"I don't usually go in the pool," Emily Anne said. "I usually just sit with the older folks and watch as my cousins horse around in the water."

Mel shot her a look and opened his mouth to speak, but she held her hand up. "I don't usually. But I found a web site that specializes in plus-sized clothing, and so I bought a bathing suit. And yes, I brought it with me."

Mel grinned and met Connor's gaze. "So we have to mind our p's and q's," Connor said, "and then you'll reward us by putting on that s.e.xy bathing suit?"

"It's kind of plain, and a one piece. Not s.e.xy at all, I'm afraid," Emily Anne said.

"That's where you're wrong, precious. If you wear it, it will be s.e.xy as all h.e.l.l."

Emily Anne gave him such a big smile that Mel felt he'd redeemed himself from his earlier "unreasonable" comment. He followed her directions, taking the turns she indicated that would bring them to her parent's farm about five miles outside of Comanche.

"We're nearly there, just down this road about a mile or so." Fields of cotton lay spread out on both sides of the road. They'd also pa.s.sed wheat and corn fields. Mel had grown up in the city. His only exposure to growing things had been his mother's vegetable garden, which she'd planted faithfully every year.

"Granddaddy was a farmer, and so was my daddy, even though he went to college and took all sorts of business courses."

"I imagine that business courses would help a farmer run his farm better."

"That's what daddy has always said. But even so, when the economy got shaky a few years back, he took a position with Orville Powers as his accountant. Daddy still farms, and usually hires one of the local boys to help him for the busy times of planting and harvesting. I think Momma would just as soon he quit farming altogether." Emily Anne shrugged. "I'm not sure why she feels that way, so I'll stop talking about it. I don't want to pa.s.s judgment."

"It could just be that farming is such hard work, angel eyes. Maybe she thinks your daddy is getting older and needs to take it easier, now."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I need to be thinking kinder thoughts about my momma."

Mel kept his eyes on the road and his odometer as they talked. Up ahead, he saw something that made him blink. A single, two-story farmhouse set back from the road featured a long, fairly straight driveway that appeared to be lined by what had to be at least a couple dozen vehicles.

"Precious...is that your place?"

Emily Anne turned from Connor and looked out the windshield. He heard her gasp, and then she exhaled.

"d.a.m.n it, Momma, what on earth have you done now?"

Emily Anne couldn't remember one time that there'd been so many cars parked at the place, excepting for her granddad's funeral. Of course, Granddad had been a member in good standing of nearly every agricultural, church, and political organization in this part of the state, so the fact that he'd have so many turn out for his laying to rest was just to be expected.

She was grateful that Mel brought the car to a stop and gave her a few minutes to try and process what it was she was seeing. She couldn't imagine what on earth her mother could have meant, to have invited so many people to their Fourth of July picnic without letting her know! Why, this had always been a family time.

"Um, angel eyes?"

Emily Anne wrenched her gaze away from the long line of parked cars. Everything inside of her went still when she saw the look on Connor's face. That was a guilty expression if ever she'd seen one-and she'd never thought to see one on him. "Yes, Connor?"

"What are the chances that Billy J might have high-tailed it home and told someone about our little...discussion at the l.u.s.ty jail?"

"When he was sober? None at all. You embarra.s.sed him, I reckon, and I can't imagine he'd want to say anything to anyone about that. The trouble is, Billy J doesn't stay sober for long. He likes his beer, and the more he drinks the looser his yap gets. Now, let me ask you a question. What, exactly, did you say to him?"

Connor looked over at Mel. For his part, Mr. Richardson seemed to think this entire situation was amusing. Even though he tried to school his features she knew her men, and it was all Mel could do not to burst out laughing.

Mel smiled and said, "Hey. I've got your back, pal, you know that. But I think this might be your payback for using that double-headed coin."

"I know." Connor looked toward the house and then back to her. "I told Billy J nothing but the truth. He asked me who I was and I told him I was the man who hoped to marry you."

Emily Anne's heart melted. She reached up and stroked his face, then looked at Mel. "I told you it had to be both of you, or neither of you. I can't-I won't-choose."

"You listen here, Emily Anne Bancroft. I never for one moment even considered it being just you and me." He looked over at Mel. "As a matter of fact, if we follow l.u.s.ty's tradition, it would be Mel who'd be your legal husband, because he's the oldest."

"I'm all for following l.u.s.ty's traditions," Emily Anne said. "There's just one thing."

"Yes, we know," Mel said. "We know we still have to work on our intimacy problem. And we are. We're talking, and we will overcome that. It's on us, precious, not on you. You just need to give us a bit of time and have some faith in us."

"I do have faith that the two of you can and will do anything you set your minds on doing. But there's still just one small problem."

She tried not to laugh as the two men she loved beyond all reason looked at each other and tried to figure out just what it was that could possibly be the problem she was concerned with.

"All right, we give. What's the small problem?"

"Neither one of you has even asked me to marry you."

The look on their faces was priceless. Emily Anne thought if she hadn't already been all the way in love with them, she would have fallen right there and then.

Mel nodded to Connor. "I think we should take care of that little thing right now-even if this is not even close to any of the different scenarios you and I discussed."

"Maybe the 'where' and the 'when' aren't as important as we thought," Connor said. He reached out and gently stroked her hair. "Maybe the only thing that really matters is the 'who.'"

"I think, my friend, that you are absolutely right." Mel used his finger under her chin to turn her face toward him. "Emily Anne, I think I fell in love with you the first moment I laid eyes on you. All I know is that from that moment on, you were the only woman in the world I could see, the only one I wanted, and the only one I could imagine carrying my child. I love you, and I will love you until the day I die. Will you marry me?"

His beloved face blurred because tears clouded her vision. Before she could answer him, Connor turned her just exactly the same way, so she faced him.

"Emily Anne, I never believed I would find anyone who would love me, either. I told you that you redeemed me, and you did. Before I met you, I was only half a man. I fell in love with you over that first plate of burger and fries you set down for me. In that moment, I knew it wasn't the food I craved, but you. I will love you, and cherish you, for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

Then, together, they said, "Will you marry us?"

She could see well enough through her tears to know their expressions were tender. They didn't worry about the fact she was crying. Maybe they knew what her answer would be.

"You told me that my saying I wanted to make love to you that first night when you brought me to your house in l.u.s.ty was a dream come true for you."

"It was, precious, for both of us." Mel reached over to the glove box and pulled out a packet of tissues. He took one, and then offered the package to Connor.

Both men took turns blotting her tears.

"Everything we've ever said to you has been the truth, Emily Anne," Connor said.

"I never thought I would ever find anyone to love me. To love me and cherish me and respect me. I was getting better, with how I looked at myself, but I was nowhere near where I knew I needed to be. I couldn't picture myself with a man, with any man. I reckon I know why, now. I wasn't meant for one man. I was meant for two. I was meant for the two of you."

"You've got the two of us, angel eyes. So...is that a yes?"

Emily Anne laughed. She hoped that loving these men would never be without moments of laughter. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you both."

Mel leaned in and laid his mouth on hers, his tongue masterful as it swept her mouth. Hot and carnal, his kiss promised her pa.s.sion as yet untapped. She drank him in, reveling in the taste of him, and in the knowledge that he was hers.

He lifted his lips and she turned, her mouth already reaching for Connor. He kissed her, his tongue bold and aggressive as he lapped at every bit of her, sucking on her as if he could take her completely into himself.

"We've ordered a ring for you, angel eyes. What will your mother say about the fact you're not sporting one for this...um...gathering?"

Emily Anne laughed. "Oh, I think she's going to be altogether too aghast that I'm in love with and marrying two men to give the absence of a ring even a single thought."

"You could be right, sweetheart," Mel said. He grinned over at Connor. "What do you say we go show these people how much we adore our future bride?"

Connor smiled right back at him. "I say let's do it."

Emily Anne didn't think her heart could hold any more love than it already did as Mel maneuvered his SUV into a parking spot close to the house. She could see all the people and the picnic tables set out on the back lawn. That was where the best shade was, and where the pool had been built, and where they usually spent a portion of their time during their small family gatherings.

Small gathering my a.s.s. This looks like a big to-do to me.

Since Emily Anne had been led to believe she was indeed about to attend a small family picnic, she wasn't going to feel guilty that her contribution to the menu had been designed to feed just a few mouths.

Emily Anne had hollowed out a watermelon, creating a basket and handle, and then cut the pink fruit into bite-sized chunks. Mixed in with the watermelon, were bright red strawberries, pale green honeydew melon chunks and pale orange cantaloupe chunks.

She'd been so pleased when the men had not only complimented her creativity but immediately bought an Igloo cooler large enough to hold it.

Surrounded by ice, the fruit basket had remained fresh during the drive here. She'd thought it would do well on her momma's dining room table. Her mother tended not to like the heat, and so mostly they had their small family gatherings indoors, except for brief forays outside.

Lord only knew how long it would last in the Fourth of July Texas summer heat.

She set it on one of the three tables set aside to hold the food and then stepped back and admired her creation for a moment. She'd been quite aware of the murmurs that had followed her the moment she'd stepped around the house and into sight. She'd smiled and nodded of course, and knew one reason most of the people murmuring hadn't approached her was that they didn't know her, personally.

This meant, of course, that she didn't know them, either.

"My darling baby! There you are, at last!"

"Oh boy. Showtime." Emily Anne's whispered comment was meant for her men, alone. Their muted snickers braced her, and she knew that no matter how this scene unfolded, it would be just fine, because she wasn't alone.

It was no longer Emily Anne Bancroft alone against the world-or her mother, which pretty much amounted to the same thing. She would never be alone again, and wasn't that a wonderful thing to know?

Inhaling deeply, stretching her lips into a wide smile and mentally girding her loins, she turned around to face her mother.

Irene Georgina Bancroft's smile was radiant, her dress was beautiful, and her hair and makeup had been arranged just so and applied to perfection. Emily Anne felt a twinge of sympathy because she knew that inside her mother must be melting.

Since her hands were outstretched in a theatrical welcome to match that opening line, Emily Anne went to her, took her hands, and air-kissed both cheeks.

"h.e.l.lo, Momma. My, you look so lovely!" She turned to her men. "Doesn't my mother look lovely?"

Mel and Connor both stepped forward, flanking her. Mel took off his sungla.s.ses. "She does, indeed, precious."

Connor took his off and hung them on the neck of his white T-shirt. "It's easy to see where you get your beauty from, angel eyes."

Her mother's smile didn't waver as she looked from one man to the other.

"Darling, you brought guests. That is, I thought you were bringing just one guest. One very special guest."

"Oh! I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Momma, I want you to meet Mel Richardson."

Mel nodded, and smiled, and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Bancroft."

"And this is Connor Talbot."

Connor likewise nodded, and smiled. "Mrs. Bancroft, a real pleasure, ma'am."

"I'm pleased to meet you both, I'm sure." Although Emily Anne thought that her mother didn't sound all that sure.

When her mother focused on her, she said, "Darling, I've been led to understand you have news for us? Exciting, happy news?" Then she gave a sly smile, and took a moment to make eye contact with a couple of matronly women that Emily Anne vaguely recognized.

One, she was nearly certain, was Mrs. Judges, the wife of the pastor of the Evangelistic Christian Revival church in Comanche.

She'd seen the woman once, living up to her name by haranguing a young lady for having a nose piercing. What the woman was doing here at her family's home, Emily Anne couldn't possibly imagine.

The Bancrofts were Catholics.

"I do, Momma, but I thought to wait until we're alone, later, to share it with you."

Her mother must have misinterpreted her response as an expression of shyness. She spread her arms wide, as if to include all-h.e.l.l, there had to be fifty people, easy-crowded into the backyard. "Oh, nonsense. Don't be shy! Come, sweetheart, share your news with us all. You're among friends and family here."

Emily Anne caught sight of her father. The man was over by the grill, and met her gaze. In his eyes she saw apology, and resignation.

Remind me to tell my men that if I ever get pushy with them the way my momma is with my daddy, they should give me a good spanking. In the next instant she understood that her men would never let her set a foot in that direction to begin with.

She met her mother's gaze and looked at her smiling face, and realized, rather suddenly-or maybe, at last-that it wasn't Emily Anne's happiness that her mother was most concerned with. It was...appearances.

Her appearance, being fat, all these years must have been quite a cross for her mother to bear. When she thought that she might have the chance to have a famous country singer for a son-in-law she wanted Emily Anne to take Billy J back. Not because it would be best for Emily Anne, but because it would be best for her.

Irene Georgina Bancroft was more worried about how she looked in front of people who didn't matter, instead of how she loved, and was loved by, those who did.

Her men proved right then how well they knew her. They stepped closer and each of them put a hand on her.

"Precious, think, first. Be sure this is what you want to do."

"I'm sure."

She flicked a glance at Connor. He said, "All right then. We've got your back."

Emily Anne knew that no matter what happened in the years ahead, they always would. She was the luckiest woman in the entire world!

She turned her attention back to her mother. There was only love and joy in her heart when she said, "All right, Momma, since you insist. I'm very happy and will forever be grateful, that both Mel and Connor have asked me to marry them. I said yes, of course." She slipped her arms through those of her men. "So Momma, meet my two fiances."

"Oh, my darling, that's so...what?"

Emily Anne figured it was the heat that had slowed her mother's hearing.

"We haven't picked a date, yet, of course." Emily Anne had heard all the gasps as those standing closest heard her announcement and immediately repeated it in heated whispers to anyone who missed it. "But that's just a matter of sitting down and deciding."