Chapter 13

The day came before she knew it.

Angela woke before dawn, both men curled around her, and couldn't stop touching them, stroking each in turn as if to memorize each inch of skin. They showered together and dressed together, unable to break away for any length of time.

She forced herself to eat the big breakfast Hunter made for them, the scrambled eggs and bacon tasteless and heavy in her stomach.

Finally, it was time.

Angela stood in the driveway and kissed each man in turn, trying to keep from breaking down.

"I'll be back in an hour or two for a proper goodbye." She gestured at the car behind her. "I have to pick up a few more things from Mom and I can't leave without the mandatory 'be careful' speech."

"Of course," Jake said as he scrubbed his face with both hands. He looked up into the light snow falling around them. "Just don't take too long. You shouldn't be on the road when it gets dark."

"Which is about six hours from now." Hunter jabbed his elbow into Jake's side. "Nice try."

Angela forced herself to smile. "Promise me you won't kill each other."

Hunter eyed Jake. "I know where to hide the body." He looked at Angela. "This seems silly to me. You go there for a week, come back for a week until after New Year's Day, and go back. A whole lot of driving for very little return, in my opinion."

"I know," she said, "but it's the best way to start off the new job properly. I go there, set up the hotel room and go through all the forms to complete my hiring. Maybe even get out, check some apartments so when I go back in January, I'm ready to go."

"Still doesn't make sense to me," he muttered.

Angela gave a shake of her head. "I know. It's not the most efficient way of doing things, but it'll all work out in the end." She swallowed hard. "Let me go see Mary-Ann, and I'll be back."

"Okay." Jake punched Hunter on the shoulder, none too lightly. "So, tell me about all these places where you've got bodies hidden."

She got into her car and left before she got pulled into refereeing the argument and staying longer than she should.

"Well, that's all." Angela looked at the Ford Taurus, stuffed to overflowing with moving boxes. "I locked up the office and made sure everything was taken care of. I've got the lease for another month or two, so I didn't have to empty it, but I stored the cabinets in our basement to keep things safe."

"Are you sure you don't want to rent a truck?" Mary-Ann stood on the sidewalk, rubbing her arms. She'd only worn a light sweater to come out of the house and see her daughter off.

"No. I'll be fine with this. The hotel room's fully furnished, and when I find an apartment I'll be able to figure out what I need and don't need from here." Angela brushed snowflakes from her face.

"Hunter won't be able to sell the house until the spring." Mary-Ann squinted as she looked into the overcast sky. "But I guess there's no rush. Going to take a bit of time for the two of them to find new jobs."

The sinking feeling in Angela's heart grew, threatening to choke her.

They're not going to leave Glen Barrow.

I can't ask them to throw their careers away.

Not for me.

Mary-Ann shook herself free before moving in for a hug. "Call me when you get to Baltimore." She pulled back and eyed her daughter. "You sure about this? Town's going to miss you."

"I'm still surprised no one picketed the house, demanded we move out or threatened our jobs." Angela had been honestly surprised at the lack of vitriol over her unorthodox living arrangement. After the one meeting with Stephanie, things had calmed down quickly. A few smirks, a handful of people talking behind their hands when the trio passed by, but nothing worth reacting to.

"People know you, they know Hunter and Jake. They knew you all before you got together, and none of you have changed just 'cause you got together." Mary-Ann scuffed her feet in the snow. "They know what and who you are. And no one's dared say anything to me." She stuck her chin out. "Mostly because they know what I'd say back."

Angela couldn't help giggling. "I believe the phrase is 'Wrath of God'."

"Yep." Her mother replied, a note of pride in the single word. "Besides, they all got their own secrets to keep. Knock over that hornet's nest and who knows what would come out. Better to let everyone do what they want, as long as no one's getting hurt."

Angela looked at the sky. "It's not going to get any easier to drive. I better get going." She hugged her mother one last time. "I'll call as soon as I get settled."

"Good." Mary-Ann trotted up the sidewalk to stand on the porch, out of the lightly falling snow. She waved as Angela got into the car and drove off.

"She's really going to go." Jake looked out the front window. "And we're going to let her."

"Yep." Hunter walked by, pacing the ground floor as he'd been doing for the past half-hour. "It's the best thing for her. This is what she wants."

"But it's not what I want. What you want." Jake shook his head. "You know it's going to take the better part of a year for us to all get together again, if not longer." He gestured at the living room. "We can catch a night here and there, maybe meet at a hotel between here and Baltimore. But it's not the same as being together, living together."

"Don't you think I know?" Hunter grunted, his shoes scuffing the hardwood floor. "But we can't ask her to stay."

"Why not?" Jake snapped. "Tell her we love her and she's got to stay because she's the best thing that happened to the two of us. What's wrong with that?"

Hunter stopped pacing and glared at him. "You can't figure it out on your own?" He lifted his hand and ticked off the points. "One. She's going to feel trapped here, believe we've handicapped her career. Two. She's going to feel guilty, and it's going to seep through everything, including our relationship. Three…" He paused. "I can't think of a three. But it's enough of a reason to let her go."

He shook his head. "It's why I let her go in the first place, let her go to Penn State. I didn't know where I was going to end up, and she deserved to find her own path without me dragging her down." He tapped his chest. "It was my decision to come back. It was yours to come here. Neither of us got kicked in the nuts and came home, ashamed and shattered."

"Angie's never looked worse than when she came in that first day." Jake closed his eyes, remembering the haunted look in her eyes when he'd pulled her over.

"I worried the bastard had broken her." Hunter rubbed his jaw. "I was ready to go to Philly and hunt him down, cut off his cock and balls. But she survived, pulled it all together, and took charge of her life again." He gave a low laugh. "Figured I'd be able to win her back with that damned competition. She showed us both."

"Yeah," Jake agreed. "Never would have thought it could work out." He let out a laugh. "Figured she'd pick me and push you out into the night. After all, I was the one she'd been with last, the one she had before Eric." He lowered his head and let out a sharp laugh. "But she flipped it back on us. And it worked." He couldn't hold back a deep grumble. "At least until she got the job offer."

Hunter rolled his shoulders. "We'll make it work. We've come this far and I'm not giving up on us because there's a speed bump on the road."

Jake looked out the curtains onto the street. "Damned snowstorm. I don't like the idea of her driving in this."

"She'll be fine." Hunter continued his orbit around the coffee table.

"She's here." Jake pulled back. "Car's filled to the top. Won't be able to see out the back window."

"Can you give her a ticket?"

Jake paused, weighing the consequences. "Maybe. But it'd only delay her for an hour or two. And she'd flay me alive."

Hunter walked to the door and flung it open. "Just an idea."

Jake flinched as the cold air swept in, chilling the room. "Let's get this over with."

He followed Hunter outside into the light snow.

Angela exited the car, bundled up in a dark blue peacoat jacket. She walked up to the two men, her face flushed.

"I guess this is it. For now." Angela looked from one man to the other. "Don't worry. It's not forever."

"Of course not," Jake said. "We've got a plan, and it's all going to work out. Don't forget to call when you get to Baltimore."

"I will." She licked her lips. "Thanks for letting me do this. I know it's not what we wanted but—"

Hunter stepped up and pulled her into his arms, the tight hug stifling any further conversation.

Jake joined them, burying his face in the coarse material.

Angela sniffled. "We're good."

Hunter kissed her and stepped back. "We'll always be good, Angie."

Jake forced himself to smile. "Be careful on the turnpike. If it gets too bad, pull over into a rest stop."

She wiped her face. "I will. You two take care of each other."

"We will," Hunter replied.

Jake nodded, unable to think of anything else to say.

I want you to stay.

He wants you to stay.

But we've got to let you go.

Angela walked back to the car and got in. She put the car in reverse and headed down the driveway before maneuvering onto the road.

She waved at the two men before pulling forward into the whiteness, disappearing from sight as she turned the corner.

"Well, that's that." Hunter spun around and headed for the open door. "I need a drink. You?"

Jake lingered a bit longer, studying the blowing snow. "Definitely."

The road was clean and clear, the light snowfall barely enough to warrant using her windshield wipers.

Angela headed out of Glen Barrow, following the signs to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. From there, she'd twist south to Baltimore and her new life.

She gripped the steering wheel, more out of frustration than any issue with the car.

This is what I want.

Less than a year ago, she had slunk back into Glen Barrow, depressed and alone, her career in shambles and her personal life in even worse condition.

Now she was heading off to a new life with a glowing future and, eventually, a reunion with her lovers.

So why do I feel like crap?

Jake had told her to leave. Hunter, the same. They'd discussed it to death and agreed this was the best thing for her career.

It wasn't like she was being selfish.

If either of them had asked her to stay, she would have considered it. It wasn't like she hadn't bandied various scenarios around in her mind, shuffling each man to the front and worrying about what he was going to give up by following her to Baltimore.

She would have stayed.

All they had to do was ask.

The snow picked up, and Angela let out a series of curses, hitting the switch to speed up her windshield wipers.

The sense she was heading in the wrong direction nagged at her.

What am I supposed to do?

Angela flicked on the radio, filling the car with music.

I've got a new life to go to. So why do I feel like it's a step backward?

The road sign came up, advertising a rest stop fifty miles ahead.

Drive now. Think later.

She focused in on the highway, trying to put her racing mind at ease.

"When do you go into work tomorrow?" Hunter tossed the sports magazine back on the coffee table.

"Noon," Jake said from the kitchen. "I'm warming up the pizza from last night. You in for a slice?"

He wasn't hungry but he had to do something, anything to keep his mind off of Angela. It'd only been a few hours since her departure, and he already physically ached for her, his insides twisted into knots at the thought of being parted for a week, never mind for months at a time.

"Sure." Hunter propped his feet up on the table and reached for the television remote. "Will the storm be a problem?"

"Shouldn't be." Jake wrestled out the pizza pan from the bottom of the cupboard, swearing as he banged the pans together. "The plows are out and the forecast is saying only an inch or two. Maybe some bang-ups when people forget how to drive, but I'm hoping for a quiet shift where everyone's staying inside and the only vehicles on the road are snowplows."

"Yeah. People are stupid." Hunter kept his finger on the channel changer, spinning around the virtual dial. "How about some video games?"

"Sure. I'm in. Grab the controllers and that new shoot-'em-up."

Jake's cell phone rang.

He snatched it up and turned it to show the caller identification to Hunter before tapping the button to activate the speakerphone.

"Hi there. Wanted to let you two know I'm home."

Jake frowned and glanced at Hunter before returning his attention to the phone. "What's wrong?"

Angela's voice filled the room. "What makes you think there's something wrong?"

"Because you've been gone two hours. Not long enough to get to Baltimore, not with this snow falling."

"It's okay. I'm home." There was a giddy tone to her voice, the happiness bursting out of every syllable.

Hunter shook his head. "You're not making sense, Angie."

"I said, I'm home."

A car horn bleated outside.

They both dashed for the door.

Angela stood by her car, hands jammed in her pockets as she watched her lovers race out of the house, neither of them bothering to put a coat on.

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at them. Hunter, in his T-shirt and jeans, his blue eyes raking her as if seeing her for the first time. Jake in much the same attire with his green eyes locking with hers, intense and curious. "What's going on, Angie?"

"I'm—" She paused, her mind gone blank.

She'd composed her speech while driving back, but now it'd all gone out the window, leaving her with only the emotions, the overwhelming, heart-bursting emotions impossible to put into words.

Angela looked at Hunter. "When we split up before graduation, it was because you wanted me to better myself. That's what you told me."

"I did," he replied. "I was still figuring myself out. Didn't see the reason in holding you back by whining up a storm to keep you in Glen Barrow."

Angela nodded, the emotions threatening to clog her throat. "And Jake—" She looked at him as he stood by Hunter. "At Penn State. At the end." She paused, unable to speak.

"I was going to the FBI," he said. "And you wanted to pursue law. Not that far apart but not that compatible."

She gave him a grateful tilt of her head.

"But you have this. You have us." Jake waved at the packed car. "And a good job waiting for you. What's wrong?"

Angela found her voice again, letting her heart lead the way. "What's wrong is I'd be doing it alone. Without either of you." She shook her head. "I broke up with each of you because I wanted to move forward, chart my own path. After coming home and opening my own business, discovering a new life with both of you—"

She stopped, fighting back tears. "I can't be alone any more. I don't want to be. And I don't have to be. Not for a single day or a week or a month. Or years." She opened her arms. "You both want the best for me. I thought I knew what it was. Now I know it's to be with the two of you here. At home."

Jake took a step, paused. "You're giving up the job?"

"Yes." Angela couldn't hold back the tears any longer, letting them run freely down her cheeks. "Baltimore doesn't need another lawyer. Glen Barrow does. It needs their police chief and the college needs their basketball coach. And I love you and I need you. Both of you. So much I can't breathe; I can't live without having you with me."

Hunter let out a sharp laugh before striding forward and grabbing her in a hug. He lifted her off her feet and swung her around. Jake was right there as well, catching the pair once they'd stopped moving.

"Let's get you inside," Jake said. "You need some warming up."

Hunter landed a rough, hungry kiss on her mouth that left her breathless. "Jake's not working tonight, and we've got pizza waiting."

Jake's hands slipped around her ass and lifted her up as he kissed her as well, a heated prelude to what was to come once they got inside.

Out of the corner of her eye Angela spotted one of the neighbors coming out, carrying a broom to sweep the porch. She saw the trio and waved, grinning as she took in the trio standing there, all over each other.

Jake threw her a salute before picking Angela up to carry her inside.

Hunter held the door open and waved as well before following them in.

She wasn't sure what to think or to do, her mind shutting down from the emotional overload.

Fortunately, she didn't have to do anything.

Angela found herself stripped of her jacket and boots within minutes, bundled up in a thick blanket and seated on the couch between the two men.

"Now—" Jake snuggled close to her. "We were about to eat pizza and play a video game." He picked up one controller and handed it to Hunter. "Maybe we should put a bet on this."

Hunter laughed and leaned in to snatch a fast kiss from Angela. "Winner takes her to bed, the loser unpacks the car?"

Angela snatched up the second controller and waved it at the screen. "Maybe I'll take you both on. What happens if I beat you both?"

Jake hugged her close. "Then you win the game."

Angela let out a loud laugh. "I'm pretty sure I already did."

She passed Hunter the controller and put her arms around both men, her heart bursting from so much love. "It's so good to be home."