Jamie closed his eyes and rested in his favorite chair on the verandah after a long day of planting. The weather service had predicted a small rain shower would move across the area in the next day or two, and they hoped to take advantage. It would be his first planting since meeting Lochie and moving to Australia to be with him. Harvest had gone well except for his brush with death from a simple spider bite. He had learned his lesson about reaching into dark places without checking first.

Jamie took a sip of water. He, Lochie and Jacko had spent the last three days working from sunup to sundown, planting as many fields as they could. Sunflowers needed moist soil to germinate, and with the drought Australia had been experiencing they saw this as their best chance. It was a little early in the season to plant, but in the bush, people took their chances when they came.

His thoughts turned to Jacko. The day Jamie had returned home from the United States after telling his family he’d fallen in love with an Australian farmer, Jamie had made the mistake of thinking the man bent over digging something out of the fridge was Lochie. Jamie continued to blush when he thought of walking into the kitchen still half-blinded by the dim interior of the house after hours spent out in the bright sunshine. Before his eyes had fully adjusted, Jamie had rubbed Jacko’s ass, mistaking it for Lochie’s. What shamed him the most was how nice Jacko’s butt had felt in his hands. Jacko had come to live with Lochie and Jamie after losing his family’s farm to the bank. The drought in Australia was taking its toll on a lot of homesteads and Jacko’s had been one of them.

Since coming to live at McBride’s Pride, Jacko had worked long and hard. Jamie wasn’t sure if it was because he felt he needed to prove his worth to Lochie or to himself. The last two days had been hell, but hopefully the rain would come now that the seeds were in the freshly turned soil. All Jamie knew was that with three men the work went quicker, which usually gave them more time for other things.

Lochie and Jacko were in the kitchen getting supper ready. They usually took turns with the evening meal, or ‘tea’ as both Lochie and Jacko called it. Jamie didn’t think he’d ever get used to the Aussie slang being batted around the house. There were times he still had to ask what they were saying. It felt weird to speak the same language and yet not understand half of the conversation.

Chuckling to himself, Jamie stretched out his foot and rubbed their blue heeler, Blue’s, belly. Despite the apparent relief that he had a place to go, Jamie thought Jacko still seemed a little lost. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose what his ancestors had spent years building. Jacko was a damn good farmer. It was no one’s fault that rain was simply in short supply in the Australian bush. Lochie was lucky that his homestead bordered a river and had a small creek running through it. Predictably, the creek had gone dry, but he hoped it wouldn’t stay like that for long. Although the river was very low, it could be used in an emergency to moisten the soil enough to germinate the sunflower seeds. With rain predicted, they all hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.

Something cold pressed against Jamie’s face. Instead of shying away from the cool tin, Jamie leaned into it. “Mmm. That feels good.” He opened his eyes just as Lochie bent over and kissed him.

“Tea’s on the table. You hungry?” Lochie handed the beer to him.

Jamie took a sip before kissing Lochie again. “I’m so hungry I could eat a kangaroo.” He got to his feet.

Lochie swatted his butt on the way into the house. “Why haven’t you worn my favorite shorts since you got back from the States?”

Jamie stopped just inside the door. “They’re not appropriate with Jacko living here.” Jamie smoothed his hand down the front of Lochie’s well-worn shorts. “Although I see it hasn’t stopped you.”

Lochie reached down and held Jamie’s hand tighter against his hardening shaft. “I want Jacko to know he’s part of the family. He’ll never feel that way if we don’t act natural around him. I’m not saying we should make love on the couch in front of him, but we all need to become comfortable with this situation. If we treat him like a bloody guest, he’ll never really settle in.” He narrowed his eyes. “Unless you don’t want him to settle in. Is that it?”

“No.” Jamie couldn’t believe Lochie thought that. He wasn’t ready to admit that he was attracted to Jacko. He’d spent hours on the tractor trying to work out his feelings. He felt closer to Lochie than he’d ever thought possible, so how was it that a simple glance from Jacko could affect him the way it did? Whatever it was, it wasn’t right.

“Then what is it?” Lochie asked.

Jamie shrugged. “Just a feeling. I see the way he watches us. It’s not like our kissing and groping make him angry or anything, but whenever he walks into a room and we’re making out, I think it makes him sad.”

“You’ve noticed that, too?” Lochie rubbed the back of his neck as if he was uncomfortable. “He watches you.”

“Huh?” Jamie played off the observation. He’d caught Jacko staring at him, but he’d also seen him looking at Lochie in the same way. “He does it to you, too.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Lochie argued.

“Yes, he does. Do you think he’s attracted to us?” Jamie didn’t really know if Jacko was gay or straight because he’d never discussed it with Lochie.

“Go change into those sexy shorts, and we’ll find out.” He released Jamie’s hand and swatted him on the butt once more.

Walking toward the bedroom, Jamie glanced back at Lochie and stuck his tongue out. “Bossy Aussie.”

Lochie chuckled on his way into the kitchen as Jamie dug the shorts out of the bottom drawer and put them on. He changed from his work shirt to a white sleeveless undershirt, or singlet as Australians called them. Jamie smiled at his reflection in the mirror. The small silver hoop in each nipple was prominently displayed through the tight, thin shirt. He considered his shorts and decided to tuck his shirt in. Jamie didn’t want his cock sticking up over the waistband with Jacko in the room the way it had with Lochie the first time he’d worn them.

Wondering how Jacko would react when he saw the shorts and the nipple piercings, Jamie started getting hard. “Damn. Not now,” he told his erection. He’d been honest with Lochie about mistaking Jacko’s butt for Lochie’s several months earlier. Lochie had laughed and simply asked Jamie if Jacko’s ass had felt as good as it looked. Jamie had been stunned into telling Lochie the truth. ‘Yes. The butt in question felt fantastic.’ It was nice to be with someone so honest they could tell each other anything. Except I haven’t been honest with Lochie. Jamie sighed. He should have discussed his growing feelings for Jacko with Lochie, but he was so afraid of screwing up his relationship with Lochie that he’d been keeping his thoughts to himself.

Lochie had confided in Jamie that his longtime attraction for Jacko was tough to deal with at times, especially with Jacko living and working beside them. Lochie had assured Jamie that he loved him and he was only enjoying the view, but Jamie noticed the way Lochie watched Jacko. He also noticed the way Jacko looked back at Lochie. Jamie knew he was blessed that he felt secure in his relationship with his bossy Aussie, but what if they dropped society’s rules and acted on what they all seemed to want?

Jamie sat on the edge of the bed. How can a relationship with two men work? Do I even want that? He sighed again. He realized he was open to try, but how would he bring it up to Lochie? Jamie got to his feet. He ran his fingers through his curls and walked out of the bedroom.

* * * *

Jacko’s heart nearly stopped when Jamie walked into the kitchen. He tried to swallow the beer in his mouth but his inhalation sucked the beer down the wrong pipe and he started choking. Lochie laughed as he pounded Jacko’s back. Once he was finally able to take a breath, Jacko regarded Lochie. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” Lochie turned back to Jamie. “I think Jacko approves of your shorts, babe.”

Jacko noticed a red-faced Jamie still standing just inside the kitchen door. “Sorry, Jamie. Just took me by surprise. Hungry?”

Jamie bit his plump lower lip and nodded shyly. “Yeah.” He walked to the table and sat in his customary chair.

Jacko tried to get his mind off the sight of Jamie’s sweet, leanly muscled body as he passed the food around the table. He realized he’d forgotten the salt and pepper, which were on the stove. His baggy pants were fitting much tighter now and no way was he getting up to retrieve them. A shame too, because he liked salt and pepper on his grilled vegetables.

“No worries.” Lochie retrieved the salt and pepper shakers.

Jacko couldn’t help but notice the bulge evident in Lochie’s shorts, as well. Good to know I’m not the only one affected by Jamie’s body.

When Lochie went to hand Jacko the shakers he held on to them until Jacko met his gaze. “Seriously, no worries.”

Jacko studied Lochie and realized Lochie knew he was attracted to Jamie. He gave Lochie a sharp nod and his friend released the shakers. While seasoning his food, Jacko wondered if Jamie was aware of what was going on. He glanced Jamie’s way and caught Jamie staring at him.

“Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable, Jacko. I can go change.” Jamie regarded Lochie. “I’ve always worn these in the evening, and Lochie suggested that I start wearing them again. I knew it wasn’t appropriate with you in the house, but I can’t seem to win an argument with that stubborn man.”

Jacko tried to soothe Jamie. “No worries, mate. Just surprised. You should wear whatever you want. This is your house, after all.”

Lochie stopped eating and leaned toward Jacko. All the playfulness had left his face. “This is our home, Jacko. Not Jamie’s and mine, but all of ours. I wouldn’t have invited you to live and work at McBride’s Pride if I didn’t want you here. You’ve been my best mate since we were kids. You belong with us. Now, I don’t want to hear you question that fact again. Understood?”

Jacko felt the words sink into his soul. He wanted to belong here with these two men. He’d loved Lochie for a lifetime, it seemed, and now Jamie was quickly falling into the same category. He’d spent a lot of time lately thinking maybe he should just remove himself from the impossible situation. But he wanted to belong here. He’d been so lonely the last few years. Working his failing homestead had left little time for trips to the city. He was ready to belong to a family, even if his role would be relegated to pervy Uncle Jacko, who lusted after and loved the members of his own family.

Now, staring into Lochie’s deep-brown eyes, Jacko knew that leaving would mean the death of his soul. He cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

* * * *

After dinner, they took the radio out to the verandah. Lochie and Jacko sat next to each other on the top step while Jamie seated himself one step down so he could sit between Lochie’s legs and lean back against him. Jamie felt the warmth of his partner’s crotch on his upper back. They drank their beer in silence as all three of them gazed at the night sky.

“How often are the weathermen right about the chance of rain?”

Lochie kissed the top of Jamie’s head. “Like anywhere, I imagine. They see the signs, but Mother Nature tends to have her own plans in the end. All we can to do is pray that she’s smiling on us tomorrow.” Lochie reached down and stroked the nipple rings through the thin material of Jamie’s T-shirt.

Jamie moaned. His nipples had always been sensitive, but since he’d had them pierced a few months earlier a single touch of the silver hoops had the power to get him hard. Every caress felt like a stroke to his cock. Jamie realized he’d moaned when Lochie started chuckling.

“Like that, do you?” Lochie did it again.

Right on cue, Jamie groaned. He glanced over his shoulder at Jacko, who openly stared at Lochie as he continued to pluck the silver hoops.

Clearing his throat, Jacko quickly stood. “I’m going to call it a night. See you both in the morning.” Jacko turned and walked toward the house.

“You don’t have to leave,” Lochie told Jacko.

“Yeah, I think I do,” Jacko answered before disappearing into the house.

As soon as Jacko was through the door, Lochie pulled Jamie onto his lap.

Jamie turned to straddle Lochie’s thighs. “You’re bad.” He leaned in and sealed his mouth over Lochie’s. The kiss grew deeper when Lochie squeezed Jamie’s ass. Jamie nipped Lochie’s lower lip. “I think we embarrassed him. He saw you touching me and there’s no way he didn’t hear my response.”

“I think we made him horny. I would never have suspected it a couple of months ago, but I believe my old mate swings the same way we do.” Lochie ran his fingers over the seam between Jamie’s ass cheeks. The denim was so worn it was almost ready to separate.

Jamie arched his back. “You make me want all sorts of wicked things.”

Lochie cleared his throat. “Is it just me that makes you want?”

Jamie stilled. “What exactly are you asking me? You know how much I love you. Right?”

“I know. I wouldn’t doubt your love for a second. I’m just asking if you want Jacko. You can be honest.”

Jamie chewed his lip as he glanced at the screen door. He wasn’t sure how to answer the question. He decided to take the easy way out. “Whether I’m attracted to him or not, I’d never cheat on you.”

Lochie gave him a quick kiss. “Good, safe response. I know you wouldn’t cheat on me. Now, answer my question.”

Jamie took a deep breath and thought about Jacko’s gorgeous black hair, jade-green eyes and body to die for. “Yeah,” Jamie whispered, not sure of Lochie’s reason for asking. He’d hoped he hadn’t been that obvious in his attraction to Jacko, but it seemed Lochie had caught him staring once too often.

“Don’t.” Lochie lifted Jamie’s chin back up. “Don’t be ashamed of how you feel. Hell, I should know. I’ve wanted Jacko since I was a bloody teenager. Do you have any idea how many years I’ve loathed myself for wanting to fuck my best friend?”

Jamie had suspected as much on more than one occasion. “So, you want him, too? Where does that leave us? I mean, you’ve known and cared for Jacko longer than me. I’ve only been in your life for six months.” Insecurities worked their way into Jamie’s mind. What if Jacko’s better in bed, and Lochie replaces me?

Lochie held Jamie tightly as he stood and carried him to their bedroom. Within moments, Jamie was naked and crawling into bed next to Lochie.

“Have you ever been with more than one man at a time?” Lochie asked.

“What?” Jamie couldn’t believe Lochie had asked him the question.

“I’m just saying that maybe we could all be together, if that’s what all of us want. I love you, you love me. I think Jacko might feel the same. He watches every move you make, babe. I have to be honest and say that every time I see him do it, it makes me hard.”

“That’s funny, because I notice him watching you more than he watches me. At first, I thought it was just the ease of being longtime friends, but I think it’s a lot more than that.” Jamie idly played with Lochie’s aroused cock. “Just thinking about it is getting you hard.”

“Yeah, but we need to figure out if this is what the two of us want. I won’t risk our relationship to bring him into our bed.” Lochie buried his fingers in Jamie’s black curls. “I love you. That will never change for me.”

“Ditto.” Jamie reached for the well-used bottle of lube and handed it to Lochie.

“You want my cock in this sweet ass?”

Jamie nodded and moved higher on Lochie’s body. Lochie squirted a good dollop of lube onto his fingers then ran them down the crack of Jamie’s ass before pushing his thumb into Jamie’s hole. “Still stretched from earlier? Or did you play while you took a shower?”

Heat crept up Jamie’s neck when he realized he’d been caught. “I like to play.”

Lochie quickly added two more fingers. “I know you do.”

The sigh that came from Lochie troubled Jamie. “If you don’t want me to do it, just tell me.” As much as he loved the burn of being filled, it sure wasn’t worth hurting Lochie’s feelings.

Lochie replaced his fingers with the blunt end of his cock. “It’s not that. I don’t care if you want to wear a plug twenty-four-seven, but I know you’d rather have the real thing.” Lochie punctuated the statement by easing his way into Jamie’s ass.

“Mmm,” Jamie hummed.

Lochie buried himself to the hilt. “As much as I love fucking you, I’m not as young as I used to be. Maybe with Jacko’s help, we can keep you better satisfied.”

Jamie sat up, trapping Lochie’s cock in his ass. “What’s that supposed to mean? You’re the best lover I’ve ever had, and I know for a fact I’ve told you that on more than one occasion.”

Lochie reached down and lifted Jamie enough to start thrusting slowly in and out of him. “It has nothing to do with how good a lover I am. I’m damn good, and I know it, but I also know you’d like it more than a couple of times a day. With work and stuff…”

Taking over the pace, Jamie began to ride Lochie. Even though it bothered Jamie, Lochie was right. He’d always had a strong sex drive, but that didn’t mean he was unfulfilled. Jamie decided to show Lochie how good it was between them. He planted his feet on either side of Lochie’s hips. “Hold on,” he said as he fucked himself on Lochie’s cock.

For the moment, at least, the subject was dropped. It didn’t take long for Lochie to lose his mind, gripping Jamie’s calves in a bruising manner. Jamie knew it was a small price to pay to reassure Lochie that the sex between them was fantastic.

The slap of his cock against his stomach had Jamie needing more. “Grab my dick,” he shouted.

Lochie did as asked, giving Jamie’s piercing a gentle tug in the process. “Yeah.” Jamie groaned when he shot ropes of seed onto Lochie’s chest.

“Down! Down!” Lochie shouted.

It took a few moments to decipher what his lover needed, because his mind was still reeling from his climax. “Gonna come, boss?”

At Lochie’s grunt, Jamie ground his ass against Lochie’s groin, burying his cock deep. Lochie’s entire body shook with the force of his release.

With them both spent, Jamie fell onto Lochie’s muscled chest. “Love you,” he whispered, plucking at Lochie’s nipples.

“I know, babe,” Lochie panted. “Love you, too.”