She leaned towards me with a languid smile. “Maybe I do, Ryan. But we all know I won’t be having any babies myself.”

  Kate laughed. “I see where you’re going with this.”

  “I mean, obviously we need someone younger to handle that department,” Caroline said with a mischievous look. “Someone like Amber.”

  “You really think so, do you?” I asked.

  “She’d be perfect for it. Young, fertile…” Caroline’s eyes sparkled. “And it’s your job to seduce her.”

  Chapter two

  The late afternoon sun stretched long shadows across Caroline’s dock. I sat with my fishing rod, the line disappearing into the calm water, not really expecting to catch anything.

  It was a new hobby I’d taken up, and I loved just sitting there watching the river slowly flow by.

  On this occasion, Sofia sat beside me, her knees under her chin, talking softly. The words flowed like a babbling brook— one with a livelier current than the river itself.

  I confess I was only half-listening to her, occasionally murmuring “Mmm-hmm,” and nodding. But it was enjoyable just to hear the sound of her voice.

  “And you know what she say?” Her fingers brushed over my arm. “You won’t believe.”

  “Uh huh?”

  “She say my arepas are no real arepas, because she went to a Colombian restaurant in Texas! So she thinks she’s an expert about Colombian food.” She let out an irony-tinged laugh.

  “Crazy,” I said.

  After a while, Sofia went silent for a moment. She leaned forward, peering at my face with her big Disney-Princess eyes.

  “Ryan?” she said softly.

  “Mmm?”

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Uh… nothing,” I said, adjusting my grip on the fishing rod.

  Sofia smiled, then looked down at the water with a sigh. “Do you think you’ll ever want babies? I mean, for real?”

  The question almost knocked me right off the dock. That was exactly what I’d been thinking about.

  It had been in the back of my mind since breakfast—Caroline’s persistent comments about making Amber our ‘breeder.’

  "It might not have been very realistic, but it was definitely hot. But perhaps the most surprising thing was how much I liked the idea of being a dad.

  I was still figuring things out when I had my business, and my ex back then was a mess.

  But now, I realized, my situation was very different. For the first time in my adult life, I felt like I was home.

  And I’d found three mature, beautiful women. It might have sounded crazy to say out loud, but I already knew I wanted to stay with them for a long time to come.

  If Amber was open to joining our unconventional relationship, our babies would have lots of mommies to help raise them.

  Of course, that was a big ‘if.’ But it had been in my thoughts. And Sofia had read those thoughts perfectly.

  I set down my fishing rod, keeping one hand on it, and turned to face her. “I actually have been thinking about it,” I admitted.

  “And?” She prompted gently.

  I leaned back. “I’m twenty-seven. My business is sold. I’ve got financial security. And I’ve got…”

  I gestured around vaguely. “I’ve got a situation that makes me happy.”

  Sofia tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “You know, I miss having children around.”

  Her voice grew wistful. “When you have a baby, that little person gives your life so much meaning.”

  “So, you’d like it if I made some babies?”

  She laughed. “I would love to help raise some.” She bumped my shoulder with hers. “Maybe we do need a nice young wife to make babies.”

  “Like Amber?”

  Sofia grinned. “Caroline’s right about her. That girl wants a family so bad she can taste it.”

  I thought about Amber at the restaurant opening, three drinks in, going on about house layouts and baby names.

  Not to mention the fact that she was thinking about freezing her eggs— a detail I’d kept secret, true to my word.

  Amber was clearly in the midst of some kind of quarter-life crisis.

  “It’s strange,” I said. “A year ago, I would have run from this conversation. Fast. But now? It feels... right.”

  Sofia patted my knee. “That’s because you found your home. When you have that, babies don’t seem scary anymore. They seem like the natural thing.”

  Footsteps sounded on the wooden steps behind us.

  “Thought you might be hungry,” Caroline called out, carrying a basket.

  She walked down the gangway and scolded Sofia playfully. “Sof! I thought we’d agreed Ryan was coming out here to get some time alone, away from us women.”

  I chuckled. “Really? You guys said that? Nah, I get plenty of time alone. You guys are out most of the time.”

  Sofia flicked her hair. “What are you doing here then, Carolina?”

  Caroline raised the basket. “I was just bringing him cookies. They’ve just come out of the oven—”

  “Exactly, and I was just bringing him tea.” Sofia pointed at a thermos she’d brought.

  “All good,” I said, grinning at their mutual teasing. “We were just having an interesting talk.”

  Sofia gave Caroline a meaningful look. “Yes! Very interesting.”

  “About?” Caroline set the basket down and perched on the edge of the dock.

  “Fishing,” I said.

  Caroline made a face. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  “Babies,” Sofia corrected.

  Caroline's eyes lit up. “Oh really?” She opened the basket, releasing the scent of chocolate chip and cinnamon.

  I grabbed one, still warm and gooey. “Yeah, we were, actually.”

  “Ryan wants babies,” Sofia announced.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly say—”

  “You didn’t have to. I can read you like a book.” Sofia grabbed a cookie. “He’s ready to be a daddy.”

  Caroline’s hand squeezed my leg. “I know it. I could tell at breakfast when we were talking about Amber.”

  “Speaking of Amber,” I said.

  “Speaking of Amber,” Caroline echoed with a sly smile, “we are definitely going to her birthday party. No excuses.”

  “I don’t think anyone was planning to skip it,” I said.

  “Kate might try. She still sees Amber as the enemy.” Caroline bit into her cookie thoughtfully. “But her walls are crumbling. Did you see how she looked at you today?”

  “Like a hungry cat eyeing a bowl of cream,” Sofia added.

  “You two are ridiculous.”

  “Nope, we’re smart,” Caroline corrected. “And we know what needs to happen.”

  Taking up my fishing rod, I reeled in the line, finding it predictably empty. “Let me guess. I need to seduce her.”

  “Not just seduce,” Caroline said. “Claim her. Make her ours.”

  “Ours,” Sofia repeated with satisfaction.

  They didn’t need to explain what that meant

  The sun was sinking lower, painting the river orange and gold. I looked at these two women who’d become so central to my life, plotting to bring another into our unconventional family.

  “You really think she’s open to this? A family with us?”

  Caroline leaned her head on my shoulder. “I think she wants a family so badly it terrifies her, and she knows we could be good for her. That’s why she fights it.”

  “The birthday party’s a good opportunity,” Sofia said. “You can interact with her in a more personal setting.”

  I packed up my fishing gear, mulling it over. The idea of Amber joining us—not just for sex, but to make a family—was growing on me.

  “I guess we’ll go and see what happens,” I said.

  “That’s my boy,” Caroline purred.

  Sofia rubbed against me. “I can’t wait to see you put your moves on Amber.”

  As we walked back up the dock toward the house, Caroline and Sofia chattering about the impending seduction, I wondered if Amber would really be able to put aside our differences.

  Chapter three

  “So, how does this citizens’ committee work?” I asked, leaning back on Kate’s leather couch as she returned with two bottles of beer.

  We were in her enormous, high-ceilinged living room, its big windows overlooking her lawn that sloped down to the leafy street.

  Kate handed me a beer. “It’s pretty simple. We find the best people willing to run on our platform, and then we help organize their campaigns.”

  She sat down beside me, her thigh pressing against mine.

  She’d been trying to flirt with me for the last fifteen minutes, since I’d arrived at her house. But I was trying to stay focused on the topic.

  I could see it was making her restless.

  “It’s going to be an uphill battle,” she said, settling into my space. “The other side has money.”

  I nodded, pulling out my phone. “I was thinking about funding options. Maybe we could—”

  Kate plucked the phone from my hand and set it on the coffee table. “We can talk about that later.”

  Her eyes had a look that was familiar by now—intense and challenging.

  “Oh yeah? What did you want to talk about now?”

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she gave my shoulder a playful shove. “You seem tense.”

  “I’m fine,” I chuckled, putting my beer on the coffee table.

  She poked my chest with her finger, tracing a line to my shoulder, then suddenly giving a firm shove. I had to brace myself against the sofa arm to stay upright.

  “What was that for?” I asked, catching her wrist and holding it firmly

  Of course, the question was unnecessary. Kate’s strange mating rituals were familiar to me by now.

  A half-smile played on her lips. “I was just checking your reflexes, soldier.”

  I gave her the cold stare I knew she loved, and spoke in a low voice. “Is that how you talk to your commander?”

  She smiled, her eyes sparkling. This was her favorite game. Her leg was now pressed firmly against mine, her free hand on my thigh.

  “I’m just saying, you should relax, commander,” she said in a submissive voice.

  “Is that what you’re saying?”

  She grinned, then suddenly threw her weight at me, trying to knock me back against the couch cushions.

  I gripped both her wrists, but she twisted, using her body weight to pull me forward.

  “Bad girl,” I said through my teeth. “You know what happens when you disobey.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” She pressed her lips to my neck, then bit down just hard enough to make me inhale sharply.

  I flipped her in one quick movement, pinning her beneath me on the couch. She let out a small gasp, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

  “This what you’re after?” I growled.

  “Yes, I like that,” she moaned, her body arching up against me.

  I kissed her hard, and she responded with equal intensity, her hands grabbing fistfuls of my shirt. Then, in a swift move, she hooked her leg around mine and twisted, nearly toppling me off the couch.

  We ended up on the floor between the coffee table and sofa, wrestling on Kate’s immaculate area rug.

  She fought like she did with everything else—with fierce determination and total commitment.

  But I outweighed her by a good margin, and eventually I had her pinned again, this time with her wrists above her head, my hips pressing her down.

  I shifted my weight, pinning her more firmly. Kate’s tank top had ridden up, exposing the taut skin of her stomach.

  She squirmed beneath me, but it wasn’t to escape—she was pressing herself against me.

  She struggled for a moment, but quickly realized I had her pinned hard. A serene look came over face, and I felt her breath panting against my neck.

  “There, feel better now?” I murmured in her ear.

  “Yes,” her body going limp beneath me.

  I lifted slightly, giving her room. Her big legs opened, and her thighs close around me. I released one of wrists to pull at the button of her cargo shorts.

  Her free hand tugged at my belt, and for a moment we were lost in each other.

  Then the doorbell rang, three sharp chimes that cut through the room.

  Kate froze, her eyes widening. “Shit. It’s Mrs. Donovan!”

  “Who?”

  “She said she might stop by.” Kate scrambled out from under me, yanking her tank top down and fixing her shorts. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  I got to my feet, adjusting my clothes and running a hand through my disheveled hair. “She’s here about the citizen group, or…?”

  Kate nodded, frantically smoothing her hair. “Yeah. She’s thinking about running. She’d be perfect—everyone in town respects her.” She looked me over critically. “Your shirt’s all twisted.”

  I fixed it just as a knocking came at the door, probably a final attempt.

  Kate smoothed her hair one last time and headed for the door. I followed, hanging back a few steps, trying to look presentable.

  When Kate opened the door, I saw a slender woman with white hair. She wore a tailored navy blazer over a blouse with a modest floral pattern, and carried a leather-bound notebook.

  Her face looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen her.

  Despite her age—she had to be in her seventies—she stood straight-backed with an air of quiet authority.

  “Katherine,” she said with a nod. “I hope I’m not too early.”

  “Not at all, Mrs. Donovan. Please come in.” Kate stepped aside. “This is Ryan. He’s part of the citizens’ committee.”

  Mrs. Donovan turned her gaze to me, and I immediately felt like I was being assessed—not harshly, but thoroughly.

  I could tell by her demeanor that she already knew all about me and wasn’t entirely sure what to think. Then, I suddenly remembered where I’d seen her.

  She was Caroline’s old school teacher—the one who gave me the stink eye when we were at the gym.

  I smiled winningly and shook her hand. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Very good.” Her response was noncommittal, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. “Katherine, do you have tea by any chance?”

  “Of course,” Kate said. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

  Mrs. Donovan followed us to the living room, and Kate disappeared into the kitchen.

  The old lady settled onto an armchair, setting her notebook on the coffee table. I took a seat on the couch, trying not to think about what Kate and I had been doing on it minutes earlier.

  “So,” Mrs. Donovan said, folding her hands in her lap. “You’re the young man who’s been going around with Caroline and Katherine.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said decisively. No trying to beat around the bush. I was just going to own it. “And Sofia, too. I like them a lot.”

  She studied me for a moment. “Caroline and Katherine were my students. Caroline was such a bright girl. Always had her head in a book. Could have had an academic career if she’d wanted.”

  “She’s pretty awesome,” I agreed.

  “Katherine was very bright, too, though she was... more challenging.” A small smile formed on her lips.

  My eyes widened. “Really? Like, challenging how?”

  “Oh, nothing too serious. Teenage stuff. You know, smoking before class and that sort of thing.”

  “I see.”

  “She went through a rebel phase, but she was under a lot of pressure at home and that was her way of dealing with it.”

  I nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, she’s told me about that. I think she’s only just fully gotten over it, actually.”

  Mrs. Donovan studied me for a moment, then leaned forward slightly. “I don’t pretend to understand this... arrangement you all have.

  “At my age, some things remain beyond comprehension. But Caroline and Katherine are grown women who make their own choices.” She paused. “I just hope you appreciate what you have.”

  “I do,” I said sincerely. “Very much.”

  Kate returned with a tea tray, setting it on the coffee table. “I see you two are getting acquainted.”

  “We were discussing your high school days,” Mrs. Donovan said.

  Kate’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh no.”

  “Don’t worry, I left out the incident with the gymnasium banner.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Kate, smirking. “What was the incident with the gymnasium banner?”

  Kate just mouthed ‘Later’ to me and poured the tea, handing it to Mrs. Donovan.

  The old teacher accepted the teacup with a twinkle in her eye, and took a careful sip. She nodded approvingly. “Mmm, that’s good.”

  After a few more sips, Mrs. Donovan placed the teacup on the coffee table, then clasped her hands in her lap.

  “You know I share your views on the former council and their development plans,” she said. “I’ve been considering what you suggested…”

  “You’d be the perfect mayor for this town,” Kate said. “You’ve taught three generations of Riverdale children. Everyone knows you have the interests of the community at heart.”

  Something shifted in Mrs. Donovan’s expression—a subtle softening around the eyes.

  “You know… My husband and I raised three children in this town. When he passed, I chose to stay because Riverdale was home. But, I have to say… the Riverdale I knew is disappearing."

  “It doesn’t have to,” Kate said earnestly.

  Mrs. Donovan nodded thoughtfully. “Running for office at my age wasn’t exactly in my retirement plan.”

  “The committee would handle most of the campaigning,” Kate assured her. “You’d just need to be yourself.”

  The old lady picked up her tea and took a swig. Then she placed it down and rose decisively.

  “I’ll give you my answer by the end of the week.”

  As Kate walked her to the door, Mrs. Donovan stopped and turned back to me, meeting my gaze. “Take care of these girls. They’re special. Sofia, too.”