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CHAPTER 14

Reagan

The diner at lunchtime had to be the worst place for a meeting with the three men who knocked me up during a single night of crazy sex. It was packed. The way everyone turned to look at me when the bell over the door rang made me want to run and never stop. It felt like everyone was there to hear just how the Hellstone brothers were going to react to me. As if the day before hadn’t been bad enough. I spotted them at the back of the diner, their large bodies shoved into a booth. It took effort to make my feet carry me in their direction.

The hush over the diner didn’t lift until I was standing next to the empty seat next to West and Mill scowled past me. That single look from the man broke the spell and the diner was once again filled with the sounds of talking and silverware scraping plates.

An older man slid an extra chair over for me to put Lucky on and nodded a greeting at me.

“What can I get you?”

Mills’ scowl grew even more severe.

“Don. In all the years you’ve owned this place I’ve never once seen you take an order.”

I glanced between the two of them as I settled Lucky’s carrier and slid into the booth. I stayed on the very edge, too nervous to even pretend to be comfortable.

“Thank you for the chair. I never know quite what to do with this bulky thing but putting it on the floor feels wrong. I’ve only been a mother for three months… Sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you that. Thank you, though. For the chair…”

The man had been sending Mills a dark glare but his face softened as he looked back at me.

“My wife was a nervous wreck until our first son turned eighteen, I’m pretty sure. Most things feel wrong when you’re new at them.”

I found myself smiling up at the man, charmed by his effort to settle my nerves.

“What I’m hearing is that it’s going to be a long eighteen years, huh?”

“Do you want anything to drink or not?” Mills broke the easy spell and reminded me why I had every right to be nervous.

“Um… I’m good, actually.” Lucky let out a little cry and I looked down to see he’d woken up and wasn’t happy that no one was holding him yet. I scooped him up and held him to my chest, a sense of peace washing over me at the weight of him there.

Don lightly patted my shoulder.

“My wife raised five kids and is now helping raise our seven grandchildren. If you need any help, just stop by and I’ll get her to run over.”

I covered his hand with my own and nodded.

“I’ll take you up on that. Thank you so much.”

Don turned his scowl back on Mills.

“As for you lot, I’m not serving you a damn thing until you learn to treat the mother of your child better. I heard about how you acted yesterday and I’m not going to make it look like I support that kind of behavior.”

Tate scoffed. “That’s the great thing about living in a small town, huh? Everyone hears about everything but no one bothers to get all the information before making up their mind.”

“Reagan?” Don proved then that he’d heard plenty, enough to even know my name. “Would you like anything to eat or drink? It’s on the house.”

Three sets of eyes bore into me. I shifted in my seat and shook my head.

“No, thank you. Be careful offering that if I come back with my little brother, though. He’ll eat you out of business.”

“Let him try.” Don smiled and winked at me before strolling away.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” West grumbled from next to me. “That’s a new low.”

“This is why you have to fucking go.” Mills stared at me without softening a bit. “How did this happen? Did you poke holes in the condoms? Did you think you’d trap a few rich assholes and be set for life? Sorry, angel, you only snagged three ranchers who make just enough to get by.”

I swallowed down my hurt feelings.