“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can call me Mom. Unless you don’t want to.”
Nevvie mustered a smile. “All right. Thank you, Mom.”
Peggy beamed. “That’s better.” She poured tea and handed it to Nevvie, along with the sugar bowl and a teaspoon. “Now, tell me a little about yourself, honey.”
Thomas had his mom’s friendly eyes. Nearing seventy, Peggy’s bobbed brown hair was shot with grey, but it looked good on her.
Nevvie wrapped her fingers around her glass to keep them from trembling. How long until the boys returned? “Um, what did you want to know?”
“Well, where are you from, all that.”
“Uh, I was born and raised in Tampa. I left eight years ago and spent a few years in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina destroyed my apartment. We’d evacuated to Pensacola, so we ended up in Tampa.”
“Tommy told me you were their housekeeper before you moved in.”
“Yes, ma’am, uh, Mom. I cleaned for them on Thursdays. I had a few other clients, too.”
“I bet Tyler charmed the pants off you, didn’t he?”
Nevvie blushed, then realized it was an innocent comment. “He’s a sweetheart. They both are.”
Peggy took a sip of tea. “When did they give you the ring?”
Nevvie glanced at the small ruby on her right hand. “Oh, a while ago. Tyler bought it for me one day. It’s my birthstone. It wasn’t expensive.”
Peggy put her glass down and touched Nevvie’s left hand. Her voice was quiet. “No, sugar. I meant this ring.”
Nevvie blanched.
Peggy eyed her over her glasses. “Darlin, I know their birthstones. I’m not an idiot, and I know an expensive piece of jewelry when I see it.”
Nevvie cried, hiding her face in her hands. Peggy stood and walked behind her, hugging her. “Why are you crying?”
“Please don’t hate them.”
“What? Why on earth would I hate those boys? Obviously they care a great deal about you.”
Maybe she doesn’t know! Maybe she hadn’t blown it. Maybe—
Peggy straightened and patted Nevvie on the shoulder. “It’s not my business what goes on between the three of you. If those boys love you, you’re welcome in my home.”
That finished Nevvie. She sobbed, and Peggy kindly laughed as she hugged her. “Good lord, darlin, you’re not going to spend the entire weekend crying, are you?” She handed Nevvie a napkin.
“No, Mom. I won’t.”
Peggy sat down and took Nevvie’s hands. “Just tell me something. Do you love them?”
Nevvie nodded.
“Then promise me you’ll take good care of them and not hurt them, okay?”
Nevvie nodded frantically. “I will. I love them so much.”
Peggy patted her hands. “Then that’s all that matters. Although I won’t go bragging to my church ladies group that I gained a daughter-in-law. They’re still trying to come to grips with Tyler, and here it is, over a dozen years later.”
Nevvie laughed again, blowing her nose. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“That this is complicated.”
“I wish Tommy had fessed up before y’all got here. Bless your heart, you’re a wreck, aren’t you?”
“Uh huh.” Nevvie blew her nose again. “How did you figure it out?”
Peggy smiled kindly. “Sugar, you looked like you were being marched to the electric chair. Tyler had to drag you outta the truck. I can’t imagine anyone who didn’t have some sort of big secret would look like that. When I saw your ring, and the way they didn’t want to leave you alone, well, it wasn’t hard.”
Nevvie looked down. “I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t want to come. I’ll be honest, I was afraid you’d be upset. I tried to make them come without me and they wouldn’t.”
“How long y’all been an item?”
“Halloween. Before then it was…platonic.” She certainly couldn’t call it innocent. Nevvie met Peggy’s kind gaze. “They saved my life. Alex would have killed me, I really believe it.”
“I don’t know how y’all want to handle the girls. Frankly, it’s not my business. Emily and Katie might be a problem. That’s between Tommy and them. It’s none of your worry.” She chuckled. “I’d be willing to bet their men won’t have a problem with it. Hell, they’ll probably be jealous.”
“You’re okay with this?”
“Honey, I don’t have a say in it. I didn’t particularly agree when he brought Tyler home. Not that I don’t love Tyler, because I do. He’s a sweetheart. It’s not a choice I’d have made, or have had him make if I’d had a say in it. You’re adults.” She took another sip of tea. “Am I getting any grandchildren out of the deal?”
“It’s way too soon to think about that. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
“That’s probably wise, sugar. You’ve got a lot of years yet to make that decision.” She sighed. “Why don’t you marry one of them? It would make all three of y’all’s lives easier, wouldn’t it?”
“No. Like I told our lawyer, if I can’t marry both of them it wouldn’t be fair to marry one of them.” She looked at Peggy. “I won’t choose. I love both of them. I know it’s weird.” She took a moment to compose her thoughts. “They approached me first. They’d already made up their minds. I knew I loved them, but I never…it didn’t seem possible. I assumed they were gay. I was so happy to be a part of their lives, they welcomed me in. When they finally confessed how they felt it was like I hit the lotto.”
Peggy’s wry smile traveled to her eyes. “I’d wondered if something was going on. Tommy was so upset when you got hurt, but there was more to it. Every time I talked to him on the phone it was Nevvie this, and Nevvie that. Sounded like he did when he first met Tyler, before he finally admitted they were a couple.”
Nevvie blushed again but met Peggy’s gaze. “It’d break my heart to lose either one.”
Peggy looked like she wanted to ask something else. She studied her hands for a moment, picking at her fingernails. “What happens in the future? I mean, any other surprises? You know, partners?”
“No. The three of us agree we wouldn’t share well with anyone else. It works for us. I don’t think this would have worked out the way it did if they hadn’t been together for so many years, either.”
Peggy nodded. “Okay, then.”
Nevvie felt a hundred pounds lighter with her crushing anxiety gone. When the boys returned nearly an hour later, the women were still in the kitchen, assembling pies for the next day.
Tyler raced into the kitchen ahead of Thomas and slid to a stop inside the doorway, scoping the situation. Thomas appeared seconds later, nearly crashing into him.
The women turned, their hands covered with flour. Peggy shook her head. “What on earth are you two doing? You dang near gave me a heart attack.”
Tyler looked at Nevvie, trying to read her. She smiled and he let out an audible sigh of relief. “Uh, everything all right?”
Peggy leveled her gaze at him. “Why wouldn’t it be, Ty?”
Nevvie choked back a giggle. For the first time since she’d met him, she realized Tyler was without a plan or rejoinder.
Thomas cleared his throat. “Um, how is everything, Mom?”
“Tommy, you need to sit yourselves down. I’ve seen expectant fathers calmer than you two.”
“Secret’s out, boys,” Nevvie said. “She knows.”
Tyler closed his eyes and quietly swore. Thomas approached his mom. “Now, Mom—”
“Hush.” Peggy looked at Tyler, cutting him off. “You too, Ty. I’ll say this once. You put this poor girl through hell because you were too chickenshit to confess. You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Both men looked at the floor, like a couple of scolded children. “She’s perfectly adorable, and as I already told her, it’s none of my business. How you deal with your sisters is up to you. I’m not fighting that battle for you.”