27. Scott

27

SCOTT

“ D amn it.” I muttered under my breath as I fell back and let my arms fall to my sides.

Ryland scooted toward the edge of the bed and started to stand. “Should we go?”

“Where?” I scoffed and rubbed the grit from my eyes. I ached for Arthur and the sudden turn of events. He’d been trying to get Megan to join him for Christmas for years, and she’d turned him down repeatedly. How was he supposed to even suspect that she’d show up, especially after the rather hateful rejection she’d given him when he asked a month ago? He wanted a relationship with Megan, but her mother’s constant bashing of Arthur pushed her further and further away.

Hannah tugged the covers up to her chin. “That was embarrassing.”

I didn’t feel her shame, though I probably should have a little more regret that Megan had caught us all naked. “She’ll get over it. Maybe.” I rolled over to face Hannah. “When will you find out the genders?” It still struck me with a bolt of joy every few minutes. I was going to be a dad.

Twins. Hannah was pregnant with twins.

A goofy smile appeared on Ryland’s face. He flopped back onto the bed and stroked Hannah’s hip beneath the sheet.

“Not for a couple more months.” The tightness around her eyes eased beneath Ryland’s touch.

I stretched out my arm and placed a pillow in the crook of my shoulder, then patted it, inviting Hannah to move closer. I’d never been good at pillow talk. I left women too quick for deep confessions following sex. Things were different with Hannah.

“I’m glad you finally told us.”

“It would’ve been hard to hide it much longer.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh and rubbed her stomach. “I’m sorry I waited so long. I should have told you all as soon as I knew. You deserved to know you were going to be fathers.”

Fathers. She said it easily, like it didn’t turn my world upside down in the best possible way. “I’m going to be a father.” I said it out loud, just to hear it in my own voice.

“We all are.” Ryland set his chin on Hannah’s shoulder. He still wore the goofy smile. “Two babies.” He stopped grinning. “Does Liddy know?”

“Not yet. I’m not sure how to tell her either. She’s a bit young to understand, but I need to prepare her for all the changes that are coming.” Hannah inched closer to me, her head sliding over the pillow until our noses almost touched. “These babies are ours. All of ours. I hope you all feel the same way.”

“I do.” I reassured her with a swift kiss. “There’s no need worrying about paternity. All three of us are their dads.”

She hugged me in obvious relief. “They’re going to be so loved.”

“You have no idea.” Ryland flipped onto his back and raised both hands into the air. “I can see it now. A nursery on the other side of your rooms. We’ll all have baby monitors. We can take shifts to make sure Hannah gets the rest she needs. Scott is on diaper duty.”

“Hey.” I reached across Hannah to smack him on the arm.

Hannah laughed into my chest. “I can’t wait to see all of you trying to change diapers. Talk about a disaster.”

“Arthur’s done it before. Why can’t he be on diaper duty?” I asked Ryland.

“Because I want to see you freak out and gag.” Ryland shot his answer back at me with a punch to the thigh.

Being a father never crossed my mind until Hannah came along. I’d always been careful. I didn’t fault any of us for this change in our situation, though. Having kids was the kind of thing I’d avoided after seeing what happened with Arthur and Megan. It wasn’t worth the heartache, the risk of having them torn away.

Kids, small and innocent as they were, laid my heart bare. I’d do anything for Liddy, Hannah, and these babies. It had taken Hannah mentioning Chad to bring me to that solid conclusion. I’d not realized how deeply I felt about them until she brought up Chad’s request to see Liddy. The man deserved a kick in the balls, not visitation rights. “I want to be more than a father to these babies.” I circled her naval with my index finger. “I’d like to be Liddy’s father too.”

“Me too.” Ryland flipped back onto his side. He’d been happier these last few weeks than I’d seen him in years. We all were.

“Arthur too,” I reassured Hannah before she asked. “He’s over the moon about your pregnancy. He might not show it, but he is excited. He’ll want to be a big part of their lives. He missed out on so much with Megan, and he’s trying to make up for it.”

“I’m glad he is.” Hannah’s lashes fluttered. She’d mentioned food earlier, but the dark rings around her eyes said she needed sleep, too. We’d kept her up all hours of the night, and even though we all knew Deena would keep an eye on Liddy, Hannah would want to check on her daughter soon. She looked past me to the door. “Do you think she’ll talk to him?”

“Not yet.” I’d been around for a few of their squabbles. Megan liked to say her piece then bolt. Arthur’s slow reactions fed into Megan’s beliefs that he didn’t care about her, a cycle her mother perpetuated at every opportunity.

“I hate that for him. And for her.” Hannah kept her gaze trained on the door.

Arthur wouldn’t return for a while, if at all. If Megan shot him down and ran away again, he’d retreat to his quarters to lick his wounds and languish in his pain.

“I wish I’d met her under different circumstances.” Hannah picked at the edge of the sheet and ducked her head. “I feel bad for contributing to the contention between them.”

“It was bound to happen anyway.” Ryland rushed to reassure her before I thought of a response. “Did you see how she barged in here? What eighteen year old tears into her dad’s bedroom like that? She was looking for something to fight about. If it wasn’t us in bed together, it would have been something else.”

“Maybe this will shock her enough to shut up her mother’s voice in her head.” I let my thoughts fall out of my mouth. I did some of my best thinking out loud. Hearing the words solidified the possibilities and brought a sense of purpose.

Hannah’s heel dragged up and down the back of my calf. If she kept that up much longer, we’d end up having a different kind of conversation. “You really think so?” she asked.

“I hope to God he’s right.” Ryland stood and pulled on his pants. With a lingering look toward Hannah, he bundled up his hair in a low knot. “Damn. I wish I’d brought my camera.”

“Why?” Hannah looked at him over her shoulder.

The man almost turned to goo on the spot. “For that shot right there. You’re a damned goddess wrapped in silk.” He brought a knee up onto the bed and mimed clicking a camera. “That’ll have to do until I set up a proper shoot.”

“You’re not photographing me naked.” Shock lifted her from the bed, and even as she clasped the sheets to her chest, I spotted her nipples hardening through the smooth fabric.

Ryland’s grin had a dangerous edge. “Not naked. Boudoir. Some lacy lingerie and dim lights.” He kissed his fingers and raised them to the ceiling. “Perfection.”

“You’re just trying to distract me from Megan.” Hannah called her shots like she saw them. When she wasn’t worried about our reactions, she had a smart mouth and a quick wit that drew me in time after time. “You get to see me naked all the time. You don’t need a picture.”

“Maybe not. But I still want one.” Ryland tugged the sheet away from her.

Her breathing turned short. “I want to talk about Megan, not have sex.”

I barked out a short laugh. “She got you, Ryland. Might as well give her what she wants.”

Satisfied Ryland would stop trying to distract her, Hannah tucked a pillow behind her head and relaxed on my shoulder. “She’s not like that all the time, right? That would be exhausting.”

I rolled onto my back, bringing her with me. “Megan has always been this way. She blows in like a hurricane, throws a tantrum, then storms out again.” We’d witnessed it time after time. It always left Arthur wrecked. We’d need to head down soon and try to pull him from his funk. Hannah’s presence had the potential to change things. He’d never reacted to a woman the way he did with her. He’d always been careful, but he opened up to Hannah. We all did.

“That’s sad.” Her sorrow pulled me back to the conversation. Hannah traced a line down the center of my chest. Her stomach growled long and low. “Is there anything we can do?”

I loved her concern and her willingness to jump into any situation to try and make it better. “Let’s start by getting you something to eat. We’ll plot over pancakes and bacon.”

Her stomach rumbled again, and she wiggled her way over my legs to the edge of the bed. “I’m going to shower first, then see if Liddy wants to join us.”

“We’ll go down the back hallway in case Megan and Arthur are still going after each other.” Honestly, it would be a surprise, but I’d seen stranger things happen. I checked the time. “She’ll be tormenting him, making him feel guilty for not finding a way to fix his marriage to her mom.”

Hannah stopped mid-step, the robe halfway around her body. It draped down one arm, the belt looping easily over her stomach and leaving her breasts exposed. “You’re kidding.” When I remained quiet, she padded over to the bed and sat down on the edge. “Scott, please tell me you’re joking.”

I sat up with a groan. “I can’t.” Standing, I knocked the robe to the floor, swept her into my arms, and carried her to the bathroom.

“I have legs. They work and everything,” She kicked them for emphasis, reminding me of our first time together by the pool. It lightened the dark mood that had crept into the room with Megan’s sudden appearance and brought a smile to both mine and Ryland’s faces.

“Your legs need a break.” I carried her into the shower and sat us both down on the bench, grinning at her frown. “No sex. I promise we’ll only shower and then go find food. After that, Arthur will need us.”

Hannah twisted in my grip. “Should we go to him first?”

“Not yet.” Ryland turned on the water and gathered up the soap and a soft cloth. He lathered up Hannah’s back and down her arms. “Give him an hour or so.”

“Why?” Hannah asked questions the same way Liddy did, with a wide-eyed wonder and curiosity that demanded answers. “He’s hurting. Maybe I can help.”

“He may or may not let you.” I took the shampoo and worked it into her hair. “Arthur is private with his emotions. He’s let you in, but this is a sensitive subject for him.” I had to tell her the whole truth or she’d run out of here and be in Arthur’s office in a blink. “He’ll be ashamed, Hannah. And when Arthur is ashamed, he lashes out. Give him a chance to pull himself together, then we’ll all go.”

“The way he acted when he found out you were Henry’s daughter is a close example,” Ryland said as he knelt and washed her front, his touch lingering over her stomach. “Close, but not the same. Ramp it up about ten times and that’s how he’ll be now.”

Hannah blinked, locked eyes with Ryland, and gripped my hand in both of hers. “That’s awful. We have to do something. If I can’t talk to Arthur, maybe I can talk to Megan, explain things.”

“You’re better off trying to tell a building it can be an airplane.” Ryland softened his tone when Hannah made a soft noise of protest. “I want it to be different, I really do, but this is normal for Arthur.”

I thumbed away the trickle of tears. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Welcome to your first holiday season at the crazy house.”