by Marla Monroe
“We honestly like you and wanted the chance to spend more time with you, hon,” Levi said.
“Damn. Come on in. Would you like something to drink?” Devin asked.
“Maybe some water. If you don’t mind,” she said.
The more they talked, the harder she found it to tell them what she needed to say. They weren’t giving her much time to get a word in edgewise. She needed to tell them and get it over with. But how? She was so damn nervous.
“We’ve really missed you, babe.” Devin had her sit on the couch as Levi brought her a bottle of water. “How have you been?”
“Um, I need to tell you guys something,” she began.
“Sure, hon. What is it?” Levi looked over at his brother with a worried expression.
“I’m pregnant.”
She waited for one of them to speak. She didn’t know what to expect. Shock, denial?
“Are you sure, hon?” Levi asked.
“Yeah. I took a test.”
“How far along are you?” Devin asked.
“A little over three months.”
“It’s ours. You’re having our baby,” Levi said with what sounded like wonder in his voice.
She searched his and Devin’s eyes for any hint of what they were feeling. Neither man looked angry, so that was a start.
“Look. You have a right to know, but I’m not asking for anything. I just wanted you to have a chance to be a part of the baby’s life if you wanted to. We’d have to get a paternity test to be sure whose child it was, but I’d be willing to do that if you wanted to. I’m fine raising it by myself if you don’t want anything to do with it.”
“Whoa right there. Of course we want to be a part of your lives. We don’t need a paternity test. The child is ours regardless. Why would you think we wouldn’t want to have anything to do with the baby?” Devin asked with what looked like an angry frown marring his face.
“A lot of men don’t want the responsibility of a child. I get that, but like I said, you had a right to know,” she said.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that one bit. We’re all in here. What do you need?” Levi asked.
She blinked. Twice. “Um, I don’t need anything. I haven’t really had time to think things through yet. I just took the test this morning.”
“Then let’s sit down at the table and make a list of what you need. First thing is you need to decide on a doctor and go for a check-up. You’ll need vitamins for one thing. Do you know what hospital you want to use?” Devin drew her to her feet and steered her toward the dining room where he helped her into a seat.
Levi walked in with a tablet and pen, making notes as Devin talked. They sat on either side with her at the end of the table. She felt overwhelmed with them asking questions faster than she could think.
“Wait, guys. You’re going to fast. I don’t have a clue what hospital I want to use. I need to find a doctor first.” She set the bottle of water on the table and rubbed at her face.
“Sorry. We’re excited. We want to be sure you and the baby have the best of everything.”
“I expected you to be upset. I mean you used condoms,” she said, still a little bewildered.
“Condoms break, leak, or just plain don’t work sometimes. Just like the birth control pill. Sometimes it’s just fate. We’re not going to bitch about it. The fact is you’re pregnant with our baby, and all that matters now is that you’re taken care of,” Devin said.
Libby felt tears prick at her eyes. Damn hormones. They sounded too good to be true. She’d never been around a man who put her first like they were doing. It felt amazing and scary all at the same time.
“What have you thought about so far?” Levi asked.
“Well, Janice pointed out that I’d need to find another apartment. One with two bedrooms and on a ground floor.”
“There’s no need for that,” Devin said. “You’ll move in with us. We’ve got plenty of room, and that way you won’t be by yourself. What about work? How far do you have to drive every day?”
“Um, wait. I can’t move in with you guys,” she said, her brows knitting together.
“Sure you can. Like Devin said, we’ve got plenty of room. You’d have your own bedroom if you wanted it and a private bathroom. There’s no need for you to have to find another apartment.”
“What about work?” Devin asked again.
“I work from home. I only drive to work for meetings about once a month,” she said.
They were going too fast. She desperately tried to catch up. She’d never in a thousand years thought they would take it so well, much less with so much enthusiasm.
“That’s perfect. You can use our office for that. We have one here in the house. We only use it to keep up with the bookkeeping. We’ll put another desk in there for you to use.” Levi wrote furiously on the pad as he spoke.
“She’ll need a baby bed, changing table, diaper bag, highchair,” Devin rattled off.
“Guys, slow down. I didn’t come to tell you this expecting you to pay for all of this stuff. It’s my baby, too.” Libby was beginning to feel railroaded by the men.
“Sorry, hon,” Levi said. “We’re just excited. The idea of having a baby to raise, watch grow up is amazing to us. The fact that you’re the mother makes it even better.”
“We really have been trying to find you. We’ve been back to that fucking bar every weekend hoping to see you or your friends so that we could find out where you lived,” Devin told her.
“I figured you would have forgotten about me by now. Moved on,” she said.
“Hell no,” Levi said.
“Fuck no,” Devin added at the same time. “You were special to us. We knew it the moment we talked to you at that bar.”
“You were sweet and sexy all at the same time. You still are. The fact that you’re carrying our child makes you even sexier,” Levi said.
Both men stared at her as if she were the most important person in the world. In that moment, Libby truly did feel special for the first time in her life. It brought tears to her eyes that she couldn’t prevent from falling.
“Hey, beautiful. Don’t cry,” Levi said, reaching over to brush the tears from her cheeks.
“I can’t help it. I never thought you would be okay with this. I was just hoping you wouldn’t be angry with me,” she admitted.
“Only a real asshole would be angry with you when it would have been as much his fault as yours. Besides, a child is precious. Any child,” Devin said.
Libby drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was way more than she’d ever imagined when she’d driven to their house. How had she gotten so lucky? The men were overjoyed that she was having their baby. She had to slow them down before they planned out her entire pregnancy.
“Let’s slow down, guys. I need to see a doctor before I do anything else. This is as much a shock to me as it is to you,” she told them.
“Libby, we want whatever is best for you. You’re right. We’re jumping ahead, and the last thing we want to do is railroad you into anything you’re not happy about,” Levi said.
Devin ran a hand over his face. “Levi is right. I’m just so stoked over being a father that I can’t help but think of what to do next. I’m sorry, babe.”
“It’s okay. I’m just not quite there yet. I’m scared and a little worried about it all at the same time. I want the baby, but it’s all overwhelming,” Libby said.
“We’ll be right by your side the entire way, beautiful. You don’t have to do this alone. Plus, you’ll have your friend, too. I’m sure she’ll want to support you, as well,” Levi assured her.
“She’s as excited as you guys are,” Libby admitted.
“See. Everything will be fine. So how do we go about finding the best baby doctor there is?” Levi asked.
“I work for a hospital. I’ll ask the other girls who they’ve used and who they think is the best. Having the baby at my hospital is probably the best idea anyway. My insurance w
ill pay better.”
“Forget about the cost. We’ll handle anything your insurance doesn’t pay. All that matters is that you have the best damn care available, no matter what hospital or doctor that is,” Levi said.
She could see the determination in the furrow of his brows and the way his mouth thinned into a straight line. Everything about telling them had gone much better than she’d ever thought. The fact that they wanted to be a part of her baby’s life, her life, had shocked her and excited her all at the same time. She was sure they would be great fathers.
Fathers.
It hit her then that she had two men to deal with when it came to caring for the baby. Everyone would know she’d slept with both men.
Does it matter? Do I really care what anyone thinks about me?
No, but she did care about how they treated her son when he started to grow up and go to pre-school then regular school. He’d be teased for having two fathers. Could she subject him or her to that?
Libby barely listened to the two men talking about where to shop for everything she’d need. There it was again. Two men, and she didn’t have a clue how to handle them. It was the same thing she’d wondered about when she’d agreed to go home with them in the first place. What had she been thinking?
She hadn’t. That was what had gotten her into this predicament in the first place. Had she never gone home with them, she’d be fine right now. In the back of her mind a little voice spoke up though. She’d never have had the best sex of her life and would have regretted not taking the chance to be with them.
And she’d have lost out on having their baby. Ultimately, she wanted this baby. She wanted to hold it in her arms and watch as it grew, turning into an inquisitive child with their good looks.
I’m so in over my head with them.
And she was.
Chapter Five
The guys hadn’t rested all that week until she’d chosen a doctor and had an appointment with him the next week. They’d cajoled her into agreeing that they could go with her. How she was going to explain the two men being with her Libby had no idea. No doubt it would be the talk of the office when both men insisted on accompanying her into the exam room. She sighed and shook her head.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Devin asked.
“How am I supposed to explain when both of you are going with me? They’re going to think I’m a slut that slept with both brothers and now you’re fighting over who the baby belongs to,” she said.
“Beautiful, if you only want one of us to go each time, we can take turns. They’ll never notice that there’s a different one of us since we look so much alike. I can understand,” Levi said.
“I don’t want either of you to miss out since you want to be a part of this, but maybe both of you at the appointments would be too much.”
Devin nodded. “Okay. We don’t want you to feel uncomfortable either. But hear me on this, babe. You’re not a slut, and we won’t tolerate anyone saying otherwise. Understand?”
She nodded her head. She could easily see them intimidating anyone who insinuated otherwise. Secretly, knowing they would fight for her thrilled her. As a woman, she should have been appalled that they would threaten violence on anyone who disrespected her, but she wasn’t. It made her feel cared for, maybe even loved.
“How are you feeling, beautiful?” Levi asked for the hundredth time.
“I’m fine. You can stop asking me every few minutes,” she huffed out.
“Sorry, but knowing you’re sick in the mornings and we’re not there to help you bothers me. We really want you to move in with us, Lib. We want to help take care of you.” Levi brushed her hair back.
“I’m just not sure moving in with you guys is a good idea. We don’t really know that much about each other,” she said.
“So, we’ll get to know each other. We can do that while you live here,” Devin told her. “I still think you need to marry one of us.”
“Like I said. We don’t know each other. I can’t marry one of you just because I’m pregnant. What happens if you realize in a few months that you can’t stand me?”
“Not going to happen,” Devin said in a firm voice.
“You can’t know that, Devin.”
“I know that since I first set eyes on you that I wanted to know everything about you. I wanted the chance to court you, show you that Levi and I were the perfect men for you. We are, you know. Everything about you turns me on from your gorgeous red hair to the shy smile you gave us when you sat talking with us at the bar.” Devin took her hands in his. “You fit us perfectly, Libby.”
Deep down, she thought he was right, but it was all too fast for her. She barely knew them, though they’d attempted to change that by spending all their free time talking to her. Nearly every evening after they’d finished work they’d called her, talking for hours. She knew that they were thirty-one and thirty-two to her twenty-eight. They both loved classic rock but were known to listen to some classical music when in the mood. Levi’s favorite color was dark brown while Devin loved orange.
No, she was getting to know them more and more each day, but it didn’t change the fact that they’d really only known each other for a few weeks. She couldn’t count the time between their fateful night and now.
“I want the baby to carry our name, Libby. I want to make sure you’re provided for should something happen to one or both of us. Accidents happen on construction sites. If, God forbid, something happened to us, you’d have no claim to our insurance. We’ll make sure you and the baby are in our will, but you deserve everything to make sure the child has a good college education and you can afford to care for him,” Devin said.
“Or her,” she added.
Devin grinned. “I’d love to have a little girl with your eyes, babe.”
“I’ll think about it. There’s plenty of time. I can’t promise anything right now,” she finally told them.
“Good enough,” Levi said. “So, let us show you the room we have picked out for the nursery.”
“Guys, I haven’t agreed to move in with you,” she said in a firm voice.
“I know, but it’s the best solution to everything. You haven’t found an apartment you can afford anywhere close to Round Rock. You didn’t want to live any closer to Austin. We’re the perfect choice.”
Libby had been calling around to apartments in the area, and so far, she hadn’t been able to find a single two bedroom she could afford on her meager salary. They guys were right. It was the perfect idea. She just wasn’t comfortable moving in with them when she’d only known them a short while. Yes, she liked what she’d learned about them. Loved that they were so attentive to her when her ex had been distant, and now she knew why.
“I’m thinking about it, but there’s still time for me to make up my mind. My lease isn’t up for another month,” she told them.
“It’s a month too long,” Devin said with a low growl. “I want you with us all the time so we can be sure you’re safe.”
“You’re going to be working most of the time anyway. I’m working from home, so I’m safe there.”
“I don’t like you walking up and down stairs to get to your apartment,” Levi said.
They’d accompanied her to her apartment once and fussed over the lighting in the stairwell and the hall, as well as the size of her tiny home. She’d been so happy to find the place that she’d been fine with how small it was. After all, it was just her. She had room for a small desk in her bedroom, and that was where she worked. The cozy living room was large enough for her to have a comfortable chair where she could read and a loveseat for when Janice came over to visit.
Looking at it through their eyes had left her a little embarrassed by the place now. She hated feeling that way. Yeah, their house was nice and large with plenty of room for her and the baby, but it was their place, not hers.
“You’ve already shown me the room, guys. I know you think this is the best idea, but I need to keep looking just in case I come a
cross a place that will work for me. I feel like you’re taking me over. I’m losing me,” she tried to explain.
Levi sat back in his chair and narrowed his brows. He looked over at Devin and frowned.
“We don’t mean to be so aggressive, Libby. We’re excited and want what’s best for you and the baby. I’m sorry we’re coming on so strong.” Levi reached over and took her hand in his. He carried it to his lips. “We’ll try to back off some. Just promise you’ll give moving in with us serious thought. Okay?”
Libby sighed and nodded. “I will.”
Levi steered the conversation around to something that had happened at the job site the day before that had been funny. Before long they were talking about their antics as teenagers and had coaxed more about herself out, as well. She was beginning to relax more and more around them. They were sweet and attentive to a fault. Libby found herself caring for them even more than she’d thought possible in such a short amount of time. She genuinely liked them.
That weekend they insisted on taking her out for pizza. Since it was one of her favorite foods, she’d agreed and had looked forward to it the entire day while she’d taken care of chores and errands. It had required a good bit of convincing that she needed to do her errands by herself when they’d wanted to help her. She was afraid she was going to feel smothered by them if they didn’t back off some.
“We love this place,” Levi told her as they took a seat after Devin held her chair for her.
“I do, too. Janice and I come here pretty often. It’s funny that we’ve never seen each other before,” she said.
“You’re right. We’re here at least once a month. Mostly on Saturday nights,” Devin said.
“That explains it. We usually come on Friday nights. Sometimes her fiancé comes, and sometimes he’s out with his friends. Janice goes with them when they’re going to shoot pool, but when they’re just out letting off steam, she and I hit this place and catch up.” Libby looked around to see if there was anyone she recognized there.
Thankfully there wasn’t, but why should it matter? She liked both men, and they’d been nothing but good to her. She refused to allow anyone to make her feel guilty for being with both of them.
