Page 52 of Secret Baby for the Triplets

“I’ll keep my phone in my pocket on vibrate,” he teases, hopping off the porch. “Oh, who am I kidding? I do that anyway.”

“Okay, well, I get it now.” Mae watches him leave. “Do they all look like that?”

“Yep,” I sigh. “All three of them.”

Mae screams again, and I bury my face in my hands.

“Stop it!” I beg her.

“I’m sorry!” Mae moans. “But you are so screwed!”

“So screwed,” I agree. “Now you see my dilemma.”

CHAPTER14

Brock

“Oh, for the love of God, Toby, will you please hurry the fuck up!”

I’m losing patience with both my brothers and the entire night in general. It’s on the tip of my tongue to throw the entire night’s plans in the trash, but I don’t dare yet. These social obligations are part of the business, but if Toby takes much longer, I might just throw him in the garbage.

“I’m coming,” he insists, hurrying around the corner of the bedroom hallway in his tux.

To my surprise, he looks pretty damn good. It’s been a while since he’s dressed up in a real suit. Usually, he’s a wrinkled, rumpled mess. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a lipstick stain on his collar most nights, even this early.

“Did you hire a stylist or something?” I joke. “You almost look good.”

Owen follows him out and nods in agreement. “Emerson got him situated.”

“Ah!” Maybe I should get Emerson to do all our pre-party planning from here on out. “Is she here?”

I don’t mean to sound so hopeful, but I wish she’d change her mind about joining us tonight. I want nothing more than to dress her up in an evening gown and take her out on my arm to this fundraiser.

“I’m here,” she sings, trailing out of Toby’s room.

To my disappointment, she’s in a pair of sweatpants, her auburn hair pinned in a messy bun on top of her head. She’s not going to any fundraiser.

“You sure we can’t convince you to join us tonight?” I cajole her. “I’m sure you’d look pretty as a picture all dolled up.”

She gives me an odd look, a smirk touching the edges of her lips. “No, thanks.”

“We’ll take you out somewhere better than a fundraiser before the baby comes,” Toby promises with a chuckle. “Brock wouldn’t know a good time if it punched him in the face.”

“You’re welcome to hang out here tonight,” Owen offers. “We have a better entertainment system than the coach house—and more streaming services.”

“Or you could go by the bunkhouse,” Toby adds worriedly. “Be around people.”

“I’ll be fine,” Emerson tells them quickly. “But maybe I will stay here, if you don’t mind.”

My brothers look to me for confirmation, and I hesitate, thinking of what the staff might think if they saw her here, but I shove the thought away. I’d rather have her here than alone in the coach house if anything were to happen.

“You’re fine here,” I agree. “And we won’t be late. We’re just going to make a quick appearance and come home.”

“Help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge.”

“If you’re tired, you can sleep in my bed, darlin’,” Toby adds, winking suggestively.

“Or mine,” Owen tells her.

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