Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
The Ranch
“Your wedding better be calm,” Poet said to me as she took another bite of cake.
“My wedding was calm,” Salem said.
“Because you eloped,” I said. “You don’t get to say anything.”
The four of us had escaped up to Salem’s childhood bedroom, our shoes were kicked off, and we were eating Poet’s wedding cake.
“Do you think it’s bad form that we left the party?” Hadley asked.
“We didn’t leave the party,” Poet said. “We needed a reprieve and it’s my wedding. I’ll leave it if I want to.”
“Are you mad about your grandfather and Muddy?” I asked.
“Not even a little bit,” she said with a laugh. “I just think it’s hilarious that they’ve been sneaking around just like the rest of us.”
“Old people need sex too,” Salem said. “Right?”
“Earmuffs,” Poet muttered.
I grinned.
“Now you, missy,” Hadley pointed her fork at me. “When did you find out you were pregnant?”
“On our weekend getaway. I thought I had food poisoning,” I said.
“Were you trying to get pregnant?” Salem asked. “I thought you were on birth control.”
“I went off it around the time of the penis embargo.” I swallowed. “The first time Archer and I slept together he didn’t wear a condom. He pulled out, but, yeah, here we are.”
I expected recriminations.
“I was raw dogging it with Declan,” Hadley finally said.
“And I did wear a condom with Cas, but it failed,” Salem said.
I looked at Poet.
She continued to stare at her plate and eat her slice of cake. “No judgement from me, Viking. I already told you how it happened with me and Brooks.”
“Okay, but I kind of think this is incredible,” Hadley said. “We all get to have babies close in age. At least the first ones.”
“My first one is already eleven,” I said before I thought anything of it.
“Oh, Wyn.” Hadley’s eyes filled with tears as she smiled. “You’re so right.”
Before I knew it, the four of us were crying and giggling.
There was a knock on the door and Brooks popped his head in. His expression fell. “What’s wrong? Why are you all crying?”
“Because we’re all pregnant,” Poet said with a sniff. “It’s okay. We’re okay.”
Brooks’ mouth softened when he looked at Poet. “Are you guys coming back to the party any time soon?”
“In a bit,” Poet said. “We still have to discuss how many babies we’re each going to have and how we can all be pregnant together at the same time so our babies can have friends the way we’re all friends.”
Brooks’ eyes widened. “Uh, what?”
She waved him away. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“Fuck, what a time not to be a drinker,” he muttered but smiled and shut the door.
Poet giggled. “How long before he tells the others what I just said?”
“Not long, I’m sure,” Salem said with a grin. “We can’t really plan this, can we? We didn’t plan it the first time. And what if one of us gets pregnant with twins the next go round? That throws off the whole aesthetic.”
Hadley sniggered.
“You shut up,” Salem said to her sister. “Twins run in our family. You know there’s a chance that both of us will end up with sets of twins.”
“Neat party trick,” I quipped.
“I’m about to drop,” Hadley said. “Maybe we can discuss this after I give birth? That might change all of our minds on our collective plan.”
We were all silent for a moment.
And then Salem shook her head. “Nah.”
“Well, I want four, in addition to Lenni,” I said. “I’ve always wanted a big family. And you guys are my sisters. I want that for my children.”
“Four’s good,” Poet agreed.
“Declan and I originally wanted five,” Hadley said. “Four’s a nice compromise, though.”
We all looked at Salem.
“Cas and I wanted six. But I won’t go against the grain here. Four it is.”
“How far apart?” I asked. “That matters too.”
“Two years between babies is a good age gap, don’t you think?” Hadley said.
“God, we’re going to be walking zombies,” Salem said. “But yeah, I kind of agree. Pregnant off and on for nearly a decade. Dear Lord. I can’t really think too hard about this.”
“One rule, though,” Poet said.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“If someone decides they’re done, that’s okay. This is a nice idea, but realistically . . .”
“Realistically, this is an insane plan,” Salem said.
There was a knock on the door, but it opened before we could respond. All four of our men squished into the room, making the space even smaller.
“Oh good, you’re all here,” Hadley said with a wide grin. “We have something we’d like to tell you.”
“Tell us?” Declan asked.
“We’re each going to have four babies, no more than two years apart,” Hadley announced.
“Do we get a say if we’re having boys or girls?” Declan asked in amusement.
“The sperm decides,” Archer said.
Everyone looked at him.
“I feel like I’ve been drinking,” Poet said. “But I haven’t been.”
“Maybe it’s the sugar,” Salem remarked. “Because I feel that way too.”
“We’re in a mental institution,” Cas stated. “And the patients are running the asylum.”
“Oh hush. Stop blustering. You all wanted to knock us up as fast as you could. Go have another glass of scotch in celebration,” Salem said.
“I mean, she’s not wrong,” Cas murmured.
The men filed out of the room and Archer closed the door behind them.
“Life has been pretty great up until now,” Hadley said. “But I have this feeling it’s just going to get better.”
“Damn right it will,” Poet said. “Because I’m about to get another slice of cake. Who’s with me?”