Chapter Twenty-Seven #3
I smile. “You’re welcome. I hope you had a good time today too.”
Cam nods. “I did. The guys on my team all asked who my dad was trying to teach how to snowboard, by the way. I hope you don’t mind that I just called you my new step-mother…”
I blink at him, stunned into silence. Marcus gives me a little squeeze, prompting me to respond to Cameron. I don’t know what to say though. I’m not—I didn’t…
“Your dad and I aren’t married though,” is what I end up blurting out. I mean, I know Cam hasn’t had a mother figure in his life for many years, but to call me that? I’m shocked. Sure, there are flutters in my chest, but I’m still pretty certain that wasn’t what I was just supposed to reply with…
Cam’s lips thin into a line as he rolls them between his lips, worried that he just said something he shouldn’t have.
“I’m sorry. I guess I should have asked you first?
I don’t know, it just seems, uh, odd saying you’re one of the ones my dad is dating, you know?
I mean, like, I’m not embarrassed about saying that my dad’s in a relationship with two people or anything like that.
It’s just… you’re more to me than just someone my dad is seeing, I guess. ”
“Aw, hunny,” I coo. “You have no idea how much that means to me. Yes, yes you can call me your step-mother if you want to. I’m honored, actually. Thank you.”
He grins. “Awesome, because if it’s okay with you both, I’m cool with calling you my step-parents. Marcus, you too, because you mean more to me than just the guy my dad’s with and all…”
Marcus beams. “Thank you, Cameron,” he croaks, emotion weaving its way into his words. “For the record, I think you’re pretty friggin’ special too.”
Cam’s lips tip up, forming a slight smirk. “That’s good, ‘cuz I kiiinda already told them you’re my step-dad too.”
I feel Marcus grow slightly tense below me. “How’d your friends respond to that?” he asks nervously.
Cam casually pops a shoulder. “They asked me how I have so many dads. I told them I was collecting them, hoarding them all for myself. They didn’t make a big deal out of it, if that’s what you’re worried about…”
“Yeah, cuz no one’s gonna talk crap about my family and get away with it,” Brody pipes up, not looking away from his hand. In fact, I think he just snuck a card out of the discard pile while Cam is distracted. Then, he adds, “We’re allies, right Cam?”
Cameron chuckles. “We are, bud.”
“Can I call you my brother?” Brody asks, finally peeking up at him.
Cam grins. “Only if I can call you mine.”
“Cool!” Brody cheers, doing a little shimmy dance. “We’re totally brothers now!” he hoots, garnering attention from others in the lodge, just as Caleb comes back over with three cups of hot cocoa.
I quirk a brow up at him when he hands me mine. He sets the other two down on a side table and signs, “You know I love my chocolate.”
Then, he sits down next to us on the loveseat and plants a kiss on Marcus’ cheek.
I take that opportunity to nudge my wool-stockinged feet onto his lap.
His still-hot hands capture my toes and he starts rubbing my tootsies to warm them up.
I don’t even have to look around the room, I can just feel that we’re getting stared at by curious on-lookers at our intimate set up together—the three of us on the loveseat, all appearing smitten with one another.
Marcus can sense it too, because I feel him suck in a breath and hold it.
He’s still holding onto some of that residual worry which, I mean, is understandable, since this is something he’s kept secret about himself his entire life.
I can’t expect that fear will simply vanish, now that he’s just recently told his parents and they seem, eh, relatively accepting.
But, if we’re going to be more open about ourselves as a throuple, now would be the perfect opportunity to be out and proud.
I lean in and my eyes flit between both my men, a silent invitation. Caleb scoots closer and is the first to capture my lips in his. Marcus is slightly hesitant, but then he releases that pent-up breath, and dives in as well—all of us locked into a three-way kiss.
It’s brief, in no way anything we’ve ever practiced before, and awkward as hell with too many noses and tongues all vying for space, but when we break apart, it was totally worth it.
A quick glance around the room is evidence enough that we’ve garnered a whole host of different reactions from those who witnessed it.
That’s not shocking at all, but what is, is Marcus’ reaction. He dons a devilish smirk and chuckles under his breath. “Guess we showed them,” he hums, his tone full of amusement.
Caleb signs, “I’m proud of you, Sugar. You have no idea how incredibly brave you’ve been over the past couple of days. I am so, so sorry I ever gave you shit about it. That was never my place, and I promise I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you.”
“You will?” Marcus asks, waggling his eyebrows. “Like, you’ll grovel?”
Caleb’s Adam’s apple bobs on a silent chuckle. “If I have to, absolutely."