by Sam Crescent
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. You just look so pretty and so happy. You amaze me.” He reached over, taking hold of her hand and kissing her knuckles.
“You’re turning into a real charmer.” She felt warm inside. Luke, Ryan, and Jon made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world. “I love you.”
“You’ve got no idea how much I love you.”
She chuckled, rubbing her stomach. “I’ve got a good idea.”
They pulled up outside of the bar. Jon and Ryan were already outside of their trucks, waiting. Climbing out, she walked over to them.
“Let’s go inside,” Ryan said.
“No, I can’t go in there until you tell me what this is all about. I’m freaking out. I’m carrying a baby and you’re not being fair. I need you to be open and fair with me.” She held her hands up, warding off any of their embraces. “Please, just tell me what’s going on.”
Darla saw the looks passing between the three brothers. She was angry and snapped her fingers in front of their faces.
“I’m right here. Stop treating me like I’m not here.”
“Are you happy to do this out here?” Ryan asked, looking toward Luke.
“Sure.”
She was spun around to face the oldest brother. Luke got down on one knee and produced a velvet box. Gasping, she pressed a hand to her chest in an attempt to stop her rapidly beating heart from exploding.
“Darla Rose, you’re the love of our life. Ryan, Jon, and I would love for you to be our wife. Will you do us that honor?”
“I can only marry one of you?” she asked.
“Yes. Stupid law requires only one marriage, but in our hearts, and to the people of Stone Valley, you’ll be the Willis wife.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I’d love to be your wife.” The ring was slid onto her finger. She gazed down at the beautiful, elegant jewel that cemented her life with theirs. “But I have one condition,” she said, drawing them up short.
She pulled Luke to his feet.
“One condition?” he asked.
“It’s only a little one.” She separated her thumb and finger in front of his face. Ryan and Jon stood behind her with a hand on each of her arms. She felt the heat and warmth they were providing. Closing her eyes, she felt the weight of the ring on her finger and basked in the knowledge she was surrounded by her men. The Willis brothers were the loves of her life. Her mother knew it, and in Darla’s heart, she knew Janet would be happy with the decision she was about to make.
“Tell us, honey. I’m starting to get a little nervous,” Luke said.
“Yes, tell them, Darla, because it’s going to be the last thing they ever hear.” The male voice interrupted her perfect moment. Glancing over Luke’s shoulder, she saw a guy with a gun.
Frowning, Darla recognized the man threatening them.
It was Derek, their stepfather.
* * * *
Spinning around, Luke saw the man he’d come to despise pointing a loaded gun at his chest. It looked loaded to him, even though he’d not spent much time around weapons such as this.
Darla gasped and he stepped in front of her, blocking her from Derek’s sight.
“You’re not going to hide the pregnant bitch from me. She’s dead, just like all of you Willis bastards.” Derek spat the words out, shoving the gun closer.
Luke’s heart pounded. They were in a compromised position. He’d not been paying attention for a split second, and now their lives were in danger.
“What do you want, Derek?” he asked, feeling anger take over the fear.
“I’ve come for my pound of fucking flesh. You Willis men have taken everything away from me and now it’s time for me to end all of you.” He looked down the barrel of the gun.
“You’ve been planning this?” Ryan asked.
“Ever since your slut of a mother told me the money went with you fuckers. Your fathers stopped sending money when you were of age. I got nothing and she soon found out I had no use for her, either,” Derek said.
“You killed our mother?” This question came from Jon.
“Yeah, it wasn’t hard, either. She thought I was hoping for another fuck, useless cunt that she was. She was easy to kill, and then I started thinking about how my life got fucked!” Derek’s voice rose with every passing word. “You, the Willis boys, and her two fucking husbands were the reason my life got this messed up.”
“You think killing us is going to make your life better?” Luke asked, bringing the focus back on him.
“No, I think killing you is going to make me a very happy man. I was going to kill you, your brothers, your fathers and Nathan, and then the bitch ended up pregnant. I can’t have another Willis walking around. You’re all going to die today, and then I’ll take out the other three and be on my way without anyone knowing a thing,” Derek said, chuckling.
Luke needed to keep him distracted. Thinking fast, he tried to remember everything that happened in the last month or so. “What did Peaches have to do with this?”
“She’s a little slut I met on the road. The slut didn’t have a clue what I wanted. I had her fooled into thinking I wanted her. I had you all fooled. Stone Valley is a fucked-up town filled with dumb fucks. I mean, the Sheriff arrested you. He was as fucked as they came. Trevor fucking Buttons, is a dumb ass.” Derek was laughing.
Out of the corner of Luke’s eye, he saw movement.
“Guess again, fuck-rot,” Trevor said, pointing a gun directly at Derek’s head. The movement took everyone by surprise. Luke heard the sound of an approaching car and looked in the direction. The Sheriff’s car, followed by his fathers’ car, was heading toward them.
Trevor turned the gun sideways, forcing Derek to move. Luke, Darla, and his brothers moved out of the way as the Sheriff pressed Derek face down on the hood of the truck.
“You come into my town, kill my people, and you think you’re going to get away with it.” Trevor was right up close against Derek’s head. “You can think again. This is my town. Stone Valley is a good place, a welcoming place, and if you think for one fucking minute that I’m going to let you destroy everything I’ve built, then you’ve got another thing coming.”
Glancing over, he saw David and Daniel climbing out of the car and walking toward them. Jackson and Byron went to them.
“You’re all okay?” Jackson asked.
“Yes. How did you know where to find us, and what was going on?” Luke asked.
“Trevor took a copy of the case and figured everything out. He called us after he found out you were going to propose to Darla in the bar. Trevor did everything, putting together the murderer and Derek and the connections with you and your mom.” Jackson shook his head. “That’s why Stone Valley nominated him as the Sheriff. When push comes to shove, he knows what he’s doing.”
“I could end you right now, you piece of shit. I hated you when you fucked over one of our families, but there’s no way I’m letting you get away with murdering them.” Trevor turned to them. “I’ve got everything on tape. I’m sorry about your mother and the problems I’ve caused. I guess I’m going to have to get used to dealing with more incidents in Stone Valley.”
Luke didn’t say anything as he watched Derek, the man he hated with every fiber of his being, get loaded into the back of the Sheriff’s car. Trevor looked up at them. “Please, try and stay out of trouble, and if a vote for a new Sheriff comes around, remember this moment.”
He waved and watched Trevor leave with Daniel and David.
“Okay, I’m a little confused. What the hell is going on?” Luke asked.
They headed into the bar and took a seat while Jon made them all coffee.
“Derek left his plan on the bed of a hotel room. The room stank and Trevor had called while we saw the evidence of the murder to tell us he knew Derek was planning on taking out you guys.” Jackson explained everything while Byron added in a few details.
“He was angry and saw his lack of wealth as our
fault,” Jon said.
“Yeah, he was insane. He intended to kill everyone of the Willis line,” Byron said. “The man was clearly obsessed. He killed your mother, then picked that woman Peaches up along the way. When she failed him, he took her out of the mix and decided to go with a new plan.”
“We’re all okay, though, right?” Luke asked. “Everyone is fine.”
Darla nodded. “Unless if you count the scent of coffee making me feel sick.” She jumped out of her seat and headed into the bathroom.
Jon followed her before any of them got a chance to.
* * * *
Ryan shook his head. “I can’t believe I’ve been in an accident with my truck and just had a gun pulled on me.”
“Are you all right, son? Do we need to arrange for some therapy?” Jackson asked, getting up to comfort his son.
“No, I’m pissed off. I mean, how dare he point a gun at us! I’m really annoyed.” Ryan stood with hands on hips. “Don’t you guys feel the same?”
He looked at his two fathers and then at his remaining brother.
Luke shrugged. “I’m not going to lose sleep over it. I think Trevor’s hardcore, though. I thought our Sheriff was insane, but he proved me wrong.”
Ryan agreed. “I’ll never be making the same mistake again.”
Darla walked back into the room. Jon held her in his arms, supporting her as she did. Her hair looked a little damp.
“You’ve not vomited in your hair, have you?” Ryan asked.
She growled at him, taking a seat. “No, I’ve not vomited in my hair. Jon was kind enough to pull my hair out of the way.”
“How are you feeling about the shooting?” Luke asked, distracting her from her obvious illness.
“I feel fine. I mean, I wished I hadn’t had a gun pointed at me, but if Tessie can bounce back, and Ruby, then you know what? I can. Us Stone Valley women can bounce back from anything. We have no choice with you men to keep us company.”
Everyone laughed and the tension was finally cut. Taking her hand in his, Ryan dropped a kiss onto her knuckles. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too.”
She withdrew her hand and he noticed her looking at the ring.
“You had one condition?” Ryan asked.
Darla looked up and all gazes turned to her. Ryan’s heart was pounding. He didn’t care what the condition was, so long as she married one of them, making her theirs.
“Yes, it’s only a minor condition, but I think it’ll work out for all of us.” She gazed down at the ring and then looked back up. “Ryan, our friendship has been developing for a long time. You’re my best friend and my lover. You know this. We’ve been close for a long time.”
He nodded, smiling. They had. He had no doubts about his meaning to Darla.
She turned to Luke. “You were my first, and Nathan is an amazing boy. We’ve been through a lot together and we’re stronger than ever before.”
“I know, baby.”
Her eyes settled on Jon. “You, on the other hand, always look nervous. We’ve not had a lot in common and we’ve not spent every waking moment together.” She lifted her hand in the air. “But I think we can have this, if your brothers don’t mind.”
Ryan loved it. Out of all of them, Jon was the one who didn’t have any real connection other than love. It was perfect, and hearing the words from Darla’s lips made him fall more and more in love with her.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Luke said. “What do you think, Ryan?”
“Perfect.”
Jon looked speechless.
“So, Jon, if you agree, I’d love for you to be the one to marry me.”
His brother went to his knees before her, burying his head in her lap. “I love you so much,” he said.
“I know, honey. This is our chance to be a happy family. I love all of you and I wouldn’t want any of this to change.”
Jackson and Byron started clapping as they surrounded their woman. Ryan couldn’t find a single fault with her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he hauled her up against his chest. Slamming his lips down on hers, he kissed her passionately, showing with actions when words failed him.
Luke tugged her out of his arms and brought her close to him. He watched as each of his brothers cemented their claim on her. They were all different and yet all the same.
Sighing, he settled down in his chair, happy to watch.
“I think it’s time we headed into town before the real show begins,” Darla said.
* * * *
Jon watched his woman mingle with Nathan circling around her legs. The night was late, but he wasn’t ready to go home. He couldn’t stop thinking about getting married to the woman of his dreams. Sipping at his beer, he kept watching her.
“The town knows everything,” Luke said, taking a seat on one side of him. “I don’t know how they do it. I’m sure they’ve got special mind-reading powers or something.”
Ryan took the other seat. “Nah, it’s a small town. Everyone knows the good stuff when they see it.”
“Guys, stop dwelling on everything else and look at our woman,” Jon said. He leaned back, watching her smile and laugh. The slight curve of her stomach was hard to ignore.
“She really is something,” Luke said.
“And she’s all our woman. Remember our parents arguing and then dads leaving. Think about Derek and Mom, and the way they were to us. The battle for the Dancin’ Donkey, and you leaving.” He stopped to point at Luke. “We survived that and handled Darla’s pregnancy well.” Shaking his head, Jon remembered it all and from the silence of his brothers, they did as well. “We’ve been through everything together, and no matter what happens, we’ve got Darla’s love. Please tell me I’m not the only one feeling a little magical by it?”
“I’m with Jon. He’s got a point,” Ryan said.
“We’re not going to mess this up, if that’s what you’re worried about. We survived all of this to give Nathan a good life and our future babies a wonderful home. Darla deserves it, and so do you.”
Jon sat back, watching his woman. He couldn’t have been happier with his life. Darla had always been the woman for him and he wouldn’t ruin any future they could have together.
No matter what Stone Valley threw at them or what life put in their way, he was there until the end, whether it be bitter or happy. The Willis men stuck together all the time, and no one messed with the Willis family.
Epilogue
Seven months later
“Push, baby, it’s just another push,” Jon said.
Darla panted as she looked from one face to the other to the other of all three of her husbands. She couldn’t handle them looking at her like she was failing.
“You told me ‘just another push’ three pushes ago!” she screamed as another wave of pain crashed through her. They were in the hospital after she’d woken them up. Her contractions were seconds apart and she needed to get these babies out of her.
God, she felt sick whenever she thought of that word. On her first ultrasound months ago, Jeremy had found not one but two heartbeats. That’s right, today she was giving birth to Willis twins. However, none of them knew if they were going to be boys or girls. For her own sake, she hoped they were girls. Two lovely, bouncing girls were what she was ordering.
Whimpering, she looked down at the midwife, who was nodding for her to push. She really hated this and wished she’d agreed to medication rather than a natural birth. This was so unfair. Her men were unfair for putting her vagina through this. No sex, ever, ever, ever, again.
She pushed, and then the most beautiful sound in the world met her ears. The sound of her baby crying rent the air.
“Is it okay?” Darla asked.
“Mrs. Willis, you’ve just given birth to a healthy baby girl,” one of the women said. The midwife was still between her thighs. Jon took hold of one of her hands as Ryan did the other. Luke stood next to her head, encouraging her.
“Come on, Darla,
you’ve got one more to get out,” the midwife said.
Whimpering, Darla took a deep breath and then pushed. She squeezed down on Ryan and Jon’s hands. They helped her to bear the pain. When she could stand it no longer, she collapsed.
“You’re almost there, Darla. One more good push and you’ll have another healthy baby.” The midwife tried to be encouraging.
“I can’t do this,” Darla said.
“If you can organize us on Christmas morning like you did last Christmas, then this is a piece of cake. You’ve got this, baby. This is easier than anything you’ve ever done before,” Jon said.
Rolling her eyes, she gripped their hands and pushed again.
Another baby cry filled the air and she held her breath as she waited for them to be told.
“Congratulations, Mrs. Willis, you are the mother of two baby girls.” Seconds later, she was handed two pink-wrapped bundles and all the pain she’d just been through was forgotten. “Two girls,” Darla said. “They’re so beautiful.” She looked at their faces and melted.
“We’re fucked,” Ryan said.
She glared at him and the nurses chuckled.
“How are we going to keep the boys away? I mean, look at them. They’re adorable.”
Darla handed her babies to their fathers. She saw the love shining in the eyes. Jon stroked her head, smiling down at her. “You’re amazing.”
Not a moment went by when she wasn’t blissfully happy. Being the Willis woman was the best thing she’d ever done.
“We’ve got two troublemakers here. They’re going to make our lives hell,” Luke said.
“You can count on it.” Darla laughed. She had her three troublemakers, why couldn’t her men have some troublemakers of their own?
Lying back, exhausted, she let sleep claim her, knowing her men would look after her. They loved her and she loved them. Life was just perfect.
THE END
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