Page 56 of Tangled up in You

"Reallycold," Josh added in.

"Like, Satan’s balls would freeze off, cold." Jake’s analogy managed to give the whole,how cold is it, description a bit of flare. But…

"You guys didn’t go out in it, did you?"

"You’ll just have to see," Jake said, rolling away from her and off the side of the bed where he hopped in place when he landed, while Josh and Jonah worked together to pull her from the bed—Josh tugging her feet toward the edge and Jonah doing the same with her upper body.

"Come on," Josh said once she’d stood—still in the shirt with all the buttons undone. A mere few days ago, she would have been pulling the ends around her in embarrassment. After being with the Lavertys, she didn’t believe she had another embarrassed bone in her body. At least in front of them. "Let us show you what we got."

"Okay," she said, bemused, as Josh grabbed her hands and walked backwards, leading her from the bedroom, then toward the landing overlooking the den where light shown. "But what…Oh."

The tree was beautiful.

Andbig.

And looking just as perfect as she’d envisioned in the spot she’d pointed out to Jonah.

"How…" Her smile hurt her cheeks as her happy gaze bounced between the men, then back on the tree twinkling with white lights and covered in colorful ornaments. "When did you get it? And from where?" She gave herself an internal,duh. Theywerein the middle of the woods, interrupting quickly when Jonah started to say, "We?—"

"Well, of course I know where you got it. But seriously, when and how did you manage to do this?"

"So, you don’t like it?" Josh said, his voice full of humor.

"Yeah, I think she hates it," Jake added in, his words ending on a chuckle.

Arms surrounded her from behind and wrapped around her waist, drawing her back.

"Is it how you imagined it," Josh murmured against her ear.

"Exactly." She took in the nostalgic scent of Christmas on her next breath. "But you still haven’t said when and how."

"Well," Jake said. "First off, we experienced first-hand the whole Satan’s balls freezing off."

"All the lights and ornaments came from our mom when we moved here," Josh continued. "She’d insisted we’d need them." He sidled up beside her on her left and took her hand. "I guess she was right."

"Funny thing," Jake whispered, coming up on her other side and taking that hand. "That’s precisely the spotshe’dsaid would be perfect for one too."

"We’ll tell her she was right," Jonah finished out, his big body pressing tight against her back and chest expanding on his own deep breath.

No matter what happened in the days, or months, or even years to come, this moment—right here—would be a memory she would never forget. The stillness—the peace. How the four ofthem nestled together. How the scent of pine and woodsmoke, the crackling of the fire under the mantle hung with four stockings, the tree decked out, but now blurring, settled in her heart. This was…

Contentment.

And with it came…

I do not want to cry. Not now.

But as soon as she blinked, tears fell, while Jonah’s hand crept low over her belly, his firm touch almost proprietary—right where she’d found her own hand cradling repeatedly. Was he wondering the same thing that hadn’t been far from her thoughts since their first time together?

What if I’m already pregnant?

And if she was, this time next year, would they still want her? A quiet sniffle and small shudder left her. She’d been theirs such a short time, but she already couldn’t think of a life without these men in it.

She loved them.

Oh, god, what am I going to do?

"I don’t like what you’re thinking." Jonah’s one hand remained on her belly, while the other wrapped around her ribcage, drawing her more firmly against him.

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