Alone in the Country Ch. 03

While Jim liked to remodel houses, Rick liked to garden. He and his wife had bought a home with a bit of land, much like mine here and he'd turned a little over an acre into a beautiful garden, Jim told me this last bit. His home had dozens of plants and he was the one who kept up his father's land, making sure the lawn looked good, planting whatever plants he wanted, doing it all himself. So with all this, how did they end up working for a well digger and repair place? Fresh out of high school. It was only later that they thought of doing something else, and that was for their own pleasure. Jim liked to build things, Rick like to grow things. They were hobbies. It'd kept them out of trouble and they'd neither one thought of going to college until much later and by then they didn't have time to. Jim was lucky. His garnered him money. Rick's allowed him to keep his cool when his ex butted into his life.

After breakfast, I took them out to the barn and showed them what I did. Since I'd done a lot of work in and out of the house, I delighted in showing off my ability to wield a hammer. Jim even praised my ability and I couldn't resist teasing him about his meanness that day they'd put in my well pump. It wasn't everyday you had a woman that could do things like that, so I kind of understood. When he didn't correct me, I shrugged and showed Rick some of my plant magic. I had dried plants I got dyes from with wonderful colors as well as fresh ones that I grew out back of the barn. Where the sun was best and an old manure pile had enriched the soil almost too much. It wasn't fancy, just straight lines, but it was just more things I had in common with the two men.

After the tour, I walked the men out to their truck and, after long kisses that stirred up trouble, I pushed them away with the promise to call if I needed anything. They reluctantly left because I really did have work to do and I'd already delayed long enough, but, as they were heading for the gate, I remembered the insurance papers. I'd planned on giving it to them so that I didn't have to go into town right away to mail it. With a soft curse, I hurried inside and picked up the phone as I slipped into my office where I'd left the papers and their cell numbers. I quickly dialed Jim's number since his cousin was driving and, after explaining, he suggested they come back tomorrow for dinner, on them and they'd bring it... If I wanted to have dinner of course? I thought about my work for a moment and nodded as I told him sure. There was a lot to do, but I'd be able to put myself at a stopping point then. After what had happened the night before and that morning, I knew to figure in some more for that fun too.

Over the weeks that followed, I saw and got to know the two men much better. They were, as my grandmother would say, courting me. They weren't just in it for the sex, though there was quite a bit of that. They came bearing gifts, took me to dinner, sometimes just one would be here or take me out, usually both. We had fun. They took me dancing, to movies, shopping, bowling, to play pool. I spent a lot of time at Rick's apartment where we'd go to escape the late summer heat by using the pool there. As I grew I slowed down a bit and thought for sure they would begin to draw back from me, but if anything they were around more. As my jeep was a stick shift, Rick said his pregnant neighbor said I wasn't supposed to drive it, and though I swore I was fine, he insisted on hearing it from the doctor himself.

Six weeks before delivery they men started taking turns going with me to the doctor. My doctor thought Jim was the father, the first time, I didn't disabuse him of the notion nor did we positively agree. When Rick went the next time, I finally confessed what I probably should've weeks before. Until then, I'd not admitted to any one man, just that yes, the father knew. When I told him I wasn't sure which was the father, Rick or Jim, he seemed shocked. This man had known me since my first period. He'd known when I became sexually active and he'd given me my first box of condoms with the pill. He'd been the one to go through all the trouble with the first experience with latex and the troubles with the pill. He'd also been the one to set me up with a natural way of testing and monitoring my fertility which had, until these two men, always allowed me to remain unpregnant. Even though my doc had known about me having a couple of lovers before, he'd also known I'd never been together with them at the same time. As he was my doc, I had to tell him how we'd had a bit of 'fun' that night and then, as we were seated in his office after my check up, he dropped a bombshell on me. At six weeks to go, he thought I was with twins. Until then I'd refused to do ultrasounds and since my pregnancy was running smoothly, if a little weightier than he wanted, he didn't push. This time he'd heard a second heartbeat though and pushed for it.

Four weeks to delivery, I did the ultrasound and both of the 'fathers' were there to watch with me. They'd insisted to the point that they were threatening to call all of my clients and tell them there'd be no more orders until the babies were at least three months old. Since they knew where my client lists were, I caved. It was two girls we discovered, and they were going to be perfect. I hadn't wanted to know the sex of the baby until then and I was slightly disappointed because I'd been hoping for a boy, but it was only because I knew what being a girl was all about. A boy would've been easier, I'd thought.

I also would've thought that would've eased the men's minds, but, no. They were thrilled there was two. They decided on the way home that they would each claim a daughter and that they would keep seeing her as they had been. On and on, they had ideals on how it was going to go, never once consulting the mother... Until we got home and they were helping me settle down for my, now usual, nap. It was then that Jim, surprisingly, frowned down at me and hushed his cousin as he said, "Sorry, Em. We've totally left you out of this, haven't we?" Jim had come along way in these last eight months. He still wanted to enjoy an all or nothing way of doing things, but he was much more careful with me. Rick was as sweet as ever.

"It's okay. I'm glad you two are working this out."

"Yeah, but that doesn't tell us what you think."

"What's there to think. You've each been willing to be the Dad to my child for months now-"

"And we still are." Rick promised.

"Just, now we can solve the problem about who's name is going to be on the birth certificates." Jim grinned. "We each get one."

"And there's something else Em." Rick said as he looked at his cousin strangely, then down at her as Jim nodded. "We both want to marry you-" he raised a hand when my eyes opened wide in surprise and I started to sit up to say why that was impossible. We all knew that, though. Rick just pushed me back to the pillow as he continued, "Since we can't, we was wondering if you'd like to choose between us, or keep things as they are or what?"

Jim leaned down and I kissed him back then he drew back and said, "We are both in love with you and we've discussed it repeatedly, but we each tried giving you up, drawing straws, flipping coins and just plain being angry at each other. But, the truth is we both love you and we both want you and the child. Now that you are having twins, we can easily solve the 'splitting time with the child' issue."

"That just leaves you." Rick said, raising my hand to his lips without looking at me.

Thing was, I was unable to decide between them too. I'd fallen in love with each of them for different reasons and had been trying to decide which I would offer myself to in marriage should that day arrive. But like Jim said, they were both in love with me. And I was in love with both of them. I wanted both of them.

"We've been talking, Jim and I, about this a lot in the last few weeks. Em, we were wondering if you'd take us both, let us move in here with you and help you raise our girls and love you all. Marriage is out of the question, laws out here don't permit this kind of a relationship, but there's nothing saying we can't have a commitment kind of marriage, where we both claim you and you us. We can even get it in writing. I've spoke to a lawyer and we can draw it up like a prenuptial agreement."

As I know that's how Rick's ex took him for all he'd had back then, I knew how hard it had been for him to agree to suggest such a thing.

"It would allow you to keep everything you own while we will keep what we own going in and you will keep everything we get together for the babies. We're going to open savings accounts for... well, each of the children and anymore we may have. And we've already got it in the works that you will be our beneficiary on everything but for what is set up for the children. We also plan-"

I raised a hand to stop them and chuckled softly. "Fine do it. When you get the papers ready I'll read them and sign them."

"You'll let your lawyer read them then you will sign them. That's how my ex got me. I took her word for the correctness of things, briefly scanned and signed. I was in love. I don't want you to end up like me, not that I plan on screwing you over-"

"Fine, send the papers to my lawyer... His address is in the rolodex on my desk." I said with a heavy yawn. "Now, either crawl into bed with me or go away." I told them with a small smile as I nestled into the three pillows.

Jim started to lay down with me, but Rick cleared his throat. "We've got to get back to work."

"Okay. See you for dinner. I'll cook us some chicken and yellow rice. Perhaps with a salad." I murmured, the last fading so low that the men had to lean forward to hear. With a chuckle, one kissed my cheek the other my temple, then left me to nap the warm afternoon away.

Two weeks later, I delivered early, calling the men in from a job at mid morning. I'd already called nine-one-one as I walked out to the road. It was the longest I've ever thought that drive. Twice I thought the girls were going arrive on my dirt drive. The ambulance wasn't there when I got there but the guys were flying so fast down the street that they over shot and slammed on the breaks. Rick barreled out of the passenger door, scooped me up and hopped back in. I told the emergency operator what was going on, especially when she heard the squealing tires of that big work truck and we hung up with a promise to call if things got bad again. We passed the ambulance five minutes later just seconds before it turned off it's blaring siren and lights and slowed to turn back around. The men were frantic and worried, but I wasn't. My men would see to it I was well cared for. Rick held me like the most precious of fragile china while Jim had pulled off his newly purchased watch and was timing my contractions with his free hand as he asked a hundred times if I was okay. Hell, I was great.

...Three years later, after putting the girls down for bed, I led the men into our much larger master bedroom, recently built by the three of us, and furnished with a king size bed that slept the three of us nicely, with me always in the middle. I picked up the cloth drawstring tie-dye bag I'd laid on the bed and gave it a shake. "It's time for another baby, but we're going to do it differently this time. I don't want no guessing and I don't want no doubts. In this bag are two condoms one is red and one is green. The one who picks the green one gets first try and has two months to get me pregnant before we take a rest."

Jim scowled, "That leaves one of us not having sex for two months?"

Snorting, she shook her head, "Hardly. The red grabber will have to wear a condom every time we make love until I either become pregnant or it's his turn to try. I love our girls and I love my men, but it was such a pain in the butt getting all that paperwork right that I don't want to go through it every time we come up pregnant. So, one now, one later."

Rick drew the red special, non latex.

Almost three weeks later I was tossing my cookies. We had it confirmed at six weeks. Jim was thrilled, I was thrilled, and Rick and the girls were thrilled. Nine months later we had our first son. Two years and ten months later we did it all over again and got a second son. The men could care less. Even I didn't care, but boy was the paperwork easier.

Who would've thought something bad could turn out so good!

This is not a true story. This is Pure Fantasy. If you liked this be sure to read parts 1 and 2. Thank you for reading.