Page 63 of Twins for the Mountain Daddies

I glance at Wyatt, his grin as wide as ever, and then at Holt, who’s watching me with those intense, blue eyes. They’ve been unusually affectionate the whole car ride.

I mean, they’re usually touching me in some way, but it’s typically to get me out of my clothes. Today, though, their touches are softer, more lingering—brushes of their fingers against my arm, a hand gently resting on my knee, the kind of intimate contact that doesn’t rush toward the physical but settles in a way that feels…different. It’s tender, almost like they’re trying to reassure me that it’s not just about sex. That maybe they want more than that.

I lean back against the seat, trying to play it cool. “I guess I’m tougher than I look.”

“Yeah, you are,” Holt says, his hand sliding down to squeeze mine. The warmth of it is comforting and terrifying all at once. Especially now, when I feel like I’m about to unravel.

I stare out the window, the scenery a blur of trees and snow. The more they act like this, the worse I feel about what I’m hiding. I’m still not sure where I stand with them, not when everything feels so uncertain. I’m not even sure where I stand with myself.

Wyatt’s voice pulls me back to the moment. “So, about that date.”

I blink at him, caught off guard. “Date?”

“Yes, date.” Holt clarifies, his tone playful. “We told you we wanted to take you out for real when the roads cleared, CG. Roads are clear now.”

I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. My brain is too preoccupied with the real reason I’m tagging along to town—one I can’t exactly share with them. Not yet. “Uh...”

Wyatt chuckles, ruffling my hair. “Relax, City Girl. We’re not proposing or anything.”

I manage a weak smile, my heart pounding. “I’ll...think about it?”

“Good enough for me,” Wyatt says, but I catch a flicker of something in his eyes. Doubt, maybe. Uncertainty. Holt, on the other hand, looks almost...pained.

Guilt twists in my gut. I want to tell them, to explain why I’m so distracted, but I can’t. Not until I know for sure. Not until I know what this means for all of us.

Holt shifts beside me, draping his arm across the back of the seat. “You’re not getting cold feet already, are you?”

“Definitely not cold,” I say, glancing pointedly at the way I’m wedged between them. My voice is light, but my heart isn’t in it. They have to notice how distracted I am, how tense. I just hope they’ll understand once I know more myself.

The truck hits another bump, and I clutch at the dashboard. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous. Okay, that’s a lie. I felt like this yesterday too. And the day before that. And every day since I realized that this extended illness might not be an illness at all.

My hand drifts to my stomach. It’s probably nothing. Just stress. I have been under a lot of it lately.

Wyatt and Holt are bickering about who gets to drive home, their voices a comforting hum. I try to focus on them, on anything but the possibilities racing through my mind. What if it’s not stress? What if it’s...something else?

I take a deep breath as we reach the edge of town, trying to calm the storm inside me. Just a little longer, and I’ll know for sure.

The truck isn’t even fully stopped when I push the door open, mumbling something about meeting them back here in a little while. I don’t look back to see their reactions. I can’t.

My heart’s racing so fast I feel lightheaded. There’s a good chance my entire world’s about to change.

The cold air hits me like a slap as I make a beeline for the pharmacy. My boots slip on the icy sidewalk, but I keep moving, weaving through the small-town crowd like a woman on a mission. Which, I guess, I am.

I shove the door open and duck inside, my breath coming in quick, panicked bursts. The store is warm and bright, and I keep my head down, hoping no one recognizes me. I mean, I doubt they’ll realize I’m Ivy Blake. But they might realize I’m the girl staying with Hank, Holt, and Wyatt.

The last thing I need is to be stopped for small talk when I’m about to have a breakdown in the middle of the family planning aisle.

My hands shake as I reach for the pregnancy tests, grabbing a couple of different brands just to be safe. The boxes feel like they weigh a thousand pounds, and I clutch them to my chest, praying I’m just overreacting. But the nagging dread in the pit of my stomach tells me I’m not.

I’m so focused on keeping it together that I don’t notice the girl in front of me until I slam right into her. The impact knocks the boxes out of my hands. I watch them hit the floor before I even process what’s happening. When I finally do, my heart skips a beat as I look up into a pair of bright eyes.

“Oh my God!” Lily’s face lights up, and she flashes me a wide grin. “Ivy!”

I force a smile, trying to hide my unease. “Hey, Lily. Didn’t see you there.”

She quickly scoops them up, her movements a little too fast, too eager. When she looks at the tests in my hands, her expression shifts. Her eyes widen, lingering on the boxes for a moment too long before her mouth falls open.

Lily’s grin only widens. “Oh my God, I knew you looked familiar! Iknewsomething was up! You’ve been staying up at the ranch, hanging out with Holt and all the guys—everyone's been talking about it, but nobody really knows what’s going on.” She lowers her voice slightly, as if we’re sharing a secret, though it’s anything but. “And nowthis?”

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