Page 73 of Theirs to Treasure

“Can you move in with us until your sisters arrive?”

Yep, it was a big one. She looked over at Sam.

“Sam?” she prodded.

“Yeah, we’re both on the same page. We want you to move in until Becca and Sarah get here. We really think that the three of us need this time together to see if this is really going to work, especially before Becca arrives.”

“Why before Becca arrives?” Josie asked, curious.

“Honey, two reasons,” Sam answered. “I want the three of us growing as a triad. I really thought about what you said this morning, and I think this has a chance. A real chance. No fucking pun intended.” He glared at his friend who was laughing.

“I want the three of us as solid in our relationship as possible so Becca can see how good we are together. Does that make sense?”

She was ecstatic that it was Sam who said all that. He’d really heard what she’d said before her nap. But…

“You think in three weeks’ time, we can determine if we can make a lasting commitment, like Dale, Lola, and Jace?” Josie was flabbergasted.

“I do,” Chance said firmly. “I know both of you. When you make up your minds, it’s forever. Time really isn’t a factor.” Sam and Josie sat still, both lost in thought. Sam broke the silence.

“Yes or no, you’re right. When I make a decision, I make a decision. But it’s going to be after the girls leave. Not before they get here.” There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in his voice.

“I’m sorry, Chance, that’s asking too much. Deciding for the rest of my life in three weeks’ time…I can’t do it. Even if my sisters are all right with everything. But I do agree to stay here for the next three weeks. I think that’s smart.”

She watched as Sam and Chance smiled at one another in satisfaction.

Chapter 28

Josie’s temperature was back to normal the next day. But she waited until Wednesday before returning to the bakery, to ensure she didn’t expose Elise or any of her customers to the flu. Neither Chance nor Sam was happy with her decision, thinking she should wait until at least Friday to resume her busy schedule. Elise and Rob had done a great job keeping everything going in her absence, and Josie made a note to put an extra something into both of their paychecks.

“So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Josie asked Elise.

“I think that’s a question I should be asking you. It seems that you’ve made yourself at home over at the Reynolds-Booth household. What’s that all about?” Elise smirked good-naturedly.

Josie felt a strong kinship with Elise from the beginning. The only reason she hadn’t come out with her, Kara, and Lola on girl’s night, was that someone needed to babysit Sweet Dreams Desserts.

This morning they had time to talk since they didn’t open for another hour, and Josie needed some advice. “How long have you lived in Fate Harbor?”

“I was born here.”

“This thing with two guys and a girl…” Josie waved her hand, centering the cake on her workstation.

Elise turned on the mixer for the cake batter she’d been working on, and then started kneading some of the dough for the cinnamon rolls. Josie watched her gathering her thoughts before replying. “I’m sixty-seven years old. That means I grew up in the sixties, free love and all that, but poly-relationships were already well-established here at that point. Our unique little social dynamic was really a by-product of a significant population imbalance, i.e., too high a ratio of men to women due to the logging and fishing industries founded in this region. When I grew up, there were kids in my school who had parents who were in triad relationships, so it was accepted.”

Elise got more flour and sprinkled it on the dough. “My parents never raised an eyebrow, so I never thought anything about it. It wasn’t until I was in third grade that I heard some girl telling my friend that her parents were going to go to hell, because of how they were living. I had gone to sleepovers at her home, and I knew her mom and dads and I didn’t want them to go to hell. So, I went home to my parents, crying about what this other girl had said to my friend. They had to explain to me that some people didn’t think it was normal to have two dads.”

Josie listened, surprised that triad relationships were so deeply embedded into the culture of this community. “Have you ever considered marrying two men?”

“Honey, I met Ed in high school, and that was all she wrote. He’s the only man I’ve ever had eyes for. That’s not to say I would have been opposed to having two husbands, but I was only ever attracted to my Ed.” Josie had seen the two of them together, and the love between them was palpable.

“How do you keep that kind of love and desire alive after so many years?”

“Oh, there’s work involved, don’t think there isn’t! In some ways it takes more work, and in others, I think it’s easier than having just one husband.”

“What do you mean?” Josie asked.

“Kara’s mom is one of my best friends. I don’t know that you’ve met her. Isla says that usually when two of them are having a conflict the third will come in and smooth things out. For instance, Leif Senior is usually the hothead, but if Isla and Conn are fighting, he’ll suddenly do something to get them laughing or say something profound to defuse the situation.”

“What about the children? Don’t Leif and Conn wonder which dad is their bio dad?”