“You’ll be a great mother all over again,” Brock assured her, placing her hand on his cheek.
“Yes I will,” she said. “And I’m sure I’ll be excited once the idea sinks in. You know?”
Brock didn’t buy it for a minute. Something was definitely off with her. Trixie loved her children. They had discussed having a houseful. What wasn’t she telling him? Had Cash struck her in the stomach? Had he abused her far worse than she had been willing to admit?
Trixie placed a protective arm over her middle. “I’m already beginning to like the idea.”
Mitch shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Well, there you have it. Congratulations, Brock, Trixie, Rory.”
The doctor frowned as his gaze darted between Brock and Mitch. “I thought you were one of the quote-unquote ‘husbands.’”
Mitch grinned. “Well that’s something our little lady would have to answer.”
Trixie reached for his hand. “I guess that’s something we’ll both need to answer one of these days.”
“Right now you need your sleep,” Mitch said, patting her leg. “I love you, baby. I’ll be back soon.”
Chapter Forty-One
The pregnancy news must’ve been too much for Mitch to handle. Rory and Brock met him in the lobby an hour or so later and if his body language told accurate tales, the man appeared broken.
“You could’ve stayed,” Brock said, paying close attention to his demeanor.
“It wasn’t my place,” Mitch said. “Something like that is pretty personal and Trixie needed the two of you.”
“I see,” Brock said, taking a seat across from Mitch.
The lobby was lined with rows of thick royal-blue padded seats. They were all bolted together with little space between each and the color scheme was bright enough to warrant wearing a pair of sunglasses.
“You’re ready to run,” Rory told him, standing between them. “I can see it all over you, Mitch.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Mitch assured them, though he didn’t sound convincing.
“Trixie is in love with you,” Rory told him. “If that doesn’t mean anything to you, then you walk away now. Don’t lead her on and then break her heart again.”
“I won’t,” Mitch said, studying Brock then. “But I’ll tell you both right now. I am not moving to Fletcher.”
Rory crossed his arms over his chest. “So you’ve said.”
“Tell me something, Mitch,” Brock began cautiously. “Is this really about the money? Trixie had a point. You could probably sell the camp and live comfortably off the real estate earnings.”
“In this market?” Mitch shook his head. “Hell no. I’d take a financial beating.”
Rory sat beside Mitch. “It’s because the camp has been in your family for years.”
“Yes, that’s part of it.”
“I can understand that.”
“You’re not telling us everything,” Brock said.
Mitch frowned. “I’ve lost several years of my life sitting behind bars. Those years weren’t completely wasted because I had plenty of time to think and plan. I knew what I wanted to do with the camp and had all the ideas embedded in my head by the time I left.
“What I’m trying to say is—I love Trixie and the two of you know how much she means to me, but—”
“You’re not giving up your dream for her,” Rory said.
“I’m not giving up the camp for her,” Mitch said.
“Even if the idea of the sex retreat makes her uncomfortable?” Brock asked.
“Especially then.” Mitch chuckled. “Our little woman has double standards. She can take three men to bed but God help us if we ever took a second look at a woman. She can walk down the street—unless she’s drastically changed while I’ve been away—see a good-looking man, and tease about adding one more to the bunch. Her sisters own the hottest BDSM club in the South, if not the US, and she frequents their place—”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Brock said, putting his hand up. “Rory and I draw the line there.”
Mitch swung his gaze to Rory. “And the two of you believe she doesn’t go there?”
“She doesn’t,” Rory assured him. “She’s only permitted at the club after hours.”
“Well maybe you have a better handle on her than I thought,” Mitch said.
Rory and Brock shook their heads and laughed.
“Or not,” Mitch mumbled.
“Whether we do or not, you have to remember. Our lives work for us. We wouldn’t change a thing,” Rory said.