Chapter 10

Angela smiled as she put a slice of strawberry in her mouth, thick with whipped cream and syrup.

Hunter had kept to his word and made waffles for breakfast, topping them with obscene amounts of whipped cream and strawberries.

Jake had kept her out of the kitchen by keeping her busy in the shower. Each man had joined her, one after the other, Hunter pointing out possible future renovations to enable them to all be in at the same time.

The sentence phrasing had her laughing and choking on the hot water even as Hunter finished his brief shower and hopped out, giving instructions for Jake to go in and keep her occupied for a good half-hour.

He did so with great enthusiasm, drawing her to the edge over and over again with keen applications of his tongue and hands. Finally, he'd let her come, grabbing her before she fell to her knees in exhaustion.

Jake toweled her off afterward, dutifully dressed her as if she were a delicate porcelain doll, and escorted her downstairs for breakfast. Her stomach growled with hunger at the smell of fresh coffee and waffles.

They ate at the kitchen island, both men wearing only their underwear and Angela her new red robe, loosely held together with the matching belt.

"So." Hunter put his knife and fork down on his plate before looking at her. "We have to talk." There was no humor in his words.

She frowned, taken aback by the request. "About what?" Her attention bounced between the two men. "Are we good?" Her stomach sank, curdling the breakfast she'd eaten.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Hunter leaned over and kissed her, a light buss that settled her nerves. "I'm okay. I'm sure Jake's okay. What I want to discuss is our living arrangements."

"Oh." She mentally berated herself for jumping to such negative thoughts. "I'm sorry. I worry too much."

"That's your job." Jake speared a thick piece of waffle and spun it in the syrup. "It's what makes you a good lawyer."

Hunter scratched the beard stubble on his chin. "I suggested to Jake, and he agreed, that it might be good for him to move in here. Rent him a room." He pointed at the ceiling with his empty fork. "I stay in my old bedroom and leave the master bedroom for all three of us."

"That would be lovely." Angela smiled. "It'd be much easier to get together. I could leave some of my overnight stuff here and—" She halted, seeing the hopeful expression on both men's faces. "Oh. You want me to move in too."

It was hard to keep the tremble out of her voice.

"No pressure," Hunter said, shaking his head. "I don't want you to feel trapped into something. This is working for us right now. I want to make it work better, more efficiently. Having Jake here makes it a bit easier. Having you here would make it perfect." He spread his hands. "But it's up to you. We're just exploring possibilities." A playful grin appeared. "Of course, that's what got us into this situation in the first place."

Angela returned the grin with interest.

"Coach went and drew up a game plan. I'm making up the playbook. Going to be a whole chapter on showering together." Jake popped the forkful into his mouth and smirked. "Need to do some more research, though. Can't go off half-cocked on these things."

She rolled her eyes at the pun.

"We're also thinking about doing some renovations." Hunter looked at the stairs. "The bathroom, specifically."

"I love that old-fashioned tub." Angela wagged her fork at him. "Don't you dare think about getting rid of it."

He scrunched his lips together. "Going to be difficult putting in a tub large enough for all three of us plus an expanded shower stall and keeping that one around. Might have to put in a shelf for snorkeling gear."

She laughed as she pulled the last strawberry onto her fork. "We'll see." She drew the berry through the cream, swirling circles around the plate. "Maybe some hooks hanging from the ceiling for future toys?"

Hunter's jaw dropped open.

Jake sputtered something before closing his mouth with an audible pop.

Angela tossed them both a saucy wink, pleased at the reaction she'd caused. "But that's for the future. After we get the renovations done."

"I'll get the workmen out tomorrow," Hunter said in a low voice.

"I'll go arrest a contractor by lunch," was Jake's reply.

She paused, enjoying the chaos she'd unleashed for a few seconds.

A more serious thought invaded her mind, one that had to be dealt with.

"What do we say when people find out? Because you know they will."

Jake nodded. "Gossip train's going to be running full blast once I move in." He looked at Hunter. "Unless you want to try and pretend we're partners, and I don't think that's going to fly."

Hunter pressed his lips into a tight line before responding. "Not a chance. I want to believe people are pretty open-minded here, but…"

"So, what do you want to do?" Angela looked from one to the other. "We can't hide this forever."

Jake growled. "I say we let them think what they want to think and to hell with it."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with people thinking I'm a slut screwing two men." The bitterness slipped into her words before she could pull it back.

"Hey." Jake dropped his fork and came around to hug her from behind. "Anyone says anything to you and I will kill him. Or her." He brushed aside her hair to kiss the back of her neck. "This isn't anyone's business but ours."

"And if it works for us, to hell with what anyone says." Hunter took her hands in his, searching her eyes. "There's nothing we can't deal with as long as we're together." Hunter kissed her as Jake continued to hold her from behind.

"That's good. Because the first thing I've got to do is tell my mother."

The two men tensed up, making her smile.

"Really?"

"You sure?"

Jake and Hunter spoke together as one, words jumbling over each other.

"I have to tell her. No way around it." She held up a hand, seeing the pair about to speak. "And you're both going to come to Sunday dinner at least once after I explain things to her. She might be comfortable with the idea, but if we're making this real, she's going to have to get used to it—especially if she's going to have to defend up against any naysayers."

"But after that—" She wiped her eyes, tears threatening to choke the words in her throat. "I want to be with the two of you now and forever."

Hunter let out a triumphant laugh as Jake lifted her off her feet and spun her around with a loud shout of happiness.

"Okay. Okay." Hunter smiled. "How do you want to do this?"

Angela kissed Jake before going to Hunter and doing the same. "I can leave my place anytime. Mom's going to be thrilled to have me out from underfoot." She looked at Jake. "What's the deal with your apartment?"

"I told Hunter I'd like to give the landlord a month's notice, be fair with him." He let out a snort. "I'm not going to miss the smell of yeast coming up through the floorboards." He reached out and pulled Angela close, burying his nose in her hair. "This is much, much better."

She laughed as he nuzzled against her. "So, four weeks from now you move in here." Mentally Angela called up a calendar. "How about two weeks after Jake moves in? That'll give me six weeks to pack my stuff up and we'll all have time to settle down together."

"'Settle down?" Jake looked up. He dragged his hand up her bare leg to cup her ass. "What sort of settling down did you have in mind?"

She locked eyes with him, stroking him through his jeans. He grunted as he rose at her touch, not showing any fatigue from the previous night's events.

"I'll have to get used to having both of you around me all the time. We can't spend it all sucking and fucking."

Jake's cock twitched at the explicit words and Angela stole a look at Hunter, seeing the hunger in his gaze.

"Maybe not." Jake growled. "But we're sure as hell going to try." He grabbed her around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder, ignoring her surprised squeal as he headed for the stairs. "Bring the bottle of syrup, Coach. Time to try out some new plays."

It was late afternoon by the time Angela extracted herself from the two men and headed back home, keenly aware she was about to walk into a minefield. Her mother might like both men, but this was a hell of a jump.

She walked in the front door, sniffing the air. "Meat loaf? Ooh!"

Mary-Ann came out of the kitchen and smiled. "Figured you might need some energy after being with Hunter." She paused, a confused look passing over her face. "Or with Jake."

Angela headed for the refrigerator, steeling herself. "Why do you say that?"

"Drove by Hunter's place when I went to the grocery store this morning." She held up a hand. "Yes, I know it's not technically on the way, but you can't blame me for making sure you were okay." She eyed her daughter. "Saw Jake's truck there as well. I'm assuming you weren't playing cards or some video game."

Angela took out a bottle of water and moved to sit at the kitchen table, her heart racing. "I guess it looks kind of strange."

Her mother sat opposite her. "'Strange' is what I find on the library's computers when I go to clean out the bookmarks at the end of the week." She smiled. "You're my daughter. I love you, no matter what. But I will ask you to tell me the truth."

"I—" Angela drew a deep breath. "I'm planning on moving out. To Hunter's place."

Mary-Ann nodded. "No surprise there. Figured you'd get sick of having me underfoot sooner or later."

"And Jake's going to be there as well." The words tumbled out.

"Ah." The older woman nodded. "I see."

Angela fought down the butterflies in her stomach. "I—I didn't know how to start talking to you about this, about—"

"Both of them." Her mouther pursed her lips and looked at the wall for a minute before turning back. "Well then… Good for you."

"What?"

Mary-Ann gave a light shrug. "I love you. You're my daughter. If this makes you happy, if this is what you want, I'm going to support you." Her smile was genuine, banishing the last of the fears from Angela's heart. "But tell me—do you love them? Both of them?"

"I do." Angela smiled. "I know it sounds crazy, but…"

Her mother shook her head. "Not to me. You forget, I saw how much you cared for Hunter, and then for Jake. If you can't choose one over the other, I sure as hell can't."

"It's just that…" Angela sighed. "People are going to talk. If you saw Jake's truck and put it together, others are going to. Especially when we move in together. They'll come to you if they don't come to us, asking what's going on."

"Sure they will. Then I'll tell them, or you will and they'll move on. In a week, it'll be something else grabbing all the attention. An engagement, a breakup, someone gets caught pilfering from the church bake-sale money box." Mary-Ann gave a short laugh. "People would talk if you chose Jake; people would talk if you chose Hunter. A lot of them are going to be damned envious." She leaned in and kissed Angela's cheek. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Mom." Angela pulled her into a hug, relief flooding her senses. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Mary-Ann patted her on the back. "I do expect season tickets for all the home games and a pass on any future parking tickets, however."

Six weeks later, Jake took his time to maneuver the rented moving truck into Hunter's driveway, moving at a snail's pace as he inched backward. Leaves crunched under the tires as he edged up the paved lane, lightly tapping the gas pedal.

Hunter stayed in his side mirror, waving him back with constant glances over his shoulder to check the distance to the open garage door.

He threw up a hand and whistled, the signal to stop.

Jake put the truck in park, killed the ignition, and hopped out into a stack of leaves almost up to his ankles.

"Damned neighbor's tree," Hunter explained as Jake walked to the back of the rental. "He gets all the shade during the summer, and we get all the leaves when they drop in the fall."

Jake yanked at the sliding door and it flew up, exposing the cardboard boxes and suitcases he'd packed, plus a few pieces of furniture he'd decided to keep jammed in the back.

Hunter let out another low, rolling whistle. "You said you didn't have a whole lot of stuff." He reached under his Badger sweatshirt and scratched his chest. "If I recall correctly, you said 'just a few boxes.'"

"I said I wasn't sure. Cleaned out a storage space I had rented, tossed it in here as well. Textbooks, mostly. Some weights as well, figured I'd add them to your workout area. Save more money in the long run." Jake pulled out the metal ramp. "Might need to store some of it in the garage."

"Got the room." Hunter gestured at the wooden shelves where they'd stacked the bedroom boards months ago. "Take as much space as you need." He peered inside the truck. "Not much furniture there."

Jake shook his head. "The good stuff went with Mags, pretty well sent the rest to Goodwill. Desk for my room, that sort of thing." He paused. "I made a phone call, told her about us."

Hunter frowned. "What? You serious?"

Jake dropped the ramp onto the sidewalk with a loud clang. "Didn't want her to hear it second-or third hand. Figured I'd face it up front and deal with her questions and comments."

"Hmm." Hunter rubbed his chin. "How did she take it?"

Jake shook his head, remembering the fight. "I won't repeat what she said to me. Let's say she made disparaging comments about all of us, from every possible angle."

"Ouch." Hunter climbed up into the truck. "Sorry. I know you tried to be on good terms with her."

"Goes both ways. I heard she's already moved in with a trooper. I want to believe she'll come around and accept the situation, but respect goes both ways." Jake motioned at the dark green footlocker closest to the exit. "That first, if you don't mind."

"She going to cause any trouble for you? For us?" Hunter grunted as he pushed the luggage onto the ramp. "No offense, but I don't know if we need to have her breathing down our collective necks or rallying the pitchfork brigade to run us out of town."

"I didn't get the impression she was going to do anything other than cut me off her Christmas card list. Worse-case scenario, she can try, but I doubt it'd come to much." He let the grin he'd been holding back shine through. "Grace called me while I was loading the last of the boxes. Got reconfirmed by the town council for a three-year contract." Jake tapped the inside pocket of his light jacket, where the fat white envelope lay. "Guess they either know and don't mind or don't know and it's too late now."

Hunter laughed and hopped down to lift one edge of the footlocker. "I'd say they don't care. I doubt they've missed the gossip train on this one. But with Mary-Ann on our side, I doubt anyone would have the nerve to say anything negative about Angie and take her on. If it's okay with her mother, it should be okay with anyone and everyone else." He grunted as they carried the trunk into the garage. "What do you have in here, bricks?"

Jake snickered. "Only your enormous ego, Coach."

Hunter raised one hand to make an obscene gesture, smirking. "Always figured mine was bigger than yours, Chief."

Jenny was the first one outside of the family to ask for official confirmation of Angela's new relationship.

Angela was in her office, putting the finishing touches on an email going to another lawyer—the last attempt in the child custody case she'd been wrestling with for weeks.

As she clicked the mouse, the front door opened, admitting a burst of cool wind, a handful of dry leaves, and Jenny.

The former sociology student had decided to switch to law, and now every filing session had turned into an impromptu tutoring session, Jenny peppering Angela with questions about how she'd handled certain cases.

"Getting cold out there. Forecast says a chance of frost tonight, maybe snow. It'll make Halloween interesting if the kids have to put their costumes on over their winter coats." The young woman tucked a pair of gloves into her coat pockets before hanging it up on the black metal coat rack in the corner.

Jenny came over and perched herself on the edge of the desk. "So. You and Chief Weatherly."

Angela paused. Jake's move a few weeks ago to live with Hunter wouldn't have gone unnoticed. To the average person, it seemed nothing more than a cost-cutting measure, the police chief giving up his apartment to move in with the basketball coach who could use the extra cash.

To anyone who knew their connection to Angela—it was a bombshell confirmation of what many had suspected.

Jenny was the first to ask outright.

"And Coach Hunter." The law student pursed her lips. "Who both live in the same house now." She tilted her head to the side and eyed Angela. "Together? With you?"

Angela swallowed hard. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks and ducked her head, trying to wish her blush away.

"Got some files to put away," Angela said in a vain attempt to distract Jenny. "Work and all that."

The college student came to stand in front of Angela's desk, arms crossed in front of her, a mischievous smirk on her face.

Angela tried to avoid looking up but the temptation was too much.

"Yes?" Angela asked.

Jenny cocked one eyebrow. "Did you think no one was going to notice?"

Angela shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant.

She knew this conversation was coming. It'd be the first of many, if she knew Glen Barrow.

"Is it true?"

Angela steeled herself. It wasn't going to be the first or last time she'd be asked this question.

"Yes."

"My God." Jenny's smile was wide and honest. "For real?" She waved her hands in the air. "All three of you?"

Angela nodded, uncertain of what to say.

"That's awesome. And greedy." Jenny let out a deep sigh. "You broke a hundred hearts, you know. Plenty of women had their eyes on those two. And you snatched them both away for yourself." She went to the side table and picked up the folders. "I'm envious."

Angela watched her head for the file cabinets.

"That's it?" She frowned. "You're not going to pepper me for details? Make fun of me, slip in some sly sex jokes?"

Jenny yanked hard on a drawer. "Why would I?"

"Because—" Angela stood up and crossed the room. "Because some people would find it rather unusual."

"Not me." Jenny pushed a folder down. "Remember, I was the one who brought it up to you first." She paused. "Is that where you got the idea?"

"Maybe," Angela admitted. "It did factor into my decision."

"Cool." Jenny closed the top drawer and knelt to pull the second one open. "Hey, if it works for you, who am I to judge? Besides—" She gave Angela a sly wink. "Sets a precedent for me to point to, if I find two good men. If you three can make it work, why not the rest of us?"

Angela paused, taken aback by the honest reply.

Why not indeed.

It was the first real snowfall of the season, and of course, it had to be on her moving day.

Angela scowled as she stood on the porch and looked up into the gray sky. "You have got to be kidding me."

Jake walked past her, carrying one of the boxes he'd taken into the house months ago. "I know. Snow in November? What madness is this?" He laughed as he headed for the moving truck.

"Don't you start." She wagged a finger after him. "You know I've never been a big fan of snow."

"I don't remember that," Hunter said as he came out, lugging a pair of suitcases. "I remember you loving to play in the snow." He leered at her before walking down the steps.

"No, you liked that. Getting to cop a feel under the pretense of trying to clean it off my front." Angela wrapped her arms around herself and shivered despite the thick cardigan she wore.

Mary-Ann came out of the house and stood beside her. "It's not all bad. And you're only going over a few streets. Not like you're driving to another city or state." She looked up into the sky. "Piffle. This is nothing compared to the Thanksgiving blizzard in 1993." One hand went out to pull Angela into a tight hug. "Still means I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too. Even though we're within walking distance." Angela bit her lip to try and keep her emotions at bay. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Me?" Her mother laughed, rubbing her eyes with one hand. "I'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet. Forgot how damned noisy it is having you around. Not to mention having these two dropping by at all times of the day and night to say hello and 'check in' on you when they're not taking you out to dinner." She looked over as Jake and Hunter continued to pack the truck. "At least you didn't try and sneak the pair of them up into your room."

Jake let out a rough laugh as he passed them. "You didn't tell her?"

Angela held her breath, hoping Mary-Ann hadn't heard.

The woman shook her head. "I don't want to know. There's only so far my imagination can take me and then my mind shuts down." She smiled. "Don't be a stranger. You're all coming over for the holidays. Hunter," she raised her voice. "Can you sign your father out for a meal or two? Would he be okay coming for Christmas dinner? Love to have him join us."

"Sure can. I'll mention it to him when I go over tomorrow." The dark-haired man wiped his forehead, wet from sweat despite the light snow falling. "I'll talk to his doctor, but the new medication is working out. Don't see why he can't come out for a day."

"Good." Mary-Ann kissed Angela on the cheek. "I'm going to go put the kettle on for tea. When your men finish up, come on in for some pie and a drink before you leave." She raised a finger before Angela could answer. "And I won't take no for an answer. You've got the truck rented for the entire day. You can afford a few minutes for a decent snack."

"Like I'm ever going to refuse a piece of homemade pie." Hunter grunted as he took another box from Jake and put it on the truck. "Maybe we can get the rest to go. Have something to nibble on later." He waggled his eyebrows at Angela, enjoying her shocked expression. "Why, what are you thinking of?"

Jake let out a series of choked laughs as he passed by the two women.

Mary-Ann let out a groan and turned, her face already scarlet. "Maybe I should give you a pair of leashes and dog collars for Christmas."

Angela raised one eyebrow and looked at Hunter.

He blew her a kiss and barked twice.

A few hours later, Jake opened the front door and walked in. "Truck's been returned and all's good." He waved the papers. "Got it back in plenty of time, even with stopping for the snack at your mother's."

"Good to hear." Angela looked up from where she'd finished unpacking the last box in the kitchen. "That went better than I expected."

She walked over to the couch, toeing off her running shoes en route. "God, my feet hurt." She stretched out the length of the black leather cushions.

Hunter sat beside her and began massaging her feet. "You'll be better after a good soak in the tub." He looked at Jake. "Be an excellent time to test out the snorkel equipment."

Angela paused, unsure if they were kidding or not.

Jake was the first to break, a wide grin revealing the joke.

"Perverts." She let out an exaggerated sigh, fanning herself. "I do believe I may have to reconsider my sleeping arrangements. I'm not sure I'm the right woman for what you might have in mind."

Hunter's thumbs hit a sensitive spot on her sole and she moaned in relief.

"You're the right woman," he said in a low, hungry voice. "Jake, get the water running."

As Jake headed up the stairs with a laugh, Hunter peeled off one sock and then the other, tossing them onto the floor.

His fingers ran along her feet, edging up onto her ankles and under her jeans.

Angela raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to get anywhere like that." She placed one foot against his crotch and wiggled her toes. "Although this position has its advantages."

His gasp fueled the desire building in her, kindled by the sensual foot massage.

Hunter took a firm hold on her ankle. "Seems to me we've failed to welcome you to your new home properly." His eyes narrowed as he pulled her toward him. "You haven't seen the upstairs yet."

"I've seen the bedroom," she replied.

"Yes. Yes, you have." Hunter got to his feet and tugged her up against him. "But I was referring to the bathroom." His hand went to the back of her neck and caressed the soft skin. "We all need to clean up and there's no better time than the present to baptize the new additions."

As if on cue Jake appeared at the top of the stairs. "Water's running." He scowled at Hunter. "She's still wearing her clothes. Do I have to do everything?"

Hunter laughed and pulled Angela's Penn State shirt over her head before tossing it to the ground. He followed suit before nudging her to the stairs where Jake stood, still shaking his head.

"Lousy pass, Coach. My turn to make the play." Jake reached out for her. "May I help you out of your clothing and escort you into the bathroom?"

Angela took his hand and allowed him to lead her into the bedroom.

"We've got a few minutes while the tub is filling." Jake placed his hands on her hips. "It's good to have you here."

"Good to be here." She wriggled as he undid her jeans. "Feels like home already."

"I agree." His hand cupped her through her panties.

"Don't you dare start anything!" Hunter's shout came from the bathroom. "The tub's almost full and I don't want to waste it."

"Killjoy." Jake grumbled as he withdrew his hand.

He stripped Angela of her remaining clothing in less than a minute, not giving her time to speak or do anything other than throw her hands onto his shoulders for support.

"I'm waiting!"

Jake shucked his own sweaty clothing and took her hand again. "We're coming."

"Damned well better not be." The answering growl had her giggling.

Angela opened her mouth to say something but was struck dumb as they walked into the bathroom.

She'd had some input into the design, but the reality was miles away from the scratched-out lines on the page.

"It's—" She took in the setting, unable to articulate her thoughts.

The large ceramic tub was still there from her first visit but now sat in a corner, raised on a marble dais. New shelves held a variety of beauty products, all ones she knew and loved, ready to be used.

Hunter's voice came to her from the side. "You liked it so much, we figured it'd be a lovely place for you to relax when you're not with us. Give you a little private space." He came into sight, pointing at the pale pink shower curtain tastefully tied to one side. "You can pull this around you and have a bit more, if you want."

She reached out and drew her hand along the smooth porcelain surface.

Jake cleared his throat. "And the new shower stall has multidirectional jets so you can get hammered from all sides."

Hunter let out a groan.

Angela looked at the renovated stall. It'd been tripled in size and had new white-and—black tiling. "Where did you get the room?" The washroom had doubled in size, possibly tripled with the renovations.

"We took out the linen closet in the hall and stole a little from the bedrooms," Jake said. "Added enough space for everything we wanted."

Angela walked over to the new bathtub, a massive structure set in the corner. It was filled to the brim with steaming water, white foam covering most of the surface. The pleasant aroma of her bubble bath hung in the air as she studied the triangular tub, each corner set up with a low seat.

"This way." Jake came up behind her and put his hands around her waist. "We can all sit and bitch about our day together. Or—" He walked her forward. "Two of us can have some fun with plenty of room to spare."

She clapped her hands, giddy with the sight. "It's wonderful. I can't wait."

"Let's not." Hunter stepped up and climbed into the water, having shed his clothing sometime earlier. He reached out his hand. "Come and relax."

"At your command," she murmured as she stepped into the heated water and went to one corner to sit down.

Hunter took the second seat.

Jake scrunched up his nose as he settled into the third seat. "Not sure I want to smell like this when I go in to work." His expression changed. "Oh, wait. I won't." He leered at Angela. "I'll smell like you."

She laughed and flicked water at him. "Maybe I won't let you do anything." She stretched out her foot and teased his leg, much like she'd done downstairs earlier with Hunter. "Maybe I'll sleep alone tonight."

"Not going to happen." The feral growl from Jake froze her in place and she swallowed, remembering how intense he could be.

Hunter grunted as he sank in the water, the steam rising to cover them with a thin sheen of sweat. "Rest now." He winked at Angela. "Fun later."

The next morning, she woke up, disoriented and alone.

It took her a second to realize where she was and where they had gone. Angela recalled a faint kiss on her cheek as Jake murmured his goodbyes on his way to a morning shift.

Hunter had an early practice scheduled and had done the same, leaving her alone in the large bed.

A glance at the bedside clock and she sighed.

Time for work.

She stretched out, reveling in the extra space. Even a king-sized bed could seem small when you had three people in it.

Angela winced as some muscle aches surfaced, evidence of their first night together as housemates.

She chuckled, remembering the fun in the tub that had carried over into the bed. It'd taken an effort to throw down towels to sop up the overflow of water later on, the trail of soggy cloth leading to the bedroom door.

Now that no one had to leave, she could look forward to many, many more nights of shared baths and enjoyable evenings.

Angela dug herself out of the blankets and headed for the shower, running her fingers through her long, tangled hair.

Time for work.

Then time for play.

She smiled, realizing this was now the norm for her.

For the rest of her life.

She couldn't help stopping by her mother's on the way to work—the morning routine of sitting and having a cup of coffee before starting the day had become too ingrained a habit for her to break.

"Everything get moved okay?" Mary-Ann placed a small plate of scones on the table between them. "New recipe. Blueberry vanilla. Let me know what you think."

A knock came at the door.

"That better be my new lamp. I saw it last week online and…" Her mother's voice trailed off as she went to the front entrance.

Angela took a sip of coffee and pulled a scone apart, letting out a hum of approval as she saw the inside, filled with blueberries.

Mary-Ann re-entered the kitchen, followed by another woman.

Angela froze, recognizing the elderly community board leader.

Stephanie Dubois.

Shit.

"Mary-Ann. Angela." The white-haired woman took a seat at the table. "Thank you for letting me come in."

"I'll get you some coffee. Please help yourself to the scones." Mary-Ann shot Angela a look as she headed for the counter.

"Oh, don't worry about the coffee. I can't stay long." She eyed the scones with envy. "And I'm trying hard to not aggravate my diabetes."

Mary-Ann returned to her seat. "Oh, dear. Sorry to hear that." She smiled. "So, what can we do for you?"

"I was actually coming over to talk to you, but when I saw Angela's car in the driveway—" She paused, obviously searching for the right words. "I understand there's been a shift in your living arrangements as of late."

Angela flinched inside at the awkward wording. "There has been."

"I see." Stephanie looked over at Mary-Ann. "I want to explain that I'm not here as an individual. I've been approached by various community members who are concerned about Angela's recent… actions."

"And what would that be?" Mary-Ann leaned forward.

Angela hid a smile, seeing the familiar Momma Bear expression appear.

Stephanie straightened up, backing away from the table. "I—"

"Because if this is about her moving in with Jake and Hunter, I should remind you that it's none of your business who she wants to be with, who she loves. It's not mine, yours, or anyone else in this town."

"But—" Stephanie fumbled for words. "The impression she's giving others… this is a good, family community."

"And it still is," Mary-Ann shot back. "Or do you want to start with explaining to me why we're still allowing Ben Pyramet to live here, considering he's on probation for setting those garage fires? Pyro Ben?"

Stephanie's cheeks pinked. "That was back in his youth, over a decade ago. He's served his time and…"

"Or how about Chester Hampton? He's got a shitload of DUI's on his record—I'm afraid to see his car on the street, he's been busted so many times. If you want a good, family community, might as well haul his ass off to jail. Or get Judge Tisker to revoke his license—oh, wait, that won't happen because Chester's got a family to support, when he's sober enough to get to work." Her eyes narrowed. "Or your grandson, Hank. Isn't he involved right now with some paternity suit, being brought by a woman who definitely isn't his wife?"

"That—" Beads of sweat appeared on Stephanie's forehead. "That's none of your business."

"You're right. And who Angela sleeps with is none of mine or yours. As long as it's not hurting anyone, what's the problem?" She stood up, prompting Angela and Stephanie to follow. "I appreciate your concern for Glen Barrow—but anyone who wants to take on these three are going to have to go through me first." One edge of her lips twisted upward. "And do you really want to get rid of the best basketball coach we've had in years? Along with the police chief, and the only lawyer in town? Might want to point that out to your holier-than-thou crew."

Stephanie looked from Mary-Ann to Angela and back again. "All excellent points. Thank you for seeing me. I'll just let myself out."

She hurriedly exited the room, leaving the two women behind.

Angela sat down, the shock from the encounter washing over her.

"How dare she!" Mary-Ann went to the window, looking out onto the street. "After all the shit her damned husband used to stir up about the college kids in town, whining about the noise and increased traffic. They're the ones who bring in the money, after all."

Angela pressed a hand to her forehead, pulse hammering in her ears.

"I can't believe she came here to talk to me—obviously thinking I'd tell you to come to your senses and crap like that. Idiot." Her mother snorted. "Next meeting, if she even begins to look at me sideways, I'll slash her tires."

She patted Angela's shoulder. "Don't tell me you didn't think this wasn't going to happen, at least once."

"Yeah," Angela admitted. "I was just hoping…" She shook her head. "I don't know, that it'd be someplace else, anyplace other than sitting here at your kitchen table."

"Can't choose where to fight, just how you do it." Her mother went back to the kitchen, returning with the coffee carafe. "Let's freshen this up a bit. I'm glad I didn't waste any of my delicious scones on that bitch."

Angela laughed as she tore a piece off the delicate triangle. "Thanks for having our backs, Mom."

"Damned right," Mary-Ann said as she sat down again. "Anyone wants to come at you, they'll find me standing in front." She looked at Angela. "I'm not going to tell you I'm thrilled about this—I'm still a bit old-fashioned in my thinking, so I can't really wrap my mind around how you're making this work. But that's between the three of you and no one else."

Angela nodded, swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat. "Thanks again."

"Sure." Mary-Ann reached for a scone. "Now let's do some quality testing. Church bake sale is a week away and I want to knock their socks off with this."