“No, Kar,” he said. “She’s not our surrogate.”
Tyler held up Nevvie’s left hand, displaying the ring. “Surprise.”
Stunned, Karen looked at Thomas, then Tyler, then Nevvie’s ring, then her mother. “Momma,” she finally whispered after several long moments, “do you have any bourbon?”
“Top cabinet, sugar. Use a large glass. You’ll need it.”
“Kar, we love her,” Thomas said to his sister’s back as she retrieved the bottle. “We both love her.”
Karen nodded and poured three fingers, thought about it, then added another splash. She leaned against the counter and took a sip. “Momma, how long have you known?”
Peggy glanced at the clock. “About three hours.”
Karen nodded and took another sip. “Right.” Sip. “What does this mean? What are you, like, reverse Mormons or something?”
Tyler smiled. “Not quite. I believe the appropriate term is ‘polyamorous.’”
“Right.” Sip.
Nevvie hoped Karen would be staying a while and didn’t live far, the way she was drinking.
“Momma, are you okay with this?” Karen hesitantly asked.
“I wouldn’t have asked them to stay if I wasn’t. That’s why Tommy insisted on going to a hotel. He was scared how I’d react. I talked them into staying.”
“Right.” Sip.
Thomas touched Karen’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Karen’s eyes widened as she still tried to process the news. “Sure.” Sip. She was halfway through what she’d poured.
“I love her. I love her as much as I love Tyler. He loves her, and she loves us. It just happened.”
Karen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. You didn’t, like, start a cult or something?”
He smirked. “No. The only potential future additions will be born into our family, not married into it.”
“Too much information, Tom.”
Tyler’s arm tightened around Nevvie’s waist, reassuring her. One down, four to go.
Karen looked at Thomas. “Em and Kate are gonna shit bricks. I gotta be there when you tell them. I can’t wait to see their faces.” She drained the rest of the glass in one gulp, wincing. “That’s enough of that. Okay, so who’s gonna help me stagger out to the car and get the rest of the groceries?”
The boys walked outside with Karen. Nevvie, shaking from nerves, leaned against the counter. Peggy patted her shoulder.
“She’ll be fine once the booze wears off. Good news is, she was probably the one you needed to worry most about. He was closest to her, like twins, even though April was closer in age.”
“I hope this doesn’t get nasty.”
“Darlin, there’s nothing to get nasty about. They like it or lump it. They’ll behave themselves whether they want to or not. It’s my house.”
“I still can’t believe you’re taking this so well.”
Something shifted in Peggy’s eyes and her face took on a sad expression. “Life’s way too short. If Tyler and you make him happy, then what more can I ask? Like I said, don’t be offended if I don’t brag about what y’all are doing.”
Nevvie smiled. “I understand. Thank you.”
Peggy hugged her. “You didn’t have a close family growing up, did you?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Honey, I’ve seen beat dogs less scared than you.”
Karen promised not to tell anyone and stayed to help with the preparations. An hour later Thomas drove her home in her car, with Tyler following in the Ridgeline.
Nevvie grabbed a shower, and by the time the boys returned she was ready for bed, chatting with Peggy in the living room. Nevvie said good night and each man gave her a hug and fairly chaste kiss.
It was weird having her own bed. Not bad, but…
Lonely.
It was also weird sleeping with clothes on, even if it was only a T-shirt and an old pair of Thomas’ boxers. She’d grown used to the three of them piling together, warm skin on skin, the contact soothing her to sleep and keeping her nightmares at bay. Since their new arrangement she hadn’t had a single bad dream.
She was drifting to sleep when her bedroom door opened, then someone slipped into bed with her. Instinctively she snuggled against the warm body.
Tyler.
His scent, subtly different from Thomas, betrayed him even before his arm slipped around her waist.
“Are you asleep, love?”
“Not yet, but I’m tired.”
He kissed the back of her neck. “Not that. We didn’t want you sleeping alone.”
“Thank you.”
Nevvie quickly fell asleep with Tyler wrapped around her. At one point in the night she felt the mattress dip, but it wasn’t until a little before dawn she awoke and realized she was sandwiched between the two men.
She nudged Thomas, who muttered in his sleep. “Get up,” she whispered.
He tried to roll over, like he would in their huge bed at home. Unfortunately the full-size mattress was much smaller than their king-sized bed, and he landed on the floor with a thud.
Startled, Tyler sat up. “What was that?”
Thomas groaned from the floor. “Me.”
Nevvie looked over the edge. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll live.” He climbed to his feet. “I guess I’m awake.”
“You guys need to go back to your room before Mom wakes up!” she hissed.
Thomas rubbed the back of his head, yawning. “What time is it?”
“Almost five-thirty.”
“She’s already up, sugar. She’s usually up by five. She’ll be waking us up for breakfast soon.” He climbed back into bed. “Besides, she didn’t say she didn’t want us sleeping together, she asked for discretion. That means she doesn’t want to hear anything. She said if we tried sleeping three in a bed one of us would fall out.”
Tyler pulled Nevvie tightly against him to give Thomas more room. “She was right. Go back to sleep for a little while, sweetheart. We don’t need to get up yet. We’ll behave, we promise.”
Nevvie managed to grab a little more sleep. Around six-thirty they heard a soft knock on the door. “Nevvie, sugar, I’ve got coffee and fresh sweet rolls in the kitchen.”
She froze. “Thank you, Mom. I’ll be right out.”
There was a pause. “You too, boys. I’m assuming you’re in there?”
Thomas laughed, then reached over and swatted Tyler, who snickered. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome.”
Thomas kissed them and left the room. Nevvie snuggled with Tyler. “Promise me I’m going to survive this weekend.”
He kissed the back of her neck. “Of course you will. I remember how terrified I felt. It gets easier, trust me.”
She might share a bond of southern culture with Thomas, but feeling like a stranger tightly melded her to Tyler.
“Let’s get up before you get me up and I want to play.”
She started to say something and he kissed her before she could utter it. “And,” he growled warningly, “no slave girl voice. Please. You can torture us on the way home.”
“How’d you know?”
“You always get that evil, cheeky gleam in your eye. You know it gives us both instant erections. Please, play nice this weekend.”
“All right. I will.”
He kissed her one more time. “That’s my good girl.” He stood, offering his hand. “Come along, love.” Once on her feet he pulled her to him and whispered in her ear. “If it’s too much, look to me, right?”
She nodded, reluctant to let him go. This was how she needed Tyler. She could always lean on Thomas, but in this way Tyler was her steady rock.
Nevvie pulled on her robe and followed Tyler. The kitchen smelled warm and inviting, cinnamon and caramel and coffee. The rolls were hand-made, not from a can. Thomas leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee.