"You have time. I came here for a week and knew that this is where I wanted to spend my life. I felt these men touch my heart, one after another."
"And your body," a voice says from behind us. The triplets William, Walker, and Wade amble into the room, grinning.
"Didn't your momma teach you to knock?" Danna says with a scowl. "Sorry, Maggie."
"We didn't hear anything," one of them says.
"Except that we touched your heart," another one smiles.
"And then Wade here had to go and lower the tone."
"Wade is always lowering the tone," Danna smiles. "So, Maggie is asking me about how our thing works. Is there anything you want to tell her?"
The boys slump down on the couch opposite, their legs spread wide. With blond hair and light brown eyes, they're striking to look at, but it's their broad shoulders and big hands that would set my heart fluttering if they weren't already married to my cousin. "Well, it wasn't our first choice of home setup," Wade says. "But then Danna seduced us all, and men are foolish when it comes to women and sex, and the rest is history."
Danna snorts with laughter, and Wade's brother thumps him on the shoulder. "That's our wife you're talking about."
"Yeah, I know," Wade says.
The other triplet leans forward. "I think what William is trying to say is that it started with our momma and Danna cookin' up a crazy idea, and then Danna trying to get us all on side, but it's ended up being the best setup we could have hoped for. Danna's amazing. Our family is settled. The ranch is in safe hands, and we have babies on the way. We couldn't ask for more."
"Doesn't it get tough to live with your brothers like this… don't you get jealous?" I ask, fascinated to hear it from their side.
"Would I like more alone time with Danna?" William asks. "Hell yeah. There is hardly ever a time for us to have a one-on-one conversation, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons."
I nod, feeling reassured for my cousin. It's not only her that's happy with the unusual relationship they have. Each of these men seems to appreciate the benefits, too. Danna takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. "You know what, honey. It's all going to work out. I have a feeling in my bones."
Wade shakes his head. "Beware, Maggie. Danna's feelings usually get us all into trouble."
Danna's about to respond when my phone begins to ring in my purse. I pull it out and glance at the caller ID, not recognizing the number. "Hello."
"Maggie?" The voice on the other end is deep and slightly familiar.
"Yes."
"It's John. I just wanted to check you were okay. Did you get to your cousin's?"
"Oh, hey John. Yeah. I'm here now."
"That's good," he says. "Are you coming back tomorrow?"
"I am. I'm going to leave after breakfast."
"Okay. We'll all be here. Lunch is at 1 pm."
Lunch? How domesticated. "Okay. I'll be there."
I hang up the phone feeling a little awkward, all eyes in the room on me. "They're checking up on you. That's a good sign," Danna says.
"Those are basic human skills," William says, rolling his eyes.
"You're right, but you'd be surprised at how many guys don't possess those skills. You guys have been raised properly by your parents. Some men don't have that good example."
"Danna's right," I say, thinking about Justin and the way his fist cracked against the wall. His instinct on hearing that he'd created life was to bloody his own knuckles. The hairs stand on the back of my neck as the memory slips through me like black ink.
More of Danna's men start arriving at the barn, their eyes hollowed from a long day of ranch work. Danna must see it, too, because she begins to shuffle into a standing position, heaving herself up by resting her hands on the fronts of her thighs. Being pregnant with twins looks like hard work.
For the first time, I consider the possibility that I could be carrying more than one baby. I don't know much about Justin's family to know if there are multiple births. The thought sends a shudder of bleakness through me that I immediately feel guilty for. None of us can help being conceived. No one deserves to be carried by a mother thinking negative thoughts.
"I'll take you back to the house to get you settled into one of the spare rooms. I've prepared the one I stayed in when I first arrived. It's so pretty."
"Okay, thanks." I stand, too, feeling the eyes of ten men on me. "It was great meeting you all, and thank you for your hospitality."
"You're welcome back any time," York says. "Danna's family is our family."
I nod in acceptance, feeling humbled down to my marrow. As I follow Danna to the main house, I wonder at how this set of circumstances has brought so many new people into my life, just at a time when I need the support.