Page 9 of Sold to the Single Daddies (Southern Heat Reverse Harems #4)

Reagan

One Year Later

The small bakery in Devil’s Den, a tiny town not too far from Dallas, or the club that had caused all of my current issues, was adorable.

I’d appreciated it from outside the large windows or I wouldn’t have noticed a single thing because as soon as I stepped inside, every customer in the place swung around to look at me. And then froze.

I suddenly wished I’d brought Harley with me instead of Lucky. Harley would’ve happily gone to war for me if all the strangers gawking at me didn’t react well to my presence. Lucky might grow into a fierce protector, but right then, he was just a cranky three-month-old.

Not that the people gawking at me and Lucky had any reason to react badly to me.

They had no clue who I was. Even a small place like Devil’s Den had to get people passing through.

I wasn’t sure, though, judging by the way they were looking at me like I was an alien with three heads.

I was starting to think it was a bad idea to show up to the first open business I saw.

No. I had to do what I came for. I straightened my shoulders, crossed my fingers, and hoped like hell that I hadn’t spent one night a year earlier with married men.

“I’m looking for Mills, Tate, and West Hellstone.”

Almost immediately the entire place erupted into chaos.

Lucky let out a wail at the sudden commotion and his entire face turned red with anger as he let the world know he was pissed.

Yeah, Lucky seemed to take after his fathers.

At least what I knew of them made me think that.

He sure as hell hadn’t gotten his stink face from me.

A redhead with beautiful green eyes came at me and when I shifted to protect Lucky from her, she froze and held up both hands.

“Oh, god! I’m so sorry! We’re acting nuts, aren’t we?”

Another redhead appeared beside her, eyes wide and smile wider.

“No fucking way. Our big brothers knocked you up, didn’t they?

Holy shit. Sorry to freak you out. I’m Vera.

This is Nellie. I’m losing it. Our holier than thou, self-righteous brothers went out and got someone pregnant.

You’re stunning, by the way. What do you use on your hair?

I’d kill for straight, shiny hair like yours.

And your eyes. God. I’m going to have to use you in a book. ”

I stammered and took a step back.

“Um…”

A third woman with a short, pink bob pushed past the talker.

“Vera. Stop. You’re scaring her. I’m Maxie. This is my bakery. Lucky for you, you showed up on opening day and I’ve got a ton of stuff for us to eat while you get settled and my sisters pester you with a million questions.”

I looked back at Vera.

“How did you know?”

“That those three got you pregnant?” She reached out and reverently touched Lucky’s foot.

It earned her a scowl from him. “If you hadn’t asked about them it might’ve taken us a few seconds longer.

But another one of our brothers has heterochromia.

Our dad did, too. The same colors and everything.

Plus, that scowl? That’s got Mills written all over it. ”

I felt like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I’d been terrified the guys wouldn’t believe me. Why would they? The only things they knew about me were physical. They didn’t even know my name and yet, there I was, with a baby in tow.

“Oh, come on back, you poor thing.” Maxie wrapped her arm around my shoulder and led me through the still gawking crowd. She only stopped next to three big men to point out a beautiful little boy. “This is Hank, our son, and my husbands, Arlo, Shepherd, and Rhett.”

I did a double take. Husbands?

Rhett, with an easy grin on his face, nodded at me.

“Yep. Husbands. Seems like all of the men around here like to work in groups to get our women. Wouldn’t have imagined Mills, Tate, and West, had it in them to share, though.”

My face burned hot and I looked away quickly. Having people just know that I’d been screwed sideways by three different men at the same time was a lot to handle.

Maxie gently slapped the big man’s arm.

“You’re embarrassing her.”

I cleared my throat and hiked Lucky higher on my side.

For just three months, he was a giant baby.

At twenty-five pounds, he was in the ninety-ninth percentile for baby boys his age.

We’d already had multiple trips to a pediatrician to make sure he was healthy.

He was. He was just massive like his dad. Dads? I sighed.

“It’s okay. I’m just…surprised.”

“What’s this little fella’s name? He’s a big boy.” Shepherd reached out and lightly brushed his finger over Lucky’s hand, just for Lucky to snatch his hand back in a fist and basically brandish it at the man. “Oh shit. He really is their kid.”

I bounced Lucky and patted his back. “

He’s not always so cranky…That’s a lie. He is. His name’s Lucky. He just turned three months.”

The women around me all winced. Vera pressed her hand over her groin.

“Are you okay? Seems like you’re the lucky one if you’re still in one piece after delivering that little giant.”

“Jesus.” Nellie pushed her sisters towards the door to the kitchen. “She’s never going to want to be friends with us if y’all keep embarrassing her. Go. Get in the back so we can feed her and trick her into liking us.”

I’d already decided I liked them but by the time I shoved the second pastry into my mouth, I knew it was meant to be. I swallowed and licked my fingers clean before realizing I looked like I had no manners at all. I groaned and picked a piece of flaky pastry off of Lucky’s head.

“That’s embarrassing. I probably look awful. I just showed up out of nowhere with a baby and now I’m scarfing down your food and dropping pieces of food on your nephew’s head.”

“Forget all that. We’ve all had a new baby and understand you’re probably always exhausted, always starving, and always ready to cry.” Vera smiled kindly. “And always horny, if you’re anything like me. That part was the worst. Keeping it in my pants for enough time to heal was awful.”

It felt too early to agree entirely with all of those things but I wanted to. I swallowed down a lump in my throat, proving at least part of what she’d said was completely accurate.

“Do they know?” Maxie pushed a cupcake towards me and they waited patiently without judging as I ate it all before answering.

“No.” I wiped a smudge of icing from Lucky’s forehead. “I didn’t know how to find them…”

“They knocked you up and just ran off? I’ll kill them!” Nellie stood up and looked like she was ready to make good on her threat.

Which meant I had to admit my most embarrassing secret.

“No…We met at a club and spent the night together. There were no names exchanged…”

Vera reacted first. “If we were talking about anyone other than my brothers, I’d say that’s hot. How’d you manage to track them down now?”

Arlo stepped into the kitchen behind me, startling me. He looked at me and then winced when he turned that gaze on his wife.

“Was it Club Devil?”

I turned hot enough to cook an egg on my face. I couldn’t look at him as I nodded.

“What the fuck is Club Devil?” Vera grunted. “And why don’t I know about it?”

“It’s a…private club. We went to it a time or two back in the day. Long before you, sweetheart.” He moved closer to Maxie and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “When everything happened last year, your brothers seemed like they needed an outlet. We gave them our invitation to a private event.”

“Oh, my god. Are you telling me that my big brothers went to a sex club?!” Vera screeched the words and gripped her curls tight. “I’m losing it here. Part of me is so disgusted to know that about them but the other part of me is already halfway to this Club Devil. The books I could write!”

Maxie shushed them and reached out to gently touch my arm.

“Hey. It’s okay. We’re not judging you. I promise.”

I angrily swiped at my tears with the arm not holding Lucky.

“You should be. I went to a sex club and got knocked up by three men I don’t know.

I’m an idiot. And now I’m here, meeting their family before they even know Lucky exists.

They probably don’t even remember me and I’m eating cupcakes with their sisters.

I’d run back home with my tail between my legs if I didn’t believe they deserved to know. ”

“Hey! Don’t talk about our new sister like that.” Nellie laughed at my wide-eyed expression. “We grew up in a family with nine brothers. The three of us need reinforcements. And you’re our nephew’s mother. That means you’re family...Oh, my god. I don’t know your name.”

I groaned. “I’m definitely proving to be a great addition to the family. I’m Reagan.”

“Well, Reagan, welcome to the family.” Vera didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around me. Lucky made a growling sound as he swung his arms, hitting both of us. “Shit. He really is their kid. I know we keep saying it but he even has their grumpy growl already.”