Page 152 of Tangled up in You

“Who do we put down as the father?” Mark asked. “Sweetheart, we need to figure that out. Calling both of us her fathers is one thing, but they won’t let us list both of us on her birth certificate.”

Jess squeezed his hand. “Flip a coin, I don’t care.” She studied his hazel gaze. “Because for the next baby, we’ll list the other one as the father.”

It took him a moment to process that and a beaming grin filled his face. “Thenextbaby?”

She smiled. “Yeah. Not sure beyond that, but at least two.”

Chris leaned in, cupped her head in his hands, and kissed her. “You got it, sweetheart. whatever you want.”

Mark nudged in for a kiss of his own from her. “What he said.”

“So how do we decide?” Chris asked. “Flipping a coin seems, I don’t know, too random.”

Jesse was about to answer when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called out.

It was Josie, bearing a beaming smile and an adorable teddy bear. “How’s the new family?” She walked over and kissed Jesse on the forehead.

“We need to decide who to list on the birth certificate as the father,” Chris said.

“I said flip a coin,” Jesse added. “And whoever it’s not, we’ll list him as the father for the next baby.”

“We could roll dice or something?” Mark suggested.

Josie snorted. “Guys, you’re complicating this. Who’s older?”

Mark hooked a thumb at Chris. “He’s thirty-four. I’m thirty-two.”

Josie pointed to Chris. “There you go then, Dad.”

The men exchanged another look and shrugged. “Fine with me,” they said in unison, making Josie laugh.

“That,” she said to Jesse, “sounds like it’s fun. Two guys catering to you in unison.”

Jesse smiled. “It seems so.”

They’d flown in late the night before, arriving less than an hour before Jesse gave birth. “I figured I’d visit while your father’s distracted arranging logistics,” Josie continued, sitting back in her chair and getting comfortable. She motioned to Jesse. “Tell me what the plan is so I have your back.”

“He wants to helicopter, doesn’t he?” Josie asked.

“Girl, just call him Huey, because you’ve never seen rotors spin so fast as he’s going right now.”

“Oh, boy,” the men said in unison.

“So, I need guidance from you,” Josie said. “Are you moving out here permanently? Vacation home? Do we need a new corporate jet so you can commute? What’s the plan?”

“I mean, I can build a lab out here to handle the next stage of testing,” Jesse said, well aware her men were watching and listening. “I can work anywhere I have a lab and the available infrastructure. Since I’m focusing on seismology, I guess it actually makes sense to live out here.”

Josie pulled out her phone and started taking notes. “Build or buy a house? You can’t keep living in that cabin. It’s too small.”

“I-I don’t know.” She had another thought. “Will Daddy want to move out here, too?”

She snorted. “He’ll live where I tell him to live, honey. I’ve nearly got him convinced to retire, or at least to step back from daily ops. The question is, doyouwant him living close by? I know he can be alotwhen it comes to you. But that’s because he loves you.”

“I know.” Jesse looked at her men. “Well?”

They exchanged a glance then turned back to her. “Your choice,” they said together, scowling at each other.

Another snort from Josie. “Yeeaah, they’re adorable, Jesse. I love them.” She looked up from her phone. “And despite what your father might say, or how he acts, believe me, he loves them, too.”

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