Page 24 of Double Mountain Men

“I think Misty didn’t tell us because she couldn’t find us, bro. We used fake names, and you know how those services are. Sweet Lies wasn’t going to give up our real identities just because a girlclaims to be pregnant. Hell, they’re probably used to that ploy. Except, it was real in our case.”

“Are you sure the baby’s ours?” Barrett asks. I raise a dark eyebrow at my friend through the screen.

“Would it matter if he wasn’t?”

My buddy stops to consider for a moment because the truth is that we’ve been in love with Misty Earnshaw for two years now. The moment her car left the cabin, we knew we’d made a big mistake. She was the ray of sunshine we’d been missing from our lives, and the piece of the puzzle that completed us. She was the remedy for years of mindless fucking and sucking, trashing women’s bodies without any emotion. Of course, there’s a place and time for that kind of shit, but Misty rendered it unpalatable. We weren’t interested anymore, and definitely not after we’d had a taste of the real thing.

We had half a mind to call her back, and to try and establish some kind of connection, but why would she want us? We destroyed Misty’s innocence, and not only that, but humiliated her in the process.

Plus, the young girl deserves better than two asshole motherfuckers who did what we did. She deserves a man who will kiss the ground that she walks on, and who will give her a sweet life, complete with babies and a house with a white picket fence. Me and Barrett, by contrast? Shit, we’re old. We’re grizzled, hardened, and cynical, with a shit ton of baggage. Misty deserves rainbows and smiles, and not the cold, hard realities of being with two older men.

But now, everything’s changed. The curvy girl is back, and even more beautiful than before. She’s tired too, from life as a singlemother to a newborn, and there’s no way we’re going to let her continue to struggle. There’s no way we’ll let our son grow up as the poor kid in his class, with patched clothes while drinking government-issued milk. He and Misty deserve more. Hell, they deserve everything, and we’re going to make sure they get it.

“So what do we do?” Barrett asks, his question somewhat rhetorical.

“We’re going to have a talk with her,” I growl, frowning as I contemplate possibilities. “Then, we’re going to turn the life of Miss Misty Earnshaw upside-down ... whether she’s ready or not.”

13

Misty

Aharsh knock sounds on the door to my apartment, and I take a deep breath. The baby’s asleep in the back room, thank god, and I had ten minutes to clean-up as best I could.

Of course, there’s no hiding the fact that my fifth-floor walk-up is shabby. The windowsills sag, the windows themselves are dirty, and there’s a water stain in one corner of the ceiling. The kitchen isn’t really a separate room either; it’s just a fridge and a stove lined up against the wall, in front of which I’ve placed a sofa and a table. But this is home for me and Sylvester, and Barrett and Chris can deal.

After all, I’m not going to be cowed by the two alpha males. I don’t care that they’re CEO’s with buckets of money, as well as power and influence. I’m a mama bear and I’m going to do everything to protect my baby, even from his own fathers.

With that, I straighten my shoulders and stride over to the door before opening it. For a moment, words escape me because Cross and Barrett are gorgeous. I’d forgotten how tall they are, with black heads almost brushing the door frame, and they’re broad too. They seem to take up all the room in the tiny landing in front of my apartment. Meanwhile, I look like a mess. My blonde tresses are scraped back into a messy ponytail, and there’s not a smidge of make-up on my face. Not only that, but I’m dressed in loose sweats that hide my voluptuous figure. I’m basically the opposite of sexy.

But the men’s eyes roam up and my curves, as if they can see through the thick material, and Barrett’s eyes gleam. Chris licks his lips ever so slightly, and immediately, my womanly senses go into high drive. These men think I’m attractive, even at my worst. They think I’m built for them, with my big breasts, wide hips, and thick thighs, which is true because I’ve already had their son.

“Come in,” I manage in a steady tone while holding the door open. “Please be quiet because Sylvester’s sleeping.”

Barrett and Chris step into my tiny apartment, and it’s almost comical to see the two huge alpha male in such a small space. But their expressions don’t change at my shabby furnishings, although they do look around for Sylvester’s crib.

“Where is he?” Barrett whispers. I nod, holding a finger to my lips.

“I’ll take you in to see him. But just for a second.”

Then, I open the door to the bedroom, and we step inside the darkness to peer at the sleeping baby. Little Silly is even more adorable than usual, snoozing peacefully with both of his littlehands in loose fists by his head. He breathes in and out, his dark curls askew as the nightlight glows from one corner.

Barrett inhales sharply, his gaze fixed on the child as emotion fills his eyes. He stares at Sylvester for a long moment, and then nods.

“That’s my son,” he rasps. “My other sons, Brandon and Brent, looked just like that as babies too.”

I nod before ushering the men back into the main room, and then shut the door to the bedroom quietly.

“So how can I help you?” I ask abruptly. “I don’t think there’s any need to beat around the bush because everything’s already been said and done. We’re parents to a child, and I won’t compromise Sylvester’s happiness. He’s mine.”

The two men share a look and then nod.

“Of course he’s yours,” Cross says in a low voice.

“You’ve done a wonderful job caring for the child,” Barrett adds, his tone soothing. “But we’d like to be a part of his life as well.

I nod sharply, crossing my arms over my chest in a defensive position.

“I think we can figure something out,” I say in a clipped tone. “What were you thinking?”

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