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I try to sit up and turn to him, but Donut licks my face, wiggling against me. “You’re a nurse dog,” I say to her.
That earns me another lick.
“Good girl,” Rhys tells the Dachshund as Hollis and Gavin join Rhys on the floor by my side. I push up for real this time.
“Dramamine,” Gavin says, showing me the box. “For motion sickness.”
“I’ve never had motion sickness before,” I point out, like that’ll make it go away.
“Have you ridden the Tilt-A-Whirl before?” Gavin asks.
I wince. My mom was the amusement park fan. Dad never took us after she left. Maybe amusement parks were like bouquets of flowers for him. Too much of a reminder. “Not since I was young and my mom took me. I don’t remember that though, going with her,” I say. “But I don’t get sick in cars, or boats, or even hot-air balloons.”
Gavin’s brow knits. “Hot-air balloons? That’s random.”
“I grew up around here. It’s a thing.”
“Well, so is motion sickness with some rides,” Gavin adds. “I looked it up. And you should take some meds, okay?”
He’s a little stern, but there’s real caring in his tone too.
“And you need some tea,” Hollis adds, waggling a tin of herbal tea and a plastic bear full of honey. “My mom always said tea and honey make everything better.”
That’s so him. “I’m sure she’s right.”
What’s really starting to make me feel better is the three of them and how they take care of me. It can’t be easy since I don’t want anyone to take care of me at all.
But maybe I need them to.
A few hours of rest later, I stretch my arms, pop up from the couch, and spot the guys at the kitchen table, playing cards. “I’m all better. Does anyone want to…” I jut out my hip. Wiggle my brows. “…have another lesson?”
Three men look my way as if I’m nuts.
“No. You were sick. I have a better idea for tonight,” Hollis offers, then sets down his cards and heads down the hall, waving us along. “Let me show you.”
46
DIRTY DREAMS
Gavin
I sleep alone. It suits me.
So when Hollis explains his plan, I bristle. “You want us to drag the mattress from her room and your room into the living room?”
“Yes,” he says. “Do you need a diagram?”
“Sure. Do you need me to carry all the mattresses since they’re so heavy?” I fire back.
He stops outside Briar’s room and tilts his head, like he’s giving that question some serious thought. “Not a bad idea. You lift. I’ll supervise.”
I flip him the bird then turn to Briar. Maybe she won’t want this. Maybe we can all go back to sleeping in our rooms like we did last night after Briar fell asleep.
Wouldn’t that just be easier? We won’t be all up in each other’s business.
“You really want this?” I ask her. We did say consent was key, so maybe she’s dying for an out too. I haven’t had a woman spend the night since my college girlfriend. She said I snored and bought me nose strips.
That was fun.
