Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Erin glanced at the text message one more time to make sure she was headed in the right direction.
About an hour ago, Ford sent her an invitation to eat lunch with him since he was out working on the ranch. She not only accepted that offer, when she spotted Dylan a little earlier in the lodge, she asked him to come along. He and Dayne had a virtual meeting with their PR company but said if they were finished in time, he’d catch up with them.
Since Ford never packed his lunch, she carried a small cooler Dani was kind enough to fill to make sure they had what they needed for an impromptu “picnic.”
One perk of being a Double D Ranch employee was the opportunity to eat for free in an employee break room off the lodge’s kitchen. Most employees took them up on that offer since Dani’s menu inarguably included the best food in the area. So no surprise, after his initial text asking her to join him, he followed up with: Bring food from the kitchen .
After the Lyons made her an offer she couldn’t pass up, she officially began working at the ranch about two weeks ago as their new Guest Services Manager. Not only were the benefits decent, but the salary was a little better than what she’d been making, even after almost ten years at her former company.
It wasn’t buy-a-mansion-and-a-yacht kind of money, but enough to pay her bills and live comfortably.
Before making the offer, the Lyons siblings also wrote up a detailed job description. Her new position managed the reception and reservation staff, ensuring rooms and cabins weren’t overbooked and that the check-in and check-out process kept running smoothly. Her responsibilities also included responding to and solving guests’ requests or complaints, as well as fielding all suggestions to improve current services or add future services. She was tasked with answering any questions that past, current or even future guests had. If she couldn’t, she tracked down the information or passed it on to the appropriate staff member. All in hopes for repeat business or to draw new guests.
Basically, she was a liaison between the guests and upper management. That being Dayne, Dylan and Danica. They also had weekly meetings with her to go over problems, suggestions and strategies for improvement.
She loved the position more than she thought she would. Her previous job had kept her stuck in her tiny home office for over eight hours a day. She only interacted with customers on the phone and never in person.
Being contained in those four walls day in and day out was sometimes claustrophobic. While at the resort, she could stroll around, interact with the guests one on one and have actual conversations about potentially improving their stay, whether right away or in the future.
The guests also appreciated being heard by management, which made them want to return or recommend the resort to their friends. They considered that a win-win.
Bookings were already picking up and they were almost at full capacity this week for the first time since the grand opening. She was pleased she had a small hand in that. One thing she heard over and over was, their guests really liked the fact, besides having management that listened, they were also hands-on. Like Erin, they were regularly walking around and checking in with guests to make sure all their needs were being met.
That particular praise made her smile since Dylan was definitely hands-on.
Since that first night when Dylan and Ford surprised her, they now got together on a regular basis. Beside using one of the playrooms twice—with the blinds drawn for privacy at Dylan’s request—they also spent plenty of nights in Dylan’s portion of the farmhouse.
It helped that his bedroom was well stocked for whatever mood they were in. If they didn’t have a desired item, he added it to his collection.
The nights they played together were the same nights they stayed over. For Erin, waking up sandwiched between two very sexy and handsome men was the ultimate fantasy turned reality.
How crazy was it that one of those men was Dylan? She never imagined she’d be with him again after he ran away from Fisher Falls.
Maybe it was best that he did. Their lives would look so different if he hadn’t. She had no doubt she would be stuck in a traditional marriage—whether with Dylan or not—and raising children right now. She might have ended up as a housewife dependent on her husband, where her choices were limited.
She’d been headed that way after she married Kyle. At the time she thought that was what she wanted and if Dylan hadn’t left, she would’ve pursued that kind of life with him after she graduated.
But after Kyle died, Ford opened up her world, making her realize she might have ended up unhappy. Even eventually divorced, since it turned out that traditional relationships were not for her. It was why she embraced the easy connection she had with Ford for so many years.
She pulled fresh air deep into her lungs as she strolled in the warm sunshine.
She was lucky Ford helped her find her true self, whether that had been his goal or not.
The ranch might help others find theirs.
Now that things with the three of them were slowly falling into place, she had no regrets allowing Dylan back into her life.
He had changed. So had Erin. And Ford, well… She swore Ford knew who he was since birth.
Even better, allowing herself to live the life she actually wanted—and not one pressured into by society—made her more confident. She truly believed she could do anything, be anything, and she no longer cared what others thought. She also no longer felt the need to explain herself to anyone outside of her small circle. And that circle now included Dylan and his siblings.
However, she was also realistic when it came to anyone outside of the ranch. If this threesome continued on their current path, they would only get closer and eventually, they’d have to deal with judgement from some—if not most—of the residents of Fisher Falls.
While she didn’t expect anyone else to understand it, she only needed them to not be assholes about it.
Speaking of assholes…
She paused and squeezed her butt cheeks together. Today was the first day Dylan insisted she work with a small butt plug in. He had bought her a beautiful stainless-steel plug with a bright blue jewel on the end, but before she could use it, he was starting her out with something smaller.
She knew where this was leading, and she wasn’t against it. She’d had anal sex with Ford in the past but at the time, it hadn’t been the best experience due to being an impulse and not planned in advance.
Now that the three of them were enjoying each other’s company on a regular basis, Ford wanted to change that. Dylan took over the prep part with enthusiasm, of course.
Erin continued on her trek toward the new bunkhouse. Dylan had hired a few of Ford’s old construction crew to work on the ranch since, when it came to animals—both two- and four-legged—something always needed to be replaced or repaired.
But in this case, extra hands were needed to build a bunkhouse to house both permanent and seasonal employees. Basically, if there was bunk space available, any employee needing a roof over their head—assuming they didn’t mind living in communal housing—could grab a spot. The employee housing was also being expanded by building six cabins behind the new bunkhouse for staff in upper positions. Managers like Ford.
Of course, Ford opted out of taking one of the cabins since, like her, he owned his own home on the edge of town. Would it save him a monthly mortgage payment if he sold it and claimed one of the nicely sized cabins? Of course. But he wasn’t at the point of wanting to sell yet and said he’d consider it in the future.
Erin had also been offered a cabin and turned it down—for now—for the same reason as Ford. Too much was still up in the air. She was only newly employed by the ranch and their threesome was almost as new. If it went bad—the job or the relationship—she would need somewhere to go.
She adjusted her grip on the cooler and turned the corner of the almost completed building.
Hammering and drilling could be heard from inside the structure. Plus, all kinds of equipment and supplies were in stacks and piles around the exterior. She spotted a long ladder extended up to the pitched roof of the building.
Dylan designed it so the sleeping quarters were on the top floor and the main floor would consist of the shared bathrooms, kitchen and living space. When finished, the bunkhouse and the cabins wouldn’t be anything like the ones she’d stayed in during summers at Girl Scout camp.
She shuddered. The ranch employees would have flushing toilets instead of latrines, of course, as well as actual clean showers instead of gross stalls the girls shared with spiders and other creepy crawlies.
She also couldn’t forget the bats.
She shuddered again when her nostrils burned, remembering the pungent smell of lye sprinkled over a hill of human waste. It was still her least favorite memory.
Or so she thought.
She looked around for Ford but couldn’t find him. He stated he’d be working outside today since the weather was perfect, so she began to circle the exterior until she heard him call her name.
When she glanced upward, she spotted him perched on the slanted roof with a nail gun in hand.
No.
Her sight narrowed and suddenly blurred.
No.
Her pulse thumped in her ears and her lungs seized, making it impossible to draw a full breath.
No.
“Ford,” she forced out but not loud enough for him to hear.
No.
“Ford…” she tried again but failed.
Digging her fingernails into her palms, she tried to focus.
He was going to fall.
He needed to get down from there.
No!
“Ford!” He must have finally heard her since his blurry figure jerked into motion. He rose from where he’d been squatting and pointed a huge smile in her direction. “Hey, darlin’! I’ll be?—”
“Ford!” That scream came from deep within her soul.
With a furrowed brow, he made his way to the roof’s edge and glanced down at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Please, please, please.” Her whispered chant came out broken. “Come… down.”
He needed to get off the roof now .
“I’m fixing—” His dark eyes went wide for a second before he quickly put down the nail gun, moved to the ladder and began to descend. “I’m coming down.”
“I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” With that, she fell to her knees and pressed the heels of her palms into her eye sockets to block out both the current vision and the past memory. She didn’t want to look until his two feet were planted firmly on the ground.
“You can’t what?” came a deep voice behind her. Dylan.
She tried to block out the sound of Ford’s boots making their way down the metal ladder, but it was impossible. She could hear them over her own pounding heartbeat.
Strong arms engulfed her, and Ford’s soothing whisper filled her ear. “It’s okay, darlin’. I’m safe and right here. Nothing bad happened. It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“Jesus,” came from Dylan.
With her face buried in Ford’s hot, damp neck, she curled her fingers into his chest and clung to him.
He was alive and in one piece. He was talking and walking. He was fine.
He was fine.
“Breathe,” Ford encouraged as he rubbed her back. “Breathe.”
She pulled air in through her nostrils and blew it out of her mouth.
She did it again, making sure her exhale was twice as long as her inhale, a method used in meditation. Breathing exercises had helped her for years after losing Kyle tragically.
After one more deep breath, she managed to open her eyes. The haze had cleared, and she was no longer looking down a long, dark tunnel.
Ford went nose-to-nose with her, his eyes full of concern and his expression serious. He gripped her chin with his fingers. “See? I’m okay. Nothing happened to me.” He helped her to her feet but still kept her locked in his embrace. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Dylan now had one hand planted on her back and the other swept strands of hair away from her face. “You okay?”
She nodded despite still being chilled to the bone. “I can’t lose you, Ford.”
His voice caught when he assured her, “You won’t.”
She knocked the side of her fist gently against his chest. “You can’t make that promise when you do things like that.”
“Darlin’, it’s my job. I go on roofs all the time.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” She also never asked—on purpose—hoping his employees had been doing the more dangerous work. But it was hard to block out him climbing ladders and working two stories up when she actually witnessed it.
“This was exactly why I didn’t. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Of course I would worry. I love you and don’t want to lose you.” She didn’t think she’d survive having another loved one ripped away from her so soon.
His fingers, now gripping her biceps, flexed. It took him a few more seconds before he responded, “I love you, too.”
Since the bulky tool belt hanging around Ford’s hips pressed against her painfully, she leaned back until he freed her. It also gave her the opportunity to search his face after that confession. “You do?”
His answer included a soft smile. “Of course. I have for years.”
“You never said anything.” Just like working on roofs.
“Because we didn’t have that kind of relationship. We agreed to keep it open and easy.” He stroked her cheek with his knuckle. “You never told me, either.”
“Because…” She shook her head. “I didn’t for the same reason as you. I didn’t want you to think I was pressuring you into an exclusive relationship.”
He tipped his head to the side. “You have never pressured me for anything, darlin’. Not once. You are the most flexible person I’ve ever met. It’s why our unconventional relationship still works after all these years.”
Despite knowing Dylan stood listening closely behind her, this conversation was important. Especially when they just revealed that they loved each other.
It wasn’t a surprise, but more of a relief.
“I loved what we had.” Would they lose it?
“And now?” Ford’s concerned expression returned.
No, they could only make it better. “I’m loving what we’re building here. All three of us.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring, “I do, too. I never thought I’d want to be in any kind of committed relationship, but I see it headed in that direction.”
She tipped her face up to him. “Does that bother you?”
Ford shook his head and glanced over her shoulder.
She knew at exactly who. She turned. “I’m sorry, Dylan. I don’t want you to feel left out.”
“I don’t. What we had is old, but this is also new. There will be some growing pains. Truthfully, I wasn’t looking for a committed relationship, either. But, I agree, it’s working toward that.”
He was right. What she had in the past with Dylan was old, but what they were building was new. They needed to keep looking forward.
“Do you mind?” she asked tentatively.
“I wouldn’t keep inviting you two over if I did.” Dylan’s answer rang true.
Ford gave him a nod. “And we wouldn’t keep coming over if we did, either.”
When she stepped into Dylan’s arms, he squeezed her tight and put his lips against her temple. “When you’re ready, and only when you’re ready, I want to hear about your reaction to Ford being on the roof. I can guess but I never want to assume.”
After all these years, she thought she had that grief under control, but seeing Ford working on the roof brought it roaring back to the surface.
“It’s up to you if and when you want to have that conversation, darlin’. If you don’t and I have your permission, I can tell Dylan another time.”
She nodded. Ford had been on site when the accident occurred, so he knew more details than her. He had shielded her from the worst of it. He’d also dealt with heavy guilt since it happened while Kyle was on a job for Ford’s construction company.
Of course, Erin never held it against him. An accident was just that. Ford had always followed safety protocols and required his employees to do the same, especially since it had been his business, insurance and reputation on the line.
But sometimes, no matter how careful someone was, things happened…
“Please. I don’t need to relive it.” Pulling in a bolstering breath, she picked up the small cooler from the ground where she’d dropped it. She didn’t want the day to be ruined due to her unexpected meltdown. “Dani took the time to pack us a delicious lunch. I don’t want it, or this beautiful weather, to go to waste. We won’t be able to do this come winter and it’ll be here before we know it.”
“Why don’t we go and sit by the lake to share it, then,” Dylan suggested, taking the cooler from her fingers.
Ford agreed. “That’s a good idea.”
That short walk and getting away from the bunkhouse might help blow out the rest of the clinging bad memories of her husband falling off a roof and breaking his neck.
While it had been quick and she was assured he didn’t suffer, everyone he left behind sure did.
Dylan offered Erin his empty hand and when she took it, he intertwined their fingers. Ford stepped up to her other side, took that hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Then she walked hand in hand with her two men over to the beautiful lake to share their delicious lunch and soak in some of the warm sunshine. They spent their lunch talking about the future and ignoring the past.