Double Score

I gasp and cover my mouth with both hands.

“Because we feel the same way.” Grant drops to one knee alongside Ryan. “We can’t wait another second to make you our wife.”

Ryan pulls a black velvet box from his pocket. “We were going to try and plan something fancy, or take you to the lodge and propose in the mountains, but there’s something special about doing it here at home.”

I nod and watch him through tear-filled eyes.

“I love you, Emma. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Grant. I want to come home to both of you at night. I want family vacations and movie nights. I want it all.”

Ryan looks at Grant, who also pulls a black velvet box from his pocket.

“Emma, you are the bright spot in our lives. You bring us so much joy and laughter. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life showing the two of you how much I love you.”

The guys share a look, and at the same time, they say, “Marry us.”

“Yes.” I throw myself forward, wrapping my arms around each man, not even bothering with what’s in the ring boxes because it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I get to spend the rest of my life loving these men.

I kiss Grant hard and fast before moving to Ryan and kissing him. “How does this work?”

“Well…” Grant clears his throat and opens the ring box revealing a princess cut solitaire ring. I gasp as he slips it on my left ring finger. “Legally, you can’t marry us both, so we talked about it and decided that you should marry Ryan. On paper, he’ll be your husband. We picked that out together, by the way.”

“I love it,” I say, staring at the ring.

“But this union will be three ways,” Ryan says, opening his box. Two identical titanium bands are nestled inside. Ryan takes the first one and slips it on Grant’s ring finger. The men watch each other as Grant takes the other and does the same to Ryan.

The act of love is overwhelming. Tears swim in my eyes as I shake my head. “No, that doesn’t seem fair. I can’t marry Ryan.”

The men share a look. Grant moves to the couch and lifts me, setting me on his lap. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. I don’t need it to be fair. I just need to know that we’re all in this together. I need to know that I get to spend the rest of my life with you and Ryan. That’s it. That’s all I need.”

“Of course, we’re in this together, but it still doesn’t feel right.”

“Okay.” Ryan scoots close to Grant and pulls my legs onto his lap. “Do you have a better idea?”

I bite my bottom lip and let our options run through my head. “Yeah, I think I do. We’ll contact a lawyer, have paperwork drawn up, something to bind the three of us together. I won’t be legally married to either of you, but I’ll take both of your last names.”

“I like that idea a lot.” Grant looks at Ryan, who nods.

“Me, too.”

“There’s one more thing. I want us all to share a last name. When we start having kids, I don’t want any question about who he or she belongs to.”

“I agree.”

“Me, too,” Ryan says. “I love the idea of changing our names to match. I guess the only thing we have left to decide is if we’re going to be Ford-Gallagher, or Gallagher-Ford.”

“Let’s go alphabetically. Ford-Gallagher,” Grant suggests.

“Emma Ford-Gallagher. I love it.” Resting my hands on my belly, I look down. “What do you think, little one? Do you like the sound of that?”

“What?” Both men sputter, and I almost go flying from their laps. Luckily, they realize their mistake and grab me.

“You’re…” Grant stares at my stomach in awe.

I nod. “I am.”

Ryan bunches my dress up over my belly. He kisses my barely there bump. So does Grant.

“I am going to love you so much,” Ryan whispers against my skin. “I promise to take care of you and support you and be the best dad that I can be.”