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Chloe screamed as she scrambled down the steps behind Bo, “Oh, my god! It’s a dog!” Jesse grabbed her hand so she wouldn’t tumble. “Look, Jess, look! It’s a big dog and a little dog!”
Bo was laughing as he and the driver got back in the van.
Taylor met them at the bottom of the steps, grinning from ear to ear. He leaned down to kiss her, and then Jesse, in a tangle of leashes. “Let’s go inside so everyone can kiss everyone properly, shall we?”
Properly.
She snorted. He handed her a leash, Jesse the other, then he stepped inside. Chloe looked at Jesse. He looked at her, shrugged, and followed Taylor in the house. She glanced down at the bundle of fur wagging its tail at her feet and smiled. Everything she’d ever wished for was right here.
Taylor sat down on the black leather sofa that came from his penthouse. “I’m so bloody grateful to be home. Something smells delicious.” Then he looked up at them as they just stood there, each of them with a leash in their hand. “You can let them go.” He nodded to the dogs.
They sat down on either side of Taylor and unhooked the leashes from their collars.
“Jesse, your dog, Roman. Chloe, your puppy, Timo. They’re father and son, actually. I didn’t have the heart to split them up.”
They were majestic and beautiful Bernese mountain dogs, or Berners, that he’d adopted through a breed rescue. Timo was already big at just four months old. His father was close to a hundred pounds. They both had silky, thick tricolored coats of black, white, and rust. The gentlest dark eyes and the sweetest, most affectionate nature.
After dinner, they lounged together on the sofa. Music played softly in the background. Roman and Timo slept together in front of the unlit fireplace. Taylor stroked her hair—Jesse’s too. He said it so softly that she almost didn’t hear him.
“It’s not mine.”
Jesse lifted his head. “What?”
“The baby isn’t mine,” he clarified. “Got the results back today.”
She wasn’t sure, but he seemed kind of sad about it. Becky. Shelley. In different ways he’d lost twice now, and Chloe suddenly felt guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have wished so hard, but she knew that was silly.
Like he knew what she was thinking, Taylor reached over and rubbed her belly. “I have to tell you, our press agent seems to think that even when this comes out they won’t stop.” He paused. “In fact, it will likely get worse.”
Chloe sat up. “Why? I don’t understand.”
He kissed her belly.
“Oh.”
“The vultures won’t be happy until they uncover every dirty detail from when and how we fuck to which one of us fathered the baby.” He chewed on his lip. “Taylor Kerrigan in a threesome at an after-party is perfectly acceptable. Naughty perhaps, but acceptable. Taylor Kerrigan in a committed relationship—can’t say married because that’s polygamy, and polygamy is illegal. Can’t say polyamorous because people don’t understand what that even means. Can’t say anything because public opinion is it’s immoral and they’ll say all sorts of horrible, narrow-minded, judgmental things…especially with a child involved.”
She could see his pulse beat in his neck. Chloe wanted to cry. It took everything she had to hold the tears in. Jesse squeezed her hand and Taylor leaned over to kiss the baby in her belly. “I’ve been asked,” he scoffed. “No, actually I’ve been ordered by the label to keep a low profile and decline comment. They suggested we remain apart until this blows over, if this blows over. They threatened to drop Venery if I don’t.”
And the tears came. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. “No!”
Jesse rubbed her back and Taylor pulled her against him. “Don’t cry, little bird. I’m not going anywhere.”
She hiccupped. “Can they do that?”
“They can do whatever they want, but they won’t.”
“Are you sure?”
“No, but we make them a lot of fucking money.” He kissed her brow. “We have a backup plan just in case. Now, dry those pretty eyes of yours and kiss me ’cause you love me and you missed me and I brought home a puppy.”
Taylor was right. It did get worse, but he kept a low profile as much as he could and declined to comment when cornered by the press. He refused the label’s request to distance himself from her and Jesse, however.
Much to the label’s displeasure, they settled into their home on Park Place. Finished renovations and decorated the house. Taylor even helped Chloe find the perfect spot for her pink velvet sofa—in an upstairs guest room that doubled as her private girly space. They planted flowers and a garden. Took Roman and Timo for walks in the park.
By the time May rolled around, everyone had moved into their respective homes on Park Place—Dillon included. Chloe and Linnea graduated from college. The guys threw them a private party at Charley’s and Venery even played for them. Linnea and Kyan were engaged and planned to have an intimate fall wedding at the lake house. Of course, she was going to be the matron of honor.
Matron. Sounds so old.
