Page 92 of Eco-Activist's Mountain Men
We all turn on him. Poor guy nearly wilts under four pairs of eyes but rallies quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"I mean it. I’d like to be. I hope it’s me. I’d be proud to be the father of your child, Luna. I told you already—I love you. I wasn’t joking. I meant every word."
And just like that, something shifts. The tension eases. The air in the room feels lighter.
"You’re right, Eric," I say, surprising even myself with how sure I sound. "We’re already five. What’s one more? Six feels as good a number as five. If it’s mine, I’ll step up. If it’s not, I’m still in. That’s how it works."
Her red-rimmed eyes lift. "You mean that? You’re not just saying it to make me feel better?"
"Have I ever lied to you?"
She shakes her head slowly. "No. You never have."
"Then believe me now. This isn’t bad news. It’s good news. A reason to celebrate."
"Hell yeah!" Toby squeezes her so tight she squeaks, though she half laughs through it. "This is great news. I’m in too. I like the sound of six. Can’t wait to teach the kid poker. Luke’ll teach it how to be a dumb-ass. He’s a pro at that."
The only one still silent is Jack. We all turn to him. His face is unreadable, like granite. My chest tightens.
"What do you think, boss?" I ask softly. "You okay with this?"
And then, to all our shock, a tear slips down his cheek. Then another. His voice is quiet, almost reverent. "I’ve always wanted to be a father. Never thought I’d get the chance."
"Woohoo!" Toby throws a fist in the air, nearly squeezing the breath out of Luna again. "Then it’s settled. No paternity test. The kid’s ours—all of ours. What do you say, Luna?"
I nod. "Someone’s name has to go on the birth certificate, sure. But if you’re okay with it, Luna, I don’t need to know which one of us it is. Doesn’t matter."
"Yeah," Eric says, eyes shining. "What matters is the baby has us—all of us."
For the first time since she started speaking, Luna looks lighter. Like maybe she can breathe again. Relief flickers across her face—then falters. Her gaze drops to the phone in her hand. Her thumb hovers over the screen, her jaw tight.
"You’re forgetting my other piece of news," she says.
"What other news?" Jack asks, his voice already sharpening.
She swallows hard. "Tim Collier. He texted me while I was out. I only just read it. He’s furious I ruined his plans. He says he’s going to kill me. Tomorrow."
The silence this time is heavier, darker. We all process at once.
Toby breaks it first, shrugging with false bravado. "One guy? Please. We’ve got four of us—and you, Princess. That’s five. I don’t see the problem."
Jack frowns, but before he can speak, I cut in. "Ordinarily, I’d agree. But this isn’t just some random guy. I did my homework a few days back—looked him up. He’s ex–Special Forces. Navy SEAL. One tour, then dishonorably discharged. No official reason given, but rumors say it was over a violent incident with a civilian. After that, he went into forestry. That’s all I found."
Eric’s mouth shuts with an audible click. Toby rubs at his jaw, suddenly serious. "Shit. That’s… not good. Jack, what do you think?"
Jack moves slowly. He pours more coffee, stirs it, then leans back against the fridge, thoughtful. Calm as ever, but his eyes are hard.
"Difficult to say," he admits at last. "Could be nothing. Could just be him blowing off steam."
Luna starts to speak, but he lifts a hand, cutting her off.
"But… a guy like that—military trained, violent, immoral—we already know he’s happy to risk lives. If he thinks his back’s against the wall, if he’s decided to blame you instead of himself, Luna… there’s no telling what he might do."
The silence that follows is thick as tar. We all know he’s right.
"So," asks Eric. "What do we do?"
"Not much we can do," replies Jack.
