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When we separate, I turn around and find Brody, along with his parents watching us. Brody smiles softly, but his parents wear confusion in their expressions.
“We should probably talk,” Brody says to his parents, walking over and sliding his arm over my shoulders. “Are Olivier and Penelope joining us?”
“Ollie is spending the night at his friend’s, and Penelope is at a cheer sleepover, so it’s just us this evening,” Savy says. “Dinner’s just about ready, so why don’t we head into the dining room?”
“Do you need any help?” I offer, not wanting to seem rude.
“Sure,” she says with a smile. “Ben, can you grab a bottle of wine?” She glances at me. “White or red?”
Since red tends to get me drunk quicker, I go with white.
“Your kitchen is gorgeous,” I mention when we walk into it. Really, their whole house is amazing, but her kitchen is similar to Brody and Hayden’s—a baker’s wet dream.
“Thank you. I love to cook, so Ben made sure when we bought this place and renovated that it had a decent kitchen. Do you like to cook?”
“I do,” I admit. “But baking is my passion.”
“I made a pot roast tonight, which the guys love, but if you ever want to make Brody and Hayden’s favorite, go with lasagna. They’ll devour it.” She glances back and winks, and I know she knows, even though it hasn’t been said yet.
“I…” I splutter, unsure what the hell to say. “I really care about them both,” is what I settle on, making her stop what she’s doing and face me. “I’ve never been in a relationship like this before, and I have no idea how it will all play out, but I truly care about them both.”
“I can tell,” she says warmly. “And from what Brody’s said, it’s obvious he cares about you. I haven’t spoken to Hayden, but I can see it in the way he watches you that he’s smitten as well.”
“And you’re okay with this?” Technically, I’m a grown woman and don’t need anyone’s approval, but I don’t have many people in my life. I would love it if Brody’s parents gave us their blessing since it’s clear they’re close, and I doubt we’ll be getting Hayden’s family’s approval anytime soon.
“Brody mentioned you have two kids. Eight-year-old twins, right?”
“Yeah, they’re with my in-laws for the summer. My husband passed away almost five years ago, but I’m still close with his parents.”
“I didn’t have anyone growing up,” she admits, emotion laced in her words. “I was a foster kid, and because my parents always had one foot in the door and one out, I was never able to get adopted so I could have a real family.
“When I met Brody and Ben, I found my family, and in a lot of ways, they found their family with me. Brody might not be mine biologically, but he’s my son in every way that matters. As his stepmom, as someone who loves him more than life itself, all I want is for him to be happy. And it’s clear when he speaks of you and then seeing him with you tonight, he’s happy.
“And Hayden… Well, he’s not technically mine either, but his family isn’t the best, and he spends more time here than with them.” She shrugs. “It’s safe to say we’ve unofficially adopted him, so the fact that you’re making both of them happy is only a bonus.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, getting choked up. “Your blessing means a lot to me. I don’t have a lot of people in my life, and the last thing I want to do is alienate anyone in theirs. When they suggested this, I was skeptical, but I couldn’t choose between them, and after losing so many people close to me, how could I turn down two men who care about me and want to be with me?”
“Damn right,” Brody says, making me jump. “It’s about time you accept the fact that we both want you and that you’re ours.” He kisses my cheek, and I can’t help the blush that creeps up my neck and face as Hayden and Ben join us in the kitchen.
“So you’re all together?” Ben asks with zero judgment in his tone.
“Yeah,” Brody tells him. “We both fell hard for Bree, and since she didn’t want to choose, we proposed that she date both of us.”
“How did you guys meet?” Savy asks, making me glance at Hayden, who looks nervous and uncomfortable. We probably should’ve talked about all of this before going to dinner, but we didn’t have the time.
“At her coffeehouse,” Brody says, not missing a beat. “I’m pretty sure she puts something in those brownies because with one bite, she had us both addicted.”
“Your parents are so great,” I tell Brody as we walk into their condo a few hours later. The wine was crisp, dinner was delicious, the dessert was heavenly—and I totally asked her for the recipe—but more importantly, the company couldn’t have been better. They were completely open and welcoming. They asked questions but didn’t judge, and when it was time for us to leave, they made Brody and Hayden promise to treat me good and bring me back soon.
