

“Again, I cannot thank you enough,” I say. “I’ll make it up to you, one way or another.” Maybe I should’ve kept that last part to myself because it gets me a lingering look from James. “Maybe you’ll let me cook for you once in a while. Or every day. I don’t know.”

“Nonsense,” James replies. “You work at the diner almost every day. You need to rest, to unwind. Seriously, Elise, you’re no trouble at all. I’ve said it once, and I will say it again—you’re welcome in our home.”

“More than welcome,” Oliver adds.

That sends a tingle down my spine. What on earth is wrong with me? Why am I so receptive to the slightest hint of their interest? I keep asking myself the same questions even though I already know the answer. It’s embedded in the most forbidden thoughts, thoughts I never imagined I’d have until I met them.