Page 104 of Bossy Mountain Daddies
"I'm pregnant," I say, the words rushing out of my mouth. I pull out the test, holding it up as evidence. "I just found out. Like, five minutes ago."
The silence that follows feels eternal. They stare at me, then at the test in my hand, their expressions shifting from shock to glee.
Buck moves first, springing from the couch with surprising agility for such a large man. "A baby?" he asks, his voice thick with emotion. "We're having a baby? I’m going to start knitting more hats immediately."
I nod, tears spilling over. "We're having a baby."
And then they're all moving at once. Buck wraps me in a bear hug that lifts my feet off the floor. Ford is right there when Buck sets me down, his hands cradling my face as he kisses me with uncharacteristic abandon. Griff waits his turn, then pulls me into his arms, his embrace strong and steady.
"Are you happy?" I ask when they finally give me room to breathe. "I know we haven't really talked about kids..."
"Happy?" Buck repeats, his eyes suspiciously bright. "I'm fucking ecstatic."
"Language," Ford says automatically, though he's grinning so wide it must hurt. "There's a baby present now."
This makes Buck laugh—a full, joyous sound that fills the room. "The kid can't hear me yet, dude."
"Actually, they can, starting around 18 weeks," Ford says, always ready with a fact. "Though they can't understand words until?—"
"Guys," Griff interrupts, his voice gentle but firm. "I think we have something more important to do right now."
A look passes between the three of them. Then, to my complete shock, all three men drop to one knee in front of me, forming a semicircle at my feet.
"What’s going on?" I ask, though it's obvious. My hand flies to my mouth.
"This isn't how we planned it," Griff says, looking up at me with such love it makes my chest ache. "But sometimes the universe has better timing than we do."
"We've been trying to figure out the perfect way to do this for months," Buck adds, his expression more serious than I've ever seen it. "But nothing seemed right."
"Until now," Ford finishes. "Until this moment."
"Skye," they say in unison, then look at each other and laugh.
"You go first," Buck tells Griff.
Griff clears his throat. "Skye, this past year has been the happiest of my life. You brought light back into my world in ways I never expected."
"You've created a home with us," Buck continues, his voice unsteady. "A family. And now you're giving us the greatest gift imaginable."
"We want to make it official," Ford says, his blue eyes intense. "All of us, together. Will you marry us?"
The tears come in earnest now, streaming down my face as I look at these three incredible men kneeling before me. "Yes," I manage to say through the tears. "Yes, of course, yes."
They rise together, and suddenly I'm surrounded, passed from one set of arms to another.
"We'll figure out the legal details later," Ford says, always practical even in emotional moments. "There are ways to make sure we're all protected, all connected legally to you and the baby."
"The baby," Buck repeats, his hand reaching toward my stomach before pausing. "May I?"
I nod, and his large palm spreads across my still-flat abdomen. Ford and Griff join him, until all three of their hands rest there, covering the tiny life we've created together.
“We’re a bunch of idiots,” Ford says looking at the other two guys. “We almost forgot... ” He hurries off down the hall and returns quickly with a small velvet box in his hands. His expression is a mixture of nervousness and joy as he holds it out to me. When he opens it, I gasp at what's inside.
Three delicate rings rest against the dark velvet, each one a perfect circle of gold with multiple tiny diamonds catching the light.
"We wanted you to have three rings, one from each of us," Ford explains, his voice soft with emotion. "They stack together to make one ring."
I can't speak through my tears as Griff takes the first ring from the box. He holds my trembling left hand in his and slides the band onto my ring finger.
