Weekend Surrender (The Surrender Trilogy, #1)(10)

Her stomach twisted as she forced her mind away from thoughts of waking up in Hudson’s arms long term. Very soon it wouldn’t just be Hudson’s arms holding her, and she wasn’t sure if that scared her or excited her.





Chapter Four





Hudson, Parker, and Rogan all stopped talking to stand from the table as she returned to the kitchen, and she blushed at their manners.

“No, no, sit down. You don’t have to stand for me,” she scolded with a laugh.

“Our mama would have kicked our ass if we didn’t stand for a woman that walked into the room,” Rogan said with a smile.

“Your mama?” she asked with curiosity, as Parker held her chair for her, and then took the seat next to her. His arm snaked around the back of her chair, and she felt surrounded by his warmth.

Rogan sat on her right at the head of the table, and Hudson sat across from her. “Yes, our mama. Did you think we were hatched in the hen house? We had a mother and a father, but they died a few years back.”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up something so sad. I remember when your father passed. The whole town turned out for the funeral service. It was a beautiful service,” Rachel said, feeling guilty.

“It was a beautiful service, our mama would have approved anyway. Don’t be sorry, I like that you’re curious about us,” Rogan said with a wink, and he reached out to lace his fingers with hers on top of the table.

“Ask all the questions you want, baby,” Sawyer called from the stove, where he was finishing the sauce. She returned his easy smile, and then turned back to Rogan.

“So, can I ask what happened?” The flicker of sadness in Rogan’s eyes made her ache to reach out and hug him tight.

“About seven years ago, mama got sick, and started having trouble with the muscles in her legs growing weak. She was tired all of the time, and fighting terrible headaches. It took the doctors nearly a year to diagnose that she had Multiple Sclerosis, and unfortunately she deteriorated very quickly. When she passed, daddy just stopped living. They had been married for twenty-eight years, and he said he couldn’t live without her. The doctors said it was a heart attack, but I…we believe he just died of a broken heart. He loved mama too much to keep living.”

Tears filled Rachel’s eyes, and before she could blink them away, one trickled down her cheek. Parker was the one to reach out and brush it away gently, and she turned to him with a small smile. “I’m sorry, I guess I just have a soft heart. How beautiful that they shared such a deep love.”

Sawyer took that moment to place a large pot of spaghetti in the middle of the table, which was quickly followed by a plate of garlic bread. “Enough talk of memories, let’s eat,” he said, with a teasing wink at Rachel that told her he appreciated her soft heart, even if she despised it.

It didn’t take long before the four Brooks brothers had her laughing so hard the tears were back in her eyes, as they joked and teased each other and her mercilessly. She could tell they loved each other and had an unbreakable bond between the four of them, and she enjoyed their camaraderie.

“How is Zoey, Rach?” She blinked at Hudson’s question as she tried to formulate an answer. Zoey Carson was her best friend, and although it wasn’t odd that he would ask about her, it did throw Rachel off balance.

“Uh…fine I guess. I talked to her the other day and she was busy working on her thesis.”

“That’s right, she’s still working on her Masters in Sociology, right?”

Rachel shot Hudson a wide smile. “Yes, that’s right. She wants to work in the public school system after she finishes her own education. She loves kids. We don’t get to hang out as much lately between my job and her school schedule.”

Parker snorted next to her, “For a long time you two were attached at the hip.”

“I guess things change. I miss our girls’ nights though.” Rachel frowned down at her plate thinking that if Zoey hadn’t been too busy to go out tonight, they probably would have stayed in and shared a bottle of wine, thus keeping her from this opportunity with the Brooks brothers.

Conversation flowed back to other townspeople and their various life circumstances. Stone River was small, and everyone seemed to know everyone else’s business. It was one of the main reasons Rachel’s mom had taken the job in Oklahoma, to escape the gossip.

Realizing that everyone had eaten their fill, Rachel started to stand and clear away the dishes. Parker’s hand on her hip stopped her as she reached for his plate. “Sit down, sunshine. We’ll get it.”

“I can help,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“I said sit down,” his voice took on a slightly sharper edge, and his jaw twitched. His command was so clear her body followed it without letting her brain consider it. Her butt plopped on the chair, and she grunted with irritation. His response surprised her, as he brushed a tender kiss over her lips, “Thank you, Rachel.”

She watched them clear the table, and butterflies began to rumble in her stomach. Now the safety of the meal was over, the reality of what she had agreed to set in. She was about to get fu-cked by four men. The Brooks brothers no less. Her heart began a wild thudding in her chest, and her pu-ssy dripped eagerly into her panties.

“Would you like another glass of wine, Rach?” Rogan asked as he pulled the bottle from the fridge. She nodded eagerly, and accepted the glass with a quiet thank you.