Waiting for Them
by Mari Carr
Self-Published
Book 4 in the Sparks in Texas Series
Tyson Sparks finds love with the girl of his dreams. And his best friend.
When Harley returns home after a year away, her best friends and bandmates, Caleb and Tyson, are there waiting for her. After all, the men have had twelve long months to worry about Harley's real reason for leaving Maris. Shortly after her brother's death, they made a mistake. One that haunts them and keeps them up all night, tossing
and turning--with desire. They kissed her. Together.
Harley left Texas and headed to Florida to mourn her beloved brother, escape her screwed-up parents and to figure out these new feelings she has for Ty and Cal. The three of them grew up together and there was nothing on earth more precious to her than their friendship. So why is she now imagining the three of them doing the horizontal mambo. And what the hell would the guys think if she told them she wanted them both? Would they be willing to throw convention and society's rules to the curb? Or would they force her to choose?
After years spent in limbo, Harley is ready for an adventure. And it includes love, laughter, skinny-dipping, music and the two men who make her heart dance.
Genre
Triggers
Death of sibling
Despite my immediate thoughts of the impossibility of another throuple in the same, small town, and both throuples having a Sparks family member ... I liked it.
While improbable, it felt fresh - for a few different reasons.
First of all - while the main characters in both Waiting for Her (Jeannette) and Waiting for Them (Harley) - follow a similar arc of both dealing with a trauma, it's still very different. While Jeannette has trauma from her rape, Harley's centers around her grief.
Something I appreciated with Harley's overall arc. Overcoming her grief over the loss of her brother, and starting to live the life she put to the side to care for her brother - well, not only was it interesting, but it made me appreciate her as a character even more.
Another difference, and this is a big one - how these three childhood best friends all ended up together. Whereas in the case of Diego, Luc and Jeannette in Waiting for Her, Diego and Luc were actively looking for a woman they both loved. While intimate with one another, they didn't consider themselves a couple - they knew they wouldn't work without a third. And I loved that. But I liked this more, if only from a storytelling perspective. In the case of this book, a threesome wasn't a consideration. A fantasy of Harley's due to her loving them both, and not being able to choose. Not until an emotional moment that led to both Tyson and Caleb kissing Harley opened their eyes to the possibility.
The emotional upheaval, the self-discovery, that is what I loved about this book.
Three souls, connected by a lifetime of friendship, falling in love.
It's not just Harley's journey in this book that I loved. I also loved Tyson's and Caleb's. The difficulty both of them faced coming out to their families and their town, knowing the consequences of that, added a level of tension to book. It made it all the more interesting to read. Especially as they start exploring the unrealized desires between them.
I don't think I've read a book that felt so realistic when it comes to discovering one's sexuality. I've read humorous accounts, but this felt authentic. The genuine confusion, and the build up to accepting it.
So far, this one is my favorite of the series. Harley, Tyson and Caleb all have their own arcs, their own journey, and while they are a threesome, it felt like more than the outright smut I was expecting. And don't you worry - there is lots of steam. It's hot and intense. But you will also enjoy the story - that I promise.
That was when Macie lost it.
Macie: “Good God Almighty. Don’t you fellas have anything better to do with your time than to sit in this restaurant, drink beer, and tell tales? Don’t your wives want you at home? Don’t you want to be with them?”
The matching looks of horror on the faces of no less than six older retired men answered her question. Regardless, old man Baxter put it into words.
Baxter: “Good Lord, no. Sparks Barbeque is the reason I’m celebrating my sixtieth anniversary next month. Me and the missus would have split up ages ago if I hadn’t had this oasis to come to.”
Macie laughed loudly.
Macie: “Jesus. Oasis! This place?”
Caleb: “Damn. I’m glad you finally decided to get your ass home, Harl. I’ve missed your granddad’s cooking.”
Harley raised her hand.
Harley: “And there you have it, Granddad. The proof I’ve been looking for that confirms Ty and Cal are only friends with me because you feed them. Bit like encouraging stray cats to keep coming back.”
Caleb: “We can’t do this,”
Tyson appreciated Caleb’s concern. But he didn’t agree.
Tyson: “Actually, my spirit says I can.”
Caleb scowled.
Caleb: “That’s not your spirit. That’s your dick.”
Art: "You never did have any morals. Heard you moved in with Caleb and Tyson. Living in sin with two men! There’s a word for women like you.”
Harley laughed.
Harley: “Let me guess. Whore? Slut? Which one were you leaning toward today? Or maybe you were thinking of something fancier. Jezebel? I always liked it when you used that one. Felt like you were making a real effort.”
Art: “If the shoe fits…”
Harley: “Apparently it fits me like a glove,”
Caleb: “I had a hard-on that whole night,”
Tyson snorted.
Tyson: “You get hard when there’s a strong wind or whenever you smell bacon. That’s hardly news.”
Tyson: “Syd—”
Tyson started. Sydney took his hand before he could say more and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.
Sydney: “If I’d had to place a bet on which cousin would make a scene at my wedding, you would have been the bottom of the list.”
Tyson: “I’m so fucking sorry, Syd.”
She gave him a funny look.
Sydney: “What? Why? That was nothing. Honey, this is Texas. A wedding without drama is a failed event. You made sure my wedding will be talked about for weeks, maybe months. Because, damn, Ty, that’s some juicy stuff right there.”
Evan: “I blame social media. Everybody thinks everybody else gives a shit about their opinions these days because they’re so easy to share. It started with Facebook, but as more time passes, people are starting to say out loud the things they would have politely kept to themselves in the past.”
Logan: “You’re a good guy, Cal. Always have been. Always will be. You fell in love with your best friends. And they’re in love with you. If you really think about that, you’ll realize that doesn’t make you a bad person. Makes you a lucky son of a bitch.”
She nodded, not bothering to lift her head from his chest.
Harley: “More,”
Harley expected them to laugh at her haughty tone, but both men seemed spellbound by her desire.
Tyson: “Baby,”
Tyson soothed.
Tyson: “Take a minute to adjust. I think—”
Harley: “Move now. Right now. And, Tyson, I swear to God, if you keep up that snail-like pace, I’ll cut your dick off in your sleep.”
That did produce a chuckle. From Caleb.
Caleb: “You heard our girl, Ty. Apparently you’re not doing it right. Hurry up.”
Harley opened her eyes in time to catch the dirty look Tyson threw in Caleb’s direction.
Tyson: “I’ll remember that when it’s your ass I’m fucking.”
Harley: “So what’s the plan?”
she asked with a sleepy grin.
Tyson: “It’s Sunday,”
Harley laughed.
Harley: “We’re letting the spirit move us again?”
Caleb: “Yep,”
Harley: “Any idea if it’s going to move either of you to the kitchen? I’m starving.”
Her words woke up something in Tyson as his stomach growled.
Tyson: “Bacon?”
Caleb’s dick stirred briefly, growing hard again. Harley lifted her head, shaking it.
Harley: “Yep. Just what you said, Ty. A strong wind or the smell of bacon. Let’s go eat.”
#alpha #childhoodfriends #friendstolovers #girlnextdoor #grieving #roommates #smalltown #throuple #trauma
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