Triple Daddy Heat

by Pepper Swan

  I thought about all the other Rosies in my life and how they tended to leave, like my own mom who I barely knew. It was as if a switch had turned off inside of them, and they felt absolutely no compassion or love for their own children. I didn’t understand it and didn’t want to dwell on it. All I knew was we had to find a way to keep Belle at all costs.

  I finally took stock of what I was thinking and feeling. Up until that very moment, I hadn’t realized that by including myself in this attempt to keep Belle, what I really wanted was to stay put, with these three pseudo-cowboys right here on this crazy-big luxury ranch.

  I didn’t know how that would work, exactly, but I knew I didn’t want to leave even though I told them I would.

  “Now what?”

  Once I finished my shower, it seemed to take me forever to put myself right again, but once I did, I was ready to take on everything, even Rosie.

  She would not win this argument, not if I could help it.

  I walked out of my bedroom looking at everyone with a fresh outlook, confident that we would win this battle.

  “She’s gone,” Vince said. He stood out on the front porch, leaning on a railing, looking as if he wanted to cry.

  “We couldn’t stop her,” Tucker groused as he sat on the first stair, pulling on a long neck bottle of beer.

  “I offered her cash and stocks, but she wouldn’t take it,” Boone said as he walked up from behind me.

  My stomach clenched as Boone handed both Vince and I an opened bottle of beer. Boone kept one for himself and sat on one of the many wooden chairs on the porch. He looked grief stricken.

  “I don’t understand,” I said. “This should’ve worked. Were you able to get in touch with Milo?”

  “It seems we had that all wrong,” Tucker said. “But he doesn’t want our money either. For once, it seems as though we can’t buy our way through this.”

  “And he asked us not to bother him ever again,” Vince added. “Apparently, he was never with Rosie, even though they physically left together. It was merely some kind of convenience thing.”

  I had a hard time believing all this happened while I was in the shower. I went over and plopped down on a rocking chair next to Boone, feeling defeated and deflated. I simply never thought Rosie would do this, would actually want her baby over money. It made no sense to me. Could I have been that wrong about her?

  I turned to him. “What about the documents your lawyer drew up? Were you able to get them to her in time?”

  “Yeah. He sent them over as an attachment, but she wouldn’t even look at them,” Boon answered, then guzzled down half his beer. “She said she would contact us in a couple of weeks, once she gets settled somewhere. Our lawyer thinks she’ll want child support and money to live on. As soon as that’s squared away, she’ll probably grant visiting rights on her terms to whichever one of us is the bio dad.”

  It was Saturday. Boone’s night to get shit-faced at Last Call. I wondered if he would drive over and leave us or would we all simply join him? I could use a little obliteration right about now.

  “And we don’t know who it is yet, right?” I asked.

  Boone shook his head. “We do not.”

  “The whole thing stinks,” Vince mumbled. “I never thought she’d take Belle. Never.”

  “But she did,” Tucker said, getting up from the front stair. “I’m getting another beer. Anybody else?”

  “I’ve got them right here,” Ted said, carrying out a six-pack of bottles. “Mind if I join you guys?”

  “You’re part of this, too,” Tucker told him, then he switched out his empty bottle for a full one.

  Both Vince and Boone switched out theirs as well, but I hadn’t even begun to drink all of mine yet. I felt so lost, like someone had just pushed me out to sea, and I had no idea where I was going. My heart ached for little Belle. I couldn’t even fathom not seeing her again. Plus, they wouldn’t need a nanny now that she was gone.

  As soon as those thoughts ripped through my head, my throat tightened, and I couldn’t stop the tears that poured from my eyes.

  Ted took the seat right next to mine, and he reached out and took my hand in his. “Don’t worry, darlin’ this thing ain’t over yet.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I’ve been with these boys for quite some time now, and I know for a fact they never take no for an answer when they want something. ‘Sides, before Rosie left, I got her to tell me the truth about which one of these here boys is the father… and about why she took Belle. Seems she knows exactly who the father is, but she was playing all of them.”

  “What are you saying?” Boone asked.

  “I’m sayin’ that Rosie is a smart little cookie, and she already knows which one of you is the father.”

  “How can that be?” Vince asked. “She had sex with all three of us.”

  “She admits to that, but before she left with Milo, she’d collected samples of your DNA and ran her own tests once Belle was born,” Ted informed us as he gently rocked on his chair. He looked troubled, as if he were carrying a secret he didn’t know how to share.

  “If she knew, why didn’t she just come out and tell us?” Tucker asked, then turned on the stair so he could see Ted. “Why keep us in all this suspense only to take Belle away in the end?”

  “She had her reasons,” Ted answered. “I think she wanted to be sure y’all wanted Belle, even you, Boone.” He gazed over at Boone. “She knows how close you are with your two cousins. Rosie wanted to make sure you all loved her and would welcome her into your home and your hearts.”

  “That’s a nice sentiment, but what the hell difference would that make?” Boone asked.

  “Because, well, you’re Belle’s daddy, Boone. It’s you.”

  No one spoke, not even Boone. He just sat there as tears rolled down his cheeks. I put my hand on top of his, and he clenched it. I knew this outcome both shocked and thrilled him. They all loved Belle, each of them in their own way, but I knew that Boone also needed Belle to be his daughter. She was the one thing in his life that brought him pure joy.

  He turned to me, tears wetting both our faces, and I couldn’t help but feel his bliss, knowing full well, that this knowledge changed everything… and nothing. All three of these amazing men loved Belle, and all three of them would raise her as their own.

  “Well, then there’s nothing stopping Boone from getting custody now. We can prove she’s unfit to have full custody,” Vince said, his voice low and terse. I knew that him not being the bio-dad had crushed him, but he was not about to give up their quest to keep Belle right here with them.

  “Not so fast,” Ted interrupted. “There’s something else you folks should know before you go off half-cocked to try to get Belle back.

  “All that matters now is making sure Boone gets all the paternity rights he deserves,” Tucker said. “And the sooner we can get the ball rolling, the sooner we can get Belle back living with us.”

  “You’ll probably want to rethink that once I finish what I have to say,” Ted said, trying his best to get these guys to listen.

  “I’m not rethinking anything. Belle should be here, where she belongs. Rosie’s not a fit mother, and I’ll prove it if I have to,” Boone said, standing now, glaring down at Ted.

  “Sit your fucking ass back down in that chair and listen to what I have to say!” Ted demanded. I’d never seen him so mad and so forceful. “All of you. Just fucking calm down for a minute and listen to me. I know you’re hurtin’, that’s normal. We’re all hurtin’, but there’s a reason for all of this, and you gotta take the time to hear me out or believe me, you’re gonna feel worse, much fuckin’ worse.”

  Boone stood for a few moments more, then sat back down. Tucker took his seat on the stairs, and Vince backed off as well. I took a couple deep breaths and released them, trying my best to calm down. This whole thing had me spinning so fast I could no longer think straight. I hoped that whatever Ted had to say, it would bring us
all some peace and give everyone a good starting point.

  “Okay then,” Ted began. “Now that I got everybody’s attention… Rosie’s sick, real sick. That’s why she doesn’t want your money, and that’s why she spent most of the money she already had. What she has, most insurance only covers so much. The rest is out of pocket.”

  “What are you saying?” Vince asked. “And if that’s true, why wouldn’t she accept our offer? It would’ve more than paid for anything she needs.”

  “Not that simple, Vince,” Ted’s voice hitched. “Rosie’s dying. She wouldn’t give up the details, but I got the impression it’s bad… real bad. She said she only has a couple of months at best. She wanted to make sure you knuckleheads would give Belle a loving home once Rosie’s… well… She’s a good mom and loves Belle with everything she has. All she wants now is these last few months with her baby girl. You boys, and you too, Meg, y’all need to figure out how to give this to her. She deserves that much.”

  I SPENT THE rest of the day in my room, with Toto, crying for the most part and sleeping on and off. Toto had everything he needed in my room, so he’d been content to stay in all day as well. Ted knocked on the door at one point and said he’d made up a food tray for me, but I didn’t want it. I thanked him and asked him to please leave it in front of the door. Toto had scratched on the door then, so I let him out of the bedroom knowing Ted would let him out front to pee.

  I intended to bring the tray in at some point, just not now. I started crying again and couldn’t stop. My heart broke into a million pieces for Rosie. I’d been such a fool. I’d done exactly what my dad had always taught me not to do… I mixed up my own personal story with Rosie’s. I assumed she was the same kind of person my own mother had been, and she was nothing like her.

  I didn’t know what to do next, what to say or what to think. All I could do was stay in my room, sleep, and cry.

  How pathetic.

  I knew Tucker had locked himself in his office, Vince disappeared to his studio, and Boone had driven off. It was Saturday, so he probably wanted to spend the day at Last Call, drunk on his ass.

  Oh yeah, he was a great daddy for Belle.

  But then again, I couldn’t blame him, not really. I wanted to do the same thing, I just didn’t have the wherewithal to get up, let alone drive somewhere.

  Sometime after dark, after I’d slept most of the day away, I heard someone calling my name and rapping on my door.

  This time it was Tucker. “Can we come in? Toto’s been sitting outside your door for hours.”

  “You can let Toto in, but that’s all,” I said, my voice shaky.

  “You haven’t eaten all day. Ted fixed you a new tray. You don’t want to hurt his feelings, do you?”

  I sighed and felt a hunger pain. “Fine. Just leave it in front of the door.”

  “How about if I put it on your bed?” Tucker asked, as he peeked in through the now open door, and Toto came racing over. I leaned over and picked up his little squirming body, and he proceeded to lick me and dance all around me as he sang me a throaty song.

  “Yes, I missed you too,” I said as I held him tight for a moment, then gave him some good loving.

  In the meantime, Tucker looked so adorable standing in the doorway, I couldn’t say no to him.

  “Sure,” I said, and as he walked in, I saw the deep hurt in his eyes. I knew I’d been wrong to shut myself away all day. The guys needed me as much as I needed them.

  I ran my hands through my hair, straightened out my tee, and pulled myself up to lean on the headboard. I still wore my black stretch pants. Toto finally settled right next to me, resting his back on my hip.

  “Did you eat?” I asked Tucker.

  “Not yet. There’s enough for two on this tray. I was hoping I could join you.”

  “Please,” I told him as he put the tray down then climbed up on my bed. He wore light gray pajama bottoms and a black tank top, no shoes, and his hair looked as though he’d been in his own bed for most of the day.

  We were a sorry looking couple.

  I finally gazed down at the overloaded tray. It held some of my favorite foods: chicken tacos, a large bowl of guacamole, blue corn chips, a green salad, chopped mixed fruit and homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. My stomach growled.

  “I’m starving,” I said, grabbing a napkin and placing it on my lap.

  “How ‘bout I grab us a couple of beers? Or would you prefer wine?” Tucker asked, climbing back out of bed.

  “A beer sounds perfect,” I told him. “Thanks.”

  “Coming right up,” he said, then he leaned over and kissed me, and I kissed him right back, running my hand behind his neck, feeling his silky hair caress my fingers as our lips locked together. A soft pang of desire seeped in under all my sadness.

  “Hurry back,” I told him once we parted.

  He grinned and started for the door when Vince walked in, carrying his own plate of tacos with all the fixings. “I saw that your door was open… got room for one more?”

  “Always,” I told him and patted a spot on the bed down near my covered feet. “Come and join us. Tucker was just going for beer.”

  I grabbed a taco and devoured it in four big bites, then ate a couple bites of melon to wash it down. It was so good I grabbed another one, but this time I put it on a plate along with a big dollop of guacamole, chips and a double helping of salad.

  “Could you bring me one as well, please?” Vince asked, as he climbed up.

  “Make that two,” Boone said as he walked into the room, also carrying a full plate.

  “What the hell? Isn’t this Saturday night?” Tucker asked, standing in front of Boone.

  “Yeah. So?” Boone asked.

  We all stared at him like he’d fallen out of the sky. “Oh, you mean why am I here and not at Last Call?”

  “Uh, yeah,” I mocked.

  Vince started in on his own tacos while we waited for the beers.

  “What kind of father would I be if I got drunk every Saturday night? Those days are over. Spent the day with our lawyer, drawing up some new docs for Rosie. Found out where she’s living and sent for her mom to stay with her. She’s there now.

  “Spoke to Rosie briefly and she’s agreed that we can visit Belle, but for now, Rosie would like us to keep it to a minimum. We’ll work all of that out in the next few days, and we’ll make sure Rosie has the absolute best care she can get, no matter where that takes us. Right now, Belle, Rosie, and her mom are as comfortable as can be expected. That’s all we can ask for in all of this, right?”

  “Right,” we all agreed.

  My throat tightened once again, and tears filled my eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” Vince asked, crawling up closer to me, then stroking my arm. He wore grey sweatpants and a loose-fitting t-shirt that still somehow managed to hug all the muscles on his shoulders and upper arms. I wanted those arms wrapped around me now… I needed those arms wrapped around me now.

  Toto jumped off the bed and curled up in a little ball in his bed near the windows. Unlike my three cowboys, he didn’t like to share me.

  “Don’t cry,” Tucker said, crawling back onto the bed on my other side.

  Boone moved all the food away, stacking everything on the small table near the windows, then he knelt by my legs, rubbing them through the blankets. “Everything’s going to be okay. Rosie will get the best care our money can buy, and we’ll get to see Belle again soon. Don’t cry, babe. It’s going to work out. You’ll see..”

  “I know,” I told them. “It’s just that I’ve never seen such kindness and love in my entire life, from the three of you and from Rosie for her baby. I want to be part of it. I don’t want to have to leave, not now, not while Rosie is so sick.”

  “Who said you have to leave?” Tucker asked.

  “That was our agreement,” I squeaked out. I knew I might sound shallow and selfish, but I had fallen for these three guys and for Belle, even more now that I saw how loving they a
ll were. No one I’d ever known acted like this, and I didn’t want to go anywhere… ever. “And now, well…” I shrugged.

  “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind? That you want to stay?” Vince asked, grinning. He was such an amazing guy.

  They all were.

  “More than anything,” I told him.

  “And more than anything, we want you to stay,” Tucker said.

  “All three of you?” I asked, looking right at Boone. He hadn’t said anything yet, and I knew he was the deciding factor in all of this.

  “Yes, all three of us,” Boone said, and I cried even harder.

  Boone 16

  Truth be told, I’d been thinking about coming home to Meg all day, and now that we were with her, in her room, on her bed, I knew this was exactly where I needed to be tonight. Not in some dive bar, drinking myself into oblivion.

  I was done with that shit, over and out with my bad behavior. I knew what I had to do now, how I had to act and what was important.

  Belle was important, getting Rosie the best care in the country was important, and making love to Meg was essential to my taking my next breath.

  I knew my feelings for her were still solidifying, still forming, but from the longing I felt when we were apart, and from how many times I thought of her smile, her laughter, the way she loved Belle, and her total spunk on that first night when she ran off with me, I knew I was falling hard and fast.

  Vince was kissing her, while Tucker slipped her pants down her perfect legs. All I could do was watch while Vince’s hands roamed over her top, then slipped under it to pull it off.

  A soft glow from the light on the nightstand next to the bed filled the room with rich warmth, and although the chill of fall had set in just outside the windows, there was nothing chilly about this room or this bed. We were all on fire, a white heat so intense, I felt certain that before the night was over, her bed just might burst into flames.

  “You’ll tell us when to stop or if we go too far,” Vince said when he pulled away from her now slightly swollen lips.

  “The way I’m feeling, nothing can be too much, but yes. I’ll tell you,” she said with a small grin.