“Nope,” Mandaline said. “I’ve got Ellis and Bradley behind the counter today.”

She looked at Ken and Charles, who both wore decidedly sneaky grins. “Why do I have the feeling you’re trying to get rid of me for the day?”

“Because we are,” both men said before laughing.


158 Tymber

Dalton

“We have a surprise for you, but you’ll have to wait until you get back,” Ken added.

“Come on,” Mandaline said as she walked over to the couch and held her hands out to Libbie. “Comfy shoes, and grab gloves and a sweater if you want. They’re serving lunch as part of the seminar.”

“I really appreciate this, but you don’t need to drive me down to Tampa and waste your day.”

“Hey, it’s not wasted,” Sachi said. “We’ve had a bunch of people asking for more seminars on health topics. It’s research. We want to sit through the seminar before we ask him to do one at the store.”

Looking around at the four people, she knew she was

outnumbered and outvoted. She let Mandaline help her up from the couch while Charles brought her purse over and Ken went to retrieve a sweater and her gloves. “Will it do me any good,” Libbie asked, “to grill you and Sachi about the surprise they obviously don’t want me to know about?”

She laughed. “Nope. Your guys have kept us in the dark, too. All we know is they asked if we could spirit you away for a day and this was absolutely perfect timing. I’d planned on asking you to go with us anyway when they mentioned it. So it’s a double surprise.”

“How expensive is this seminar?”

“Nope, you’re not paying me back. It’s on me. I’m writing it off as a business expense. I did some research on this guy and he has a good reputation in his field. He’s not a hoo-hoo quack, as Grover might call them.”

Libbie had to laugh at that. She slipped on her imitation Ugg boots and let Ken help her put her sweater on. “Okay, I’ll have to wait until we get back, then.” The men walked them downstairs and she kissed them good-bye. “Is Galileo going to be pissed when I return?”

Ken smiled. “Nice try, but no. His world won’t be any more upended than it already has been.”

Sachi insisted on letting Libbie have the roomier front passenger seat in Mandaline’s car while she climbed into the back. The drive It’s a Sweet Life 159

down to Tampa went well, and they soon arrived at the store, which occupied a large space in a shopping center in Temple Terrace.

While larger and with more inventory than Many Blessings, Libbie wondered if it was personal bias that made her still favor Mandaline’s store over this one. Not that there was anything wrong with this one. The fact that the classroom in the back was filled with over thirty chairs, and at least twice that many people were either in the store for the seminar or Black Friday shopping, proved that the store was successful.

Still, Libbie liked the quiet intimacy, the feeling of love that flowed through Many Blessings. Mandaline had added a few of her own personal touches to the store after inheriting it, but she hadn’t changed Julie’s original vision or direction.

And every evening, the fact that her classes were usually full, as well as the store was popular with the after-work crowd, showed that Mandaline was doing something right.

Libbie had to admit the class was interesting. The class price included handouts and two of the doctor’s books on nutrition and dietary supplements.

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what the men had up their sleeves that was so important they felt they needed to get her out of the way for the day.


Once Mandaline’s car was safely down the street, the men looked at each other. “Time to get busy,” Ben said. He grabbed his cell and called Grover. “The coast is clear.”

“We’re on our way.” Fifteen minutes later, the male contingent of the Johnson brood arrived. One of Grover’s sons towed a trailer filled with building supplies Allan had bought on Monday while on one of his “errands.”

“When’s the rest of it coming?” Grover asked Ben as everyone 160 Tymber Dalton

got to work unloading the trailer.

He glanced at the time. “They’ll have it here by noon. Said because it’s going on an asphalt base, no extra setup required. I had the outside electrical circuit installed last week when I told her I was having the utility room panel checked out because I thought there might be an issue.”

Grover’s laugh rolled out of him. “You’re a sneaky one, Ken.”

“I have my moments.”

Allan moved Libbie’s car and their truck out of the way, and the group got to work. Within an hour, they’d screened in one half of the carport and installed latticework for privacy as well. They also hung a light. They were down to the last panel of screen and latticework when the delivery truck showed up with the new hot tub.

Allan stood next to Ben with a grin on his face. “She’s going to love this.”

“I know.”

He leaned in close and dropped his voice. “We break it in tonight?”

“Hell yeah. If she feels up to it.”

The wooden lattice would keep prying eyes out, not that there were any neighbors on the back side of the building to see. The screen would keep bugs and mosquitoes out. Having it under the carport meant Libbie could use it in any weather.

After the hot tub was positioned, they got the remaining screen panel up while Ben and Allan were shown how the hot tub worked and the chemicals explained to them.

By two o’clock, Ben and Allan had fed the Johnson brood in appreciation for their help and sent them on their way. When Ben had first brought up the idea to Grover, it had been Grover who’d volunteered his substantial in-family workforce to help make it a reality.

And because it was something that would hopefully make Libbie’s life a little more bearable during the worst times, everyone It’s a Sweet Life 161

was happy to pitch in and keep it a secret.

Mandaline called them with a five-minute warning later that afternoon. The men were both downstairs waiting when they pulled up.

Libbie got out of the car, her eyes wide. “What did you two do?”

“Surprise!” the men said, coming over to kiss her. “We got you an early Christmas present,” Ben said.


Libbie couldn’t believe her eyes as the men proudly led her over to the new outdoor room that made up half the carport.

“You can still park here,” Charles said. “We don’t need to park under here. And it means you can use the hot tub in any weather.”

She blinked away tears as she hugged both of them. “I…I just never…Wow. Thank you.”

“We checked it a few minutes ago,” Ken said. “It’s not quite hot enough to use now, but it should be perfect after dinner.”

Mandaline and Sachi both hugged her. “Congratulations,”

Mandaline whispered in her ear. “You’re getting scary good at this wishing stuff.”

When the three were alone again, Libbie turned to her men. “How in hell did you two manage this in one morning?”

Charles shrugged. “We had more than a little help.”

“From the Johnson clan, I’d imagine.”

“Yep,” Ken confirmed. “Grover and the guys were sworn to secrecy.” He pressed her against Charles, who slipped his arms around her waist from behind. “And I think we can check another item off your bucket list tonight. If you feel up to it.”

Her pussy fluttered at the thought. “I can’t wait.”


162 Tymber

Dalton

The men prepared her a scrumptious, candlelight dinner that night.

While they cleaned up the kitchen, Charles sent her into the bedroom with a pat on the rump. “Go change into your bathrobe and nothing else. And grab some towels.”

She grinned. “Time to break in the hot tub?”

“You’d better believe it,” Ken said.

Ten minutes later, they were downstairs and Libbie slowly eased herself into the hot water. “Oh, my god, this feels great!” She slid all the way down to her chin, the built-in lounge perfectly shaped for her.

“Wait’ll you see this,” Charles said. Both men had come downstairs with nothing but flip-flops on their feet and towels wrapped around their waists and carrying extra towels. He reached over and flipped a switch on the control panel and jets started bubbling the water.

One hit her perfectly in her lower back.

“Ooohh!”

“Good?” The men shed their towels and climbed in with her.

“Uh-huh!”

Ken pulled her off the lounger and turned her around so she was facing the side of the hot tub. “Feel this.” He nudged her forward until a jet hit her right between the legs.

She let out a moan and braced herself against the side. “Yes!”

Ken reached between her legs from behind and started fingering her pussy. “You’re not going to have so much fun in this that you won’t need us, will you?”

She wiggled her hips at him. “Nope.”

“Good,” Charles said. Without blocking the jet, he reached around her and began playing with her nipples.

She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip to stifle the loud moan of pleasure she wanted to let loose.

“Good, baby?” Ken asked.

All she could do was nod.

Ken grabbed a condom from where he’d left a couple on the side It’s a Sweet Life 163

of the tub and rolled it on. “It’s going to get better.” He lined up his cock with her pussy and pressed in. Between the sensation of the jet on her clit, and his large member shoved deep inside her cunt, she came.

Charles laughed as he held her. “That was fast.” He climbed onto the edge of the tub and sat with his feet in the water. His cock was hard and ready. Needing no encouragement, she went down on him while Ken repositioned her so she was kneeling on the seat in front of the jet and it still hit her pussy.