Summer Surrender (Phases Series, Book Six) by Bronwyn Green Page B

looked between the two men. “I do…but I have to review some material for tomorrow’s class. How about if I come over after supper?”
    Yeah. She was doing a bang up job of putting some distance between her and the guys. Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she took a drink of the coffee and sighed happily. Who needed Starbucks when she had Josiah? She mentally shook her head at herself. She was so screwed.
    * * * *
    She stopped by Maggie’s diner on the way home, hoping her friend was around. Maggie wiped her hands on the apron around her waist and filled a glass with ice and Coke, sliding it to the end of the counter for Hollis. Climbing on the stool, Hollis put a straw in the glass and gratefully took a sip.
    Maggie leaned on the counter, staring intently at her and clearly waiting for Hollis to spill everything.
    “Well?” she finally asked. “Which one?”
    Hollis blinked. “Which one what?”
    Maggie leaned in a little closer and lowered her voice. “Daniel or Josiah? You haven’t been around all weekend, so I know it’s got to be one of them. And they both seemed pretty damn interested at the cookout, so spill already.”
    A fiery blush crept across Hollis’ cheeks, and Maggie’s eyes widened.
    “Both?” she demanded.
    At Hollis’ nod, her friend’s eyes got even bigger. “I don’t know whether I should high-five you or lecture you.”
    Hollis laughed. “All things considered, you don’t have a lot of room for lectures.”
    Maggie held up her hand. “High-five it is, then.”
    Hollis giggled and slapped her hand. But she quickly sobered. “I know it’s just for the summer. I’m not expecting anything more than that, and I sincerely doubt the guys are looking for more than that, either.”
    Maggie glanced down at the counter and wiped at a spot that didn’t exist. “You might be surprised at what they’re looking for.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Her friend continued scrubbing at the non-existent spot. Finally, she stopped and looked at Hollis, swiping at the bright red curls that had fallen into her eyes. “I mean that, when they find the right woman, they’ll be looking to settle down. Together. So if you think that’s not something you can handle, you might want to get out sooner rather than later.”
    Hollis stared at her friend, positive that there was more to the story than she was telling.
    “Look,” Maggie continued. “I’m not saying that’s for sure what’s going to happen, but it’s been a long time since I’ve see them date the same woman at the same time.”
    The bells above the diner door jangled, jarring Hollis nerves. Maggie left her to greet the customers—a tourist family from the looks of it—and seated them at a large table across the room. After she rattled off the nightly specials, she passed out the menus and made her way back to Hollis.
    “Like I was saying,” she said as she returned to her spot behind the counter. “I think they might be looking for more than you think they are.”
    Hollis leaned forward, not wanting anyone to overhear. “So, how common are ménages around this place?”
    Maggie smiled. “With some groups of people, they’re more common than others.”
    Hollis was about to ask if Maggie meant the Native American population, but Maggie had to take orders and seat another group of hungry diner guests.
    Hollis thought about her theory. Quinn, Lucas and Daniel were all clearly of Native American descent, and Josiah looked as if he might have had some native blood in his ancestry, too, though much farther back in his lineage than the others. It could be that, she supposed, although anthropologically speaking, she didn’t remember coming across anything that suggested a predisposition to polyamorous relationships in any of the textbooks she’d ever read on the subject. Maybe she’d do a quick internet search for that after she downloaded her habitat cam data.
    Maggie handed the orders through the window to the cook before turning back