by Maya Banks
“I make good grilled cheese sandwiches,” she defended.
When the men still stared at her, she said, “Well, the boys like them!”
Adam tugged at her hair. “Baby, they eat anything that won’t eat them first.”
Ryan shuddered. “Ain’t that the truth.”
She eyed them belligerently. Ethan winked and then reached out to tweak her on the nose.
“Don’t be pissed, doll. You make up for your lack of cooking skills in other areas.”
“I’m going into town to get us supper,” she said with a huff. “You three can wrestle the boys from their baths.”
Adam frowned but before he could speak up, Ethan headed him off. “I’ll ride along with you.”
She rolled her eyes because even after eight years, they were still forbiddingly protective of her and somehow didn’t think she could even drive into town by herself.
Still, she was happy for the company. The roads weren’t bad in summer but the switchbacks made her nervous. The guys insisted on buying her a four-wheel drive SUV, because not only did they want her to be safe, they wanted her to feel safe.
In the winter she didn’t even make bones about driving the roads. She was more than happy to let her husbands hover protectively over her and wrap her in cotton.
Still, she’d made certain she could drive in the snow and ice because with three children, she had to know that she could drive them to the doctor if something happened.
She leaned up on tiptoe to kiss Ethan. “You have five minutes and then I’m going.”
Ethan smacked her on the ass. “Cheeky wench today. Okay, let me grab my wallet and the keys. I’ll check in on the hooligans.”
While she waited for Ethan, she found her purse and her flip-flops. She was sliding them on when Seth bolted down the hallway and slammed into her side.
“Whoa there, kiddo.” She laughed as she fought for her balance. She hugged him to her and inhaled the scent of his clean hair. “Where you going in such a hurry?”
“Dad said you were going into town. Can I go? Please? I want to see Lacey.”
Holly smiled and smoothed his still damp hair over his forehead. Lacey was Seth’s hero—and godmother. If anyone had told her eight years ago that the lanky sheriff would be her firstborn’s godmother, she would have laughed.
But after Holly returned, pregnant and still haunted by the attack on Ryan and her kidnapping, Lacey had stepped in and extended the one thing that Holly needed most. Friendship.
She’d become a close friend of the Colter family, and even Ryan softened toward her as soon as he realized how protective Lacey was toward Holly—and their children.
Two years after Seth had been born, Lacey married Dan England, a retired Olympic snowboarder. And now Lacey was pregnant with her third child. The two families spent a good deal of time together and their children were great friends.
“I don’t see why not,” Holly said. “Go ask your fathers to make sure they don’t have plans for you.”
Seth scampered back into the kitchen and a moment later, Ryan walked out with Seth tucked under his arm.
“Did you say this rugrat could go with you into town?”
Holly smiled at the image of father and son. She never got tired of seeing her boys with their fathers. Her sons were perhaps the most loved children in the world, with no shortage of people to encourage and love them as they grew.
Love, she’d discovered, was the cure for many ills. Her husbands’ love for her had saved her life.
“I did. He wants to see Lacey so I thought we’d drop him by the station while Ethan and I run to Maebelle’s to pick up dinner.”
“Be good for your mother,” Ryan said as he scrubbed Seth’s head.
Holly rolled her eyes. Ryan always said the same thing, but it was the two younger hellions who most needed that particular admonishment.
Ethan came down the hall, his keys jangling in his hand. “You ready?”
Seth struggled out of Ryan’s grasp and hurried over to grip Holly’s hand. Ethan smiled and tousled his hair affectionately.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Holly said. “I’m hungry.”
***
Seth unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned forward eagerly as Ethan pulled into the parking lot of the Clyde police station.
“She’s here!”
“I’ll walk him in and make sure Lacey’s not busy,” Ethan said.
Holly watched the two disappear inside and as expected, Ethan returned a few minutes later, alone.
“I don’t know who was more thrilled to see who,” Ethan said as he slid back into the truck. “Seth to see Lacey or Lacey to see Seth.”
Holly chuckled. “He does love that police station.”
“Lacey’s already grooming him to take over her job one day.”
Holly wrinkled her nose. “I’m glad we have many more years before we tackle that issue.”
Ethan parked outside Maebelle’s, and Holly hurried in to get their order. Maebelle had opened her tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant a few years back when the tourist industry had picked up in Clyde. She now did more business than she could handle on her own, but she refused to expand. When she ran out of food, she simply hung out the closed sign and called it a day.
Lucky for Holly, Maebelle had a soft spot for the Colter men, and the idea of them going hungry didn’t sit well with her. All Holly had to do was call in to say she was coming for food, and Maebelle prepared a feast.
Tonight it was fried chicken with all the fixings. Holly could already see the guys downing the food with orgasmic delight.
Holly bypassed the line at the takeout register and sat over to the side, waiting for Maebelle to notice her. Henry, Maebelle’s son, saw her first, and his face lit up.
“Mrs. Colter! Mom has your order all ready. If you give me just a minute, I’ll get it for you.”
Holly smiled. “Thanks, Henry.”
Maebelle waved in her direction but remained at the register taking orders and handing out boxed dinners. A few moments later, Henry returned with a huge basket.
“I’ll take it out to your truck for you, Mrs. Colter. It’s much too heavy for you to carry.”
Holly waved at a few other people she knew as she and Henry walked out of the restaurant. It felt good to know and be known in the small town. She’d been very hesitant after she’d returned to the Colter brothers all those years ago. Though she’d been firm in her commitment, she’d always worried about what life would be like for all of them and especially their children.
Oh, it wasn’t all roses. They had their share of snotty, judgmental shitheads—as Ryan called them—but by and large the town had been very good to them. Holly knew who to avoid, and there were a few business she never went into, but it was their loss. There were plenty of people willing to do business with the Colters, and the Colters had a long memory for those who slighted them.
“It smells wonderful, Henry,” Ethan said as he opened the lift gate. “Tell Maebelle, we appreciate her holding food for us. Looks like you’ll probably run out before that line ends.”
“Glad to do it, Mr. Colter. Give our best to your brothers.”
“Will do.”
Holly slid back into the truck, and they headed back to Lacey’s office. This time she went in to collect Seth. She wanted to see how Lacey was doing. Lacey was a stubborn woman and insisted on working right up until she was forced to go on maternity leave. A fact that didn’t sit well with her husband, but he’d long figured out arguing with Lacey was an exercise in futility.
When Holly walked in, she stifled a chuckle at the sight before her. Seth was sitting on Lacey’s desk as Lacey queried him on all the parts to her handgun.
When Lacey looked up and saw Holly, she smiled. “Hey, Holly.”
Lacey stood and Holly got a good look at her bulging stomach. The Colter brothers liked to tease Lacey and say she was a toothpick with a marshmallow stuck on it. She was all belly and not much else when it came to her p
regnancies. Holly wasn’t sure how the hell she managed to keep her balance.
“How are you?” Holly asked as she squeezed the other woman in a hug.
“Good. Tired but good.”
“Things been quiet lately?”
Lacey rolled her eyes. “As quiet as they ever are in this town. Most of the calls are dumbass tourists who get into trouble. The locals don’t give me too much trouble. I think they feel sorry for me.”
She eyed Holly speculatively as they returned to the desk where Seth sat fiddling with an empty gun magazine.
“You look different. What’s new with you?”
Holly flushed and looked away but not before Lacey arched an eyebrow.
“Spill!” she demanded.
Holly sighed and then bobbed her head in Seth’s direction. Lacey’s eyes gleamed with curiosity and then she took Seth’s hand.
“Hey, little man. I need to talk to your mom a minute. You know, girly talk. Why don’t you run out and get into the truck with your dad?”
Seth curled his nose and made a sound of disgust. “Dad says girl talk is booooring.”
“Which one?” Lacey muttered.
Holly snickered. “All of them?”
The two women laughed as Seth hightailed it out of the station.
“Okay, what is going on with you?” Lacey demanded. “You look…goofy.”
“Goofy?”
“You look all mushy and happy.”
Holly laughed. “I am happy.”
Lacey gave her a disgusted look. “You have that look in your eyes. Like when you’re about to burst because you want to tell me something. So spill it before one of your husbands comes in to haul you home.”
Holly curled her hands into fists and let some of her excitement bubble out. “I’m pregnant.”
Lacey’s mouth fell open. She stared at Holly for a long moment as if expecting her to say it was a joke. “Shit, you’re serious?”
Holly nodded.
Lacey sank into her chair. “Oh boy. Do the guys know yet?”
“Huh uh.”
“Oh shit.”
Holly laughed again. “Oh c’mon, Lacey. It won’t be that bad.”
“Honey, they’re going to shit a brick and you know it.”
“Laacceeyy. You’re supposed to be happy for me!”
Lacey sighed and got out of her chair. She walked around and threw her arms around Holly and squeezed tight. “You know I’m thrilled for you. I know how much you wanted another baby. But I also worry about you, and you know your men are going to be out of their minds after what you went through with Dillon.”
Holly hung onto her for a long moment. “I know. But they’ll be okay. I know they will. They love children. If I hadn’t had such a difficult time with Dillon, I’m sure they would have wanted a houseful.”
“When are you going to tell them?”
Holly drew away with a grimace. “I don’t know. Soon. I can’t keep a secret to save my life.”
Lacey grinned at her. “There is that. It’s a wonder your kids ever have surprises at Christmas.” She patted her own stomach and gazed thoughtfully at Holly. “Dan and I have decided that this will be our last.”
“Are you sure?”
Lacey’s mouth twisted into a rueful smile. “Oh yeah. I never figured to have one child. Didn’t think I had a maternal bone in my body. Amazing how finding the right man will make you think about home and family in a way you never did before. Funny thing was, Dan didn’t want kids either. Or so he thought.”
“At least you can cook,” Holly grumbled. “Which speaking of, if I don’t get out of here, our food is going to be completely cold by the time we get home, and the menfolk are going to be ticked.”
“Let me know how it goes, okay?”
Holly squeezed Lacey’s hand. “I will. Take care of yourself.”
“You too.”
Holly walked out of the station and got into the truck where Seth and Ethan were grumbling about girl talk. She rolled her eyes as they pulled out of the station. Lord, she loved her guys, but it would sure be nice to have a girl to offset some of the testosterone.
Chapter Two
Dinners around the family table were always fun in the Colter household. The adults took the ends and the middle and the kids got stuck in between to prevent the inevitable supper table wars. Usually started by Dillon.
Holly often looked at the child and wondered if there hadn’t been a mix-up at the hospital. It stood to reason since Dillon was the only child born in a medical facility. He was a ball of fire and frighteningly intelligent for a five-year-old. No matter which Colter brother she looked to, she couldn’t come up with an explanation for Dillon’s personality.
But he was also her lovey child—when he wasn’t threatening to burn down the house—and of all her children he was quickest to want a hug and a snuggle from Mom. Thank God he hadn’t gotten too cool for Mom yet.
Michael idolized his fathers. Not that they all didn’t, but where Seth spent so much of his time trailing after Lacey and absorbing all things police-related, Michael mimicked his fathers in all things. He’d shown a remarkable aptitude for animals early on, and Adam swore that the kid communicated with the horses because they did whatever he wanted them to.
“School starts in a week,” Holly said cheerfully. She turned to Dillon. “Are you excited about starting kindergarten?”
Dillon scowled and shook his head, his mouth full of chicken. He looked a little deranged with his cheeks puffed out and crumbs spilling from his lips. Across the table, Ryan worked at keeping the smile from his face.
“I’m excited!” Michael said, his eyes bright.
“You’ll be a big first grader this year!” Holly exclaimed.
Michael puffed out his chest and looked every bit as arrogant as his fathers.
“What about you, Seth?” Ryan asked. “You ready to tackle the third grade?”
Seth pursed his lips and gave it heavy thought. Finally he nodded, though he didn’t look too keen on the idea. But then he brightened as if something had just occurred to him.
“Can I go to the station to see Lacey after school? I could stay with her until Mama comes to pick me up. I’m old enough to walk this year.”
Holly frowned and glanced at her husbands. Adam smiled indulgently at his oldest son. Ethan also wore a grin, but Ryan, who tended to be the most overprotective of any of them—Holly included—scowled.
“I don’t like the idea of you walking by yourself, even to the police station,” Ryan said.
“But Dad, it’s just two blocks from the school,” Seth protested. “I’m not a baby!”
Holly reached over and pulled him into her side. “But you’re our baby, and we worry. I worry. It’s not that you’re a baby, but we can’t control everyone else in the world. What if someone tried to pick you up on your way to Lacey?”
Seth pulled away and gave her a patient look. “I’d knee him in the balls just like Lacey says to do, and then I’d run away.”
Holly’s mouth dropped open about the time Ethan died laughing. Adam tried his best to look stern, but he gave up and dropped his head onto the table. Even Ryan’s mouth twitched.
The battle over whether to burst into laughter or reprimand her son for his language was over in about two seconds. She covered her face with her hands and laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Good going, moron. You made Mama cry,” Michael huffed.
“Lacey gave you some good advice, son,” Ethan said with a perfectly straight face. “However, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to walk from school to the station yet. I’d prefer you wait on your mom.”
Seth sighed. “Yes, sir.”
Holly squeezed his hand. “We’ll pop in to see her after school sometimes. Promise.”
He smiled and leaned into her, hugging her as he snuggled against her chest. Holly looked over at her two other sons and her chest tightened. Her baby was starting kindergarten. It didn’t seem p
ossible.
Automatically, her hand went to her still-flat abdomen and a thrill worked warm and electric through her veins. It was all she could do not to smile like an idiot at the thought that another child grew there.
She glanced at her husbands, knowing she needed to tell them. Soon. But she worried over their reactions. She wanted them to be as thrilled as she was, and moreover, she didn’t want them to worry themselves sick over the next seven and a half months.
Somehow, she’d ease into the subject. She was way overreacting, and she herself was worrying far too much. She hated the way she always got hypersensitive and emotional when she was pregnant. The guys always teased her and called her a walking, sobbing hormone.
Ryan stood and began clearing the plates while Adam announced it was the boys’ bedtime. Thus began a chorus of moans and groans. Holly kissed her sons goodnight and sent them off with Ethan and Adam to be tucked in. As ornery as the three were and as much as they bickered, they all still shared a room even though the cabin had plenty of rooms to spare. They hadn’t shown any interest in being separated yet, and in fact, over the summer when Adam had suggested they split off into their own rooms, it had caused a storm of tears and immediate protests. The parents shrugged and hadn’t brought it up again.
After helping Ryan clear the table and load the dishwasher, Holly ventured into the living room. Ethan and Adam were still with the boys and probably being sweet-talked into just one more bedtime story. She chuckled at the image because the boys had their dads solidly wrapped around their fingers.
She settled onto the couch and leaned back, closing her eyes. Though she hadn’t been plagued by morning sickness as she had with all her other pregnancies, she was bone tired. It had killed her not to take a nap for the last week, but if she did, the guys would immediately think she was sick or something terrible was wrong.
Firm, loving hands grasped her shoulders and began massaging. She sighed in bliss and then tilted her head up and opened her eyes to see Ryan standing behind the couch. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“You look tired.”
She smiled. “I am. No excuse, really. Slept in this morning while y’all took the boys out. Lazy day, but it was nice.”
