Her Four Cowboys

“What’d you do today? Any cool surgeries to tell me about?”

“Just one,” I said, smiling into his mouth.

“God, you guys are weird,” Adam said from the kitchen, where he and Aaron were both standing at the stove. I let go of Austin, caressing his face one more time before heading inside to say hello.

“You like it that way,” I said, kissing him on the shoulder as I hugged him, and then on the lips, in the sweet and casual way we’d done everything growing up. When we parted, I looked at the stove and took a deep breath. “Something smells amazing.”

“That’s true, I do,” he said, smiling as he dipped his finger into a pot and lifted it up, coated in what looked like a smooth, dark sauce. “Taste.”

I opened my mouth and licked the chocolate off his finger, closing my mouth around it. “That’s incredible.”

“Wait until you taste the rest,” Aaron said, turning away from two pans that he was watching and grabbing me, pulling me toward him for a kiss. His was almost an exploration of my mouth, and I giggled a little bit as he nibbled at my lips before breaking away.

“You’re right, that is amazing,” he said when he finally pulled away. “Good job, Adam.”

I laughed before asking if they had anything that they wanted me to do.

“Almost set,” Aaron said. “If you want something to drink, one of those slackers out there can grab you a glass of wine.”

“Shut up,” Austin replied with no venom, and about ten minutes later, we were all sitting down at the table.

As I was served rib-eye, garlic mashed potatoes, and asparagus, I looked around at all of them, feeling an immense sense of gratitude.

“Luce,” Aaron said, quieting down the general chatter around the table, “we have a surprise for you.”

Just then, Austin took an envelope out of some mysterious locale and slid it over to me. It was heavier than the typical envelope, and as I opened it, an average bronze key slid out of it.

Only one.

I looked around, raising an eyebrow at them in search of explanation.

“We found a place that’s big enough for all of us to live together,” Andy said, smiling one of his sweet, tentative smiles that warmed my soul. “If that’s what you want.”

I gasped a little, emitting a sound that was almost a startled laugh, and felt like I’d lost my voice to the emotion. I looked around into each of their faces, every single one prompting a different feeling of love and fulfillment in me.

“I hope it’s got enough rooms,” I said, my throat coming out hoarse.

“There’s one for each of us,” Adam said, “including you. You need to have your own space.”

I reached down and took his hand, threading my fingers through his. “That’s so lovely and thoughtful,” I said, looking at him with gratitude. “I hope it’s a big room, though. It’ll need to accommodate a bed and a crib.”

Silence. Dead silence.

I really couldn’t have predicted how they’d take the news, since our situation was so new that we hadn’t even discussed kids appearing on the timeline, despite me knowing it was what I wanted.

But now, given their reaction… I couldn’t be sure that I hadn’t miscalculated.

“Are you pregnant?” Aaron asked, looking at me with a stunned look on his face. As I looked around, I realized that what I’d assumed was disappointed shock was actually confusion, which was gradually lifting.

I nodded, swallowing as I smiled.

Austin let out a whoop and picked me up, swinging me around in a circle before kissing me. “This is incredible.”

“Good surprise?” I asked, looking around.

“Do you need to ask?” Adam answered, taking his turn to get up and lean down, folding his hands over my belly as I turned my head back to kiss him over my shoulder.

“We don’t need to know who the exact father is,” Aaron added, coming over with his deep, rumbling voice and tilting my face up to meet his lips. “We’re all biologically related, after all. This is our baby, and we’ll all be his or her dads.”

“Good lord,” I said, rolling my eyes. “God bless this kid.”

They laughed, and the cheering continued as all of them took it in turns wondering about who the baby would be and contributing different name ideas.

Like I’d told their parents, I truly didn’t know how I’d gotten to be the one lucky enough to be loved by all four of these men, but the extreme happiness I felt as I looked around the room overwhelmed every part of me.

Maybe it wasn’t the typical life, but it was mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End