Page 75 of Christmas with my Three Best Friends

“It was worth it, though,” Jax adds.

I shake my head slowly. “It’s okay. Logan let me sleep until seven, if you can believe that.”

“Who, Sleeping Beau over there? I can’t believe it!” Richard exclaims in faux shock.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, eyeing them both.

Richard nods enthusiastically. “And then some. I’m glad you’re here, actually. Why don’t we step into your office for a hot minute? Sarah can keep an eye on Logan in the meantime.”

“Can you?” I ask Sarah, who’s already stepping away from the reception desk to take charge of my baby’s carrier. “Thanks, babe.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. He’s such a good little boy! Just like his dad.” She gives Marius a friendly wink. “Though his dad talks a little too much too early in the morning. His dad could take a page out of his book on this one.”

We laugh as Marius, Richard, and Jax join me in my office. Sarah’s a good sitter, though she’s only had Logan for an hour or two, tops, while I’m at the gym and without a babysitter available at home. I do insist on paying her a little something extra, out of my own pocket, when she does babysit. I’m never worried, thank the stars.

The guys remain standing close to my desk as I go over to the large window and pull the shades back to let some sun in. Seattle’s late springs are as capricious as ever, with a blue sky occasionally cluttered with passing rain clouds. It’s unseasonably warm, too, though I don’t mind the heat as long as it’s the dry kind.

“Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?” I ask as I turn around to face my guys.

Only, they’re each holding something and smiling broadly as they give me a moment to understand what’s going on. Richard shows me a small, pale blue velvet box—upon opening it, I recognize a splendid sapphire and diamond bracelet I’d seen not that long ago. Marius’s red velvet box reveals a stunning white gold and diamond ring. The kind a guy proposes with. And Jax opens his dark blue box to offer me a sapphire and diamond necklace that matches Richard’s bracelet.

“Whoa…” I manage, barely whispering. “What is this?”

“What does it look like?” Marius asks. His voice trembles slightly, and I know he’s struggling to keep his emotions under control. “It’s not like we could get you three engagement rings. They would’ve looked tacky as hell on your finger.”

I burst into laughter and tears at the same time, having lost my words entirely. My heart is thumping as I process this moment and realize this is it. The next step of my evolution, of our evolution as a family. It’s crazy, yes. It’s unprecedented, yes. But it’s also a natural progression. It makes sense. It’s been working out so beautifully between us, why not make it somewhat official?

“Marry us,” Richard says. “Legally, sure, you’d be marrying Marius alone, but Shay… Marry us. We’re ready. We want to be your husbands, we want you to be our wife. We’ve got a son. We’ll probably make a couple more. I know I’d love a red-haired little girl to keep Logan busy growing up.”

“And we’re already doing everything a married couple does, anyway,” Jax adds. “I love you, Shay.”

“I love you,” Marius says. “We love you. We want to spend the rest of our days with you, baby.”

“What do you say?” Richard asks, his eyebrows arched with anticipation.

I stare at them, my eyes filled with tears and my chest filled with thousands of breaths and dollops of sheer happiness. How could I say no? Why would I say no?

“I’m not gonna wear the necklace, the bracelet, and the ring all the time,” I say. “I’ll settle for the ring and keep the other two for our wedding day.”

Marius gasps. “So, that’s a yes?”

“That’s a hell yes!” I exclaim and rush over to them.

They welcome me with arms wide open, and we shower each other with ardent kisses, pouring all the love in our souls into every single touch. These fellas are determined to make an honest woman out of me, so I can only be grateful to the universe and respond in kind. I’ll be the happiest wife that ever lived. I’m already the happiest woman, mother, and business entrepreneur. We might as well add “happiest wife” to my list of earned titles.

Epilogue I

Shay

One year can go by in the blink of an eye when you’re experiencing true happiness. When every day is loaded with the kind of energy that makes you feel like you can do anything. That’s the thing with true love. It comes up unexpectedly, and it comes in ways I never even thought possible. It’s an honest feeling that lives in the company of tranquility, of peace, of harmony and the simplest of ideas: anything is possible with the right people beside you.

And I got lucky. Oh, so lucky.

I didn’t fall in love with one great man, but three. Each of them serves a purpose in my life, yet all three complete me to perfection. Marius is the kindness I’ve always needed, the laughter and hopefulness, the ambition and the drive I thrive on. Jax is the protector, the strongman with an ironclad determination and just enough darkness to make me feel safe at any given moment. Richard is the provider, the stability and the comfort I require in order to build myself and my family from the ground up. With them, I’ve blossomed. I’ve become a better woman in every possible sense.

And while the pregnancy was a surprise and one hell of a thrill ride, it concluded with the birth of a healthy baby boy. We named him Logan. His hair is black and curly. His eyes are brown and sweet. We know Marius had a role in his creation, but Logan has three loving dads who dote upon him and make sure he has everything he needs. They take turns looking after him, too, thus giving me the time I need to rest and replenish, to keep my career on track and to never lose sight of myself. I’d worried that three men in my life would be a crowd, but it turns out it was the best decision I ever made.

Nobody except Cassandra knows we live together. To everyone else, it’s just me and Marius as the official couple, with Richard and Jax as our closest friends and Godfathers to our son. The world doesn’t need to know. I doubt people would understand. Besides, I’m way too happy to worry about this kind of stuff.

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