Page 31 of Tapped Out Single Mom (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

“Are you okay?” she mumbles as she passes me.

I nod once. “I’m good.”

“And Alexandra recently inherited a gorgeous vineyard in Napa Valley,” Barbara adds. “Tell us more about it, darling? Noah is an aficionado of anything wine related.”

Not really. He’s into spirits, hard liquors. Isaac’s the one who can actually pass as a wine connoisseur, while Noah is more focused on mixology and the magic of cocktails. Barbara would know all that if she bothered to spend more time with her sons instead of trying to hustle them into convenient marriages. The anger bubbles up to the surface as I realize this isn’t about Barbara. As Alexandra tells the others about the vineyard and the business she plans to take over.

I understand it’s not about any of them, personally.

It’s about me.

It’s about me never being anywhere close to being enough for either Noah or Isaac. Not to mention the two of them. Or Levi or Beau. Or any or all of them put together. I’m just the entertainment. A woman they enjoy sharing and turning inside out. A woman who enjoys being shared and turned inside out. A single mother of two who cleans their rooms and serves their breakfast.

“You’re mine,” Noah once said to me. But who are we lying to, other than ourselves?

I may be his. I may be theirs. But they will never be mine. This will never be more than just raunchy, sweaty sport.

The nausea becomes too much to bear. I break into a cold sweat as a hot ball unfurls in my throat. I’m definitely going to be sick. Beads of sweat blossom on my temples as I mutter an “Excuse me,” and slip out of the tearoom, fully aware that Connie can tell I’m not okay.

Every single thought goes right into the toilet as I puke my heart out in the service bathroom. The idea of time tracking, of not remembering my last period, of heightened taste and smell—it’s all starting to come together in a way I am not ready nor willing to fathom. But I have been through this before. Twice.

Oh, God, no. It can’t be.

How did I miss this? The signs have been right under my nose.

Half an hour later, I’m staring at the plus sign on a pregnancy test. I had one left over at the bottom of my luggage. It was the last of a handful I’d bought after Elijah left me. I remember I was so terrified I might be pregnant again when I already had two children with him—my period had been late, I’d been sick and miserable. But back then, it had only been the stress of his departure.

This, however… shit. This is real.

Santa Claus decided to gift me with a baby. That rat bastard.

Jesus, help me, this can’t be happening.

I’ve already got Ava and Lucas. I love my children with everything inside me, but I can’t imagine bringing another one into this mess.

It was just supposed to be fun, but feelings have blossomed. Feelings I’m not supposed to experience toward these men and certainly not in these circumstances. The plus sign glares at me. It’s as if the universe itself is reprimanding me in the worst possible manner for overreaching.

I can’t go to any of the guys with this. I can’t even be sure which one is the father. And what would I even expect out of them? Four rich and powerful men sleeping with the maid. I’m a fucking cliché. Isaac’s burgeoning political career demands he be miles away from any type of scandal like this. He can’t be connected to me in any way if he intends to run for office. Noah has a whole future ahead of him with the family’s business portfolio. Levi is a successful author who’s currently discussing TV series options for some of his books. And Beau travels a lot. He’d barely be around. All four men will end up breaking my heart. I know it. I feel it deep in my bones.

And I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about it.

13

Levi

Isaac and Noah won’t tell me much about it, but I know something happened when their parents came to visit two weeks ago. They brought some cousins and a couple of ladies they were hoping to match with the twins, but I doubt that worked out the way Barbara and Matthew had planned it. They brought the ladies over again for the New Year’s Eve party, too, though it still didn’t click. The twins were nice and respectful, ever the life of the party, as usual, but they didn’t spend too much of the evening around them. Granted, the inn’s guests were also present and guzzling from the champagne fountain, so we were all busy.

Of course, the old folks don’t know their precious sons are irreversibly smitten with Stella—much like Beau and me. We can try and deny it as much as we want, but the heart doesn’t lie.

There’s a bad vibe in the air, though. I’ve been across the country with book signings and literary events, yet as soon as I returned to the Elizabeth, I could tell something was off.

Stella has been actively avoiding us. She says she wants to spend more time with her children, which is fine. Lucas and Ava were never an issue. Hell, we even included them on our outings at the beach or through the neighboring towns. We had picnics in the forest north of the bed and breakfast more than once with the little ones. We even took the little ones out to the Magic Shell, a lovely bed and breakfast with a kids’ theme that’s fun for the whole family—Lucas and Ava had dedicated staff and entertainment, an onsite babysitter and all the hot chocolate Lucas could possibly drink while we attempted to get their mother alone and failed. Repeatedly. I tried seeing her the other night, but she blamed a headache before she shut the door in my face. I can’t help but feel a tad rejected, and I’m not sure what I did.

A couple more days have passed since, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of this. The fear of losing this little haven of peace and passion with Stella and the guys has me on edge. My nerves are stretched thin, and I’m not sure how well I’m able to function under this kind of pressure.

“Tori and Alexandra want to visit the Elizabeth next weekend,” Isaac says. He doesn’t sound happy about it as he sits behind his desk.

We’re in his office—the four of us, drinking coffee and going over the bed and breakfast’s regular business. The figures look good on paper, and all of our rooms are currently occupied. We’ve got a busy spring ahead, as well, thanks to the seasonal festivals. February will be a slow month, but we raked in more than we expected throughout the Christmas holidays. We’ll come out with a hefty profit this last quarter. From a financial perspective, we make one hell of a team. Yet with Stella, we seem to be missing something.

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