After Harrietâs unexpected arrival and my sudden bolt for the bathroom, I give Chief Holt my apologies and leave the fire station early. The guys are out on a call, and as I leave, I make sure that no one is waiting anywhere nearby to follow me. They insisted on giving me a car to use, refusing to let me take the bus or walk anymore.
A million thoughts cross my mind, each more harmful than the other as I stop by the local drugstore, idling between the aisles for a while. Itâs getting increasingly more difficult for me to focus, but Iâve decided to take my time with this unexpected afternoon off.
My kids are still at daycare and one of the guys is always there to pick them up in the evening. The staff have been alerted to call the police if they see Colby in the area but I know he wonât be stupid. He has already exhausted his portion of stupid where the daycare is concerned, and it ended badly for him since I filed charges for aggravated assault. The BOLO is still in effect as well .
I am constantly living on edge, unable to fully enjoy the happiness Iâve found with the Danson brothers. As long as Colby is free he haunts meâhe can come back to hurt me and maybe even hurt the children. I wonât put anything past him.
On top of that, I now have to deal with his mother, her capable investigators, and army of expensive lawyers, all gunning for me in a court of law. Sheâs determined to take Luna and Sammy away, to obliterate me. She may not be a violent fiend like her son, but Harriet is something far worse. Sheâs a woman with money, influence, and a bone to pick. If thereâs one thing Iâve learned in this life, itâs to steer clear of such people.
Iâm in love with three men. Three brothers. My saviors, my heroes. Itâs so messy, so dangerous, particularly given Harrietâs determination to strip me of my parental rights. Iâd thought Iâd gotten away from it all. Iâd thought weâd be okay, eventually. That their anger would subside and that they would wear themselves out, finally leaving us alone.
Boy, was I a fool.
I finally grab a pregnancy test from the shelf and make my way to the self-checkout register. Once Iâm done paying, I slip the box in my purse and head home. An hour later, Iâm staring at a plus sign, unable to peel my eyes away.
âWell this is a whole new level of screwed-up, even for me,â I tell myself.
Downstairs, itâs quiet. Itâll be a while before the guys come home. Itâs Chaseâs turn to pick the kids up from daycare. Everyone should be in by eight oâclock. I need to start getting dinner ready. Maybe a giant batch of homemade pizzas. We have everything we need in the fridge and in the pantry. I already know their particular tastes; I can whip up different toppings to please everybody.
âFucking hell, Iâm pregnant.â I say it out loud as if to make it even more true.
The symptoms didnât lie. My body was pretty clear about it. The test merely confirmed something I already suspected. Iâm pregnant, and I donât know which of the Danson brothers is the father. Does it even matter?
Iâm pregnant with one of three men as the possible father, my ex-husband is a violent and abusive man who is wanted for questioning after setting the diner on fire with me and our kids in it, and his mother is suing me for custody of my children. Can it get any worse?
âDo not even think those words,â I hiss at my reflection in the mirror.
It seems the minute the question is asked whether or not something can get worse, the universe is automatically activated and obligated to make it so. A challenge was issued, and fate never shies away from a challenge. In this case, Iâm the one getting burned in the process.
Shaking the negative thoughts away, I toss the pregnancy test, along with its box, in the trash can. I then empty the whole trash bag into the outside bin. Once thatâs done, I take a deep breath and go back inside the house, careful to lock the door behind me.
Iâve decided Iâll make pizzas tonight.
I can start with that, keeping busy and putting everything else aside for now.
And when the time is right, Iâll tell them about the baby.