Chapter 39
39
MIRANDA
I couldn’t help myself. Pregnancy hormones combined with missing my men sent my body into overdrive. I crawled into Charlie’s lap and kissed him. He returned the embrace, his hands locking onto my hips and dragging me closer.
“I think it’s time we show Miranda the bedrooms.” Duncan stood and threw his napkin down on the table. “We’ll clean up later.”
“I missed you. All of you.” With my fingers deep in Charlie’s hair, I hung on when he stood and hefted me into his arms.
“We’re about to show you how much we missed you,” Charlie promised. “And we don’t even have to go upstairs.”
“No?” I found that curious.
Duncan walked ahead of Charlie, opening a door beneath the stairs that led to a short hallway with five doors interspersed along the length. “We didn’t think it would be a good idea to have the nursery on the upper floors. No sense in stumbling around, going up and down stairs in the middle of the night if we need to make a bottle.”
“We all have rooms here. One for each of us if you want to be alone, and a nursery that’s attached to the master suite, which is your room.” Patrick winked at me from behind Charlie. “We tried to think of everything, but if we missed something, say so.”
“Did you stock the freezer with ice cream?” I’d had sudden, intense cravings for ice cream for the last week, and Doctor Matthews had given me the go ahead to indulge. Growing twins was a tough job. I needed all the calcium and calories I could manage since I’d lost weight at my last checkup. Work stress had kept me from eating right, and my OB had been less than pleased.
“Yep. Every flavor you said you liked, and a few we wanted to try ourselves.” Charlie’s reassurance and confidence carried us down the hallway and through the door Duncan held open. “Welcome home.” Charlie carried me across the threshold and all the way to the bed, sitting me on the edge.
I picked up our kiss where we’d left off, pulling him on top of me. His weight settled on his forearms, his knees denting the mattress on either side of my hips. “I’m not fragile.” I twisted around and wiggled my fingers, inviting Patrick and Duncan to join us.
“You are fragile.” Duncan removed his clothes piece by piece, dropping them on the floor before he crawled up to sit beside me. “You are the most precious person in our lives. You and our children.”
“Does that mean you’re going to be careful?” I rolled my eyes and huffed, raking my hands through Charlie’s hair and down his shoulders, pricking his skin the way I knew he liked. “You won’t break me. Sex won’t hurt the babies. Don’t worry, I asked.”
“We did some research too.” Patrick moved to my other side, his naked body gleaming in the low light, his cock thick and heavy. “And tonight we want to take our time with you. One at a time.” He held up one finger and ticked it side to side. “We don’t all have to be inside you at the same time. We can all find pleasure in different ways, with our own style. Tonight is slow. Sensual.”
Charlie kissed me as Patrick’s words washed over me. For the next hour, that’s exactly what they did. They loved me, ravished me, and gave me their utmost attention. Having them concentrated on me one by one brought tears to my eyes. I’d never felt so loved, so cherished and special.
This was not fucking. It was not raw, unfiltered passion but a slow and steady declaration, and a claiming as we promised ourselves to each other.
I ended our night astride Patrick, my head thrown back and body strung tight with multiple orgasms. Every nerve was alight, prepped and ready for one last orgasm.
I’d been boneless when I first straddled his lap and took his cock deep into my seizing pussy. He’d guided me up and down his shaft, his muscles bunching and clenching as the need between us grew. I ran my palms up and down his chest and bent forward to dangle my tits in his face. He grasped a nipple between his teeth and bit just hard enough for the spark of pain to push me over the edge. “Damn I love when you do that.” I tipped my head back and rode him harder, grinding my pelvis over his erection until he groaned, his cock spasming in a series of rapid pulses.
Charlie and Duncan were right there, ready to help me slide off Patrick once I stopped trembling. Duncan’s smile remained warm and sweet, his whispers and promises a litany that hadn’t stopped in hours.
I flopped back onto the pillows and placed a hand over my racing heart. “Now I definitely need ice cream.”
“I’ll get it.” Patrick, Duncan, and Charlie all offered to run across the foyer and get my ice cream.
Grinning and swatting at them when they patted my ass when I rolled over to the edge of the bed, I snatched up the fluffy robe hung beside the bathroom door and threw it across my shoulders. “I’m not eating ice cream in bed.”
“I would.” Charlie sat up. “I’d cover you in whipped cream and cherries and go to town.”
“As long as I don’t have to clean it up.” My stomach rumbled, the gnawing hunger awakening in an instant. I could already taste the vanilla and chocolate they’d promised was waiting for me. “We’ll put that on the list for later. Right now, these babies need me to eat the ice cream, not wear it.”
“We’ll come with you.” Duncan made it to his feet and yanked on a pair of loose gym shorts.
“Okay.” I wasn’t going to tell them what to do or not do in our house. Our house. It still snuck on me that they’d done all this for us. We had a house. Soon, we’d be a family with two babies. I peeked my head into the nursery and gaped at the sight of the matching oak cribs, the animal and flower decals on the soft, buttery yellow walls, and the piles and piles of diapers and other essentials. I hadn’t started the nesting phase yet, but when I did, I couldn’t wait to get in this room and organize the shit out of it. My stomach growled again.
Patrick hurried past me. “I’m faster. I’ll get it for you.”
I smacked him on the ass, reveling in the sound of his laughter. My phone rang before I made it to the door, sending me back to my pile of clothes when I recognized Austin’s ringtone. “Hey, Austin. I’m at my new house.” I ran my hand through my tangled hair and took a good look at the master suite. We’d already christened the massive sleigh bed with its navy sheets and covers. The rest of the room came into focus, and I lost track of Austin’s voice as the sheer magnitude of it sank in. This room alone was big enough to house three bedrooms.
“Miranda?” Concern deepened his voice.
“Sorry. Patrick, Duncan, and Charlie bought us a house. I should have called you. Sorry if you were worried.”
“I know. They told me they planned to surprise you. That’s why I waited so long to call.” He cleared his throat, a beat of hesitation passing. “I’d like to swing by and see the house. And.” Another deep pause. “I have some news to share.”
“Come on over.” I glanced at my robe. “Give me a few minutes to change.”
“Not like I’m standing on your front porch.” He laughed into the phone. “Be there in fifteen minutes.”
He ended the call still laughing and I dashed to my room to change. I’d not been kidding when I told my men that I’d turned to stretchy pants as my go-to. They were the only thing that felt comfortable.
Patrick rose up, his hair tousled and his eyes sleepy. “What’s up?”
“Austin’s on his way over. He wants to see the house.” I yanked on a pair of pants and threw a loose t-shirt on once I found and snapped on my bra.
Duncan growled and rolled to the edge of the bed. “Is that code for something?”
“Yeah.” Charlie snorted and grabbed his jeans. “It means Austin wants to check up on us and make sure we’re treating Miranda right.”
“Really?” Duncan asked.
I threw a pair of socks at Charlie’s head. “It does not. He said he had news.”
“Oh.” All three of them left the bed and tugged on rumpled clothes from the piles on the floor.
By the time I’d brushed my hair and walked out of the bedroom, the front doorbell rang with a merry chime that drifted through the house. “That’s cute. I like it.” I grinned over my shoulder and opened the door.
Austin and Samantha stood on the other side, holding hands and grinning like a pair of lovesick fools. “Hey.” Austin hugged me without letting go of Samantha, and I pulled her into the hug, causing a startled laugh to burst out.
She’d changed her hair again, this time opting for a bright blue with white streaks, the team’s colors.
“Well?” I pretended not to notice the giant ring on Samantha’s finger and waved them inside. “What’s the big news?”
“You should show us around first.” Austin tried to weasel out of the situation, but I shook my head.
Samantha rolled her eyes and elbowed him hard in the ribs.
“Okay. Fine.” If the ring hadn’t already given him away, the giant, goofy smile definitely finished the job. “We’re engaged. Samantha agreed to marry me.”
“Poor girl.” Charlie quipped from behind me, his voice absolutely oozing sarcasm.
Austin raised a fist and shook it in Charlie’s direction. “Don’t start.”
“I’m shaking from fear.” Charlie walked up beside me and grabbed Austin up in one of his bone-crushing hugs, pulling Austin clear off the ground. “Congratulations.”
“I’m guessing you don’t really want to see the house.” I pretended to pout. “That’s a shame. Anyway. I’m going to the kitchen for ice cream. Who wants to celebrate with me?”
“Me.” The chorus of voices thrashed against my ears, followed by all their footsteps.
This was what I’d been missing, what I’d wanted for so long but had no idea how to find. Love. Laughter. Family…both old and new.
Charlie beat me to the freezer and pulled out several half gallons of different flavors of ice cream. By the time he finished, half the counter was covered and we needed a dozen spoons to sample all the containers.
Austin and Samantha fell in with the four of us, our laughter growing so loud and boisterous that it filled me to bursting. “To the celebration of a lifetime.” I held my spoon aloft and clinked it against Duncan’s. “May there be many more.”
“I’ll eat to that.” Patrick scarfed down his bite of chocolate cherry and reached for the vanilla, which started a fight between him and Duncan.
Austin leaned his elbow on the counter and widened his eyes at me. “You’re sure you’re ready for all that?”
“Absolutely.” I wanted them more now than ever before.
Epilogue: Patrick
This was it. The moment I’d hoped for, practiced for, and lived years of my life for until I met Miranda. Game day. Not any old game day. The game day. The Stanley Cup finals had arrived, and me and my teammates were going out on the ice to try and bring home a trophy.
We skated out in our usual formation, raising our hands and listening to the cheers.
I turned to find Miranda in the crowd. She’d shown us exactly where she’d be, and my face twisted into a dumbfounded grin when I spotted her and her belly. In the four months since we all moved in together, her belly had become my favorite part of her. I loved all of her, her mind, her body, and her sharp wit. She’d been beautiful to me from the minute I saw her, and I’d fallen in love with all of her. But realizing she held our children made the moment impossible to forget.
Thumb and forefinger in her mouth, Miranda let out her signature whistle and jumped up and down. She stopped after the second bounce and rubbed her stomach, smiling at me when I raised both eyebrows. Still grinning, she waved me off with an ‘everything is fine’ motion. We’d developed our own set of hand signals for moments like this, especially after she’d finally broken down and told us that being pregnant with twins came with a few extra potential problems. She’d not wanted to scare us but knew we needed to be aware.
“Let’s go.” Austin grabbed my glove and hauled me around to face the rest of my teammates. He shot a look up at the stands. “Samantha’s with Miranda. She’ll keep an eye on her.”
“Yeah, right.” Duncan scoffed, placed his hockey stick behind his head and looped his elbows over the ends. “We all know they get in more trouble when they’re together, not less.”
“Yeah, okay.” Austin agreed with a chuckle. “But we have to concentrate. Eyes on the puck, guys. This game is ours to win.”
I eyed the players on the opposing team. They matched us in size, and I knew why Coach had been after us to hit the weights as well as practice our footwork. We needed strength and speed. And cool tempers. “Remember what they’re capable of.” I aimed the reminder at Duncan. “They know about your temper.”
“I watched the game. They’ll try to rile me up, get me put in the box. I’m not going.” He twisted his torso side to side, cracking his spine and loosening his muscles. “I got your back.”
“Damn straight.” Duncan thumped his fist onto my shoulder without dropping the hockey stick.
Coach waved us in, and we went over our strategy one last time. We’d adapt as needed, but our core strengths always came into play.
Cold air whisked past my teeth when I bared them and pulled on my helmet. Game time. Austin faced off in the center of the rink, his focus lasered in on his opponent. A whistle. A drop of the puck. Austin moved in a blur almost too fast to see, his stick whipping out and clipping the puck, sending it to Charlie.
I locked in behind Charlie, my rhythmic breaths out of sync with my feet and creating a pulse of adrenaline when a flash of red and gold appeared at my side. He came right for me, his intentions as plain as the sneer on his face.
I slowed at the last second and spun, going in the opposite direction, leaving Duncan to watch Charlie. I spun again, and Charlie sent me the puck. We’d practiced this too, a new setup to my slapshot that wasn’t as obvious. I’d get one chance to surprise them, and I took it.
Puck and stick came together with a bang, the puck spinning back and into the net before the goalie realized I’d taken the shot.
We reset as my teammates congratulated me and the crowd turned into a racket so loud I missed Austin’s words when he passed me.
I was too slow in catching up to my opponent, and their team scored the next shot, followed by another when Duncan was shoved into a wall and the puck taken from him. He came back into formation with a bloody lip and a curse on his lips, but he held onto his temper. It threw the other team off, proving what we’d expected. They didn’t know how to deal with a calm and determined Duncan. They were about to figure out the shit storms he created in anger were nothing to his cunning skill when he tamped down the blinding fury and concentrated.
Miranda and Samantha cheered when we made the next shot, and the sound of her joy became the sole reason for my existence. I’d made her a promise that we’d laugh every day. Even on the tough days, I’d find some way to make her smile. Today was an easy one. Win the game.
The back and forth scoring continued through each quarter until we’d gotten down to the last five minutes. Tied game. I hated letting it get that close, but there was a reason we battled it out with these guys.
Austin and Charlie locked in. Duncan eyed me, and I nodded to let him know I’d seen it too. They were in sync. I tapped my left wrist, the silent sign that I’d watch Charlie. We bolted across the ice.
Austin and Charlie swapped the puck back and forth with practiced ease. The Irish twins were on the move, and everyone knew it. The crowd roared, people on both sides of the arena jumping to their feet.
Austin dropped back slightly to pass an opponent, then tore into the ice and sped past Charlie, turning to skate backward.
Charlie unleashed the puck with a fierce howl and moved to block the guy coming up. I checked the guy myself, leaving Charlie to keep up with Austin.
Austin cut between two guys, and they crashed into each other, sending both spinning. Rounding the edge of the goal, he tapped the puck in right under the goalie’s nose.
The relief remained short-lived. We still had to keep the other team from sneaking in and scoring again before the timer ended. I put every effort into keeping track of the key players, the ones most likely to make a move. Everyone came together in a clash of equipment and bodies when one of their guys tapped the puck wrong and sent it toward Duncan.
The buzzer sounded amid the riot of wild punches and curses, and the ref’s whistle blasted in my ear.
“Game’s over, boys. Knock it off.” He made his way around us, helping guys to their skates and making sure no one pulled any last minute bullshit. I was tempted, and from the twisted sneer on Duncan’s face, so was he. He both kept our tempers under control, not willing to risk any late penalties that might risk our win. I ripped off my helmet and threw it into the crowd. Miranda caught it and thrust it overhead, her congratulations to our team setting off a wave of clapping and bowing.
Coach led the way off the ice and into the locker room. We yanked off gloves and pads, throwing them all in the same general direction while Coach gave us a rousing speech about perseverance and teamwork.
Miranda knocked on the door and stepped through at Coach’s wave. She clapped her hands overhead. “You all are the best fucking hockey team in the world.” Her belly jutted out beneath the billowy black shirt. A ripple passed over her stomach, and she dropped a hand to rub her stomach again. “Even the babies think so.”
“Damn fucking straight!” Murphy yelled and jumped up onto the nearest bench. “We won, bitches!”
Our mix of laughter, shouts, and congratulations turned so loud and obnoxious that I finally moved closer to the door and wrapped my arms around Miranda. “We never would have made it here without you.”
“Damn fucking straight.” She tapped me in the chest with every word, then took my hand and placed it on her belly. “Your kids think you’re amazing.” Her stomach undulated, a foot or hand pressing against her skin as the twins tumbled around in their own version of water aerobics.
“I love you.” I kissed her on the lips before guiding her deeper into the room and into Duncan’s arms.
“For Miranda.” Scott raised up a blue and white jersey with MIRANDA stitched across the back. He tossed it toward her, and she snatched it out of the air with one hand. “We even made it with an expandable waistline. You and those babies have to stick with us through the off season too. Gotta represent.”
Tears welled in Miranda’s eyes. She shoved her head and arms into the jersey and pulled it down. A bark of laughter shot out when she found the zipper on the side that released an extra swath of fabric. “You really thought of everything.”
“Damn fucking straight.” Austin hugged her tight. We’d taken the phrase Miranda first used when she convinced us to toe the line and made it the team’s catch phrase. She’d caught on, and now it became something of a game.
“You make us better.” Charlie slung his arm around her waist and guided her to the bench seat. “You turned us into a family.”
He was right. We’d always been a team, and a pretty close one at that, but Miranda showed us how to be more.
We’d started our own family outside of the team too. The house we’d bought met our needs perfectly, and soon we’d add the twins to the already chaotic mix. I couldn’t wait.
Extended Epilogue: Miranda
My stomach contracted in an excruciating squeeze. I tightened my hold on Duncan’s hand and worked my way through the wheezing breaths the lamaze coach had showed me. They helped only because they gave me something else to focus on, which lasted all of a second before I was ready to start screaming.
“Almost there.” Duncan had given me his hand as soon as we slid into Patrick’s SUV, and I had refused to let it go.
I could probably break it and he’d thank me for it. “Get there faster.”
“I said that last time we rushed you to the hospital.” Duncan chuckled easily and smacked the back of Patrick’s seat. “You hear that?”
“Yep. On it.” Patrick pointed his index finger straight ahead without letting go of the wheel. “Five seconds.”
“These babies better be out in five seconds or I’m going to have a serious conversation with management.” I doubled over with the pain. “Oh, wait. I am management. Hurry up, babies.”
Patrick peeled into the parking lot. Charlie jumped out first and grabbed the duffel we’d packed weeks ago. He knew we’d not want to leave the room for anything, so we’d set up the plan to bring everything in at once. Patrick had even parked in a parking spot instead of under the emergency awning. I’d been okay with it in planning, but looking at the long stretch of pavement between me and the automatic doors almost sent me into a panic. “Women have done this for centuries. I can do this. Walking is good for delivery.” Hell, if that was true, I’d walk until my legs gave out. I wanted this over and babies in my arms.
Patrick jogged ahead to clear a path, his arms out straight. “I’ll let the front desk know.”
“Yeah, don’t let Duncan do that part.” Charlie stayed behind me, keeping an eye on traffic in case a contraction hit and I had to stop.
I puffed my cheeks full of air and marched ahead. By the time I walked into the brightly lit lobby, my OB, a single nurse, and a wheelchair waited for me in front of the delivery room doors. We’d even toured the hospital so we’d know exactly where to find everything when we needed it.
Austin and Samantha ran in behind us. “Baby time.” Austin cupped my shoulders and squeezed. “You got this, sis. Samantha and I will be out here in the waiting room.”
“Ready, Miranda?” Doctor Sinclair had taken over my care from Doctor Matthews when I moved to Washington. I liked her spunk, her thick accent, and her no-nonsense approach to childbirth.
I sank into the wheelchair and let Duncan put my feet on the rests. “Let’s do this.” I waved at Austin and Samantha. “You’d better make a decision on the wedding cake before you come see me. I’m delivering twins, I deserve to hear wedding plans.”
“Sure.” Samantha grabbed her phone and waved it overhead. “I’ll put him to work.”
“That’s why I like you.” I blew them both an air kiss and did my best to hold in the groan that came with another contraction.
It felt like hours dragged by. Contractions. Nurses checking vitals. Pain. Then, I reached the point where it all came together. The children I’d carried and nurtured within my body made their appearance with red faces and hearty lungs. They’d been examined and cleaned up, then placed in my arms. A boy on my left, and a girl on my right. Jayden and Hope. I nestled my cheek against Hope’s head and closed my eyes. “You two are so loved. You have no idea just how much.”
“We’ll show them.” Patrick traced the line of hair across Jayden’s forehead. “Can I hold him?”
“Of course.” A small part of me hated to relinquish either one of them, but I’d been carrying them for eight months. I almost made it to nine, shocking Doctor Sinclair with my tenacity. I helped him scoot Jayden into his arms and hefted Hope toward Charlie. “You too. Come on.”
He took a few cautious steps forward, his brows scrunched with what looked like concern or worry. “She’s so little.”
“You won’t break her. She’s fragile, but she’s tough.” I reassured him while cupping the back of Hope’s head and settling it in the crook of his arm.
He straightened, and the fearful look turned to one of awe and fierce protection. “Hi, sweet girl.”
Love bloomed bright, shooting through me with the power of a thousand suns, warming my skin and flushing my cheeks.
Patrick walked toward Duncan with slow, bouncing strides. He talked in a low murmur the whole time, his attention riveted on his son. Our son. Duncan had moved to the couch in the corner of the delivery room to text Austin. He looked up at Patrick’s approach and the warmest, most gentle smile in the world appeared on his lined face. He finished the text and dropped the phone onto the adjustable table beside me before moving back toward Patrick. The delivery room was the same place we’d stay until we returned home. It was one of the things I loved about this hospital. They gave us a room big enough for all four of us, a couch to sleep on, and a private bathroom. We had everything we needed, and the nurses and my OB had been incredible through every second. I nestled my head deeper in the pillow and watched Patrick pass Jayden over to Duncan. Charlie joined them, the three of them standing close enough for me to touch as they passed the babies back and forth.
Duncan exclaimed over their tiny fingers and toes, wrapping them both carefully after tapping each digit. Every exhausting hour of labor was made worthwhile in this quiet time as we exclaimed over every sound they made.
Hope grunted and stretched, her tiny fist popping free of the blanket.
Duncan laughed. “Get that back in there. You’ll catch a chill.”
“Not on your life.” Austin swaggered through the door, Samantha right on his heels.
She set a giant bag on the end of the bed. “We brought a few things.”
“A few?” I arched both eyebrows and dragged the bag up the bed. “What did you decide about the cake?”
“Three different flavors. Each one a different color and style on the cake.” Samantha laughed at my expression. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. I’m not making a face at you.” I pinched my nose. “First dirty diaper. Not it.” I punched a fist into the air so fast it caused a twinge in my stomach.
Duncan and Charlie shouted next, then laughed at Patrick’s shocked look.
“I have no idea what I’m doing.” He set Hope down in the bassinet and looked around the room in a panic. “What do I do?”
Charlie handed Jayden to Austin, who sank into the chair at the foot of my bed. He made cooing sounds at Jayden and locked eyes with Samantha.
Uh oh. I knew that look. No doubt Austin and Samantha would be having kids of their own pretty soon.
I turned my attention back to Patrick.
“Where do I start?” Patrick untucked the blanket from around Hope, revealing the tiny jersey onesies we’d had custom made for them. My eyes welled with gratitude for their teammates and the support they’d shown.
“Dude, none of us know what to do. We’re going to learn.” Duncan rolled up his sleeves. “Come on. It can’t be that hard. We’ll work together.”
Just like always. They were a team through and through. We all were. My heart ached with the love and happiness trying to pump its way out. Much more and I’d explode into a million pieces, a million tiny stars to sprinkle across the night sky. “You’re the best family. Better than anything I ever could have dreamed up for myself.”
Austin squeezed my leg through the blanket. “You’re pretty all right yourself.”
“Got that right.” Patrick gathered up his supplies and they worked through their first diaper change in a flurry of movements.
I expected at least one gagging, but they all kept their cool and had the diaper changed within minutes.
Duncan checked Patrick’s work and declared it satisfactory before picking Hope up. He carried her around the room, pointing out any and every object, his voice a soothing tenor. “And that’s the bathroom. You probably won’t need that for a while. And there’s the couch where I will not be sleeping because I’m going to watch you all night because you’re so adorable and I don’t want to miss a second. No I don’t.”
Hearing the meanest man on the hockey team turn into a rambling, baby-talking sap completed me. They all did, in their own, individual ways, and all together. We were in this together, from this day forward.
Patrick sat on the foot of my bed and leaned forward to rest his head beside my arm. “You’re an amazing, beautiful woman, and we love you so much it hurts.”
“I know.” I ran my thumb along his cheek. “And I love that you call me beautiful after giving birth.” I smiled and ducked my head to kiss him. “The three of you make me feel so loved and cared for. There is no one in the world who makes me feel the way you three do.”
“And there never will be.” Charlie spoke in that permanent, promising tone that said he’d never back down from the promise.
I’d come to Washington to get away from my broken heart. I’d never expected to find three men who loved me unconditionally, but here we were, slaying it.
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