Triplets Make Five

The clerk gave me a knowing smile. “On your way to see someone special?”

I blushed into my shoes. “On my way to becoming the happiest man in the world—I hope.”

She wrapped up the roses in tissue paper and handed them across the counter to me. “Good luck, but it looks like you’ve got this one all stitched up.”

I turned away. “I sure hope you’re right. I really hope you’re right.”

If only I could be as certain as she was. That was the problem. I couldn’t be sure. If only I knew what Victoria was thinking, I would know how to gauge my approach. I could only throw myself off the deep end and hope I landed in the pool.

I headed down the street. It was a long walk to her house, and I needed to calm down. The walk didn’t do what I wanted it to. It only racked my nerves more than ever. I had to see her, and fast. I had to get her answer, so I knew where I stood. I couldn’t stand this anymore.

I didn’t get anywhere near her house until long after dark. When I did, I slowed down instead of hurrying to get there sooner. I stood out on the sidewalk over an hour and stared up at the lighted windows. What was she doing in there? Was she shopping for baby clothes online? Was she soaking in a tub of sudsy water?

I hesitated outside. For some reason, I got scared at the last minute. What if she said no? What would I do with myself then? I would be lost. I couldn’t run the risk. I paced up and down. I fingered the ring box in my pocket. I shifted the roses back and forth from one hand to the other. I did everything except what I came here to do,

When did I become such a dithering fool? Is this how I got to the top of the heap in seven years? Hell, no, and I wouldn’t win her second-guessing myself now. I took a deep breath. Get a grip, Townsend, and seize the day.

I squared my shoulders at the house. She wasn’t in there laughing at me. She didn’t even know I was there, and she wouldn’t know until I made my move.

I wiped my sweating palms on my pants and strode up the walk. I couldn’t breathe. My whole life hinged on this moment. I raised my hand and let it fall before I summoned the courage to knock.

How long does it take a person to answer the door? Didn’t she know what agony I was in standing there?

She opened the door, and we stared at each other in astonishment. Could this be real? Was I really gonna do this? I gulped down the lump in my throat. She reduced me to a blithering wreck.

“Hey, Vic.”

“What are you doing here?”

I started babbling like an idiot. “I…uh…. I just came by to see how you’re doing. I mean…. how are you doing? I haven’t seen you since the wedding. I was just wondering…I mean…” I forgot all about the roses until she glanced down at them. I shoved them at her, I was such a graceless chump. “These are for you.”

She took them off my hands. “Thanks. They’re beautiful.”

I snapped out of my trance. “Listen, Vic. I really just want to talk to you for a second. I won’t try to convince you to get back with me. I just want to explain why I did what I did at the wedding. Do you think you can just listen for a minute so I can get this off my chest?”

She pursed her lips. “All right. You better come in.”

She strode inside, and I followed her with my nerves in tatters.

She put the roses in a vase in the kitchen and came back to stand in front of me. “Okay. You’re here. Spill it.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She stood in front of me in her sweatpants and an old floppy T-shirt. She wore no make-up, and she tied her hair behind her head in a casual ponytail, but she couldn’t have been more beautiful to me. Her whole being glowed from the inside. Pregnancy suited her.

I put my hand in my pocket. Here goes.

20

Victoria

I never thought seeing Brady again would confuse me so much. I never cared about him more than right then, and here he comes with a bunch of beautiful roses to soften the blow. I never wanted to see him again, but now that he was standing in my living room, I understood why I fell for him in the first place. I didn’t know if I could stay mad at hm.

He took another deep breath and blew it out. His shoulders stiffened. “Okay. Here’s the deal. Do you remember that time we snuck out to the garden at the rehearsal dinner?”

“Of course, I do, Brady,” I told him. “Do you think I’ve forgotten any of our time together? You know you were the most important person in the world to me. That’s what makes you turning away from me so cruel.”

He closed his eyes and held up his hand. “Just listen to me for a minute, okay? Charlie saw us in the garden. He saw us through the window.”

My eyes flew open. “He what?”