Dads.

I was amazed by how much I was not freaking out over the news. Okay, I had definitely freaked out after Ethan had texted, but a hundred and some push ups before collapsing on the floor had worked out the physical jitters and just let me think things through.

Facts:

• I was good with kids.
• I'd always wanted a kid of my own.
• If I was going to co-parent, I really couldn't think of a better guy than Ethan.

But that last thought raised a bunch of questions: Whose baby was it? Mine or Larry's? Would Ethan want a DNA test to know for sure? What if it was mine? What if it wasn't mine?

By the time the guys arrived, I was so invested in the idea of being a father—and a crazy mess at the possibility of having that daydream yanked out from under my feet if the baby turned out to be Larry's and the other guys didn't want anything to do with me.

And then Larry said we were going to be daddies. We were all going to be dads. His eyes rested equally on Ethan and me, and I squeezed Ethan's hand as tightly as I squeezed my eyes shut in relief. Then Larry pulled us in for another kiss. When we finally broke away, I grabbed Ethan in a hug, and Larry wrapped his big arms around both of us.

Fuck my anxiety and all its worries. For a moment, just one moment, I wanted to relish this feeling without thinking about everything that could go wrong.

Even I couldn't fail to notice when Ethan's shoulders tightened. I stepped back to give him some space, but we all remained touching somehow—my hands on Ethan's arms, Larry's hands on our backs.

"Ethan? Are you okay?"

He stepped back, away from our touch, his hands wrapping protectively in front of him. Fuck. What had I done? I just wanted to be excited with him. He'd responded so enthusiastically to the kiss. Had the hug somehow been too much? Shit. I knew this was probably the worst possible time—though what time was good for an unexpected pregnancy?—but surely he knew I'd step up and help. I was sure Larry would, too.

Ethan put out a hand to stop us from pursuing him. "I just... I need a minute." He took several deep breaths and I found myself breathing with him. "This is... unexpected. To say the least."

Larry moved toward him, but Ethan shook his head. "It's okay, Ethan," Larry said in that rough grumble of his. "We're going to take care of you. We're going to take care of the baby. We promise."

Ethan shook his head violently. "No. No good comes of me jumping into something just because I'm pregnant."

Larry suddenly pounded his fist against the wall and Ethan and I jumped. "If you think either of us would mistreat you like that sonofa—"

"This isn't about you," Ethan practically shouted. "It's about me. I can't... I just... can't. I need to go... I need to think." He whirled and headed to the apartment door, Larry and I on his heels. "Don't follow me," Ethan growled. "I'm not some fucking omega in distress." His face softened a little. "Thank you for helping me tonight. But right now, I need to be by myself." He shut the door firmly behind him, and Larry stalked to my window to watch him drive away while I quietly lost my ever loving shit as my dreams crumbled into dust around me.

It made sense. Why would Ethan want my help? He was already successfully parenting one kid—you only had to meet Bella to know her dad was doing an awesome job. And yeah, I was good with kids, but what else did I have to offer? I had no debt, but that was more the lack of a negative than anything extremely positive about me.

"Stop," Larry said, turning away from the window.

Even while my brain was telling me all the reasons I'd be a shit partner or parent, it was also racing, thinking of what could be going on in Ethan's head right now. "We have to go after him. We have to make sure he knows—"

Larry put his hands on either side of my face. "He knows."

I searched Larry's eyes. They were kind, but I could see my own pain reflected in them. It was killing him to not chase Ethan down and make him see reason. "Why, then?"

Larry pulled me in for a gentle, sad kiss, settling beside him on the couch. "It was like pulling teeth just to get him to let me buy his tire tonight. And that's such a little thing. Raising a kid... hell, just being there for him while he's pregnant? He's never had someone he could trust to help with that. I think part of him is scared to trust again. Strike that, I know he's afraid to trust again. That asshole ex of his really burned him."

"I didn't know about his ex... I mean, I kinda assumed even though he doesn't talk about him much." And I was feeling kind of like shit that Larry knew so much about Ethan and I didn't. I didn't blame Larry. It was my own damn fault. If I hadn't run away that first night, maybe things would be different. Maybe Ethan would have been as excited as Larry and me over the prospect of having a baby.

Was it strange I had moved from shock to acceptance so quickly? Maybe. But I was nearing forty with no other prospects in sight. If this was my only chance to have a kid, I was jumping at it. If it meant I had to sideline whatever this... thing... between the three of us was, I'd do it. Not that I was looking for excuses. Hell no. I was terrified of what was happening between the three of us, absolutely. But I wanted it. For the first time in my life I wanted something... someone... someones so badly, I'd do just about anything to keep it, but if having a child with Ethan and/or Larry meant no sexy times? Then so be it.

But please, let that not be it. I could already picture the three of us in a big house, the kind I had grown up in—a real home. Bella running down the halls, our little baby's giggles filling the rooms. I shuddered with a broken sigh and Larry's arms wrapped around me and held me close. "Just let it out. If you're going to break down, do it here and now. Because after this, we've got to man up and win our omega back."

I relaxed into his embrace. I was taller, but he was stockier, and I felt protected in a way I'd never experienced before.

"I still don't feel right letting him run away like that," I said into Larry's shoulder.

"Yeah, that doesn't feel awesome," he agreed. "It's tearing me to shreds letting him go like that. I don't think he had a chance to tell you, but he lost his job tonight."

I sat up. "Fuck. Life just won't give him a break, will it?"

Larry massaged the back of my neck. "Life won't, but we will."

I pulled back after a minute, grateful he hadn't left when Ethan had, but feeling awkward about keeping him here. "I suppose you need to head home soon." I tried to keep the dread from my voice, but I don't think I succeeded.

"Ethan isn't the only one who needs protecting," Larry grumbled. "I don't feel quite like going home yet. How do you feel about a movie?"

"Now?" I couldn't think of anything I wanted to watch when I was feeling like this.

"Something mindless with lots of explosions," Larry said. "Just something to fill the time and give me an excuse to cuddle up with you."

Well, when he put it like that. "Let me get you set up on Netflix, and I'll get some popcorn or something. Drink?"

"Do you have root beer?"

I made a face.

"I'll take that as a negative. Just water would be great."

I grabbed a Coke for myself along with Larry's water while the microwave counted down on the popcorn. When I brought the bowl out, Larry laughed.

"I actually abandoned a bowl of popcorn at my place when Ethan called. You don't have any Ranch sprinkle or Ranch dressing mix, by any chance, do you?"

I quirked my head in confusion. "I might have Ranch dressing in the fridge..."

Larry shook his head and motioned for me to join him on the couch. When I sat, he pushed me to lay my head on his thigh, and I complied easily. It was strange, being with an alpha. I'd only dated omegas before, and not many of them.

"Is it weird for you?" I asked as the movie started. I hadn't paid attention to what he'd put on.

"You're going to have to clarify—a lot of potential weird has happened tonight, so I need to know which thing you're referring to."

I blushed. I tended to jump ahead in conversations, expecting people to have followed my silent trains of thought. "Being with me. Well, with both of us, but specifically with another alpha."

"That's not weird at all." Larry reached over my shoulder to grab some popcorn from the bowl I was snuggling. "I've been in a couple of threesomes. Nothing long term. I've dated alphas, omegas, and betas. For me, it's the person that matters, not the designation."

Huh. It felt weird to me, but in a good way. Ethan was definitely the type of guy I'd always been attracted to before, but it had never worked out. I'd always assumed it was because I wasn't alpha enough. With Larry, I felt a sense of belonging, of being cared for, that I'd never found with anyone else. But I also had that stereotypical alpha desire to protect. It was killing me that Ethan was out there alone, pregnant, unemployed. I groaned.

Larry ruffled my hair and looked down at me. "The movie's not doing much to distract you, is it?"

I shook my head miserably.

He urged me up and then pulled my leg over his so that I was straddling him. "Maybe I can distract you a little better?" His eyes were soft as his hands tangled in my short hair, tugging at the roots at the same time as he pushed his lips toward mine.

I lost myself in his kiss like a damn teenager. Kissing Larry was different than anyone I'd ever kissed before. He took control. He didn't wait for me to lead the way. But he was soft and gentle, and when his hands dropped from my hair to my chest, my whole body clenched with need. But something was missing—

We broke apart and spoke at the same time.

"This doesn't feel right—"

"I feel weird without Ethan—"

We stopped as we stumbled over each other's words.

"I guess we're on the same page, then?" Larry asked.

I rested my forehead against his. "Yeah. It’s weird with Ethan being so upset. I just won’t be able to get my mind off him, wondering how he’s doing."

He sighed. "Too bad. I think sex would really help us relax."

I didn't have to answer that. We both knew that sex together with Ethan is what would help us relax, and that wasn't happening.

"We're on the same page about the baby, too, right? No matter whose swimmer actually triumphed, it's both of ours, right?"

I couldn't help the giant smile that crossed my face. "Yeah," I said, wanting to slap myself for not having anything more elegant, but Larry returned my smile. That seemed to be enough for him.

"Then ‘Operation Woo Ethan’ begins."