“You’re going to be an amazing mother,” Beau said.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” Beau took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “You’re nice. You’re wonderful. I’ve seen you with your customers. You are caring.”
She laughed. “Beau, they’re customers.”
“You have a naturally caring and loving nature,” Scott said. “Any kid would be proud to have you as a mother.”
“I don’t know if I like you right now.”
“Don’t worry, you will.”
She blew out a breath. “There’s no point in putting this off.” She picked up one of the boxes. “I’m going to do this alone. I don’t need you guys to be in there with me.”
Beau walked with her as she went into the bathroom. Scott stood with him.
“Do you think she’s going to try to escape?” Beau asked.
“No. She’s going to be nervous though.” Scott ran his fingers through his hair.
“Do you think she’s pregnant?”
“I hope so.”
Silence fell between them.
The door opened and Connie stepped outside. “I don’t know if I’m pregnant. I’ve left it on the counter.” She held her cell phone up. “Two minutes wait.”
They stood, watching the time count down on her cell phone.
“This is really scary,” she said. “It’s like I’m waiting for the decision that could determine the rest of our lives.”
Beau held her hand and Scott took her other. She didn’t pull away from either of them.
The time got to ten seconds.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
“A few seconds isn’t going to count.” Connie opened the door and walked into the bathroom. He and Scott were hot on her heels to know the news.
She picked up the test. Grabbed the box.
There it was.
Two blue lines.
Connie was pregnant.
“Wow,” she said.
Beau looked at Scott, who had the biggest smile on his face.
“I didn’t even think I was pregnant. I didn’t put two and two together. Does that make me an idiot?”
Beau pulled her into his arms. He had to hold her. To offer her comfort. “You’re not an idiot but you’re going to be a mother.”
She was going to have their kid. He wasn’t sad. No, he was over the fucking moon.
Now he just needed to make sure she was okay and she could handle this, them, and forever. He couldn’t accept anything less. Not from her.
****
Pregnant.
Connie was pregnant.
There was a baby growing inside her.
A boy?
A girl?
Beau’s child or Scott’s? She didn’t know.
Taking a deep breath, she touched her stomach.
What did this mean? There were no answers.
They’d told her they loved her but now she wondered if it was for the baby. No, she had to stop doing that. She had to stop seeing the negative in anything. Just because she was pregnant didn’t mean they only wanted her for the kid.
Sitting on the sofa, she kept her hands to her stomach.
“What have you eaten today?” Scott asked, his hands going to her knees.
“Ice cream,” she said. She wasn’t angry with him anymore. What was the point? He was one of the two fathers to her child..
“Talk to me,” Beau said. The other father of her baby.
“I don’t know what to say right now.”
Both men took her hands and pulled them away from her stomach.
“I have a baby inside me and a town who thinks I’m a whore.”
Scott was the first one to kiss her hard and deep. Next, Beau took his turn.
“Then we’ll be known as the triple whores,” Scott said. “I’m not giving you up, Connie.”
“Neither am I.”
“We love you. We want to make this work.”
“We can’t live together. We can’t all marry.”
“We can live together,” Scott said. “Beau’s house is shit, and you can rent this place out. You can all move into my place. I’ve got a nice yard. You can marry Beau or me. We’ll have two ceremonies. One that makes it official for the person you marry, and one that makes it official for all three of us. We’ll all wear a ring. Declare ourselves whole and exclusive to each other. This can work.”
“You have put a lot of thought into this,” Beau said.
“Yes. I didn’t start our relationship for some fun. I wanted forever. I knew I did from the start.” Scott cupped her face. “I love you more than anything in the world. I want to be your husband. The father to our baby. I want to wake up next to you and next to Beau, which is fucked up, but that’s the way it is. I love sharing you. Knowing you’re with me and Beau, you’ll be safe and loved. You will never go without love. We’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives, no question.”
Tears fell down her cheeks.
“I feel the same way, but as usual, Scott has the best words right now and I’m dead in the fucking water.”
They had declared their love for her and she had yet to tell them how she felt.
“I love you both as well.” She sobbed out the words and sniffled. “I know I didn’t say this before and I’ve been a bitch tonight, but I don’t mean to be. I don’t want to.” She covered her face. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I can’t believe I’m pregnant. I don’t want you to love me because of the baby. I’m going to get really big and not be able to see my feet.”