Page 170 of Three Pucks and a Baby

Theo sucked in a breath. “Did the paternity results come in?”

“No. It was about my career.”

As she made quick work of her omelet, Vivian filled the guys in on her news.

Bennett leaned down and kissed her cheek. “That’s fucking amazin’, Pretty Woman.”

She beamed at his praise. “Sounds like we’ll be starting our new jobs around the same time.”

As a marketing major, Bennett had taken a job for a firm in Cambridge. He’d have about a forty-five-minute commute twice a day, but the salary was too good to turn down.

I was currently on paternity leave from my job. I’d managed to wrangle it during my last semester at Southeastern. Since it was in computer science, I would be able to do some work from home.

When Griffin let out a little wail against my chest, I eased him out of the sling. “I think someone is ready for some milk.”

Vivian snorted. “Of course he is. He’s always wanting milk.”

Theo grinned. “He’s a man after my own heart with his love of titties.”

With a shriek of horror, Vivian replied, “Don’t talk like that about him.”

Chuckling, Theo gave her a quick kiss. “You love me no matter what.”

“Somehow I do,” she mused.

After easing Griffin into Vivian’s arms, I went back to the stove to cook more eggs for the guys.

With Griffin in one arm, Vivian continued scrolling on her phone. At her gasp, we all whirled around.

“What?” Theo demanded.

She held out her phone to us. “The results are back.”

All the air in the room whooshed out, and I fought to breathe. As I stared at Griffin nursing, I couldn’t believe we were just a few seconds from finding out who was the real father. After snapping out of my stupor, I shifted the eggs off the heat and then turned to give Vivian my full attention.

She eyed the three of us. “Ready?”

“Absolutely,” Theo replied.

“I’ve been ready since the day the last test came back inconclusive,” Bennett admitted with a sheepish grin.

Nodding, I replied, “Me too.”

“And it won’t change anything, right?” Vivian questioned softly.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a thousand times: not being Griffin’s biological dad doesn't change anything,” Theo said.

Nodding, Bennett replied, “I won’t love that little guy anymore or any less if I find out he’s mine.”

I wanted more than anything to be as steadfast as Bennett and Theo. I wanted to believe that knowing Griff wasn’t mine wouldn’t change anything. Deep down, I knew it would.

More than anything in the world, I wanted the little guy to be mine.

Maybe it was because a tiny part of me felt like the third wheel of the group. I mean, Theo and Bennett had their thing, and Vivian had her thing with all of us. But, I didn’t have anyone else.

Forcing a smile on my face, I said, “Damn straight.”

Vivian’s shaky hand clicked on the email. My breath hitched as I watched her furiously reading the email. And then she froze.

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