Owned Forever Excerpt
This excerpt is intended for Readers age 18 or older. If you are under the age of 18, please exit this page.
Copyright 2015 - All Rights Reserved
“When are your parents arriving?” Gale spread a sheet across the prickly surface of the bales of hay set up across the open yard in a circle for seating. The better for their guest’s comfort.
Kate surveyed the field before her. It still amazed to her how much the place had changed since she’d first arrived. This field that had been covered with three feet of snow back at Christmas time, was now filled with swaying grasses and bright Columbines. It really was beautiful here. This would be the perfect place for a wedding.
It may have taken a few months and the melting of three tons of snow, but Kate now understood why people loved living in this area—why her two men loved it here so much and felt so connected to this land. And amazingly, she felt the same. She couldn’t imagine ever moving back to Dallas. No matter what her parents said.
“They’ll be here tomorrow at ten. They’re on the last possible plane coming into Grand Junction from Dallas before the ceremony.” Kate tried to keep the resentment from her voice, but she didn’t succeed. She loved her future mother-in-law. Gale was fantastic. Kate still had trouble believing she’d accepted her relationship with both her sons so easily. Not to mention all she’d done to help with Kate’s wedding to her younger son, Daniel.
She still wished she was picking floral arrangements, assembling favors and decorating pews with her own mother.
“I got them a room at the Country Side Inn.” It was the best hotel for miles. Though Kate doubted it was up to her mother’s standards.
“They’ll like it there.”
“I hope so.” That’s the only way Kate wouldn’t hear about how awful the hotel was for the next ten years, like her parent’s trip to Maui seven years ago, that they always brought up at Thanksgiving.
“Are you planning on telling them everything?” Gale looked up at Kate from where she arranged ribbons around the edge of the bales, creating an aisle down the center toward the arch Grant had built.
“You mean about the fact that I’m really in a relationship with two men? That I’m marrying one and sleeping with both of them?” Kate looked over at the woman who was to be her official mother-in-law in only two days. “Are you asking if I plan to tell them that?”
Gale cast Kate a sour look. She had made her opinion obvious many times before, but she didn’t know Kate’s parents. Kate’s mother was ready to have her checked into a psych ward for giving up a good job in the city—though her teaching positon hadn’t become a good job to her mother until the other option was no job at all—and moving out to the country for some hick. Kate could contemplate what her parents would say if they knew she hadn’t come out here for one country hick, but for two.
“Not everyone is as understanding as you are, Gale.” Kate still couldn’t believe how lucky they’d been with Gale—how understanding she was, how accepting. From the moment she’d discovered their three-way relationship, Gale hadn’t ever made her feel insane or immoral for the loving both of her sons. It’s more than Kate would have ever expected. “My parents aren’t as open-minded as you are.”
“I’m not that understanding, dear. I just want my boys to be happy. I see how happy you make them.” Gale looked up, her warm honey-brown eyes twinkling, and Kate smiled.
How every member of this family managed to make her feel welcome and included always surprised her.
“I’m sure your parents want the same thing for you. Once they see how happy those boys make you, they’ll accept the three of you together too.”
Kate shook her head. A part of her believed Gale was right. That her parents really did want her to be happy. But they’d never conveyed it well in the past. And her wedding didn’t seem the right time to put them to the test.
She still remembered the way her mother used to talk about her teaching position to her high-society friends, the note of distain in her mother’s tone. Teaching kindergartners was not the prestigious career Margo Baker wanted for her daughter. And she had no doubt Daniel wasn’t the high-society husband she’d envisioned for Kate either.
Kate didn’t care what her mother thought. She’d made her decision. She had no desire to go back—to Dallas, to the quiet desperation or to the need for more that had almost eaten her alive. But she couldn’t stand the idea that her parents would berate Daniel with their undercutting words and quiet insults. Not to mention how they’d act if they found out it wasn’t just Daniel she stayed in Colorado for, but Grant as well.
“You’d be surprised, honey, what lengths a parent will go to for their child. They might not always show it in the way you wish, but I’m sure they’re doing what they think is best for you.”
Kate nodded. They probably were. They just didn’t have any idea what was best for her. They always thought what was best for them was best for her. For twenty-eight years, she’d tried and failed to live that way too. She didn’t regret making this change for herself, even if her parent’s never approved.
“One day, you’ll see for yourself.”
Kate rolled her eyes. Gale had been tossing off a lot of comments like that lately. But it would be a while before Kate had any serious experience with parenthood, no matter what Gale might desire.
Kate surveyed the field before her. It still amazed to her how much the place had changed since she’d first arrived. This field that had been covered with three feet of snow back at Christmas time, was now filled with swaying grasses and bright Columbines. It really was beautiful here. This would be the perfect place for a wedding.
It may have taken a few months and the melting of three tons of snow, but Kate now understood why people loved living in this area—why her two men loved it here so much and felt so connected to this land. And amazingly, she felt the same. She couldn’t imagine ever moving back to Dallas. No matter what her parents said.
“They’ll be here tomorrow at ten. They’re on the last possible plane coming into Grand Junction from Dallas before the ceremony.” Kate tried to keep the resentment from her voice, but she didn’t succeed. She loved her future mother-in-law. Gale was fantastic. Kate still had trouble believing she’d accepted her relationship with both her sons so easily. Not to mention all she’d done to help with Kate’s wedding to her younger son, Daniel.
She still wished she was picking floral arrangements, assembling favors and decorating pews with her own mother.
“I got them a room at the Country Side Inn.” It was the best hotel for miles. Though Kate doubted it was up to her mother’s standards.
“They’ll like it there.”
“I hope so.” That’s the only way Kate wouldn’t hear about how awful the hotel was for the next ten years, like her parent’s trip to Maui seven years ago, that they always brought up at Thanksgiving.
“Are you planning on telling them everything?” Gale looked up at Kate from where she arranged ribbons around the edge of the bales, creating an aisle down the center toward the arch Grant had built.
“You mean about the fact that I’m really in a relationship with two men? That I’m marrying one and sleeping with both of them?” Kate looked over at the woman who was to be her official mother-in-law in only two days. “Are you asking if I plan to tell them that?”
Gale cast Kate a sour look. She had made her opinion obvious many times before, but she didn’t know Kate’s parents. Kate’s mother was ready to have her checked into a psych ward for giving up a good job in the city—though her teaching positon hadn’t become a good job to her mother until the other option was no job at all—and moving out to the country for some hick. Kate could contemplate what her parents would say if they knew she hadn’t come out here for one country hick, but for two.
“Not everyone is as understanding as you are, Gale.” Kate still couldn’t believe how lucky they’d been with Gale—how understanding she was, how accepting. From the moment she’d discovered their three-way relationship, Gale hadn’t ever made her feel insane or immoral for the loving both of her sons. It’s more than Kate would have ever expected. “My parents aren’t as open-minded as you are.”
“I’m not that understanding, dear. I just want my boys to be happy. I see how happy you make them.” Gale looked up, her warm honey-brown eyes twinkling, and Kate smiled.
How every member of this family managed to make her feel welcome and included always surprised her.
“I’m sure your parents want the same thing for you. Once they see how happy those boys make you, they’ll accept the three of you together too.”
Kate shook her head. A part of her believed Gale was right. That her parents really did want her to be happy. But they’d never conveyed it well in the past. And her wedding didn’t seem the right time to put them to the test.
She still remembered the way her mother used to talk about her teaching position to her high-society friends, the note of distain in her mother’s tone. Teaching kindergartners was not the prestigious career Margo Baker wanted for her daughter. And she had no doubt Daniel wasn’t the high-society husband she’d envisioned for Kate either.
Kate didn’t care what her mother thought. She’d made her decision. She had no desire to go back—to Dallas, to the quiet desperation or to the need for more that had almost eaten her alive. But she couldn’t stand the idea that her parents would berate Daniel with their undercutting words and quiet insults. Not to mention how they’d act if they found out it wasn’t just Daniel she stayed in Colorado for, but Grant as well.
“You’d be surprised, honey, what lengths a parent will go to for their child. They might not always show it in the way you wish, but I’m sure they’re doing what they think is best for you.”
Kate nodded. They probably were. They just didn’t have any idea what was best for her. They always thought what was best for them was best for her. For twenty-eight years, she’d tried and failed to live that way too. She didn’t regret making this change for herself, even if her parent’s never approved.
“One day, you’ll see for yourself.”
Kate rolled her eyes. Gale had been tossing off a lot of comments like that lately. But it would be a while before Kate had any serious experience with parenthood, no matter what Gale might desire.
