"Well, I for one think it was very kind of you.  I'm sure those guys don't get treated to a nice meal very often.  They strike me more as the frozen dinner bachelor type," Jacob quipped as he busied himself around the table.  He straightened the table cloth and opened the wine to let it breathe before everyone arrived.  There was nothing worse than waiting for wine.

"I figured I would play nice.  They are our guests after all." Beth stirred the pot of sauce, testing a bit of it on her fingertip.  "Perfect," she announced happily.

"Always is." Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck.  "Time for a quickie?"

Beth hummed and spun around, letting her own hands snake around him to pull him in closer.  "I could pencil you in." She nipped at his bottom lip and earned a hungry growl.  "Or not," she sighed and pushed him back.  A pair of dingy headlights was coming down the driveway.

"Just in time to get drunk and eat." He shook his head and went back to setting the table while Beth finished up.

Denise pulled up and parked her little silver Camry behind Scott's truck.  She wasted no time in jogging up the stairs and ripping the door open.  "B!  B!" She shouted the familiar nickname and Beth poked her head around the corner.

"Hey!  I'm just finishing up.  Come on in." 

Denise practically ran to the kitchen, ignoring her brother who stood in the dining room with open arms for her.  "Did you hire some models to stand out there and greet me?  Because I owe you one," Denise rambled excitedly.  She was absolutely stunning with her silky black hair that draped over her shoulders. 

"Models?" Beth checked.  She turned the burners off, and peeked at the garlic bread in the oven. 

"That shirtless blue jean god that was getting into that truck when I pulled in.  The perfect welcome home present," She beamed.

"Hi." Jacob walked in front of her with his arms still open.  "I'm Jacob, your brother, you came to visit remember?"

Denise scoffed and smacked his chest before falling into a bear hug.  "Oh hush.  I didn't forget about you, I just caught a whiff of fresh meat is all," she jested.

"Please don't sleep with the guests," he begged in a dramatic fashion.

"Guests?  There's more?" She smiled deviously. 

"Denise," he groaned and she laughed at his worries.

"I'm just kidding," she promised, letting Beth see the fingers she'd crossed behind her back.

Beth watched them with content, arms crossed at the siblings.  "I've invited them to dinner."

Denise gawked at her and turned back to Jacob.  "Boy," she whistled, "you're really testing me tonight, huh?"

Jacob scowled at her and grabbed a pair of oven mitts to pull the bread out.  "Just keep your legs crossed and your hands off them," he ordered his promiscuous sister.

She signed a cross over her heart and kissed her fingers.  "I'll be on my best behavior," she swore.

Jacob eyed her suspiciously, but refrained from making another comment.  "I'm going to wash up," he announced, and wandered back to the bedroom.

Denise waited for him to disappear before turning to Beth.  "Okay, now give me the scoop.  Who are the guests, and are they single?  Do they all look like him?  How long are they here for?"

Beth giggled breathily.  "Calm down.  First of all,  I don't even know who him is.  There are three brothers, and they are staying until Sunday." She untied the apron from around her waist and hung it back on the rack by the oven. 

Denise shrugged her coat off and let her scarf fall away with it, tossing them over the back of a chair.  "Uh huh.  You invited them to dinner though, so they must be decent people."  Beth sucked in a breath.  "What is it?  Tell me!  I need gossip and nobody tells me anything anymore, because supposedly I have a big mouth."

Beth eyed her knowingly.  "I can't imagine," she feigned disbelief.  "Okay, I'll vent, but you have to promise not to tell Jacob.  He already knows, but I just promised him I'd be nice."

Denise rubbed her hands together in excitement.  "Okay I promise," she squeeled.

Beth chuckled.  "Okay, well for starters they are here hunting.  I know, I know, that shouldn't bother me as much as it does.  But the older brother, Marshall-"

"Was he the Greek god?" She asked eagerly.

"Doubtful," Beth grimaced.  "I can't put my finger on him.  He's a bit...well rude.  I just got judgy vibes from him."

"Judgy?  How?"

"He wasn't too keen when I told him Mercy Farm was for rescue animals.  And when we politely declined their offer of free meat he practically laughed in my face."

Denise rolled her eyes.  "I'm sure you're just overthinking it.  Different people from different walks of life.  Remember when you met my cousin Dillon for the first time?"  Beth nodded, recalling the embarrassing encounter.  "You thought he was a pervert because he kept staring at your ass, but he was just too shy to tell you that you had sat in someone's sundae and had chocolate all over you."

"This isn't like that though,"  Beth defended.

"No?" She quirked a brow.  "The point is, when I walked by I didn't even think twice about telling you there was shit all over your ass.  My mama raised me to speak my mind and be independent.  Dillon was raised by his prim and proper aunty who made a big deal out of any little thing that could be misconstrued as impolite.  Different people.  Different walks of life." She sat back with a smug look on her face as her point sunk in.

"Whatever," Beth laughed.  A knock sounded on the front door and Denise leapt up eagerly.  "I'll get it," she insisted and strolled to the door.  Cerberus was laying beside it chewing on a toy.  Romulus and Remus where busy gnawing on their own toys in their cage as always when guests were around.

Scott, Billy, and Marshall stood on the porch in the dim lights.  Billy held a bottle of spiced rum and a jug of her cider.  "We thought we'd show you our favorite drink since you got us hooked on yours," he said in a small, yet polite, tone.

Scott stepped forward to show her the beautiful bouquet he had picked out.  "I brought you some flowers," he reported as he held them out to her.  An array of fall colors in varying shapes and sizes decorated the autumn bouquet.  "I was always taught it was impolite to arrive to dinner without flowers," he explained cheerfully.

"These are gorgeous," she gushed.  "Thank you so much.  Come in, please." She moved put of the way to let them enter.  "You can just set that on the table and I'll take care of it," she told Billy when he stepped into the house.  Marshall came in last with noticeably empty hands.  He smiled tightly at her and entered.

"Hi, I'm Denise," Scott had barely made it to the dining room before being hounded.

"Scott." He shook her hand once and let it drop.  Beth narrowed her eyes at the interaction, recalling when he had kissed her hand upon their first meeting.

"Denise, these are the guests I was just telling you about.  Scott, Billy, and Marshall." She pointed to each one respectively.  "This is my sister-in-law, Denise."

Marshall said nothing and instead pulled put a chair to sit.  "I'm starving," he huffed out.

Denise looked to Beth for a response, but Scott beat her to it.  He clapped him on the back of the head and glowered.  "Manners Marsh.  You were raised better than that," he lectured as though he were the older sibling.

"We really appreciate the invitation," Billy told her quietly as Scott and Marshall exchanged hushed words.

"It's my pleasure.  You'll get a hot meal and I'll get to introduce you to a new dish," Beth replied. The boy was beginning to grow on her some.

"Hey, how are you guys?" Jacob marched back down the hallway smelling of cologne and aftershave.  He had traded his work clothes in for a white shirt and crisp denim jeans. 

"Doing well, thanks.  We were just thanking Beth here for inviting us to dinner.  It's mighty kind of you all to host us this way.  It doesn't go unappreciated," Scott proclaimed with his hand resting on Marshall's shoulder, kneading it as he spoke.

Jacob didn't seem to notice.  "Our pleasure.   Beth just finished a few minutes ago so its nice and hot.  You're in for a treat, she's quite the cook," Jacob boasted on her behalf.

"I don't doubt that." Scott let go of Marshall and gave Beth a half smile.

"I'm going to get a vase for these." She backed away from the dining room, leaving Denise with the three brothers while she searched for something to put the flowers in.  Jacob walked by her and went to play the role of gracious host.

She could hear them chatting away and laughing boisterously as she dug around under the sink for her crystal vase.  Carefully, she pulled it out and ran it under the sink to rinse off any dust particles before placing the bouquet neatly within and filling it with water.  She brought the arrangement back to the table and made it the centerpiece.

"Where'd you get those?" Jacob inquired as she set them down.

"Scott brought them.  Aren't they beautiful?" She fawned over their colors and stood behind her husband.

He lifted one hand to rest over hers and smiled.  "Not as beautiful as you," he replied thoughtfully and kissed her fingertips.  The gesture was sweet, but she found herself remembering the kiss Scott had placed there just last night.  She pulled her hand back and went to grab the food to set it out on the table.

"He's quite right about that Beth," Scott's husky voice caught her off guard but she flashed a quick smile and grabbed the pot of pasta.  She set it down on the cooling rack she had left near the center of the table, and went back for the salad bowl and garlic bread.

"This looks good,"  Billy complimented once the food was all laid out before him.

"Sure smells nice," Scott added.

"Beth here is the best cook I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." Jacob gave her a subtle pat on the ass when she walked by and she shot him a disapproving look.  Her eyes flitted to the men to see if any had noticed.  A pair of blue eyes was trained on her with a knowing smile on his handsome face.

"I'm telling Mom you said that," Denise quipped to everyone's amusement.

"Where are you from Denise, if you don't mind me asking?" Scott questioned much to her delight.

Denise beamed at him unabashedly.  "Hellmaw.  Crime capitol of the New England, so don't try me," she retorted with a wink.

Jacob groaned at her flirtatious behavior.  "What about you?  Where is home for you boys?" She asked, leaning on one ebony hand as she gazed hungrily at him.  Beth could practically see the wheels spinning beneath her raven hair.  She was readying him to be pounced on.

"Our home ain't even on a map," Marshall blurted for the first time since his starving comment. 

"It's a small town in Maine that makes Palima look like New York," Billy explained.  "Its nice there.  Very secluded and private.  Houses are miles apart, and neighbors don't tend to bug you unless they see you at the local grocer."

"That sounds nice actually." Denise smiled dazedly at Billy.  Beth could tell she wanted to sink her teeth into both of them.  Marshall didn't carry his brothers looks.  His hair was wild and frayed about his head like he just rolled out of bed and never brushed it.  A clear balding patch was situated atop his crown and his eyes were dark and bagged from lack of sleep or excess drinking.  He gave her the distinct impression of someone she never wanted to be caught alone with.  "I live in an apartment back in Hellmaw, and the neighbors are not only pressed up against me, but constantly making their presence known.  I have one neighbor beside me that practices guitar every single day, and I'm convinced he aims his amp right at my wall," she vented.

"I'd knock his teeth in," Marshall commented.

Scott laughed lightly at his brother.  "I don't think she can settle things the way we do back home.  Hellmaw sounds more like city slicker cops that get called for all sorts of small things.  Have to behave in places like that,"  Scott explained to his older brother.

"It must be nice.  You can get away with so much more, be more free, where you're from,"  Denise sighed and leaned closer to Scott.

"Well let's eat!" Jacob screeched, forcing his sister to stop flirting with the guests.  "Beth, honey, can you pass the wine?"

Beth snatched up the bottle and poured herself a healthy sized glass before passing it.  "Billy brought some of my cider and spiced rum as well," she informed him, taking a sip to take the edge off.

"Spiced rum huh?  Did you guys like the cider?" He asked, pouring himself a glass.

"Yes sir, Mr. Mercy.  Best we've ever had by far," Scott answered very matter-of-factly. 

Jacob patted Beth's leg.  She was sat beside him, he at the head of the table, and she the first chair on the side.  Denise sat on her other side with Billy at the end, and Scott across from her.  Marshall had chosen to take the seat beside Jacob, across from Beth, and she didn't dare look in his direction to see if those beady eyes were staring at her.

"Dig in." Beth grabbed up her salad tongs and dished herself a large helping of her famous Caesar salad, complete with a plant based dressing she invented herself.  Everyone began to load food onto their plates, and the sound of talking was replaced with forks clinking against the dinnerware.

"What's in this?" Marshall pushed a meatball around his plate.

"Italian bean balls.  Same texture and similar flavor as traditional meatballs.  I promise if you didn't already know it was vegan, you never would have guessed,"  Beth answered him as best she could without feeling too offended by his mannerisms. 

Marshall grunted in response and pushed them off on the napkin beside his plate.  Beth averted her eyes and instead focused on the way Denise was gazing at Scott.  His lips were curled into a devilish smirk that didn't take long for Beth to realize why.  Clearly by mistake, Scott's foot began to trail up her right leg.  His boot lifted the fabric of her dress she had dawned for dinner.  The honey mustard colored cotton dress fell to her bare feet and, suddenly, was being lifted to her calf as the toe of Scott's boot was massaging her leg.  There was no doubt in her mind that it was meant for Denise, but the two were seated side by side and Scott must have missed his mark.

She held her composure, not wanting to embarrass him.  "How goes the hunting?" Jacob broke the silence.

"Its going fine.  We missed a big buck this morning, but saw plenty,"  Billy replied through a mouthful.  "This is delicious," he complimented earnestly.

"Thank you." Beth gulped down the rest of her wine greedily.  "I think I'll try some of that rum you brought."

"Remember what happened the last time you got drunk on rum?" Denise remarked, much to her dismay.

"Oh boy, lets not bring that up." Beth got up, letting Scott's foot drop and knew he had just realized who he was touching.  She didn't look at him.  She could only imagine how heavy he was blushing, or looking away.

"You got rum drunk with my sister?" Jacob raised a brow.

"Before I met you." She kissed his forehead and headed straight to the counter she had placed the liquor on.  She poured a glass of her cider and topped it with a few ounces of rum.  The smell itself reminded her of fresh cloves and cinnamon.

Denise ignored her directions and launched herself into the drunken story of her twenty-first birthday.  "Some guy at the club thought she was hot and kept buying her drinks.  And Beth being Beth was too polite to tell him no."

Jacob pinched the bridge of his nose.  "Do I even want to hear this story?" He griped.

"Oh it was before you two ever met so calm down!" Denise snapped at her brother.  Beth came back and sat down, giving him her best apologetic shrug and taking a big gulp of the rum and cider.

"Anyways, this guy, Brent or Brad or whatever, got her all liquored up on coconut rum.  He managed to coax her up on stage and had her dancing with the other strippers.  Titties out and everything!" Denise began to crack up, Scott and Billy along with her.  Beth let out a nervous giggle and peeked over her fingers to see Jacob shaking his head with a forced smile.  She gave him a light squeeze on his thigh.

"You went to a strip club for your birthday?" Billy caught his breath from laughing.

"Not my proudest moment for sure, but I was in this one's friend circle," she jutted a thumb at Denise who beamed proudly, "and as I recall, you encouraged that man to pump me full of alcohol and it was your idea to have him drag me up on stage," she accused and the table burst into laughter once more.

They ate and drank their fill until Jacob cleared away the spaghetti and empty plates.  All that was left was a quarter bottle of wine and the bottle of rum.  Beth had long since shed her jean jacket and embraced the thin spaghetti straps and deep neckline of her dress to combat the heat that permeated her skin from the alcohol.  Denise had also tried to cool herself by rolling the sleeves up on her pink v-neck. 

She had submersed herself in conversation with Scott and they both seemed to be getting along well.  Marshall pulled out a bag from his inner pocket and ripped it open with his teeth.  "Marsh..." Billy grimaced.

"What?  I'm not full," he grumbled and began shoveling fist fulls of beef jerky into his mouth.  "I need more protein." He turned his gaze to Beth, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Her attention was diverted once more by the feeling of a boot rubbing up her leg.  She glanced over at Denise who was still drooling over Scott.  The boot rose higher, grazing her inner thigh until it met the apex of her legs and she gasped as it pressed against her core.  "Beth?" Jacob furrowed his brows.

She felt the boot back off a bit as she turned to give her husband a smile.  She didn't dare tell him what Scott was trying to do to his sister and mistakenly doing to her.  She braved a flitted look in Scott's direction and felt her body run cold.  His blue eyes penetrated her golden brown orbs as his foot was brought back to press that intoxicating pressure between her legs.   She quietly sucked in a breath and bit her bottom lip, averting her eyes down to her glass and pounding back the rest of the rum.

"Well, its getting late.  We have an early morning ahead of us."  Billy stood from the table, tipping back the last of his drink.

Marshall stood with him, a bean ball rolling onto the floor from his napkin.  He followed it with his eyes before ultimately stepping around it and behind Jacob.  "Thanks for the food." He slapped him on the back as Jacob brought his wineglass to his lips.  A bit of the liquid sloshed out and spilled down the front of his shirt. 

Jacob gritted his teeth and set his glass down.  "Our pleasure," he said through clenched teeth.  Beth eyed him sideways but said nothing.

Billy followed closely behind his oldest brother.  Scott's foot crept back down her leg, his eyes never leaving hers as he stood.  "It was nice meeting you, Denise." Scott dipped his head in a sort of bow.

"Likewise," she mewled from her seat.

Jacob and Beth both stood to let their guests leave.  Jacob went to the door to open it while Beth hung back to thank them for coming.

Marshall exited first without saying much until Jacob hailed him down and said something lowly.  She tried to listen in, but they were both too quiet on the porch.  Scott finished his drink in one big gulp and stepped around the table to her, drawing her attention back to himself.  "Thank you for inviting us to dinner.  You're an amazing cook," he complimented and, without warning, leaned in to kiss her cheek.  The blond stubble of his beard tickled her pale skin.  He pulled away with a smirk and went to join his brothers.

Beth stood there dumfounded, unable to comprehend his actions.  "Well," Denise snapped her back to reality, "I better get going too.  I need to beat the bar traffic home," she announced loudly, clearly noting the awkward air that hung around them.

"Bye B." She patted her shoulder and slipped around her.

Beth didn't respond.  Instead, she followed Scott's form as he crossed the driveway over to the lofthouse.  The sound of the door shutting ripped her from her improper thoughts and brought her back to Jacob who was standing with arms crossed in the entryway.

"I don't like Marshall," he stated.

"Join the club," she scoffed.

"I mean it.  I didn't like the way he was looking at my sister." He peered through the curtains at the lofthouse.  "I told that son of a bitch to keep his distance from her."