Beck grunted. “And?”
“You don’t want me to sleep somewhere else?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Winnie, have you not been listening?”
“We love you.” Sawyer gestured towards the fruit. “We’re having a baby. Your days of sleeping alone are over. Hope you’re okay with that. Now eat the damn fruit.”
“And don’t slap it out of my hand again. That was a Birdie move.” Narrowing his eyes, Beck slowly shook his head. “I’m starting to worry that some of her attitude comes straight from her mother.”
"Wait." I took a deep breath and stepped away from them so I could say what I needed to say without them stopping me. "There's something else."
They all seemed to sigh in unison. I could tell they were exhausted and just needed a break. My heart told me they needed something else, too, though. They didn't just need an apology. The thing about my parents' love was that it wasn't just Dad being an active participant. Mom loved him hard and she showed him. I remembered watching her walk up behind him and whisper that she loved him, just because. I remembered the way his eyes always lit up when she did.
If I was going to accept a love like my dad's, I was going to give a love like my mom's. "If you aren't ready to hear about my love, I won't push it. I do want to tell y'all that, beyond being sorry, I've never been happier to be wrong about something. I've wanted this since the first night I met you three. Having you three love me and want me, even when you're mad, is everything I never dared to dream of.
"I want you. Each of you. Not having you over the last few weeks has been the worst time of my life. I don't ever want to experience that again. When you're ready, I'd like to tell each of you just how much I love you and what you mean to me." I sucked in a sharp breath at the love shining back at me from their eyes. "Just so there's no confusion, I am choosing each of you. Even if I am struggling with feeling deserving of it, I'd really love to be taken to bed now."
52
Sawyer
“Yourex-wifeishere.If she causes an issue again, I’ll find a way to ban her from the damn state.” Beck sat on a patio chair across from me and pulled his shades over his eyes. “Tell her to behave.”
I looked towards the house and frowned. I’d made it abundantly clear to Stacey the last time we spoke that I wanted nothing to do with her on a personal level. We could be cordial because of the kids, if and when she made things right with Winnie, but that was it. “I’m not her keeper.”
Jack stretched his legs out in front of him, never removing his eyes from where Winnie was sitting with the kids in the sun, reading them a story. It was hard for any of us to look away from her, not when she was still walking around like she didn’t belong. “You don’t want me talking to her.”
I let out a frustrated growl and pushed out of my chair. “Fucking hell.”
Stacey stood just inside the back door, her arms crossed over her chest. She didn’t smile when I met her eyes, but instead looked past me at Winnie and nodded. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you fell for her. I was never nice enough for you.”
I leaned against the door and watched as Winnie gestured while raising her voice, making the kids cheer. “It’s not about you, Stacey.”
“She’s fucking Snow White. It always pissed me off at school, but I guess if the boys are going to have someone around them, I’d prefer it be a Disney princess over a villain. At least I know she would never bad mouth me to them.” Clearing her throat, she stepped out onto the patio and waved to Nick and Silas. “I need your girlfriend back at work.”
I turned to her and gave her a questioning look. “Why?”
“Turns out the school board has a thing for fairy tale art teachers, too. I need her back.” Stacey uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips. “Either she comes back or I’m fired, Saw.”
I tried to contain a smile as I looked back at Winnie. She’d rescinded her acceptance of the teaching job as soon as she decided to stay with us. She wanted to teach, but she was already fully committed to our family. It went a long way towards easing the pain she’d caused, but I didn’t want her to suffer. If she could teach in her original position without the stress of Stacey being an asshole to her, she’d be over the moon.
“Will you talk to her?”
“Stacey, you’re going to have to do it yourself.” I waved to Winnie when she looked up and saw me with Stacey. “You’d better make it worth her while, I guess.”
Winnie climbed to her feet and pressed kisses to the kids’ heads before coming over. She was barely over four months pregnant, but the kid was going to be a big one. It felt like she’d gone from not showing at all to visibly pregnant in a matter of minutes.
When she reached my side, she gently rested her hand on my arm and gave Stacey an unsure smile. “Stacey, hi. I’ve been meaning to reach out to you and make sure you know how sorry I am about the stunt Winnie and Olive pulled at the pool. No matter what, it was uncalled for.”
I wanted to glare at her hand for being so hesitant in touching me. Since we’d brought her back to us, she’d been so delicate in everything she did. The only time she touched us like before was when she slept. When her brain was at rest, her body clung to ours. It hadn’t been long since everything had come to a head, but I wanted her to relax and be our Winnie again.
“Oh, um. Thanks. I actually have something else to talk to you about.”
Winnie smiled and nodded. “Sure. Let’s go inside. I’m dying of thirst and I’m craving a lemonade.”
I kissed the side of her head before letting her pass me. “You aren’t too hot, are you?”
She made a face and shook her head. “I’m fine.”