Runaway Love

The next day we were on our way back home. Mixed feelings rolled in my gut. I was glad to be out of the hospital, that meant that I was ok, and so were my girls. But the last time I had been in the house was when I was attacked. I kept telling myself that he was in jail.

Oliver and Sean had ensured that he wouldn't be released on bail, and his court date was next week. There was more than enough evidence that there was no question of his conviction, just a matter of how much time he would have to serve. Then we pulled into the driveway. I sat, my hands on my belly. I couldn't go inside yet. I couldn't face it. Sean and Oliver sat with me, each of us silent.

"We could go back to my old apartment tonight." Sean offered after twenty minutes. "No, I need to do this," I said, taking in a breath and putting my hand on the handle.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Oliver jumped out of the SUV and came to my door. He opened it, and unbuckled me, turning me to face him. He gave me a kiss and pulled away while his hands still cradled my face. "What do you need from us? Just say the words and we'll jump through any hoop we have to." He said, his gaze meeting mine.

"Just be with me. Don't leave me alone." I said, not really knowing what I needed at the moment.

We sat in the car for a few minutes before I took a deep breath and shooed Oliver out of the way. He held my hand and walked beside me while Sean followed us. When we came to the door, Oliver stepped forward and unlocked and undid the code, while Sean stepped beside me.

"We upped the system to the highest grade possible, if a silent alarm is triggered then Sam will know and have an instant live feed to the entire house. Alerts will also be sent out like they were before to our phones. Your safety is our number one priority." He said, taking my hand in his.

I nodded and stepped forward, moving us into the house. I took a deep breath and paused just inside. It was quiet, and I was uneasy, but I felt safer with Oliver and Sean by my side.

"I've got things set up so I will be working from home as much as possible. Oliver will be here too when he doesn't have patients-which at the moment will be for the company, not the hospital-unless there's an emergency." Sean said, letting go of my hand and taking a few steps away.

"It's ok, I think. I'm not running for the hills, and with you guys here I don't feel as scared. I think for the time being as long as I'm not alone I'll be ok." I said, more to myself than them.

They must have known that as they didn't respond. Oliver took my bags to the laundry room, and Sean moved into the kitchen. My stomach took that moment to growl, my hand going to my bump on habit. Sean looked up over the counter and smirked.

"I'll fix us some food. I'm ready for something better than hospital food anyway." He said, turning to the fridge.

"Me too, apparently," I said with a small smile.

I wandered to the breakfast bar and sat down. Sean handed me a bottle of water and pulled out some chicken and vegetables. He left them on the counter and went to start the grill. He dropped a kiss on my cheek as he walked by me, and gave my shoulder a squeeze. His touch said what didn't.

My men were there for me, and always would be. The thought brought a smile to my face. They made me feel safe and didn't push me past my comfort zone.

A harsh kick from one of the girls brought a wince and hand to my belly. I still worried about how they would feel about the girls. They said they didn't care if they were Josh's babies, they were mine and they would love them. I wanted to believe them, but our relationship was still so new, and to change it so suddenly like bringing a child in, I worried where it would leave us.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Oliver said as his arms caged me into the counter.

"Just thinking about the babies and how much things will change when they get here," I said, smiling up at him and moving toward his body more.

"I don't think I've told you lately, but you are amazing. Every day you amaze me with your strength and attitude. You always find something to smile about. I can't think of anyone else who could be dragged through the hell you've gone through and still come out smiling and able to find love, and be able to love as you do." Oliver said as he planted a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled and leaned into his chest. His body was warm and felt safe. I hadn't felt whole when we were apart, and being back together had put some of the missing pieces of my heart back together. I had never imagined loving two men, but I couldn't imagine life without them both.

I heard Sean come back into the kitchen and Oliver stepped away, moving to help him get dinner ready. I watched for a minute, but my tired and sore body let me know I needed to find some pain relief and put my feet up.

Sean must have noticed because he grabbed the bottle of pills and put it in front of me. I took them and then he gestured to the couch.

"Dinner will be ready in thirty, but we'll eat in there so you don't have to move. The next few days you are to take it easy and just relax." He said, stepping to me to kiss me.

I leaned into his body, wanting to be near him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

"I listened to Oliver talk about you for years, but never imagined you'd be mine to love. Don't ever scare me like that again, my heart can't handle losing you now that it knows what it's like to have you." He said, kissing me again gently on the lips.

He walked me to the couch and got me settled with my feet up and remote in hand. I channel surfed before settling for a crime drama series I had found when I was on bed rest. I realized it hadn't been that long ago I was stuck on the couch, even though it felt like ages. So much had changed in just seven months.

The guys finished dinner and we ate while watching TV and went to bed. The next morning I woke and found myself being drawn to the room I'd been painting in. Everything was just as I'd left it, and before I realized it, I had my smock on and was wielding the paintbrush.

I finished my first painting for the nursery and got set up for starting the second. I glanced at the time, it was one. Deciding that now was a good time as any for lunch I waddled to the kitchen, and reheated leftovers from the night before. After I finished eating I put my dishes in the dishwasher and went back to painting. A knock at the door pulled my attention from my work to Oliver.

"You've been busy. He said, moving to look at the completed piece. "This is incredible, sugar."

"It's a simple painting, nothing fancy," I said, my face heating.

"Still can't take a compliment about your work, I see." One of his eyebrows raised as he moved his gaze to my almost finished second canvas. "These are the names you picked?" He asked pointing to the scripted names at the bottom of each

canvas.

"Yes, don't tell Sean yet. I'll have these hung by the time he gets back from the office." I said quickly.

"My lips are sealed....although a kiss would ensure that." He said with a grin.

"Well, how can a girl refuse that deal?" I smiled back and claimed his mouth harshly, pulling a groan from him.

"As much as I loved the claim, it's too soon to be doing anything," Oliver said as he pulled away and brushed my cheek with his thumb as he cupped my chin.

"Then leave and let me finish, I want to hang them before Sean gets home," I said, shooing him out.

He left with a chuckle and I went back to my canvas. It was only a short time later I had cleaned up and was standing in the nursery, looking at the two paintings I'd hung above the cribs. I smiled and placed my hands on my bump. "Your room is ready, girls. It's perfect." I said with a smile.

"Oliver said that you were in here. How was your day?" Sean asked, coming to stand behind me.

I leaned against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me and settled his hands on my belly.

"Good, the nursery is now complete," I said drawing his attention to the paintings.

"Darling, are those the names you picked?" He asked, squeezing me tighter.

I nodded and waited to see what he would say. My eyes fell back to the canvases I had hung only moments earlier. One was a rainbow coming from storm clouds, with Adalyn scripted below them. The other was the sun coming from storm clouds with Marie scripted below it.

"You named them after Oliver and my mothers. They are perfect, little one." He said as he turned me to face him.

He crashed his lips on mine and his hands tangled in my hair. I leaned into him and the kiss. If my girls were anything like the strong and amazing women who had raised these men then I would be the proudest mother ever. I pulled back and told that to Sean, who smiled and kissed me gently before turning his attention back to the paintings, smiling as he took them in.