Their Family of Three [The Men of Space Station Two 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  “Huh? What time is it?”

  “Nearly one. I put the soup on, but I don’t have a clue how to make cornbread. If you’ll tell me, I’ll do it,” Rusty said.

  “Goodness, I can’t believe I slept that long. I’ll make it. I’m awake now.” Jane stood and nearly fell back as a wave of dizziness swept over her.

  “Whoa. Are you sure you’re awake?” Rusty asked with a chuckle.

  “I just stood too fast. I’m fine.” She waved him off and walked into the kitchen where Jared was stirring the soup.

  “Hey, you okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I guess I’m turning into a bear or something and feel the need to hibernate. I’m fine.”

  She pulled out the ingredients to make cornbread and whipped up the batter within minutes. She poured it into the hot skillet then had Jared put it in the oven for her.

  “Everything will be ready in about twenty minutes. I’ve got it from here, guys. Thanks for helping,” she said.

  They returned to the other room while she held on to the counter for balance. She was dizzy. What was going on with her? She hadn’t wanted to alarm them, but she really didn’t feel okay at all.

  Why am I feeling so weak and dizzy? I just had a good four hours of sleep that I shouldn’t have needed.

  If she’d been sick at her stomach, she’d have wondered if she were pregnant, but she wasn’t. In fact, she’d been nearly ravenous for the last few days. If she wasn’t careful, Jane was sure she’d gain weight eating like she was.

  Maybe I’ll ask Felicity and Randi what they think. They might have felt the same way lately. It could just be the way we get during the winter months for some reason.

  They hadn’t been that way back on Space Station One, but then they were farther south and didn’t get the extreme winters that they did out where they were. According to Jared, the outer areas sometimes had four and five feet of snow fall during a storm. She couldn’t imagine that. The drifts would cover the doors. How would they be able to get out to see about the cow and chickens?

  She checked on the cornbread. It was nearly ready. She decided that if one of the guys came back she’d get them to get it out of the stove. She wasn’t sure she could do it without losing her balance.

  To her relief, Rusty walked back in as she was about to get the skillet out of the oven.

  “Here, let me get that for you.” He grabbed the potholder from her hand and pulled out the bread. “Looks like it’s soup time.”

  “Sure is. Where’s Jared?”

  “He’s on his way. He was sleeping about like you were when I got up,” Rusty said.

  “Glad it’s not just me with a case of the sleepies,” she said with a laugh.

  “I can smell that cornbread from the living room,” Jared said as he walked into the kitchen.

  “Food’s ready,” she told him.

  They finished eating and helped clean up before returning to the living room. Jane decided to talk to the other two women. She left the men to their recliners and holed up in the office to have a private conversation with the other two women. First, she’d talk to Felicity if she could get someone to answer at their place.

  “Hey there. I was hoping you’d be nearby,” Felicity said by way of greeting.

  “How are you doing over there with your men?” Jane asked.

  “They’re getting on my nerves, but honestly, it’s better. I sure hate being cooped up inside though. I got used to walking around outside on my breaks last spring and summer,” she said.

  “Me, too. I’m planning on making a snowman once the snow dies down some.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.”

  “Look. Have you felt more tired than normal or sleeping more than normal?” Jane finally asked.

  “Not really. I mean, we’re taking more naps over here, but it’s more out of boredom than actually being tired. Is someone sick over there?” Felicity asked.

  “I don’t think so. I’ve had a few days here and there where I can’t seem to get enough sleep, and when I do go to sleep, it’s a little harder to wake me up. Oh, and I’m starving all the time now.”

  “Wow. That doesn’t sound normal at all. Nothing’s bit you are anything, has it?” the other woman asked.

  “No. No bites or skin pricks, and I’ve check all over just to be sure I didn’t miss anything.”

  Felicity was quiet for a few seconds. “What about nausea or vomiting? Do you think you could be pregnant?”

  “I’ve thought about that, but I’m not sick to my stomach at all. I’m hungry all the time now. I’m afraid I’m going to get as big as a house if I keep eating like I have been lately.”

  “Better ask Randi what she thinks. I don’t know what it could be, but I’m not having any of those symptoms. What do your guys say?”

  “I haven’t really said anything to them. I don’t want to upset them if I find out it’s nothing to worry about,” Jane said.

  “Better talk to them after you talk to Randi. They’re going to be more upset if you don’t tell them and you suddenly can’t be woken up. You may need to try to get hold of one of the doctors back on Space Station One to see if there’s something you need to do while you can’t get there by transport,” Felicity pointed out.

  “You’re right. Okay, thanks, Felicity. Let me try Randi. Hopefully one of the guys will be close to the radio to hear me.”

  “Over and out,” Felicity said.

  Jane smiled. They didn’t do the “out” after every sentence like the guys did. It worked fine for them. They knew to wait after each sentence to hear the other person. The men all tended to follow the traditions from back on Earth.

  She switched to the frequency for Randi and called. It took a few tries before Bryson came on.

  “Hey there, Jane, out.”

  “Hey, Bryson. Is Randi around? Out.”

  “Hold on and I’ll get her for you. She’s in the living room. Out.”

  Several seconds went by before Randi came on.

  “Hey, Jane. How are you doing?”

  “Bored out of my mind. What about you?”

  “Same here, except I have two men to be sick of here. I can’t go to the bathroom without one of them standing by,” she admitted.

  “I feel for you. Are they waiting next to you now?” Jane asked, hoping they weren’t in the room.

  “Nope. They warned me not to get up without one of them coming to help me. I’m supposed to call out to them. I swear if there was a bell here they’d put it around my damn neck, so I couldn’t move without them knowing it.”

  “How long do you have left now, two months?” she asked.

  “Well, babies are born early here, so I think that’s about right, give or take a week.” Randi grunted. “It can’t come soon enough for my peace of mind. I’m so sick of wallowing around here. Forget walking like a duck. I’m wobbling like a freaking toy Weeble.

  “Look, I wanted to ask you something. I’ve been sleeping a lot more than usual, and I’m ravenously hungry. Have you had any of that?” she asked.

  “Right now, I’m starving all the time. I was tired all the time at the first of my pregnancy, but now I don’t get more than a couple hours sleep at times because I can’t get comfortable. Do you think you’re pregnant?” Randi asked in an excited voice.

  “I don’t know what I am. I haven’t been sick or even nauseated at all like you were at first.”

  “Not all women get sick. Have you read through any of the baby books we’ve got?” she asked.

  “No. I’m afraid to do anything around the guys. I don’t want to get them all worried or excited or whatever they’ll end up being until I’m a little more sure what’s going on with me,” Jane told her.

  “So how long has this been going on?” Randi asked.

  “I had an episode of sleeping a lot about three weeks ago then nothing, and then the last few days I’ve slept a lot more and can’t seem to get enough to eat.”

  “It sounds to me like you’re pregnan
t, Jane. You need to talk to your men so they know to watch out for you. I had a few times when I just nearly fell asleep on my feet and that can be dangerous. You don’t want to fall.”

  Jane sighed. She really didn’t want to tell the guys until she was a little more sure. Maybe she’d see how she was once the snow stopped. Right now, she still thought it was related to the weather. She couldn’t be that way yet. She hadn’t been sick or anything.

  “Thanks, Randi. I’m going to see if I feel the same way over the next couple of days, and then I’ll talk to them. I really don’t want to bring it up right now if I’m not fairly sure.”

  “Is something wrong there?” Randi asked.

  “No. Not really. Jared is a little distant still, but he’ll come around,” she finally said.

  Jane hadn’t told either woman about Jared’s wife and unborn child. It wasn’t hers to tell. She had told them that he wasn’t as excited about being part of a family unit and was still adjusting. They’d been upset for her but understood that she had to let him come around on his own.

  “I’m sorry, Jane. I can’t imagine how I’d handle it if I knew that one of my men weren’t excited about having a family. I don’t understand him.”

  “He had his reasons, and they’re valid ones, Randi. He’ll come around once he’s managed to get past it. I can wait,” she told the other woman.

  “If you’re going to have a baby, it might be just what he needs to snap him out of it.”

  Jane was afraid it would be the straw that broke the camel’s back though. She wasn’t sure it would be the joyous news he wanted to hear. Rusty would be deliriously happy, but Jared? She kind of doubted it.

  “I better go before the guys bust in on us. Talk to you again soon,” Randi said. “Out.”

  Jane sat there for several minutes just thinking. There really was a good chance she was pregnant, but she hadn’t really believed it since she hadn’t been sick or nauseous at all. All she’d had as far as symptoms went was an increase in her appetite and being overly tired. Was that enough to think she might be having a baby?

  When she walked back into the living room, it was to find both men gone. She checked for them in the kitchen, but their coats and boots were gone, so they’d gone outside for some reason. Maybe it was to check on the cow or something. She looked out of the window, but all she could see was blowing snow. It worried her that they were out there, but she was sure they’d be fine.

  Jane returned to the living room and cuddled up on the couch with her puzzle book to wait on them to return. It seemed like hours, but she finally heard the back door open and close along with curses and stomping feet. She grimaced. More water to clean up off the floor. At least they were back, and nothing seemed to be wrong.

  “Hey there,” Rusty said when he walked into the living room. “Have a good chat with the ladies?”

  “I did. Randi is sick of being big as a house and having the guys follow her around like puppy dogs.”

  “I can imagine they are. No way they’re about to let her lift a hand with a baby on the way. She’s due any time now, isn’t she?” Rusty asked.

  “Another couple of months.”

  “Couple of months for what?” Jared asked, walking into the room with his hands sticking in his armpits for warmth.

  “Jane was talking to Randi. She’s still got a couple months to go before she has her baby,” Rusty said.

  “Bet she’ll be glad when that happens,” he said then stomped off toward the stairs.

  “What were you guys doing outside?” Jane asked to keep Rusty from saying anything about Jared’s abrupt departure.

  “Clearing a path to the barn to make it easier to get there tomorrow morning. Although that might not be the case if it keeps snowing all night.”

  “It will be better than if you hadn’t,” she said with a smile.

  “Jane. Maybe I need to talk to him about this. He doesn’t have to take his attitude out on you. This has been going on long enough.”

  “Give it another week, and then I’ll agree. Not yet, okay? Just give him another few days.”

  “Okay. But that’s it. I’m not letting him treat you this way any longer.”

  “I love you, Rusty.”

  “I love you, too, baby girl.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Two days later, Jane was pretty sure she was pregnant. Her breasts were super sensitive, and she still couldn’t seem to get enough to eat. Maybe she’d skipped the morning sickness altogether, or maybe that was still to come, but she was definitely pregnant.

  She’d counted back and realized she hadn’t had a period for nearly two months now. That meant that she’d gotten pregnant around September. That put her due date somewhere around the end of March or the first of April with how women carried babies there on Alpha. They normally only carried them about seven months. The babies grew fast in their mother’s wombs, and then once they were born, they grew even faster, maturing at a much earlier pace.

  She wasn’t sure what to do. Should she tell Rusty and hold off on telling Jared? No, she couldn’t do that. It wasn’t fair to the other man. She had to tell them both at the same time. Jared’s time was coming up for when Rusty had been going to talk to him. She’d need to do it soon.

  Tomorrow. She’d tell them the next day after breakfast. She needed a day to herself to let it sink in. This was a surprise to her, even though she was sure it had been at the back of her mind for weeks now. Still, Jane wasn’t prepared for what this would mean to her and the guys. She could see Rusty being excited and overly protective, but she had no idea what to expect of Jared. He could become just as protective or pull completely away from her. Either way, she had to be able to deal with it so that he and Rusty didn’t come to blows. That would tear her apart inside.

  Jane made sure to take her nap when the guys did and got up when they did to go shovel more snow. She could tell that Rusty was having more trouble keeping his mouth shut where Jared was concerned.

  I know I need to tell them together, but I sure would rather not see Jared’s face when I do. He’s going to be upset. I just know he will.

  That was why she was waiting until the next day. She wanted one more day to think about it and prepare. Knowing Jared was going to be upset about it somehow dimmed her excitement.

  The three of them spent the day sitting in the living room when they finished their meals. That night, when they went to bed, she snuggled up next to Jared in pretense of needing his body heat. He wrapped an arm around her as she laid her face against his chest. She wanted that little bit of closeness before she ruined what little they did have by announcing that she was pregnant.

  * * * *

  The guys helped her finish up the dishes after breakfast, and the three of them returned to the living room to read and talk. Jane fidgeted with her puzzle book then finally sighed and got up to stand in front of the guys.

  “What’s up, baby girl?” Rusty asked.

  “I think I know why I’ve been so hungry and slept so much lately,” she said.

  “I didn’t know you were sleeping all that much more,” Jared said with a frown.

  “She’s been really tired in the afternoons, Jared. If you didn’t have your head up your—”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Jane watched both men’s faces, sticking mostly to Rusty’s because she knew he’d be happy. Sure enough, his face split open in a broad smile.

  “Are you sure? Really?” He all but fell out of the recliner to pull her into a tight hug.

  “Yeah. I’m pretty sure. I haven’t had a period on nearly three months. It explains why I’m always hungry and sleep so much.”

  “Did you hear that, Jared? We’re going to be fathers.” Rusty looked over at the other man, who’d sat up in the chair with a shocked expression on his face.

  “How in the hell are we going to take care of a baby when we’re still trying to figure out how to handle us?” He stood and stomped off toward the kitchen. A few seconds la
ter the back door opened then slammed.

  “What the fuck?” Rusty started to go after the other man.

  “Leave him alone, Rusty. He’s in shock. This probably reminds him of his own child. Your browbeating him isn’t going to make things any better. Let him work through it on his own.”

  “I’m tired of coddling him, Jane. It’s not fair to you.”

  “I’ve got you, Rusty. I can handle it because I have you. Please. For me,” she pleaded.

  He scowled but finally nodded. “Okay. As long as he doesn’t upset you, I’ll leave it be.”

  “Thanks. So, that’s why I’ve been sleeping so much. Evidently my body is trying to get used to having a leech living inside of me. He’s taking all my food and my strength while he’s growing. Randi said it gets better, and then it gets worse again. She’s at the stage where she’s always hungry and always tired but has to sleep in two- or three-hour naps because she can’t get comfortable.”

  “When does this make you due?” Rusty asked.

  “March or April. I’m not exactly sure how far along I am.”

  “Wow, that’s right at the beginning of spring. That means when harvest gets here you’ll have a little five- or six-month-old to deal with. One of us will need to be on hand most of the time to help you. You can’t possibly take care of a child and put up vegetables,” Rusty pointed out.

  “We’ll have two more families here to help out then. It will work out, you’ll see. Besides, the settlers in the Wild West all those years ago managed just fine, and the women back then only had one husband to help them,” Jane pointed out.

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re not going to have to worry about how to get things done. We’ll pull our weight with the baby. If Jared isn’t on board by then, I’ll stay with you and he can work the warehouse all by his fucking self.” Rusty kissed her. “I’m so excited I want to scream it to the world.”

  “No need since there’s only two other families who might possibly hear you.”

  “And one asshole wallowing in self-pity,” Rusty spat out.

  He pulled her into the recliner with him, covering her with a blanket so that it draped over both of them. Twenty or so minutes later the back door opened and slammed closed again. She could hear Jared stomping off the snow before he returned and tromped up the stairs without saying a word.