“Clover?” Zoe blinked. “That sounds a little too coincidental.”
“Right?” I set my feet down and scooted forward. “Basically, a long time ago, a group of men thought they were so fabulous, perfect specimens of the male gender. So much so that they tattooed their penises with a four-leaf clover and then spread their seed to special women. They especially felt that a woman who turned forty was superior in knowledge and still fertile. Then the babies became Children of the Clover, raised to carry on the legacy. Male babies were coveted the most for obvious reasons.”
Morti eyed the other two before looking back at me. “I have to say I’m with Harm. The cult sounds a little too crazy to be true. I’m sure it’s just some old legend. Probably where the legend of the tattooed clover penis sprouted from.”
“Oh, it sprouted all right. I saw it with my own eyes. Well, I saw something, anyway, but Matt won’t let me take another look.”
“Gee, I can’t imagine why.” Zoe laughed on a wince. “You don’t really believe this is true, do you?”
“I don’t know.” I threw my hands up in the air and flopped back on the cushions. “You guys make me feel like I’ve gone crazy. Who knows, maybe I have. All I know for certain is that I need to know for sure.”
“Well, living with Matt is a step in the right direction.” Harm snorted.
“My thoughts exactly.” I nodded with determination. “Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen without seeming like a sex-crazed maniac.”
“Good luck with that one,” Zoe said knowingly.
“What does that mean?” I eyed her curiously.
“It’s a pregnancy thing.” Zoe giggled. “Now that your morning sickness is gone, you’ll enter the horny phase, so a sex-crazed maniac isn’t too far off.”
My jaw unhinged.
Matt was already hard enough to resist. How the hell was I going to handle being horny while living with a gorgeous Thor lookalike? “Well, that’s just great. I already signed on the dotted line.”
“Something tells me good ole’ McShamrock doesn’t have a clue what he signed up for.” Harmony laughed.
“And this is why online dating is my preferred choice,” Morticia stated. “Cyber-sex is so much less stressful.”
“But far less enjoyable, babe,” Harmony countered.
“And it can’t give you a baby,” Zoe added gently.
“Or two.” I groaned.
Maybe Matt’s brilliant idea wasn’t so brilliant after all.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you sure you want to rent the apartment upstairs?” I asked Trixy a week later as she sat behind the reception desk of my salon.
Matt’s cousin, Finn, was taking over his apartment and letting Aidan stay with him. They’d been crashing at his uncle’s house, who was more than happy to have them, but family was family. They knew Matt needed help, so they jumped in, no questions asked.
I didn’t have that luxury.
Trixy nodded, and her bleach blonde pigtails bounced. “My parents are sick of having me live with them. Failure to launch, and all that.” She laughed. “And since it’s only for one year, it’s a great trial run for me to see what it’s like totally adulting on my own. I’m not gonna lie…I’m kinda nervous.”
Trixy was in her late twenties, definitely not a kid anymore. She was a whiz at computers but pretty much clueless about everything else. Her parents had always helped her manage—more like taken over—everything else, but now they were ready for her to leave the nest and start her own life. I couldn’t blame them, but I could also sympathize with her. I lived with my Grammy until I was in my mid-twenties, then went out on my own. I didn’t regret anything except getting married.
But I never made the same mistake twice.
“You’ll do great.” I patted her hand. “Speaking of adulting, I have to finish packing. I’m not gonna lie…I’m not gonna miss climbing those stairs.” I winked.
Trixy laughed. “I think it’s great that you and Mr. McGinnis are moving in together. He’s so hot.”
“It’s not like that between us.” I sighed.
Here we go. It was only a matter of time before the rumor mill started, and Trixy wasn’t the first. Tongues had been wagging since the moment we signed on the dotted line to rent the ranch.
Her face puckered up. “But aren’t you having his babies?”
And there it was.
I inhaled and counted to ten. “Yes, but we’re not a couple.”
“If you say so.” Her eyes twinkled.
I rolled mine. “We’re moving in together to co-parent, that’s all.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you’ll have someone to help you. Twins are a lot, and Matt’s like…huge.”
In more ways than one, I thought. “You have no idea.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God, I can’t imagine giving birth to one—let alone two—of his babies.” She shuddered.
“You and me both.” I could feel my anxiety heighten just thinking about it.
Trixy’s gaze landed on me as realization dawned. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You’ll be fine, I’m sure. Good childbearing hips, and all.”
