38

MARGO

I buried my face in Rocello’s broad chest as the tears flowed. The shock was still there, but they were happy tears. Of that, I was sure. What I didn’t know was if they’d be happy.

We hadn’t known each other that long. We hadn’t expected this to happen. But then again, a week ago, we didn’t even know if we’d be alive at this point.

That made it a miracle in my book.

Rock rubbed my back and made soft crooning sounds, likely the same ones he’d made when Thomas was a baby. That thought made me smile. Thomas was going to be a big brother—as long as Rock was willing to be a father again.

As long as all of them were. I’d spent my whole life settling, and I didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted it all: Rocello, Jumaine, Slade, and the baby.

But I didn’t know what they wanted.

And it was time to find out.

I pushed away from Rocello, but I couldn’t bring myself to look up to take in the men’s expressions. Not yet.

“Margo?” Jumaine asked. There was concern in his voice. “Are you happy?”

“Yes.” I answered in a small voice. “Are you?” I finally looked up to find three pairs of eyes on me.

“I don’t think it matters,” Jumaine said. “It’s got to be Rocello’s baby.”

“It matters,” I insisted. Then I turned to Rocello.

The love I saw in his eyes hit me like a physical blow. He loved me. He wanted this baby. And he proved it by leaning down and planting the sweetest kiss on my lips. Then he turned to his buddies. “It matters,” he said. “Because we’re all in this together.”

Another tear slipped down my face. That’s what I wanted, and my heart filled with love to know that Rocello wanted that too. But did Jumaine and Slade?

“I’m in,” Slade said huskily, staring into my eyes. “Whatever you need, Margo. Whatever you and the baby need.”

I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I kind of love you, you know.”

He grinned. “I know.”

We all turned to Jumaine. He still looked stunned as he stared at the table.

“Jumaine?” Rocello asked.

His friend raised his head. “Are you sure?” he said. “Because you two could just ride off into the sunset.” He gave a brittle laugh. “Hell, I’ll lend you my motorcycle.”

Rocello chuckled. “We’d better take my SUV, because there are four of us. We’re in this together.”

Jumaine took a deep breath. “We are. And I think you counted wrong, because there are five of us.”

“He means Thomas,” I said, elbowing Rocello in his rock-hard abs. Ow.

“Then there will soon be six of us,” Slade said. “But who’s counting.”

I grinned at him. “I am.” Then I turned to Rocello. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Absolutely. But are you sure, sweetheart?”

The warmth in his eyes made me start crying again. “I’m sure.” I’d never had a real father, and now my child would have three.

“Good. Because I kind of love you, you know,” he said, echoing Slade’s words.

Jumaine gave a small laugh. “If you guys keep saying that, she’s never going to stop crying.”

“I’ve noticed that only two of us said it,” Slade observed.

“Don’t,” I said in a rush as Jumaine opened his mouth. “You don’t have to say it.”

“Unless you really mean it,” Rocello added.

“I mean it.” The look Jumaine gave me melted my heart. “I love you too, Margo.”

“You forgot the ‘kind of’ part,” Slade said.

Jumaine grinned. “No, I didn’t.”

“Good,” I said. “Because I love you all, too. And Thomas. And this ridiculous little plastic stick with the pink lines.”

Rocello laughed, plucking it out of my hand and tossing it on the table. “I prefer the real thing.” He put his large palm on my stomach. Somewhere, deep inside, there was a being, probably the size of a grain of rice, who was going to change our whole lives.

But change them for the better.

And I, for one, was excited as hell for the future. For a future that included all of us together. That sounded pretty damn incredible to me.