She’d been so sure in those early days that the passion, the desire would fade. One of the things Pamela was most thankful for was that absolutely had never happened.
“Well, that certainly sounds interesting,” April said.
“Mom, it’s been years since you told us the story of how you and the dads got together.” Rebecca looked over at Chloe.
“I’ve only heard it once,” Chloe said. “I remember thinking at the time that a couple of firemen were quite a lot like their fathers—assuming to know what a woman wants instead of asking.”
She gave her husbands a sly little glance, her smile at once sweet and mischievous.
“Please share your story,” April said. “I’d really love to hear it.”
“And this time, sweetheart, tell them the whole story.” Adam lifted her hand and kissed it. The look he gave her simply warmed her to the very depths of her soul.
“They’re old enough now to hear the unabridged version,” James said. He leaned over and gave her a brief kiss. Then he looked at their family. “Adam and I weren’t the most polished of suitors. We hemmed and hawed—nearly missing our chance. And then, when the moment really wasn’t right, we coerced your mother into marrying us with a bribe.”
“You did what?” Rebecca’s jaw dropped, which pretty much was the reaction around the table.
Pam sighed. “Now, sweetheart, it wasn’t as bad as your dad just made it sound.”
“Maybe not,” Adam said. “But it sure as hell set us out on the wrong foot. And then of course, not being overly smooth, we tangled things up even more.” He shook his head. “Our beginning together was…awkward.”
“Yes, it was.” She smiled at the assembled family. “But I didn’t mind at all because what your fathers didn’t know at the time was the offer they made, as ham-handed and opportunistic as it appeared to be, actually ended up granting me my deepest, darkest wish…”
Chapter One
March 1975
Pamela Franklin lowered her driver’s side window once she was out of the heavy city traffic. She inhaled deeply and felt a profound contentment settle within. Spring was in the air today, and she reveled in the fresh, clean scent.
True, it was nearly the end of March, and the weather here turned warmer sooner than it did in more northern locales. But this particular Friday evening just west of Baltimore, Maryland, the air smelled like spring.
Her drive home from work in the nearby city, once she was in the country, would be surrounded by the sight of what she thought of as a country patchwork—the green of fields already sown and growing and the rich brown of fields plowed, some separated by a line of trees, creating the most beautiful tapestry she’d ever seen. Pamela reveled in that, too.
She shook her head. “You’re just in a good mood because you have a date tonight.” Alone, she indulged in her habit of speaking to herself aloud. “Maybe that’s a habit I should break now, talking to myself, while I’m still young.” She laughed. “Nope. If I get old and dotty, I’ll just talk to myself whenever the urge strikes.” Let her future kids and grandkids frown and worry about that. Her personal opinion was when a body reached a certain age, they should be able to do whatever the hell they wanted to do.
“Just too bad that isn’t the way it is for twenty-four-year-old smitten lab techs.” Pam sighed.
That was a damn shame. If she could have her deepest darkest wish, it would be that she could marry two men, instead of one. Her heart thudded just thinking about it—about them. She knew she should feel ashamed of herself, having such a…well, such a naughty wish. But she just couldn’t help it, and shame was the last thing she felt.
“Those two doctors named Jessop have my heart racing and my head spinning.” And that really was the problem. On the one hand, she wanted one of them, Adam or James Jessop, to make a move on her. On the other hand, she didn’t because…well, because she just didn’t know how the hell she’d ever choose between them.
In the advanced year of 1975, society had changed enormously from the way it had been for previous generations. But not, sadly, quite that much.
Simply thinking their names brought their images front and center. They’d met in one of the cafeterias at Johns Hopkins. She would never forget that day, because that was the day her life had changed. She’d been drawn to them on first sight. As the days passed, they’d met for lunch or coffee. They’d gone to movies and taken in art shows. They’d shared thoughts and moments, silly and poignant. They’d listened as she’d told them of her recent loss, for her mother hadn’t been long gone when they’d met. Thinking about them now, she felt her smile go dreamy.
Adam had the look of an older brother. His brown hair, cut short, framed a face sometimes too serious for his thirty-two years. Oh, he was handsome! His chocolate brown eyes, when he focused them on her, seemed to go soft, as if he reveled in simply looking at her. His chiseled cheekbones and softly tapered chin, along with just the hint of an afternoon shadow, put her in mind of a pirate. His physique, well-toned but not overly muscular, attested that he wasn’t an idle man. Of the two men, she thought Adam sometimes had the most trouble speaking about things not related to medicine. He could be literal, but she didn’t hold that awkwardness against him.
James, with his blond hair and brown eyes, presented a contrast to Adam. She’d come to the conclusion that he could be silly, if it put a smile on her face or got Adam out of a thinking slump. His lips had a slight bit of puffiness to them, as if he spent a lot of time kissing. Her body overheated just thinking of James and kissing. His face
