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Katy

I ’m not a burden. I’m not a burden. I’m. Not. A. Burden.

Why can’t I convince myself of these words no matter how much I try and how much everyone keeps telling me. It’s hard enough being sixteen and living under someone else’s roof. They aren’t obligated to provide me with anything, yet they all happily do it.

Why?

And now, I’m pregnant. And I want to keep the baby. Is that selfish of me? What can I provide a baby if I can’t even provide for myself?

“Higher, Katy!”

“Okay, hold on tight.” Hannah giggles as I push her higher on the swing. I can imagine myself doing this, pushing my own son or daughter on the swings.

Without the bodyguard, of course. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I know whatever it is has escalated. The conspicuous man standing under the tree sticks out like a sore thumb, but I appreciate him and what he’s doing.

It’s also hard not to appreciate him as a man. He has at least a foot over me, the bushiest eyebrows, and thin lips that seem to be in a permanent scowl. When he looks at Hannah, I’ve seen his silver-blue eyes soften when he thinks no one is looking. He looks more Viking than man with his dirty blonde hair pulled back in a tight man bun.

I’m daydreaming about the man so vividly I don’t even hear him approach.

“Miss Katy, it’s time to go. Mr. Webb just texted and asked for us to return.”

“Shit, Dempsey. You scared me. Don’t be so sneaky.” The corner of his lip twitches. Did it amuse him that he snuck up on me? Probably.

I have to turn my head away as I feel my cheeks heat. I don’t know what kind of middle school girl crush my hormones are trying to have, but they need to stop. At least he isn’t old. I’d guess early twenties. I’d never ask, though. He doesn’t seem like the sharing type. Nor does he seem like someone who could possibly ever be interested in an underage pregnant girl.

“Sorry, Miss Katy. You should be more aware of your surroundings.” His gruff voice chides me, making me feel even more like a child in his presence.

“Isn’t that what you’re here for?” I snap back. There’s that lip twitch again. I guess I’m just that entertaining.

“We should go.” He disregards my comment like yesterday’s trash.

I grab the chains and slowly stop Hannah with little protest. Justin told her that Dempsey is in charge no matter what. She knows better than to argue with him, even at close to three years old.

“I’ve been informed to tell you that the twins are coming over for a playdate if you need any incentive to return home, Hannah.” I don’t think Hannah understood a word he said other than twins and playdate. Her face lights up, and she takes off across the park lawn.

“Better catch up with her, Miss Katy?”

“Me? I’m the pregnant one, and you’re the one who got her all excited. Why is this my problem?”

“I’m only here to keep you safe and stop any danger. The only danger she’s in is a skinned knee if she trips, and that’s your area.” He tucks a lock of hair behind his ear that’s fallen across his face and I yell at my stomach for doing a backflip.

He’s about to be in danger for making me run after this toddler.

“Fine, but if I get a skinned knee, you’re carrying me home.”

“Of course.”

Chasing after Hannah makes our walk home shorter than necessary. I finally catch up to her, panting for breath. Dempsey reaches us a few strides later, not a hair out of place or a labored breath.

Bastard.

Hannah crashes into the front door, banging at the locked wall in front of her.

“Daddy, we’s home. Open up!”

Before I can punch in the door code, it opens, and Axel greets us with a huge smile.

“Hannah Banana. You’re home.” He scoops her up and gives her a big hug. Axel kisses my forehead as I slip past him into the house as he extends a hand to Dempsey.

“Axel. Thanks for what you’re doing.”

“Ignore him,” I tell Axel. “He’s just my muscle.”

Dempsey scowls at me, and I stick out my tongue before giving him my back.

“Dempsey. It’s nice to meet you. It’s my pleasure. The girls are lovely .” I don’t miss how he emphasizes the last word, but I ignore it in search of my other favorite men.

“You’re home. Great. Cole and I are leaving.” Justin slings an arm around Cole, who doesn’t look convinced about going anywhere.

“Are you sure about this? The twins can be a handful.” Cole’s twins, Ruby and Rory, only a few weeks older than Hannah, run past us chasing Nicole’s dachshunds.

“So can Axel. He needs a taste of his own medicine.”

“What’s going on?” There are a lot of men standing around, and Spencer and Nicole are nowhere in sight. My question is ignored for other instructions.

“Dempsey, the ladies are all at S’morgasm. They are awaiting your arrival. They have about a ten-minute head start on you. I don’t need to tell you how important their safety is.”

“On it, Mr. Webb.” Dempsey turns on his heels and leaves. I’m so confused as to what’s going on.

“Alright, if you need us, we’re going…out. Not sure where yet, but anywhere other than here. For the next two to three hours, you all get to be the dads, and we’re going to be men. Your only job is to keep them alive and don’t burn the house down. I like it. Bottles are premade in the refrigerator for Miles. Just heat it in warm water. He’s not picky about the temperature, just not too hot.”

“What about me? Do I get to go out, too?”

“Nope. This is a crash course in parenthood for all of you and a few hours of normalcy for us. Or however you want to look at it.”

“Justin. Look at this.” I sweep my hand across the room. “This is chaos. You can’t leave me here with them.”

He kisses me on the forehead as he walks past me. “Sure can. Have fun.” The closing of the front door sounds like the lock on my coffin. When I turn to face the room, all I can do is laugh.

“How did this happen?” I must ask the wrong question because every one of their faces fall. Something did happen. Holy shit. “What’s wrong?” The silence in the room surrounding the loud kids is deafening. “Linc, what happened from the time you dropped me off to turning back up here? You were in such a good mood.” His face is etched with guilt, and I’m getting nauseous. This feeling is dread, not baby-related. I don’t like the way any of them look.

“We aren’t sure,” Miller confesses. “I think we overwhelmed Spencer to the point she needed space. She came here, and the girls went out.” I’ve seen Spencer on the edge, and the guys are always able to bring her back. But if they were the reason she was there, I can understand her needing space away from them.

“Did something specific happen to make her that way?” Their eyes dart between each other, and I instantly know it’s something they don’t want to tell me. It’s the look that Miller and Lincoln share that tips me off. “Oh.”

“Oh? What does ‘Oh’ mean?” Tucker grabs a twin as she runs by, scooping her up. He holds her in front of his face. “What’s your name, cutie?” She giggles and squirms.

“I Ruby. Who’s you?”

“I’m Tucker.” She reaches up and grabs at his hat.

“C’av your hat?”

“My hat?”

“Pweeeese.” He sets her down, making sure she’s stable before letting go.

“Sure, Little Bit. Here ya go.” He places the oversize cowboy hat on her head, and she looks adorable.

“Tank you!” She runs off yelling, “I cowgirl, I cowgirl.”

“The other brunette is Rory, and the curly blonde is Hannah. Oh, and the baby is Miles.”

“There’s another one?”

I always forget that Tucker is new to the inner circle. The rest of the guys were friends before kids came around, and as they were born, they folded naturally into the family.

“Listen, Daddy Tucker, it’s fine.” Axel clasps a hand on Tucker’s shoulder and is met with a returning scowl. “Don’t look so afraid. There’s four little kids and four grown men plus a completely capable teenager. We’ve got this.”

We definitely did not “got this.”

? ? ? ? ?

“I was told they were all potty trained!” Miller’s horrified screech echoes down the hall. Rory told him he had to potty, and Miller happily followed him to the bathroom.

My head ping-pongs between the frantic conversations going on around me.

“You still have to wipe their asses.”

“Axel, watch your mouth.”

“Sorry, Daddy Tucker. I’m panicking right now. I can’t get it out. Where did these kids get gum? It’s stuck in my hair.”

“Why is it blue?! Poop shouldn’t be blue. Is he an alien? It sure smells like it in here.”

“Sorry, Miller. We made cupcakes yesterday with blue frosting.” I try not to laugh at the chaos.

Hannah perks up from her spot next to me on the floor. “Cupcakes?” Crap. I shouldn’t have said the C word.

“Not right now, Hanny.” She pouts and looks toward the kitchen counter where the cupcakes in question sit in their container.

“I thought I was good with babies. There must be something wrong with this one.” Tucker bounces in place with a whining Miles in his arms.

“He’s been gassy. Skin-to-skin sometimes helps. I’ve seen Justin do it,” I offer.

“Skin to what?” He looks horrified. “Has anyone seen my hat? Or Lincoln and Ruby?”

“Last time I saw them, they were in a standoff about the color of a cup, I think? Something about pink versus orange. But can someone please tell me how to get gum out of my hair? It’s my pride and joy.”

I’m internally laughing at all of this. Any doubts I had about wanting to keep this baby are gone. Even though we are in complete survival mode right now, not a single one of them has stepped back from the challenge. They’ll be here for me. Here to help me care for and raise my baby.

Decision made.