by Marla Monroe
“You need to wear something loose and comfortable,” Dillon told her.
“I’ll help you bathe,” Gavin said.
“I can bathe and dress myself. Will you two get out of my bedroom before I have you thrown out by the police?” Briana felt like throwing something.
“At least let me help you get in and out of the tub. I don’t want you to fall, baby.” Gavin had his hands on his hips.
“Fine. Will you leave me alone if I let you?”
“I promise not to bother you while you’re bathing,” he said.
“That wasn’t exactly what I asked.”
Gavin acted as if he hadn’t heard her.
By two p.m., Briana was ready to scream. The men had supervised every part of her getting ready for her doctor’s appointment. They’d even brought a DVD in case they did an ultrasound. They said the doctor would burn it on the DVD so they would have a recording of it.
Briana gathered her purse and some bills she wanted to mail and pronounced herself ready to go.
They all three managed to get into the truck and buckled in without a major meltdown. She was slowly learning how to maneuver around them. She guessed they meant well, but they were driving her crazy. Surely they would be going out to work again soon. Then she would have some peace and quiet.
They stopped by the post office where Dillon dropped off her mail. Then they headed for the doctor’s office. The parking lot was full, so Gavin let them out at the door and went to park the car. He would join them inside.
The receptionist was very nice and handed her several forms to fill out. She noticed one was for the father. Great. How was she going to do that one? She settled in the comfortable chair and adjusted the clipboard so she could fill out her information first.
By the time she had gotten to the father’s form, she felt like she’d given her life history. Well, if nothing else, she would learn about the guys.
“This form is about you two. Why don’t you fill it out, Gavin?” She handed the clipboard and pen to him.
“Got it. Shouldn’t be hard to do.”
A few minutes later he was scratching his head and conferring with Dillon on several of the questions. She rolled her lips into her mouth to keep from grinning at them. Being twins helped them out a lot, but there were still some tough questions when you didn’t remember being sick as a baby.
“Okay, I think we have it done,” he said, handing it back to her.
“Want me to take it back up there for you?” Dillon asked.
“No, thanks. I can handle it.”
She handed the clipboard with the forms back to the receptionist. She looked over them quickly, frowned, then shook her head and looked up.
“Um, it looks like both of the men with you worked on this form. We just need the father to fill it out.”
Briana was afraid of that. They’d each put in dates with their name for different illnesses. She drew in a deep breath.
“They’re twins.”
“Yes, that’s what it says here, but I only need the father’s information.” She smiled sweetly at Briana.
“I don’t know which of them is the father,” she finally said.
“Oh.”
“Did you need anything else?”
“No, not right now.” She quickly turned her back and began working on the computer behind her.
Briana sighed and returned to the men.
“What was the problem?” Dillon asked.
“You and Gavin both writing on the form.”
“Huh? Why?” Gavin asked.
“Because my not knowing who the father of the baby is makes it a little difficult for them to fill out their computer program.”
“Oh.”
They waited for nearly thirty minutes before she was called back to the back. They had a moment with the nurse when she only wanted to allow the father to go with her. She handled it rather well when Briana explained that she didn’t know which of them was the father. She just sighed and let them both come to the back.
“If either of you causes a problem though, you’re out of here.”
They both promised to behave themselves. Briana couldn’t believe that was going to happen.
They weighed her, drew her blood, got her urine, measured her abdomen, and generally checked her all over before the doctor even came in the room.
“I understand we have a rather unique situation here,” the doctor began.
“Yes, sir.” Gavin introduced himself, then Dillon, and finally Briana.
She waited on the table in her paper gown while they all three bonded. Finally, the doctor turned to her and smiled.
“Let’s see how you’re doing.” He examined her then had her lie back on the table so he could do an ultrasound.
“We need to be sure everything looks okay, and I’d like to get a better idea of your due date.”
The nurse assisted the doctor with positioning the sonogram, and then she spread some warm gel on her abdomen. The doctor used a rounded wand and moved it over her belly until he had what he was looking for.
“Uh-huh.”
“What?” Gavin demanded.
“Just a minute. Let me look.” The doctor seemed used to having his examinations interrupted. Maybe most men acted like the guys were acting.
A few seconds went by while he made some notes and tapped some buttons on the machine. Finally, he pushed the DVD in the machine and began recording. Once he was finished, the doctor sat back and smiled.
“Well. I’m glad you’re lying down already.”
“What’s wrong?” She envisioned all sorts of problems.
“Nothing is wrong. You’re about twelve to thirteen weeks. Everything looks fine in there.”
“Then why should I be lying down?” she asked.
“You’re having twins.”
Dillon and Gavin both took a step back.
“Twins? Are you sure?” Gavin asked.
“Well, you’re twins, so there was the possibility there anyway,” he told them with a giant smile.
“I can’t have twins. I don’t have room for twins.” Briana began to panic.
“Don’t worry, you’ll grow with the babies.”
“I mean I don’t have a place at home for two babies.”
“You don’t have room for one baby,” Gavin told her. “That’s why you’re going to move in with us.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Okay, let’s move this along,” the doctor said with a strained smile. “I’m going to go look over all your information while you dress. The nurse will escort you to my office in a little while and we will talk about how you are physically and what you need to do.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Briana was still in shock about the twins aspect.
She never suspected or even thought about having twins. She guessed it should have occurred to her since the guys were twins. They were so different to her that she forgot about it.
“Here, let us help you down.” Gavin helped her sit up, and then Dillon was there with her pants and underwear.
By the time she was dressed, the nurse was back with a picture of the sonogram and their DVD in a little booklet. There was room for two more DVDs.
“Since you’re having twins, he’ll probably check you two more times, maybe three.”
They followed her down the hall to the doctor’s office. He welcomed them in but had a serious expression on his face. Briana felt her stomach drop, and she quickly sat in the chair Gavin held for her. Dillon took the other one and held her hand while Gavin stood behind her and kept his hands on her shoulders.
“Okay, first of all. I have your due date to be around February tenth. I don’t have any time off planed for then, so I can deliver you just fine. Second of all, you need to know that a good percentage of twins are born by C-section. I just want you to be aware of that. Nothing says you will or won’t have surgery.” He tapped the fingers of both hands together.
“I’m writing you a prescription for prenat
al vitamins. I know you have been on the over-the-counter ones and normally, they are fine, but you need the extra help these can give you.”
“Why does she need the extra help? Because of the twins?” Gavin asked.
“Partly because of the twins, and partly because she is underweight with anemia.”
“How bad is the anemia?” Dillon asked.
“It’s bad enough that I’m worried. It isn’t bad enough to need blood, but it isn’t far off, either. She needs to be eating foods high in iron as well as good proteins.” He looked through her record. “I don’t see where you’re a vegetarian, so there shouldn’t be any problem with you getting enough protein in.”
“She’s having trouble eating anything but chicken so far,” Dillon told him.
“Okay, so try fish and drink plenty of milk. I’m giving you a diet to follow. It’s very important that you follow it as closely as possible. You need to gain weight by the next time I see you.”
They talked a few minutes more on what she should expect over the next month, and then she set up her next appointment with the receptionist. Dillon carried all her information and the DVD while Gavin went and got the truck.
“You okay, baby? Twins. It’s sort of a shock.” Dillon squeezed her shoulder.
“Don’t talk to me right now. I’m still trying to figure out how to kill both of you and get away with it.”
Dillon chuckled, then sobered up when she turned to glare at him.
Gavin pulled up to the entrance and waited while Dillon opened the door and helped Briana in the truck. As soon as they were all settled, he looked at Dillon and asked what was wrong.
“Don’t say anything for now. She’s figuring out how to murder us.”
Gavin opened his mouth then wisely closed it and concentrated on driving. She could tell that they both wanted to talk but were a little worried about how she would take it. They were wise to worry. Briana was having a nervous breakdown inside herself. She needed to be home—alone. If she knew anything at all about the men, they weren’t going to leave her alone tonight.
Gavin pulled up outside her apartment building and turned to her. He licked his lips then finally spit it out.
“Look, you’ve had a shock. So have we, but we need to talk about it. Come home with us tonight.”
“Right now, I need to be alone. I have things to think about. Maybe we can get together this weekend to talk. I really don’t need to talk to the two of you right now.”
Dillon’s eyes grew wide. “Baby, don’t shut us out. Let us help you with this.”
She sighed and ran her hands over her face. She prayed she wouldn’t break down and cry in front of them.
“Please, Dillon. I’m not shutting you out. I just need some time. Please let me have that.”
Gavin put a hand on her knee. “Okay. Let us help you upstairs. Then we’ll leave. We’re going to call and check on you every day, though. Then you come over and stay the weekend with us to talk through it all. How is that?”
Dillon was about to blow a gasket by the look on his face. Briana felt like she was getting the best option she was going to get from them. She turned to Gavin and nodded.
“Good. Let’s get you settled in tonight.” He cut the engine, and Dillon was out of the truck in an instant as if shot from a cannon.
“Calm down, Dillon,” Gavin said.
He drew in a deep breath and let it out. Briana got out on Gavin’s side, though. Dillon was too emotional for her to deal with at the moment. Gavin helped her down and made sure she was steady on her feet, then walked beside her while Dillon walked on ahead.
“We’ll work it out, Briana. Don’t worry about it tonight.” Gavin held her hand and squeezed it.
Once they got to her apartment, Dillon unlocked the door for her and handed her the key. She sighed and gave the key back to him.
“I have another one. You keep it in case I need help.”
Dillon’s face relaxed a degree. He curled his fingers around it and nodded.
“Good night.” She started to close the door, but Gavin put a hand on it.
“Eat something tonight before you go to bed, okay, Briana?”
“I will. I promise.”
He nodded and waited while she quietly closed the door. She set the locks then walked into her bedroom and fell face-first across the bed. How in the hell had she ended up pregnant with twins?
Chapter Fifteen
Briana spent the next few days alternating between disbelief and depression. She struggled to get her work done and had to force food down. She knew something had to give or she was going to end up in trouble. By Friday, she hadn’t really settled anything in her head. The guys were due to pick her up at six. Here it was four, and she was still staring at the overnight bag they’d sent over for her to use.
This wasn’t her. She was a take-charge, run-her-own-life type of woman. Instead, she stood looking at an empty bag that came from the men who wanted her to live with them. Briana drew in a deep breath and refused to cry again. She started going through her drawers and packing clothes. If she didn’t have a plan by the time they got there, they would railroad her into theirs.
She looked around the tiny room and knew she couldn’t live here with twins. It wouldn’t have lasted more than a year with one baby. It just wasn’t made for children. Then there were the three sets of stairs to get to her third-story apartment. Dillon was right. They were dangerous for a pregnant woman.
She closed the bag and started to pick it up and stopped. She sighed. She would let the guys do it. She doubted it was heavy enough to be a problem, but they would feel good doing it. How did single pregnant women manage all alone? Well, they had friends for one thing, and since she’d just moved to Dallas and worked from home, she didn’t have any.
Once again the tears threatened. She shoved them back and concentrated on drinking her milk. It was only her second small glass of the day. Drinking and eating all the suggestions on the diet the doctor had given her was next to impossible.
At five until six, the guys knocked on the door. She checked the peephole and made sure it was them before unlocking the door and letting them in. They immediately enfolded her into a double hug.
“How are you feeling, baby?” Dillon asked.
“I’m fine.” She backed away from them and smiled. “My bag is in the bedroom. I thought maybe I shouldn’t pick it up.”
“Good girl,” Gavin said. He disappeared into the bedroom and returned with the bag.
“What about the paperwork from the doctor? We need it too,” Dillon reminded her.
“It’s in a folder on my desk. I’ll get it.” She walked over to the card table that served as her desk and picked up the manila folder.
Dillon took it from her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Are you ready, baby?”
“I guess so.”
The men exchanged glances before leading her out of the apartment and locking the door behind them. They escorted her carefully down the stairs and to the truck. Gavin helped her inside and climbed in after her. He buckled her in, and they pulled out of the apartment parking lot. The further away from the apartment they drove the more she felt like she wouldn’t be staying there again.
Once inside the guys’ house, she found herself situated on a couch with a pillow and a blanket.
“Rest while we fix dinner. Do you think you can handle something like spaghetti?” Gavin asked.
“I–I don’t know. I can try,” she said.
“We have chicken if you can’t, but I’m hoping you can eat it. It’s very mild, not spicy at all,” Dillon said.
She picked up one of the baby books they had placed on the couch next to her. It looked well read and had the corners of some of the pages turned down. She went through and looked at those pages first and sighed. They were mostly about problems that could come up. Trust the men to think of all the bad things first.
She started at the beginning and was on the second chapter when the men
came in to get her for dinner.
“Ready to eat, baby?” Dillon took the book from her and laid it on the end table so she could take up where she had left off.
Gavin reached down and took her hand in his. She stood up and walked between them to the dining room. The first thing that hit her was the smell of cooked meat. She gagged and stopped in her tracks, shaking her head.
Dillon immediately turned her around and walked her out of the dining room and down the hall to the half bath. Briana fanned herself and leaned back against the wall with tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, baby. What was it that got you? The sight, or the smell, or what?”
“It smelled like cooking meat. I can’t handle that smell.”
“We’ll work around it,” Gavin said from the doorway. “I’ll bring the grilled chicken to you in the living room and you can eat in there.”
Briana felt like a mess. She took the wet cloth Dillon handed her and wiped her face and neck. The wet cloth helped cool her down as well. She felt better by the time Gavin returned.
Briana managed to eat half the chicken and most of the steamed vegetables. She drank a half a glass of milk and called it quits.
She waited in the living room with the books while the guys ate and cleaned up the kitchen. Then she heard the distinct sound of air fresheners being sprayed. She sighed and thumbed through the baby book to find out how long her eating problems were going to last. What she found didn’t brighten her mood much.
“Do you need a nap, Briana?” Gavin asked a few seconds later.
“No, I’m fine. We might as well start talking.”
The men each sat on either side of her and took a hand.
“First of all,” Gavin said. “We want what is best for you and the babies.”
“Second. We want you happy,” Dillon said.
“What do you want?” Gavin asked.
“I want healthy babies. I want us to be able to work out a relationship that is good for them.” Briana wanted to say that she wanted both of them to love her.
“No matter what happens,” Gavin said, “the babies will always be our first priority.”
Dillon brought the back of her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “You know I love you, baby. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
