Free One for Three [Elite Dragons 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Becca van

Brooke took both handles and upended the pot into the strainer. Over the hiss of scalding water, Brooke declared, “Okay, but I will clean up. You and May should have a night off. You work too hard.”
    “Honey, you are such a treasure. We don’t see this as work. We love taking care of our boys.” Brooke glanced up to see Martha watching her as she finished emptying the pot. “Go on and sit down. If I know my boys, and make no mistake, I do, they’ll pitch a fit if they see you helping out after you’ve just gotten well again.”
    “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Coulter asked.
    Brooke jumped, dropping the pot in the sink. She hadn’t heard him enter the room, and his voice told her he was right behind her. She turned around and saw Coulter, Trace, and Corbin glaring at her. Well, if she was going to have a relationship with these three men, she was going to have to start out as she meant to go on. The room was quiet, and she knew everyone was watching her and waiting to see how she would handle the three Thornell brothers. She placed her hands on her hips and glared right back.
    “What does it look like I was doing?”
    “Don’t you get sassy with me, little girl. You have just recovered from pneumonia, for God’s sake. You shouldn’t be working,” Coulter replied in a cold voice.
    “Oh, for the love of…I’m fine. I wouldn’t have helped if I wasn’t. I like helping your mom and May. Don’t you think they would like to have some time to themselves every now and then?” Brooke asked and glanced at Martha. She had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from smiling when she saw the grin on the older woman’s face.
    “You’re going to have a relapse if you push yourself too hard. I won’t have it, Brooke. You agreed to abide by my rules and will do what I say,” Coulter replied in a firm voice.
    “So it’s okay for your mother to work constantly and it doesn’t matter that she is older than I am?”
    “My mother is as healthy as a horse. You’re not,” Coulter replied and moved closer to her.
    “Yes, I am,” she whispered furiously.
    “No, you aren’t. If you were, Wolf would have given you the all clear and told me,” Coulter said quietly.
    Brooke stared into his steel-hard eyes and noticed the muscle in his jaw twitching. The man was furious.
    “Ah, Coult?” Wolf interrupted.
    “Stay out of this, Wolf,” Coulter commanded.
    “Wolf has already given me the all clear, and if you had listened to him, he would have told you. Right, Wolf?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Wolf replied. Brooke could hear the amusement in his voice, but she didn’t take her eyes from Coulter. He was backed into a corner, and she wondered how he would extricate himself.
    “Did you have a nap this afternoon?” Coulter asked.
    Brooke could see where this was going and didn’t want to answer, but she couldn’t lie either. “Yes.”
    “Then you aren’t as recovered as you should be. No more working until I say you can,” Coulter commanded. “Come and sit down.”
    Brooke didn’t protest when he took her hand and led her to their usual table. He pulled a chair out for her and saw her comfortably seated. She lowered her eyes to the table and silently fumed. Wolf was a good medic, and Brooke believed him when he said she was recovered. Coulter was the one who wasn’t ready to accept that she could stand on her own two feet again.
    Trace and Corbin joined them at the table, and Martha and May followed with the food. Coulter snatched up her plate and began loading it with food, drawing an exasperated sigh from Brooke.
    Coulter put her plate down in front of her and stared at her. She figured he wanted her to eat, so she shrugged and picked up her silverware. She didn’t talk or look up again but concentrated on eating her food. She had barely eaten half of what was on her plate before she pushed it away. She was about to reach for the jug of water, but a hand clasped hers and stayed the