Love Under Two Benedicts(29)
Yet here she was, nearly a month into, as Tracy put it, having regular sex with two hunky men, and not one of her doubts had proven out.
Since Tracy wore a teasing grin, Kelsey shrugged. “I highly recommend the activity.”
“You don’t have to sell me on the benefits of having two lovers. Although my parents are a single couple, my aunt and uncles are a threesome, and they’re very happy together. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Aunt Pammy without a smile on her face or a bounce in her step.”
“It doesn’t seem strange to you? That so many families here in Lusty live alternate lifestyles?”
“Not at all. It’s always been that way. Normal’s just what you’re used to,” Tracy said.
Kelsey couldn’t argue with her logic. Neither could she believe that she never noticed the proclivities of the locals to live as they did until she began having her affair with Steven and Matthew Benedict. The fact was that here in Lusty, Texas, families with just one husband and wife were the anomaly.
They both got back to work. Tracy put the first tray of cream puffs into the fridge and began work on another. The restaurant also offered several different pies in the dessert bar on Sundays. One of the ways the Lusty Ladies Auxiliary raised money for their civic projects was by selling fresh-baked pies to Lusty Appetites. This was a win-win situation as far as Kelsey was concerned. She not only received delicious pies for her restaurant, she could be guaranteed that on most Sundays many of those women’s families came to eat, too.
“Will you be heading to the ranch again after closing?” Tracy asked.
“Mmm.” Kelsey slid her tray of chicken into one oven and set the timer. She walked over to the sink, washed her hands, then checked the large pot of barbeque sauce she had simmering. Tonight’s buffet would also feature pulled pork done in the rich sauce and the perennial favorite, prime rib roast beef.
Kelsey set right to bringing the roasts out of the fridge and preparing them for the oven. She realized she’d avoided answering Tracy’s question. It was just that answering it would mean admitting she’d been spending a lot of time lately at the ranch. Looking back over the last few weeks, she couldn’t say she’d spent more than three or four nights on her own in her own apartment. Of course, it made sense that if the three of them were getting together to have hot monkey sex they should do it in the one bed available to them that was big enough.
Even though she asserted at least once every few days that this relationship was just sex, and the men agreed with her, that wasn’t how it was beginning to feel.
It was beginning to feel like a real relationship with real feelings and expectations and everything.
Well, of course there would be feelings. It’s a good idea that I really like the men I entrust my body to.
True enough. Kelsey wasn’t altogether certain the feelings she had for Steven and Matthew Benedict were only feelings of friendly affection.
“You know, when I was first hired on here,” Tracy said, “I never thought I’d get used to having Monday and Tuesday off, but I have. I can still do all the things I used to do on Saturdays, but the places I go aren’t as crowded.”
“Yes, I think closing the restaurant Mondays so everyone can get at least one regular day off makes sense.” She herself left early on Friday, and Sunday was a short day, only from eleven to about eight.
She looked over at Tracy and wondered if the other woman had somehow deliberately distracted her from thinking about her relationship with Steven and Matthew. Kelsey shook her head. This was why she didn’t give herself much time to think lately. Her mind could come up with the damndest things. Like her friend and sous-chef could be devious enough to keep her from thinking too deeply about her lovers.
Or like trying to convince herself she had fallen in love with the brothers Benedict when they were all only friends—friends with benefits.
* * * *
Kelsey knew her staff was giving her sideways glances. She pretended not to notice, though, as she stayed in the kitchen, supervising what didn’t need supervising.
Sunday buffet was the one event during the week she particularly liked to be visible to her customers. Life in small town Texas was several speeds slower than life in Pennsylvania but never more so than on Sunday. She’d learned early on that folks liked to say hi and chat about the weather or their families. The warm, open, and friendly way of the people of Lusty had eased her jitters when she’d first arrived and had, to a large part, contributed to the final stages of her healing.
Up until an hour ago, she would have affirmed that she had healed. After all, she’d taken on not one, but two lovers. Wasn’t that proof that Kelsey’s out of her long blue funk and back to normal?