Rescue Party Read Free

already had each other. Clay was a new addition she didn’t understand. He’d returned to town, and her teenage fantasies revolving around him returned, but why was he here? Friends with Steve and Dean, perhaps. She accepted a towel when Steve offered one and dried her face.
    “We need to get out of these wet clothes,” Dean said.
    “Sorry, I had a bag, but it was in the trunk.” She looked down at her clinging T-shirt and jeans. Not exactly an attractive outfit.
    “You can go naked. We won’t mind.” Clay grinned.
    She rolled her eyes. “Still the player, Clay? I’ll suffer and drip dry.”
    “No, you’ll catch a chill. We’ll find you something. I’ll set you up in the guest room.” Steve guided her to the back bedroom.
    She’d peeled off her socks when someone tapped on the door. “Come in,” she said.
    “Might not be a great fit but they’re dry.” A shirtless Dean set a pair of boxers, a T-shirt, and a zippered sweatshirt on the guest bed.
    Trying not to stare at his muscled shoulders and perfect abs, she couldn’t deny the arousal. “Thanks. I didn’t mean to interrupt your reunion.”
    “Are you kidding? Having a woman marooned with us is a dream come true.” He winked at her.
    She didn’t quite believe it but ignored him. “What’s with Clay?”
    “Back home. Computer guy at the factory. Dream job, right?” Dean smiled.
    “Sounds as if it’s a good job. Bad boys are hot but also can be just bad.” She refused to fall for the stereotypes that got women into trouble so often. Just because they turned her on didn’t mean they were good relationship material. She liked small-town life because people were judged by their character, not race or religion. People knew if you were trustworthy or not. Interracial dating in college had been a bigger deal than it ever was in Lucky Springs.
    “He’s not so bad anymore. People grow up. He served in the Army Reserve and got a college education. He matured. Don’t sell him short.” Dean nodded. “Get changed and come out to the living room. Steve is making a fire.”
    “Fire? It’s humid around here today, and we’re going to add heat? We can just throw the clothes in the dryer.” She shrugged.
    “It’s just a small fire in case the power goes out. We don’t want to tax the system. You can hide in here if you prefer.” Dean stepped back into the hall and closed the door.
    The room was cozy. The bedding and wall trim was done in burgundy and navy. Manly but styled. Dean had to be a flirt? Now? It hit her differently with Clay around. Steve and Dean were always nice and overly friendly, but two gay men could fawn over women and it meant nothing. Her lust was her problem. Throw Clay in the mix, and it was off balance for her. She shook them off and removed the wet clothing.
    Naked, she dried off with the towels and let the air circulate all over her body to cool off her adult thoughts that were still around.
    Despite her mother’s pride over Kacy being the smartest and most serious of the sisters, men had always given more attention to the more forward girls. Kacy wanted a man who appreciated more than her body.
    Her random thoughts made Kacy pause. Was she avoiding the men or just preparing herself for catching up with Clay? She slid on the dark green boxers and light green T-shirt. Getting her bra to dry out was priority one on the clothes front. She wasn’t big like her middle sister, but she wasn’t tiny like her baby sister either. Men’s T-shirts had no support for cleavage.
    Removing the clip and shaking out her long hair, she checked her image in the mirror. Not bad under the circumstances. The high beams under the shirt could be from the cold, not from the arousal surging through her body. Stuck in a house with three hot men. Two of whom she trusted and loved as friends but happened to be in love with each other. Then there was Clay. The bad boy crush she’d refused to admit in high school.
    Only her sisters knew she’d