Chapter 32

The world swims into focus through a haze of discomfort. My throat and lungs feel scorched. My chest burns with each breath. It"s as though I"ve just run a marathon, but lord knows I haven"t. My head throbs with every heartbeat, pulsing behind my eyes.

Slowly, I blink them open, the dim hospital room coming into view. Atlas is beside me and he looks like hell. I can"t smell anything but ash and smoke. If I had to guess, he probably smells just as bad.

"Atlas," I manage to croak out, and his eyes lock onto mine, relief swimming in them.

"Thank fucking god," he breathes, his voice trembling. "You"ve been out for days. I thought I lost you. I was so worried."

"Water?" I ask, licking my lips.

Atlas wastes no time reaching for the plastic mug beside the bed and holding the straw to my lips. The cool liquid soothes my raw throat, but the sensation is like trying to swallow sandpaper.

"Thank you," I whisper, the words barely audible.

Memories flood back in a rush, the fire, the chaos. I can"t believe I"m alive, can"t comprehend how close I came to losing everything.

"The bar," I rasp, my heart sinking at the thought of what"s been lost.

"It"s gone, babe," Atlas says softly, his voice heavy with regret. "But you"re here, and that"s all that matters."

Tears prick at my eyes, and my dreams for the bar are reduced to ashes. I had such grand plans for the bar. I finally had a hysterical new name I couldn"t wait to tell the regulars about. I bought a fucking pizza oven and didn"t even get to make one pizza.

"Did they catch her?" I ask, my voice shaking in anger.

"Catch who baby?"

"Trina. She did this. She came in while I was mopping and hit me with a bottle, then ranted about Kevin before knocking me out again. And when I woke, the bar was on fire."

"Not yet," Atlas replies, his jaw clenched. "But the cops came by wanting to take your statement."

I"ll give them one, but I don"t really care about that right now because I just noticed we"re the only two in the room.

"Where"s Rip?" I ask, searching the room for any sign of my other lover.

"He went home to shower and to meet with the insurance guy for the bar," Atlas explains. "He"ll be back soon."

Insurance? I had insurance... I'm not an idiot, but dang, they"re out there already?

"I can see your wheels turning. You know Dad. He's not good at being idle. He had no doubt you"d wake up, so he wanted to start the process of getting the claim done, so when you"re out of here, you can rebuild. He"s been going home to shower every day."

"More water?" I ask.

Again, he holds the cup to my lips as I sip.

"Have you showered?" I tease gently, a hint of a smile tugging at my lips.

"I love you, Atlas, but you look like hell." I smirk.

He chuckles. "You put me through hell, woman. I can"t leave. I"ve taken a hobo bath in the sink here, but that"s it. I couldn"t leave until I saw your eyes."

Damn, this man is amazing. I wish he'd taken care of himself, but I love how big his heart is. I close my eyes and listen to the TV as Atlas strokes my thumb with his, never letting go.

Alone in the room now,the doctor"s departure leaves me with a sense of relief. I"ve been given the all-clear to go home, as long as I promise to rest and hydrate. They kept me under observation overnight last night after I woke up, just to be safe, monitoring my stats in case of any complications. But aside from a concussion and some smoke inhalation, I"m deemed fit to leave.

Ripley is taking me home since Atlas went to shower and grab some things from the store he insisted we needed. Apparently, he"s not leaving my side until I"m cleared to go back to work.

I have to come back in a week for a checkup, but if everything is good, I can work, just not exert myself because my lungs need to strengthen themselves again.

"Ready, Sloane?" Rip asks, entering the room and pushing a wheelchair.

"Yup, take me home, Daddy," I tease, biting my lip.

"The doctor said no exerting yourself, little girl. Don"t tempt me," he growls playfully.

Rip arrived not long after I woke up last night, bearing news that the insurance is sorted, and once the check arrives, I can begin to rebuild. Plans for a new, bigger, and better bar with a kitchen are already forming.

Also the new name was going to be The Ale-mentary School which I thought was punny and hilarious. But now that I've survived, I want everyone to know I did. I've decided to name the bar Soot Spirits.

Ripley was not amused, but Atlas thought it was amazing.

The police also paid a visit, taking my statement, and they did apprehend Trina, who now faces charges of arson and attempted murder. I can't wait to testify against her in court, so she knows who got the last laugh. It sure wasn't her.

Kevin sent a huge edible arrangement, sending his deepest sympathies and guilt, but he"s enjoying a vacation with his ex-wife… which about had me out cold again because who knew he was even married once... not me.

As I recover and rebuild, I"ll be assisting Rip at his office, handling the design of Soot Spirits while lending a hand at Duttin Construction.

And there's the matter of suing Trina for the emotional and financial damage she's caused. Branson called in a favor and had his lawyer, Jonas, contact me. Jonas is a fucking barracuda in the courtroom and thinks I have a good chance at getting a chunk of change. Apparently, Trina's parents are loaded and want this to go away and not tarnish their name.

Again,what the hell?

Lennox Fields, the firefighter who rescued me, also visited before the doctor this morning. He said this was his last shift before he left Detroit and he"s so glad it turned out okay. He"s headed to the East Coast to be closer to his nephew and the baby's mom. Lennox is a talker but so nice, and honestly, he saved me, so I"d listen to him read an encyclopedia.

"Come on, Sloane. I"ve got everything, and I"m ready to get the fuck out of here," Rip declares, taking my hand.

I follow him to the waiting wheelchair, feeling a surge of anticipation as he wheels me down to his truck. Home beckons, a sanctuary where I can begin to heal and rebuild, and I can't fucking wait to sleep in my bed.

Rip"sgentle hand guides me out of the truck and up the porch steps. The house is quiet as we step inside, and for a moment, I wonder if Atlas has returned yet. But then I remember seeing his truck parked at the curb, so he must be around somewhere, perhaps in the shower.

As soon as I enter, the delicious aroma of Cinnabons greets my senses, my absolute favorite treat, especially if they're drenched in icing.

My mouth waters, and I can"t help but smile as I take in the familiar surroundings of our home.

I was so wrapped up in the bar that I haven't had time to get furniture or decor and I just can't wait to fill this space with touches of me.

"Where"s Atlas?" I ask, scanning the room for any sign of him.

"I"m right here, baby." His voice comes from the kitchen, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"You were so quiet, I thought you were napping or something," I say, chuckling softly.

"No, I was working on a little surprise for you," he replies, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Do you wanna see?"

"Yes," I whisper.

He takes my hand and my heart warms at the fact that my other hand is still enveloped in Rip's. I eagerly follow Atlas into the backyard, wondering what he's done now.

As we approach the back door, Rip covers my eyes playfully.

"While we were gone at the hospital, I had a landscape company fix up the backyard. No more rainforest back here for us." Atlas laughs, and the sound goes straight to my core.

Is sex with two men considered strenuous? Because I want both of them and need to find a way to make that happen ASAP.

When Rip finally removes his hands, I"m met with a breathtaking sight. The once overgrown and neglected yard has been transformed into a beautiful oasis. The grass is neatly trimmed, and the flower beds burst with vibrant blooms and white rock.

"It"s amazing," I whisper.

A throat clearing has me looking back to Atlas, and I drop to my knees, tears filling my eyes.

Atlas, the boy I loved as a teenager, is now a man on one knee, presenting me with a ring.

"Sloane, you are the beat of my heart. The air in my lungs. You own my soul. There will never be someone who makes me as happy as you do. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" he asks, his voice filled with emotion.

Overwhelmed with joy, I throw my arms around him, tears of happiness streaming down my cheeks. "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!"

I kiss him and together we stand. But a realization slams into me.

"Wait. No, hold on. I can't marry you," I tell him and my heart starts to crack.

"Why not?"

"I'm in love with your dad, too. Marrying you wouldn't be fair to him, to you. Hell… to me. I don't want to choose one over the other. I can't. I won't."

Atlas smiles and spins me around where Rip is waiting on one knee with another ring in a velvet box.

"Sloane, I didn"t think I"d ever be doing this again, let alone with you, let alone with my son," he says, his voice trembling with emotion. "I don't care about the age or Ali, or that I have to share you with my son. I want to grow old with you. Or at least have you watch me grow old. I can't lose you and this showed me just how much of an idiot I've been. Will you marry me, too?"

My heart swells with love as I nod eagerly. "Yes, Rip, yes!"

He stands and I jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around him. "I love you both so much."

Rip sets me down and slides his ring onto my right ring finger, while Atlas is on my left, and I can"t help but feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

I get a case of the giggles, remembering how I have my own news to share and how nervous I was this morning.

"What's so funny, Little Girl?" Rip asks, swatting my ass.

"I'm glad you proposed and that you're now stuck with me, because I really didn't want to raise this baby alone." I run a hand over my belly.

Rip's eyes widen, his face pales to that of a ghost, and he faints.

I look at Atlas, who's beaming from ear to ear. Quickly, he steps over his dad's form and swoops me up, spinning me around in a circle.

"Are you for fucking real? I thought you were on the pill?"

"So fucking real." I laugh. "The weekend of the auction was intense and, well… I forgot to take the pills. The doctor told me this morning while your dad was getting the truck. He said he wanted to tell me before, but someone was always in the room and neither of you would leave me alone. It's super early, but we're having a baby. Are you mad?"

"No, I'm ecstatic. I'm gonna be a dad!"

Rip stirs and stands up.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. I just. Holy shit. I didn't think I'd ever have another kid and now they're going to be twenty-five years apart."

"Yeah. Wait till we have to explain that to him or her." I shrug.

"We need to celebrate," Atlas interrupts. "And I know just the thing." He wiggles his brows at me and picks me up, carrying me into the house and up to our room.

He sits me on the bed and begins to undress.

"I'm going to put another baby in you right now," he purrs, and I smile as my belly warms.

"Are you going to find out who the father is?" Rip asks as he enters the room.

"Yeah. When the baby is here, that way I know who needs to help make the next one." I lick my lips, taking in the men before me.

Atlas crawls onto the bed and leans in to kiss me.

"Hey, Dad?" he asks in between kisses.

"Yeah."

"So is this baby gonna call you Dad or Grandpa?" He barks a laugh at the same time a pillow smacks him upside the back of the head.

"You little shit."