Sparrow grimaced. "Not in this lifetime."

"Then it's settled. And if you resist me on this, buster, I'll handcuff and kidnap you." Josh knew he was being a bit highhanded, but there was no way he was leaving Sparrow to his own devices. The man needed him and Josh was going to make damn sure his mate had the best care possible.

"Pushy," Sparrow said.

Clayton chuckled. "That he is. Bossy as hell, too. But he's right. You can't go to your place and try to take care of yourself. That's what you have us for."

"I thought it was just for the great sex," Sparrow said as he closed his eyes. Josh could tell the man was tired and needed his rest.

"It is," Josh said. "Just think of me rubbing that sponge all over your naked body."

"Now that sounds like a winner," Sparrow said before yawning.

"We're going to head out," Josh said. "Is there anything you want us to gather from your place?"

"Clothes and toiletries," Sparrow mumbled. "Back door is always open."

Josh gazed up at Clayton. "The man has no sense of self-preservation. Who leaves their back door unlocked?"

Clayton grabbed Josh's hand and pulled him from the bed, heading toward the door. "You don't live in the big city anymore," he said. "Things are different around here."

That was an understatement. But Josh was glad he'd traveled to Bear County-he wouldn't have met Sparrow or Clayton if he hadn't.

Josh and Clayton were almost bowled over at the door when Angelina rushed in, hurrying over to her brother's bed.

Josh closed the door, giving the siblings their privacy as he and Clayton headed out of the hospital to gather the things Sparrow would need.

Sparrow settled into the lounge chair on the back porch. As he sat there, he watched Clayton breaking in a new horse. Sparrow was still healing, still having difficulty walking for long periods of time. That bullet may not have hit any vital organs, but it sure as shit had done some damage. He wasn't even allowed to lift anything heavy until he was fully healed.

Although Sparrow knew that he wasn't physically ready to go back to work, the last thing he wanted to do was leave the department in Dunham's hands.

"How are you feeling today?" Josh asked as he took a seat next Sparrow.

"Better than yesterday." Sparrow winked at Josh. "Before long, I'll be able to fuck that pretty ass of yours."

Josh rolled his eyes. "You're incorrigible."

Sparrow's mouth watered when Renee brought out a tray of lemonade. It was a hot one today but Sparrow was tired of sitting inside. It had been over a week since he'd been shot and Sparrow was antsy, ready to get back to work. He wasn't one to sit around and be idle.

"Thank you, Renee," Josh said as he took both glasses from her.

"I'd sit and chat with you fellas but I gotta get back inside with the cubs. Y'all enjoy your cool drinks."

Sparrow raised his glass to her before taking a long swallow. The cool liquid slaked his thirst. "I have my doctor's appointment tomorrow."

"I know you're anxious to get back to work. But even if the doctor clears you, you and I both know you're not ready." Josh set his glass down and turned to face Sparrow. "Don't push it or you can end up doing more harm than good."

Sparrow's eyes wandered over to where Clayton was standing. The man had a powerful build, lean muscles, and looked damn good in jeans. Sparrow might be hurting, but there wasn't anything wrong with his cock. As Clayton worked the horse, Sparrow watched those corded muscles flex.

Josh chuckled as he lifted his glass from the table and poised it close to his lips. "You'll have to wait for the doctor's clearance, stud. No strenuous exercise, remember?"

Sparrow clucked his tongue as his eyes raked Josh from head to toe. "Darling, who said I had to move?"

This only made Josh chuckle even harder. "You know as well as I do that you'll never be able to lay still. You're too much of a take-charge kind of guy."

Josh had him there. Knowing he wasn't going to get any sex until he was seen by the doctor made Sparrow one ornery-ass man. "So I am supposed to waste this perfectly good hard-on?"

Josh's eyes fell to Sparrow's shorts before the man sucked in his lower lip. Sparrow became harder as he studied Josh's sensual lips, imagining them wrapped around his hard shaft.

"Nice try," Josh said as he lifted his eyes to look at Sparrow. "But I'm not going to do anything to risk your recovery."

"You're risking my sanity," Sparrow grumbled. His complaint was cut short when the back door opened and Noah walked out with his triplets, Markey and Austin hot on their heels.

"Uncle Spiro!" Markey shouted as he hurried over. Thank goodness Josh was quick, grabbing Markey before the kid could dive-bomb into Sparrow's lap. Not only would the little guy have aggravated Sparrow's injury but he probably would've crushed his balls in the process.

Someone needed to teach the boy about the family jewels.

"I told you Uncle Sparrow has a boo-boo," Josh said as he lifted Markey over his head and gave him a raspberry on his tiny belly. Markey screeched with laughter before Josh set him on his feet.

And then the rest of the kids wanted a raspberry. Noah sat down next to Sparrow as he chuckled. "You've got to admit that Josh is great with kids."

Sparrow watched as Josh chased the toddlers around the yard. He caught them one at a time, blew into their belly, and then set them down before chasing another. Sparrow had never thought about having kids before. Because he was gay, he'd never thought it was a real possibility.

Although he himself refused to get pregnant, he started imagining Josh with a swollen belly. The thought appealed to him on so many levels that it stunned Sparrow. His mind took him down a path that he'd never traveled before. What would it be like to come home to Clayton and Josh? Sparrow lived alone, which meant he ate and slept alone as well. Sure, he had Angelina. But his baby sister had her own life.

He could see his home filled with tiny feet, pattering around the house as his children played. Sparrow's chest ached at the thought.

He wanted kids.

"Hello?" Noah waved his hand in front of Sparrow's face. "Where did you go?"

"Heaven," Sparrow replied before he cleared his throat. His heart beat a little faster when Clayton walked toward him. The man had a strut that would have any woman swooning-and plenty of men, as well. Clayton looked delicious enough to eat.

Noah blushed. "If you stared at Clayton any harder, his damn clothes would fall off."

Sparrow laughed so hard that he had to hold his side. As Clayton approached, the cowboy smiled as well. "What's so funny?" Clayton asked.

"Sparrow was just telling me about a juicy piece of meat he'd love to have," Noah said.

Clayton tucked his work gloves into his back pocket as his grin grew wider. "Just tell me what you want and I'll make sure Dresden cooks it for dinner."

Noah and Sparrow glanced at each other and then burst out laughing.

After his doctor's appointment the following day, Sparrow swung by the station just to check on things. Clayton and Josh weren't too happy about his insistence, but he didn't trust Dunham. In the past two years, Dunham had swayed a few deputies to his side, stating that Sparrow was too soft with the citizens and insisting that was why the drug-infested trailer park was out of control.

"Good to see you back," Harold said. "Ain't the same without you around."

"I'm not back just yet," he replied. "Just checking on some things." A few more people smiled and told Sparrow they were glad he was fine.

Sparrow passed down the long hallway to his office. Pictures of retired or deceased law enforcement men and woman hung on the wall, along with plaques and awards. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee filled the air around him as he heard laughter coming from the back of the station. The break room seemed to be in full swing, with some cops just sitting around watching television until their shifts started while others took their breaks. It was close to lunch.

The air conditioning was starting to cool his skin as Sparrow opened his office door and stepped inside. Clayton and Josh had elected to wait for him in the truck, both stating that they didn't want to raise any eyebrows.

Everything around him appeared normal, untouched. But Sparrow had always been able to tell when someone had trespassed on his personal space. Someone had been here, in his office, more than likely snooping around.

His first thought was that Dunham had come in here, trying to find some dirt on Sparrow to use against him. But it could have been dispatch, or someone trying to locate a file. There was no way to tell for sure.

"People are saying that you're a hero." Dunham filled the doorway, leaning his thick shoulder against the frame. From day one Sparrow hadn't liked this guy. It wasn't that the man was cocky and arrogant so much as it was that he was manipulative and had a look in his eyes that said he would do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

"Not a hero," Sparrow said as he stepped around his desk. "Just doing my job."

He dug a small key from his front pocket and was reaching for the lock on his desk when he noticed that the wood was scratched.

Someone had tried to, or had succeeded, in breaking into his desk. He lifted his eyes and flashed an annoyed look Dunham's way, but the man seemed unfazed by Sparrow's expression.

"Oh, come on," Dunham said. "Everyone is talking about how you took a bullet to save those customers." But the man's tone wasn't filled with praise. It was filled with bitter resentment. Sparrow clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. But he kept what he really wanted to say behind his lips. Getting into a sparring match with Dunham wasn't what he'd come here for.

"Was there something you needed, Deputy?"

Dunham's lip peeled back for a brief second before his mouth smoothed out. His dark, straight brows drew together so that a crease appeared between them. "Hope you feel better," Dunham said begrudgingly before turning and walking out.

The only thing Sparrow could do was shake his head. He'd caught the coldness in Dunham's eyes. Sparrow wasn't sure if it was his position the guy was gunning for or if he had it in for Sparrow himself. That line was becoming blurred.

Seconds later, Josh popped his head into the doorway. "You gonna be much longer? The sun is beating down on the truck, and even with the AC on, it's boiling out there."

"I was just about to leave." Sparrow opened his drawer and pulled a few files out that he wanted to take with him. Luckily, they were still buried under blank request orders. If someone had been snooping around, they hadn't dug very deep. He locked the drawer again-for what good that would do-and tucked the files under his arm before walking back toward the front.

"Hope you come back soon," Harold said as he waved.

Josh's eyebrows tugged together as he bit the corner of his lip, gazing up at Sparrow.

"What is it?" Sparrow asked.

"Why are you taking your work home with you?" Josh asked as they exited the building into the blinding sunlight. "You're supposed to be recuperating."

"Light reading." Sparrow slid into the driver's seat as Josh climbed in on the other side, settling next to Clayton.

"He's bringing his work home," Josh complained to Clayton.

"Traitor," Sparrow said before pulling his truck onto the road.

"Maybe it'll help," Clayton said. "It'll give him something to do besides complain about lack of sex all the time."

Josh chuckled. "Good point."

Sparrow drove into the sun, having to pull his visor down. He'd tucked the files between him and Clayton, making sure they were safe. They were profiles he didn't want anyone else to get their hands on. It was a case he'd been working on secretly for over a year. If Dunham had seen them-Sparrow shuddered involuntarily as his mind refused to even finish the thought.

Clayton must have mistaken his shudder for being cold. The man turned the AC down a bit. Sparrow was still marveling at how Clayton and Josh fussed over him. He'd never really had anything like that before. Not on this level. He'd fought his attraction toward Clayton for so long that it surprised him how quickly he was able to accept the guy once he let his fears go.

But he still wasn't willing to get pregnant. That prospect wasn't even on the table.

"Does anyone else want a big, fat pickle?" Josh asked out of the blue.

Both Sparrow and Clayton frowned. The Piggly Wiggly sold those super-sized things in individual clear packets, the pickle still swimming in its juice. Sparrow had always thought them disgusting.

"Not particularly," Sparrow answered.

"Me either," Clayton said.

"Can we stop at the store?" Josh asked. "I got a hankering for one."

Sparrow didn't see why not. It wasn't like he had anything else to do. He made a U-turn and headed back toward town. As he pulled in front of the grocery store, he spotted Jack Frost and a couple other guys hanging out in the parking lot, smoking cigarettes and leaning against a red beat-to-shit truck.

As Sparrow drove past them, he locked eyes with Barry. The man gazed at him for a moment and then looked away, laughing at something one of his buddies had said.

The niggling feeling was still there and Sparrow wished to god he could figure out what bothered him so much about Barry Sliman.

Chapter Eight.

That evening, Clayton sat at the table as he stared at the people he called family. Sparrow was on his right, Josh on his left. Taking a seat at the head of the table wasn't his way of declaring himself the head of their love triangle. It had just happened to work out that way. He'd come into the dining room first, famished after working all day.

The room was brightly lit and there was laughter all around. Renee was still here, which was odd. She should have returned home by now. He wondered if her extended stay had something to do with Jack, because her eyes were focused on Noah's dad and she was smiling at every word that left the man's lips.

Clayton's eyes drifted over the white walls and pictures that hung around the room. The sounds of people talking, laughing, and eating mingled to form a melody that lit his heart as Sparrow nudged Clayton's knee.

It was a subtle move, a reminder that he was there, sitting next to Clayton. As Josh talked with Dresden, the man continually bumped Clayton's arm, or touched his hand that was resting on the table. He, too, was reminding Clayton that he might be paying attention to Dresden, but his thoughts were on his mate.

Things seem surreal as Clayton inhaled slowly and then let out his breath. His thoughts turned and he reflected on Sparrow getting shot. If his sheriff hadn't been so lucky, the chair to his left might now be empty. There would be no lean thigh bumping into his, no deep voice talking with Harland. Clayton took a second to let that lulling voice sink into his skin, soaking it up, and appreciating it more than ever as his lips curved into a smile.

"This is good food," Bryson said to Dresden.

The blond man smiled. "Thanks."

Clayton caught the way Harland stared at his mate. There was a deep glint of love in Harland's eyes as he looked at Dresden like the man hung the moon. He remembered not so long ago when all four men who owned the Triple-B ranch ate separately, at the diner, or dined on prepackaged meals each night.

They had been happy. For the most part. Their day-to-day lives had been filled with work and a sense of purpose and pride. But now that Clayton had Sparrow on his left and Josh on his right, he knew there had been something significant missing.