Monroe, Marla - Their Bartered Bride [Men of the Border Lands 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Marla Monroe

baby. Come on. Let’s get you back under the covers.” He pulled the covers out from under them and they all climbed beneath them.
    She curled into Jonathan’s side with her head on his shoulder. She reached back and grabbed Joel’s arm and pulled it around her waist. Then she snuggled between them.
    Jonathan sighed. It felt good to have her in his arms, but he knew this would be the beginning of the end of how things had been. He was positive she would weasel her way into their hearts in no time. He didn’t mind one bit, but he was sure that Joel was going to fight it, and that would cause problems.
    The three of them huddled beneath the covers until one by one, they all fell asleep. Jonathan dreamed they were a family with kids and a large backyard on one side and a large garden on the other side. They cooked out during the summer and built snowmen in the winter. It was a good dream. So when he woke up, he should have been in a good mood.
    Instead, he woke up in a worried mood. For one thing, Leigh wasn’t in the bed with them. He rolled out of bed wondering how he had missed her getting up. He padded down to his room and pulled on jeans, socks, and a shirt. Then he made his way down to the kitchen to find her busily preparing breakfast for them.
    “Morning, Jonathan. How are you?”
    “Been better,” he groused. Why was he in a foul mood?
    “Thanks for staying with me last night. I was scared. I don’t have bad dreams as a rule, so it upset me.” She didn’t look at him as she spoke.
    He poured up a cup of coffee and sipped it as he watched her cook. The fact that he had seen a future with her should have made him happy. What was bothering him?
    Joel came stomping down the stairs and Jonathan knew what it was then. Joel would probably try and pull back again today after having slept with her. That worried him. It would confuse Leigh.
    She turned and stared at Joel when he walked in the kitchen. He frowned, then headed for the coffee.
    “Morning, Leigh,” he said.
    “Morning, Joel. I was telling Jonathan that I don’t usually have nightmares. I was really freaked out by those wolves last night. Thanks for staying with me.” She continued stirring the hash browns she was cooking.
    “No problem. Jonathan, let’s go ahead and move the herd over to the other pasture since we have the wolves to worry about right now.” He sipped his coffee then walked over to the kitchen table to sit down. “That way we aren’t as far from them, and we know they won’t get bogged up in mud.”
    “Got you.” He watched Joel’s face for any sign of what he was thinking.
    His brother was tops at keeping his thoughts to himself. You could rarely tell what he was thinking by looking at his face, but this morning, he appeared agitated. Something he rarely saw in his brother. Joel had an iron will and nerves of steel. What had him upset today, Leigh or the wolves, or both?
    Once they had finished breakfast, Joel stood up and took his plate to the sink. He rinsed it, and sat it on the counter. Then he walked back over to where Leigh sat and kissed her on the head.
    “Don’t get into any trouble while we’re gone, and stay inside.” He lifted an eyebrow at Jonathan. “You coming?”
    “Yeah.” Jonathan got up from the table and rinsed off his plate as well.
    While Joel shrugged on his coat and slipped on his boots, Jonathan wrapped an arm around Leigh’s middle and hugged her. Then he donned his coat, pulled on his boots, and followed Joel out to the barn.
    “What’s going on, Joel? You’re never this unsettled.” Jonathan risked his brother’s ire to find out what he was thinking.
    “Nothing. We’ve got wolves to worry about. I don’t have time to worry about anything else. That includes Leigh’s feelings. Best thing to do is give her what she wants and be done with it.”
    “Well, that’s a fine attitude you have on having sex with her. She’s going to love that.”
    Joel turned from cinching up his saddle