Page 5 of Theirs to Have

Cash sighed and pushed off from the wall that he was leaning against, making his way across the barn to where she stood. Her heartbeat faster with each step that he took until she was sure that it was going to explode right out of her chest. He stopped directly in front of her and reached down to cup his hands over her belly.

“When were you going to tell us, Mercy?” His question had her whole world spinning off-kilter. She wasn’t sure if any coherent words came out of her mouth. Her knees gave out and she knew that she was about to hit the hardwood floor. Before she knew what was happening, Cash had her in his arms and was making his way across the dance floor and out of the barn.

“I’ve got you, little one,” were the last words that she heard before her world went black.

Callan

Callan had spent most of the day going over Manhole’s books and trying to figure out how Cash survived on his own. The man had serious issues when it came to not saving his receipts and how he ran a business remained a mystery to Callan. Cash would just shrug it off every time Callan would bark at him to keep his receipts or remember to pay the electric bill for the building. He told Callan that he had other things to worry about and he was pretty sure that Cash was talking about the sexy little brunette that found her way between the two of them six months ago.

If he was being honest, he couldn’t stop thinking about Mercy either, but Cash had taken pining for her to new extremes. His friend almost seemed obsessed with Mercy and that couldn’t end well for any of them. About a month after their night together, Callan tried to broach the subject of maybe calling Mercy to see if she wanted to hang out with the two of them. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. He hadn’t been with another woman since Mercy, and he was pretty sure that Cash was in the same celibate boat with him. Cash was adamant that their threesome would never happen again. He told Callan that it wasa mistake to share her and that he would never do it again—with anyone.

Callan had thought about calling Mercy himself, but he didn’t want to do that to his friend. He had a good relationship with Cash, both private and professional. Callan wasn’t willing to fuck that up by going against what they agreed. At the time, one night sounded like a good deal to him. He wanted Mercy and he thought that one night would stave his cravings for her, but they only intensified. One taste of sweet Mercy had him wanting more, dreaming night after night of her curvy little ass up against him when they all fell asleep together. The next morning, Mercy woke before the sun, pulled on her little black dress from the night before, and snuck out of Cash’s apartment. Callan was awake, watching her and a part of him wanted to tell her to stay, but he knew the score. Watching Mercy walk out of his life and not having any contact with her sucked.

He found himself watching the crowds at the bar, hoping to find her sitting with some friends or even at the bar alone again. But she never showed up, just as promised. Mercy said that they would never see her again and a part of him now worried that she was a woman of her word. He had seen her friends at the bar but never got up the nerve to ask where Mercy was or how she was doing. He was afraid to find out where she lived or worked, knowing that he might just show up and beg her for another night, another chance.

Callan tossed his paperwork onto Cash’s desk, not wanting to even try to figure out the mess that his friend left for him to sift through. Cash grumbled something about having to go to his friend’s wedding and judging by his attire, he was either in the wedding or the actual groom. Callan tried to give him some shit about the monkey suit that he had on, but Cash wasn’t having it. He barked something about Callan shutting the fuck up and just doing his job, grabbed his truck keys, and took off. If Callanknew what was good for him, he would be gone before Cash came back from the wedding, and judging from the late hour he would be due back any time. Well, if he didn’t find a pretty little bridesmaid to take home. If Callan had to take a guess though, Cash wasn’t interested in just any woman.

Callan decided to call it a night and head home. He was starving and with the bar closed for the night, he didn’t have any other option. He shut down his laptop and shoved the paperwork that he would need to finish up everything at home, into his briefcase. Callan turned off the lights in Cash’s office and pulled the office door shut behind him using his key to lock up the bar. He was just about to his car when Cash’s black pick-up shot into the parking lot. He pulled to a screeching halt next to Callan’s sports car and shot him a look through the windshield that had Callan wishing that he followed his advice and left before Cash got back. Now, Cash looked about ready to murder someone, and he was the only person around, not giving him much confidence that he was going to get home in one piece.

Cash jumped down from his pickup and pointed at Callan, “She’s fucking pregnant,” he barked. Callan took a few steps back from Cash as he invaded his space. “Did you know that she’s fucking pregnant, man?” Callan wasn’t sure what he was being accused of exactly, but he was sure that Cash was about to fill him in. The passenger side door of Cash’s pick-up creaked open and Callan’s attention flew to the sexy brunette who was about to jump out of the cab—Mercy.

“Don’t you fucking move, little one,” Cash barked, redirecting his finger at Mercy. The look on her face told Callan that she wasn’t feeling very submissive at the moment. He was pretty sure that the look that she shot Cash was downright defiant. “Mercy don’t test me right now.” Cash took a few steps over to where Mercy jumped from the cab, catching her before her feet could hit the ground.

“You can’t just go and jump out of my truck, little one. You’ll hurt the baby.” Callan felt just about ready to swallow his damn tongue. Mercy was the one that Cash was going on about being pregnant. Callan looked Mercy up and down trying to figure out just how far along she was. She didn’t look very pregnant but then again how would he know anything about pregnant women?

“I told you that I don’t need you to help me with anything. I’ve got this,” Mercy said, pointing to her little bump.

“You fucking passed out, little one. What was I supposed to do, let you just hit the floor and walk away?” Mercy huffed out a breath at Cash’s assessment of events. Callan was trying to piece together the whole scene.

“Wait, you're pregnant?” Mercy and Cash both shot him a look and he was pretty sure that he wasn’t up to speed quite yet. Mercy nodded and Cash turned to face him, pulling Mercy along with him.

“Tell me that you didn’t know, Callan,” Cash growled. Callan held up his hands as if in defeat.

“Man, I had no idea. I haven’t seen or talked to Mercy since that night.” Mercy pulled her arm free from Cash’s hold and took two steps away from the pair of them.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell either of you about the baby. I knew that you’d go full-on caveman, and you two Neanderthals are more than I can handle right now.” Mercy cradled her bump as if trying to protect the baby from the two of them. The realization that the baby could be one of theirs hit Callan like a ton of bricks. He didn’t know whether he wanted to throw up or pull Mercy into his arms and kiss her senseless.

“We are acting like cavemen because you chose not to clue us in on the fact that one of us is going to be a father,” Cash barked causing Mercy to jump. Callan could see his instant regret for scaring her and he made up for it by pulling her into hisarms. The crazy thing was Mercy willingly went to him, taking his comfort and even wrapping her arms around him. If Callan didn’t know better he would have thought that the two of them were a couple and that thought had him seeing red.

“What the hell is going on here guys?” Callan didn’t try to mask his anger. He was done playing guessing games and trying to tiptoe around Mercy for answers. He let Cash take the lead the one night that they were together but now he wouldn’t hide his dominant side. It was time that he stood up for what he wanted and damn it, he wanted his turn to pull little Mercy into his arms and hold her, telling her that everything was going to be all right, just as Cash did.

Callan marched over to where the two stood tangled up in each other and pulled Mercy from Cash’s reluctant arms. He knew that he was probably going to piss his friend off, but he didn’t give a fuck. He needed answers.

“I’d like to know what’s going on here, Mercy. Catch me up because apparently, you two have had a nice little reunion that I wasn’t let in on.” Callan shot Cash a dirty look and watched as his friend just shrugged like finding the woman that they both wanted, pregnant wasn’t a big deal.

“I was in a wedding,” she stuttered. She shivered and Callan swore realizing that she was cold, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her slight body. His hands gently brushed her baby bump as he closed the jacket around her and every protective instinct that he ever felt came roaring to life. The thought of the three of them creating another life during their short time together made him lose focus. Cash cleared his throat bringing them both back to the here and now.

“Yeah, sorry,” Mercy continued. “I was in my friend Emily’s wedding and Cash was one of her husband’s best men.” Callan shot Cash another look, turning back to question Mercy.

“Husbands, as in two?” Callan asked. Mercy nodded.

“Yes, Emily married two men today and she is very happy.” Mercy sounded defensive and that was the last thing he wanted. Callan wanted her to talk to him, not shut him out.

“Okay, so two husbands—go on.” Callan didn’t want to push her, but they were standing in the middle of a parking lot trying to figure out who’s baby Mercy was carrying. He wanted to get this shit show over with. What he wanted was Mercy in his arms, his bed, and even his life. But he’d get to that.

“Well, I must be showing more than I thought because Cash noticed. I felt light-headed and Cash kept me from hitting the floor when I fainted.” Mercy looked around Callan, “Thanks for that by the way.” Cash nodded at Mercy but stood silently waiting her out.

“I guess with all the excitement of the day and not eating very much, I just passed out. I’ve also been dealing with morning sickness, still. The doctor said that it’s not unusual for women to be sick their entire pregnancy.” Mercy grimaced with her last words. Callan almost wanted to laugh but the thought of being physically sick for nine straight months wasn’t funny.

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