by Sam Crescent
Darla smiled up at him as he approached. Keeping his gaze on her face, Jon took a seat beside her. His two brothers filled the other side of the booth, leaving no room for him.
“How are you doing, little man?” Jon asked, ruffling the kids head.
Nathan glared at him, pushing his hair back into place.
“Only Aunt Tessie is allowed to mess with his hair,” she said.
God, her voice was so beautiful and light. He’d gladly sit and listen to her talk all day.
“Is everything ready for you to leave?” Luke asked.
Darla’s smile paused on her lips. Jon wanted to hit his brother.
“Dude, not yet,” Ryan said.
“Erm, no, it’s fine. He knows what he’s doing most of the time,” Darla said. “Everything is packed up. My landlord is holding it for me until after lunch.” Jon knew it had killed a part of Janet Rose having to let a landlord buy her house. All of Darla’s life, she’d lived in the house just across the street from the library.
“What were you doing in the back?” Darla asked.
“I was asking Bessie something. Don’t worry, it’s nothing important.”
* * * *
Luke stared at his woman across the table. He couldn’t stop looking at his kid. Staring at Nathan now, he saw the young boy looked exactly like him. Feeling his heart pound, Luke turned his attention back to Darla. She was staring at the table as Ryan and Jon ordered some food for themselves. He’d just put his coffee down when Lucy breezed past to fill the cup. Her hands were shaking and the coffee she’d been pouring spilt over the side of the cup, soaking his crotch.
Growling, Luke leapt to his feet, trying his best to keep the fabric from touching his skin.
“Oh no. I’m sorry, so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Lucy said. Her face was flushed and she used a cloth to bat at his pants. He didn’t like how close her touch was getting to his dick.
“Enough, Lucy,” Jeremy said, cutting through the chaos. The waitress stopped what she was doing immediately. “Go and take a break while I deal with Luke.”
Lucy scampered away and he was whisked into the staff changing room. Tessie led the way and promised to guard the door while Jeremy had a look.
The door was closed, giving them some privacy.
“Crap, you really don’t need to do this,” Luke said.
“Unbutton your pants and let me look. Burns, even from coffee, can cause some serious damage and I didn’t waste the early years of my life not to put my doctoring to good use,” Jeremy said. “Drop your pants.”
“You’re not trying to get a sneaky look at the goods, are you?” Luke asked, feeling nervous to be dropping his pants for the doctor. Jeremy was in his late thirties or early forties and was a lifer in Stone Valley.
“No, I don’t swing that way. I love women.”
Jeremy waited while Luke dropped his pants. Thankfully, any erection he’d possessed was gone with the blistering pain of the coffee.
“That girl is a menace,” Luke said.
“She’s in a new town where everything is a little strange for her. Give her some time.” Jeremy knelt in front of him and started looking at the area around his crotch. “Do you need me to look at your genitals?”
“No, I’m good. They’re all good.”
The good doctor started to laugh and stood. “Will you tell Darla to give me a call when she’s ready to handle the truth about her condition?”
“What?” Luke froze with his pants half way up his legs.
“Darla’s pregnant. I see the signs and I want her to come and see me so I can get her started on everything. It took her a long time to build up the courage last time to see me. I don’t want her to risk any complications.”
Closing his eyes, Luke tried to focus on what the doctor was saying. “Are you sure she’s pregnant?”
“Sure, and I’m betting you’re the father,” Jeremy said.
Nodding, Luke couldn’t form any words. He was still trying to get his head around the fact he was going to be a father again.
“Is there anything I should know? Do you have any advice for me?” Luke asked.
“Don’t up and leave her this time. She struggled through Nathan’s birth. Don’t let her struggle again.”
Jeremy slapped him on the back and left.
Seconds later, Ryan and Jon walked into the staff room.
“Are you all right?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He pulled his pants up and turned toward his brother. “Where are Darla and Nathan?”
“They’ve gone home to finish their final good-byes to the house,” Jon said. “She was worried about you.”
“She’s pregnant again,” Luke said, staring at his brothers. They’d never given him a single complaint when he’d told them the truth. Taking a deep breath Luke waited for them to curse and yell.
“We can’t deal with this now,” Jon said. “We need to get her home and settled before we start asking questions.”
Luke watched Jon storm out of the room. Turning to Ryan, Luke waited for his youngest brother to have his say.
Ryan simply stared at him without saying another word.
“Aren’t you going to scream at me or hit me?” Luke asked.
“Why? Would it do any good? Will me hurting you change what you’ve done?” Ryan’s arms were folded over his chest.
“I need you to say something to me.”
“This is the second child you’ve given her without any thought to Jon and me. All I’m asking you is that you don’t fuck this up.”
“I never meant for it to happen,” Luke said, hating himself for the way he was speaking. He was a fucking man but in that instant, he felt no different from the boy he’d been, begging his stepfather to stop hitting him. Derek, his stepfather, relished his begging, while Luke hated it and promised himself he’d never beg another person for anything.
Fuck, he was sounding like some damaged person.
“You didn’t mean for it to happen, but it has. I was there for Darla as much as she’d let me be last time. I’ve missed over four years because you decided to cut out of town and go touring. We were all supposed to be together, running the Dancin’ Donkey, seeing as Derek ran it into the ground.” Ryan stopped, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m not as old as you or have the experience that you have, I get that. But I’m not someone who runs from my mistakes. You cut out and we handled it. Don’t make the same mistake you did before.”
“I won’t,” Luke said, meaning every word he spoke.
“Good. I’m going to see where Jon’s at.” Ryan gave him one last look before heading out the door.
Someone cleared their throat, making their presence known. Turning, Luke saw Tate coming out of the bathroom. From the look on her face, she’d heard everything.
“Do you think I’ve fucked up?” Luke asked.
“No. The only time you’ll fuck up is if you walk away. Don’t walk away and don’t give Darla a reason for her to walk away. She’s been through a lot. Take care of her.”
He nodded and left the room.
Chapter Two
Ryan lifted up the two packed suitcases with ease as Jon grabbed some of the kitchen equipment and Jon settled things with the landlord. From the sounds of it, Janet hadn’t paid the rent for the last couple of months and the landlord couldn’t bring himself to ask Darla for the money. He hoped his brother was giving the guy a large tip for his trouble.
Thinking about Luke made him angry. Darla was his best friend, the woman he loved and yet he’d not even gotten the pleasure of touching her. Luke not only touched her, he’d made love and given her children. It hurt him to know that his brother could walk away so easily after being with Darla.
“What were you really doing in back with Bessie?” Ryan asked, curious to know what his brother was hiding.
Darla and Nathan were in Jon’s truck where he’d sent them.
“I wanted to see how she was getting on. Bessie told
me Darla was pregnant. I guess two people know the truth.” Jon moved toward Ryan’s truck with the bags.
“Yeah, I guess there’s no denying we’re going to be dads again,” Ryan said.
Jon left to grab more bags. He watched as Darla climbed out of the truck and leaned against the side. One glance inside and he saw Nathan playing with a toy truck.
“Are you all right?” he asked, approaching her.
“Yeah, I felt a little sick in there. I didn’t want to alarm Nathan. Fresh air always helps.”
He watched as she pushed some of her chestnut-brown hair out of her eyes.
“You can tell me anything, Darla. I’m still the guy who was your best friend growing up. That will never change, I promise.”
She chuckled. “You don’t want to know my problems.”
“Try me. I think I’ll surprise you.”
“Okay, I think I’m pregnant with Luke’s child and I’m too scared to take a test in case I’m right. How does that sound?” she asked.
Jon threw some more bags into the back of the truck.
“I’m going to spend some time with Darla. Will you take care of Nathan while I do?” Ryan asked his brother. Jon nodded, giving them a smile.
They were all on edge with the move, and that clearly wasn’t helping Darla, who was just trying to deal with what was going on.
Taking hold of her hand, Ryan led her away from the house-moving and truck-filling. He needed to get her alone and talking.
“What’s going on?” he asked. She squeezed his hand as he kept moving. He purposefully passed the pharmacy and led the way back out to the high school. Ignoring the front of the high school, he went to the bleachers where the team was playing football. Sitting on the far side of the bleachers away from the small crowd, Ryan sat and watched. It had been years since they’d last been back. Between life, commitments, and never-ending problems, he’d never got the chance to spend some time with her, basking in the past.
Ryan recalled the many times they spent just sitting and watching the guys practice while Darla studied in her spare time.
“What are we doing here?” Darla asked, sitting beside him.
“We’re taking a break from everything. Do you remember when we were younger, before we had to be grown up?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
She laughed. “I hated coming here, Ryan. Football has never been my thing. I don’t see the entertainment in big, brawny men chasing after a ball.”
Ryan chuckled.
“No? You’ve never complained before and you once said it was a good place to study because no one interrupted you. No one is interrupting you now.”
“You’re right.” Darla leaned back, resting against him. Together they watched the boys playing ball. “It feels like a lifetime ago since we were last here. My life was mapped out when I was sat here, studying.”
“It has been over six years.” The last year of high school when Darla’s mother got worse, he remembered Darla changing her plans of going to college. Knowing he wasn’t going to college with her had been hard. Leaving her behind was even harder than he imagined. Throughout their time together, he spent so much time warding off the bullies that it became similar to a hobby for him. Many girls, for some reason, thought it was fun to bully Darla. When her mother’s illness grew worse, there was no way for her to continue with her life’s plans. Darla’s world had been turned upside down. Then when she’d gotten her life back under control and her mother was doing much better, Darla had turned up pregnant. College was once again put off, and to the best of his knowledge, she’d not planned to go back.
“Still feels like a life time ago.” She sighed heavily. “It’s amazing how quickly our lives change, don’t you think?”
“Why did you never tell me about Luke?” he asked, not bothering to answer her question. They both knew the truth of how hard life could be. There was no point constantly rehashing it.
She let out a sigh and tensed beside him. “I couldn’t tell you. It was wrong of me to keep it to myself, but I didn’t have any other choice.”
“Yes, you did,” he said.
Darla turned her gaze toward him. “No, I didn’t. If I told you about Luke then you’d have told him to get his butt back here. I wasn’t going to let you or Jon do that. Luke deserved a life and so do you and Jon. I’m not going to ruin it because of me and one mistake. Luke, he never promised me anything.”
Ryan knew his brother loved Darla and would have come back to Stone Valley to be with her. He kept his opinion quiet as he understood where she was coming from.
“I, erm, think I might be pregnant again.”
Glancing toward her, he saw her staring straight ahead. Her hands were locked together so tight they were pale white from the pressure.
“Do you know for sure?” he asked.
“No. I mean, yes, I know. Coffee is starting to make me feel sick and I’m getting the other tender feelings and stuff. I’ve not taken a test, but I know it’s going to read positive.”
“Why not take the test and see?” He took hold of her hand, stopping her from locking her fingers together.
“The moment I take the test, it’ll confirm what I already know, and then I’ll have to tell Luke.”
“Why is that a bad thing?” he asked, feeling confused. Ryan didn’t know how to speak woman and right now, Darla wasn’t making any sense.
She tilted her head up to the sky. “It’s not a bad thing, but I don’t know how much more you and Jon can take.”
“In what way?” He was starting to feel really stupid when it came to the tricky questions.
“Luke and I are putting you and Jon through hell. I’m moving in with a four-year-old son. He’s not easy to deal with. My mother is not going to make it to the end of this year—once again, more baggage—and now I’m pregnant with his child…again”
“Again, Darla, I’m not seeing the issue.”
“What about when you and Jon want to get a woman of your own? I don’t want to be in the way of that. You deserve to have a family and to make a family, not settle for my ready-made one.”
Ryan burst out laughing. Darla glanced at him before looking away. Once he started, Ryan couldn’t stop laughing. It wasn’t like anything she said was all that funny. It wasn’t.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked, joining him with a chuckle of her own.
“I’m sorry. You think Jon and I want a family of our own?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“Baby, we live in Stone Valley. Surely that’s a big enough hint for you to understand what I’m trying to say.”
She frowned.
“We all want you. Luke, Jon, and I all want to be your husbands. We’re in this for everything, Darla. You as our woman, staying in our lives and in our bed.”
* * * *
Darla didn’t know what to say. Sitting on the bleachers, she watched the men practice. She saw several girls screaming and yelling. They were obviously girlfriends. She’d never been a girlfriend, only a best friend. For a long time, she’d felt like a freak because she’d been in love with three men. Even living in Stone Valley, she’d felt like a freak for wanting all three brothers. Glancing at Ryan, she knew he was waiting for her to respond. What should she say?
Part of her was partying inside at his admission, while another part was afraid. Afraid in case it would go bad. Living in Stone Valley didn’t give her an immediate acceptance of loving more than one man. Two of those men were older than her, not by much, but enough to make her uncomfortable at times.
“You don’t need to say anything,” Ryan said. “Just know we all want you and this thing with Luke is never going to change that.”
“No pressure?” she asked, chancing a look at him.
“No pressure at all. I’m more than happy to have you in my life. I don’t need anything else.” He pulled her close with his arm around her shoulders.
“Do we need to get back?” she asked.
He grabbed a cell phone from his pocket and sent a quick text. Seconds later, a response came and he chuckled. “No, we’re good. They’re looking after Nathan. I hope they’re not scaring him away. You and Nathan are a package deal.”
They sat back together to watch the match. She saw several of the girls were eyeing Ryan up. Darla understood their interest. He was a good-looking man. Ryan wasn’t as big as Luke, but he wasn’t a weakling, either. Dark-brown hair, darker than hers, rested against his neck. She knew he hated going to the hairdressers. Ryan didn’t like having women stroke his hair or find a reason to squeeze his muscles, which there were plenty.
Many times, she’d been the one to cut his hair. She’d even paid to go for some basic training in hair care in order to help him out.
“Those girls are eye-fucking you,” Darla said, slapping a hand over her mouth the moment the words left.
He threw his head back and laughed. “Shall we give them a show?”
“What do you mean?”
His head dropped down with his lips getting nearer. Her heart rate soared as he got closer with every passing second. Licking her lips, she tried to make them moist. His other hand caressed over her cheek, tilting her head back.
“Those girls can look, baby. I’ve got you and there’s nothing I want more than to kiss those lips.” He stopped to rub his thumb over her bottom lip. “Will you give me those lips?”
She nodded, leaning closer. Darla felt an answering pulse between her thighs as his lips brushed hers. It was the lightest touch and it made her moan.
“So sweet,” he said, whispering the words against her mouth. “Open for me, baby.”
Darla opened her mouth and he plundered it with his tongue. Whimpering, she reached up, sinking her hands into his hair as he took possession of her mouth. Ryan did the same and Darla realized this was her first kiss with him.
Her nipples tightened and heat spilled into her panties. She needed some friction.
“Baby, I want to do so much more, but here is not the place.” His words cut into the aroused fog surrounding her. She heard the catcalls and whistles from across the field. Burying her head against his jacket, she felt the heat fill her cheeks. “We’re putting on a show.”