Chapter 23
Chapter
Twenty-Three
EVIE
It was Christmas Eve. The festival was over. Her parents had returned home last night. And the bakery was open for a half-day, solely for customers to come in and pick up their orders.
Best of all, Evie got to play Santa’s helper in real life tonight when she prepared Ollie’s stocking, something she didn’t think she’d get to have this year.
The bell above the door jangled, and Evie looked up to see Victoria breezing in like she owned the place. “Sorry, we’re only open for collections,” Evie said politely, wondering if the woman was going to cause a scene. She doubted very much that Gabe’s ex had come in to wish her a happy birthday.
Victoria waved her hand. “Oh, I know that.” Her eyes shone with spite, and Evie sighed, already knowing this wasn’t going to be pleasant. “I just wanted to give you a word of advice.”
The look on her face said otherwise.
“Don’t, for one moment, think this thing with Gabe is going anywhere.
That man doesn’t do anything unless it benefits him.
I’m not sure what he sees in someone like you…
” She tossed back her glossy blonde hair.
“Especially when he could have me. But I can guarantee he has an ulterior motive, so don’t get comfortable.
As soon as he’s gotten what he wants, he’ll come back to me, just like he always does. ”
Evie so wanted to retort with some witty comeback, but the truth was, Victoria was hitting hard at Evie’s insecurities, and before she could say anything, Victoria had flounced out again.
She turned back to what she was doing and tried hard not to cringe when the bell sounded just seconds later, certain Victoria had more to say, but when she turned, it was Shepherd sucking up all the oxygen in the room, looking sexy and rakish with his brooding eyes and tousled hair.
“What did Miss Bitch want?” he demanded in his usual prickly fashion as he cast an accusatory look over his shoulder where the woman in question still loitered on the sidewalk.
“Shepherd, you can’t say things like that,” Evie rebuked mildly, though she was secretly thrilled at his territorial possessiveness.
“I can when it’s true. Now tell me what she said, because I know she didn’t come in here for gingerbread men.”
Evie sighed. “She was exercising her own territorial possessiveness and warning me off Gabe, so I’m in no way uncertain that he’ll eventually go back to her.”
“In her dreams. You know that’s bullshit, don’t you?” The way he growled the words made Evie’s panties damp, despite her rationalization that the night they’d spent together wouldn’t bleed into anything more. Something all three men seemed to have overruled her about.
Okay, so she really hadn’t argued that hard. How could she, when she felt so affected, so drawn, so connected to each of them?
As if to prove the point, Shepherd pulled her to him, threaded his fingers through her hair, and kissed her thoroughly, until all the thoughts pinging around in her mind were quieted. Did he know that?
He only let her up for air when the doorbell jangled again.
Evie pulled away, her face coloring at being caught in such a compromising position, only to be confronted with the beaming faces of Marigold, Iris and Bee.
“Umm… hello ladies,” she stuttered, trying in vain to push Shepherd out of the way. The big lug just stood there, looking smug.
“Hello dear. Happy Birthday!” Marigold greeted.
“A very happy birthday, by the looks of it!” Iris remarked, waggling her eyebrows.
“Indeed!” Bee agreed. “I thought Victoria Stirling was going to have a conniption fit.”
At the mention of her name, Evie’s eyes flew to the window, where Victoria was still standing with a stunned look on her face. How long had she been there?
Long enough, obviously.
Evie wrung her hands; Victoria would never let this go. Not after what she’d said about Gabe.
The three ladies in front of her just cackled.
Sighing, Evie put it behind her. There was nothing she could change, after all, so she collected the ladies’ Christmas orders instead and rang them up.
“Thank you, dear,” Iris said as she passed over several notes. “I’d wish you a merry Christmas, but I do believe you have that all sewn up, what with little Ollie home, and three strapping men to look after you.”
Evie’s mouth fell open. Oh, crumbly Christmas puddings! They knew about that?!
Marigold winked at her as she made her way to the door, and Bee smiled wide. “Don’t do anything my polyamory book heroines wouldn’t do,” she tossed over her shoulder before the three septuagenarians left.
Wait! She knew about stuff like that?
“Told you the locals wouldn’t have a problem with our relationship,” Shepherd said, his tone smug. “And with those three in our corner, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Tell that to my parents,” Evie muttered under her breath.
“Oh, I believe Gabe already has that under control.”
“What!?” Evie screeched. “Son of a biscuit, tell me he didn’t…”
“No can do, sorry,” Shepherd retorted, not looking in the least bit perturbed. “Now, are you finished for the day? If not, I’ll deliver anything you have left so you can close up.”
Evie shook her head, mutely, then realized that didn’t make any sense and nodded instead. “Everything’s been collected,” she croaked, still stunned.
“Great.” Shepherd huddled her into her coat, took her keys from her limp fingers, and locked up. Damn him, didn’t he understand how she was now going to have to explain to her parents how come she had three boyfriends?
“Evie! There you are,” her mother, Sally, exclaimed when she walked into the house, carrying the Christmas Cake she’d put the final touches on that morning while waiting for her collections.
“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.” Sally took the cake and gave her a peck on the cheek, closely followed by her father, who wrapped his arms around her and gave Evie a hard squeeze.
“Happy Birthday, cupcake,” he boomed, calling her by the pet name she’d earned as a child who liked to bake, before extending his hand to shake Shepherd’s.
Okay, maybe they didn’t know yet.
“Look who dropped by,” her mother chattered as she led the way into the lounge, where both Gabe and Asher sat, enjoying coffee and cookies.
Evie felt like she’d been catapulted to an alternative reality.
“Sit down, and I’ll fetch you both a drink.”
Shepherd guided Evie to the large couch, where he sandwiched her between himself, Gabe and Ashe, so if there had been any question before about their relationship, there certainly wasn’t now.
Both her parents took it in their stride, behaving like nothing unusual was going on.
Who were these people? Had her parents been abducted by aliens? Or was she, in fact, dreaming, and none of this was real? Ollie wasn’t actually home; her parents were still away, and the night she shared with these three men, no more than an erotic fantasy playing out in her exhausted mind.
Except then Ollie came bounding into the room, jumped on her knee, and presented her with a messily bundled gift that he’d obviously attempted to wrap himself.
Evie’s heart dissolved into mush as she took it from the excited child.
“I got this for you special,” he announced with pride, presenting the scrappy package.
He continued in a conspiratorial whisper.
“And I hid it, even when Dad tried to throw it away.”
Evie tore into the paper, which looked like it had been torn from a comic book, enthusiastically. Any gift from her child was precious. Especially one he’d taken so much trouble over.
“Oh!” she exclaimed as the wrapping fell away.
“It’s beautiful, Ollie. I’ll treasure it!
” Perched on her hand was a beautiful conch shell the size of her palm.
The fact that her son had found it, kept it, and guarded it so he could give it to her really meant something, and tears pricked the back of her eyes.
She blinked them back, not wanting Ollie to mistakenly believe she was upset in any way, and her mother came to her rescue, bustling in with a birthday cake, complete with candles, and bursting into song.
‘Happy birthday to you…’
Everyone joined in, Ollie jumped up and down, and the people dearest to her looked at her expectantly.
“Blow out the candles and make a wish, dear,” her mother murmured, giving her a look that said so much more than words.
Did she dare?
Evie took a deep breath and wished for the one thing that seemed almost impossible. A future with the three men she was falling in love with.