Authors: Stephanie Beck
Poppy's Passions (26 page)
Enjoying a quiet evening in front of the fire with a book, she looked up when Trevor's stomping came from the hall. There was no subtlety in him and she didn't expect it, not after ten days and excruciatingly long nights without him. Michael and Cody kept her busy but just like if either of them were absent, she'd felt like part of her was missing. There were a few sore feelings until she'd explained and promised Cody she would pout and mope when he went on his cattle buying trip to Ireland without her in a month.
Trevor slouched into a chair, blowing out an exaggerated breath. Above him their wedding photo hung on the wall. All three men held her, their hands on her belly over her white gown. It had been a beautiful day, fresh snow the night before covering the ranch in a sparkling coat. Some choice people had attended—SaraJean from the creamery, Ayden and Harper, and a spiritual advisor Trevor found among his contacts.
Had it been the white church wedding she'd pictured as a girl? No, but it had been beautiful in its own right, and beside the wedding photo was a picture of Mary, Thomas, Duane, and Paul on the same day, all dressed in their finest and smiling. Dee and Da were also shown, the stages of their lives so far diagramed in photos. It was her favorite wall, and with her men surrounding her, there was no place else she could ever want to be.
"Fuck a duck.” Trevor effectively took her out of her musings. “It's good to be home. Those two monkeys got bigger while I was gone, didn't they?"
"Yep,” she replied. “At least seven pounds apiece."
"And they got their PhD's in anthropology.” Michael smirked, more easy going after two years in her company, a change she took great pride in. “It was only ten days, Trevor. Think about when you do your promotion tour next month."
"Nope.” He shook his head. “Not doing it. I already told them, no fucking way am I going to be away from my wife and kids for six weeks. They can get a cardboard cutout of me, and that'll have to work."
"Oh, Trevor, it'll be okay.” She'd been dreading the trip, but she understood that he needed to do what he enjoyed. “You can go, we'll be fine."
"I won't be.” Her heart clenched at the intensity she saw when his dark eyes locked on her. “I'm not fine without you and the girls. I told them in a few years, when the girls are bigger and can travel with us, I'll consider a tour. I'll program and do stuff from here, and weekend things once in a while, but if they try to press for a full promo tour, I'm telling them to fuck squirrels."
"The poor squirrels.” She laughed and set her book aside.
Trevor adjusted in the chair and patted his lap. She didn't move. He crooked his finger, telling her with the motion and his eyes to “come here.” She stayed where she was.
"What the hell, babe? I don't even know why you're still dressed at this point. Another four seconds and that shirt's going to be ripped off. Isn't that my shirt anyway?"
"I missed you, so I stole it.” She shrugged, not feeling at all guilty because he didn't mind. “The girls liked their baby dolls.” The plans she had in mind for the night required distraction.
"Yeah.” He took the bait. “The guy at the toy store was pissed by the time I found the dolls I wanted, but they had to be blondes, with green eyes and freckles. None of the other ones looked right. They're sleeping with them right now. Da didn't even throw hers out of her crib. Now, are you coming over here or am I going to you?"
"Did I get a present?” Poppy asked innocently.
"I already gave you the necklace. You know, the one that matches the ring I gave you two years ago?"
"You mean the ring I gave her,” Cody countered.
"Ha, I have the paperwork that proves I gave it to her,” Michael finished, just like he always did when it came to her ring. She'd married them all with her heart in a Valentine's Day ceremony before the girls were born, but according to the law, she'd married Michael. His pension and insurance through his police force retirement plan didn't pay to girlfriends and though it wasn't a lot and made no difference to Poppy, it was a matter of pride for Michael to be able to provide for her and the babies.
The ring she wore was a symbol from all three men. A flashy, perfect diamond from Trevor. Michael added a sapphire to match her eyes, and Cody, her thoughtful man, had chosen an aquamarine stone. Trevor joked about Cody getting a stone to match his eyes, but it was really the babies’ birthstone.
Trevor sighed theatrically, and she knew he'd spotted her game. They always knew when she was hinting at something. “What the hell else was I supposed to get you? What does she want, boys?"
Michael and Cody looked at each other, at Trevor, then at her. She did her best to keep her expression innocent, but they could read her like an open book. Emotions were always on her face, but this time the secret was specific so while something showed, she was confident they wouldn't know it until she spilled.
"Do you know, Cody?” Trevor demanded, Baby Boy looking awful thoughtful over in his corner across the coffee table from her.
"Maybe.” The way he watched her made her wonder if he already knew. He was uncanny in the way he read her at times. “Come sit on my lap, darlin', and we'll pretend I'm Santa. You know I won't tell you ‘no.’”
"My lap,” Trevor demanded. “Fuck you, Cody. I've been gone two weeks."
She stood and led Trevor to sit on the couch between Cody and Michael, then straddled his lap, touching all three but didn't say anything for a long moment.
"Honey, we're just teasing.” Her silence apparently made Trevor nervous and he rushed in with reassurances. “If there's something you need, anything you want, or want to do, you know we'll do whatever we can to make it happen. There is very little you need permission for. Hell, permission isn't even the right word. You're a grown woman, and if there's something you want you have our support. Do you want your bathroom done? We ran into Ayden in town, and he said something about it."
"Nope, not my bathroom, although that would be nice.” She kissed each one before leaning back. “I want another baby."
The three men groaned in unison but she'd expected them to. The pregnancy had gone very well all things considered, but she knew the delivery hadn't only been difficult for her. It rained six inches the night before her water broke, so the ride to town had been harried and dangerous. Then, when they arrived, the babies, who only days before were head down, ready for a natural birth, turned breech.
Duane decided on a C-section, during which Cody passed out. Minor infections set in after, but by the babies’ first month of life she was back on her feet and healthy. The brothers had a hard time remembering the “everything was eventually fine” part.
"Sweetie.” Clearly gearing up to dissuade her, Michael put his hand on her thigh.
"Nope, it's the right time. I talked to Duane this morning, he said I'm in perfect shape to have another baby,” she broke in. “By the time the new baby gets here Dee and Da will be potty trained and sleeping in toddler beds. Mary said she'd help. Apparently, twin girls are nothing compared to trying to teach you three to drown cheerios. Thomas said he doesn't mind moving his storage room upstairs so we can use it for another bedroom. Paul said—"
"Shit, you talked to everyone else first?” Trevor demanded.
"Just anticipating the arguments."
"Did you know?” Michael asked Cody.
"I figured. Paul was giving me grief the other day about saving my strength, getting enough protein, that kind of stuff. Actually, I thought she might already be pregnant.” He raised his eyebrow in silent question.
"Duane just removed my IUD today.” She crossed her heart with her finger in promise. “So unless ya'll are up for abstinence or have super strength condoms, I'm open for baby business."
"When have condoms worked for us with you?” Trevor rolled his eyes. “Do we even have any?"
"Mom and Dads probably do,” Michael said. She frowned, not foreseeing they would consider that route. “It's been a while since I had to bum a condom from one of them. I wonder if Thomas would still lecture me on a man's duty to a woman's pleasure."
"It's not worth the chance.” Cody lifted her off Trevor's lap to his own. “I'm on for another baby if you want, darlin'. We make beautiful babies."
"Fuck you, Baby Boy.” Trevor lifted her back. “We make beautiful babies, babe, and a big family works for me, you know that. I'll give you all the babies you want."
"No, fuck both of you.” Michael stood with her wrapped in his arms. “They're all talk. Let's get started. Dee and Da need a ‘La.’”
"Yeah, Lola.” Trevor jumped to follow, Cody hot on his heels as she tried unsuccessfully to bite back her satisfied grin.
"Or Larissa,” Cody added.
"I'm thinking we'd better stick with girls too.” She held tight to Michael as she smiled at Trevor and Cody over his shoulder. “I don't think the world can handle more Paraby brothers."
No one was surprised when Stephanie Beck said she was going to write a novel. They were, however, quite shocked when they read the first draft of
Poppy's Passions
. Who'd have thought such naughty things ran in quiet, sweet, unassuming Steph's mind? She loves to make lifestyle reading real and nothing does that like adding family. Anyone can have a hot affair smooshed between sexy brothers, but throwing in parents and family issues most people face made
Poppy's Passions
much more fun to write. With multiple worlds full of naughty-good fun running amuck in her brain, much more is to come from Stephanie Beck.
