“We’ll call later to see how you’re doing.” Edward’s smile reached his blue eyes.
They all left as quietly as they came in.
“Do you want us to leave too?” Martin jammed his hands in his pockets, looking at Madeline.
Martin had a choice of places to spend Christmas Eve: two other homes filled with married kids and grandkids. Greg knew, however, he wanted to be right where he was.
“No, Martin.” Faith looked at Greg who, with just a tick to his cheek, signaled that of course he wanted his father there. “Mom, you’ll stay too, right?”
“I have nowhere I want to be but with these precious angels.” Madeline grinned, looking like she came back to life for the two new little men to love. But then she stood and put on her serious face. “However, it’s time to give them names. This Baby A and B is just getting on my last nerve.”
“I think between the four of us, we can come up with something.” Faith cuddled Baby B closer to her chest and looked down at his little face. They were truly blessed. “If there’d been only one boy, I wanted to name him, Gregory.”
“One of these isn’t enough?” His dad chuckled with a hand on Greg’s shoulder. “I know better than anyone what a handful my son is.”
“No. It’s not enough, Martin.” Faith countered. “When Greg came into my life, I got your whole family in the bargain. And I…” She took a choked-up breath. “I couldn’t give him anyone in return.”
“Babe, you gave me a mother.” He glanced at Madeline, who smiled back at him. “Tons of annoying in-laws would just—”
“Gregory!” his dad snapped with a stifled laugh.
Faith leaned back, and Greg settled Baby A in her arms. Holding two came easy to her. Probably because they were so small. He put his arm around her and held her close.
The debate started. Martin and Madeline proposed names of fond distant relatives. Madeline had kept tight records on the Copeland family history and had some good options. His father proposed the names of a few men in his past, other Mallory men he looked up to. One being his grandfather and an uncle who was also a police officer.
“Oh…that’s it.” Faith nodded a silent please to him.
“Okay.” He stood, satisfied with the choices. His hand brushed against each baby and he said their names for the first time. “James and Thomas. Let’s go make this official.”
Chapter 11
December 25, 11:02 AM
Faith returned home on Christmas morning. Even though she’d been asleep for a couple of days, she was strong enough to leave the hospital. Powered by Mom. That friendly nurse had reminded her she could do anything. Her body heeded the call. No down time for Faith. Those babies needed her.
Overnight, Thomas’s breathing became markedly better, allowing him to slurp from a bottle, which shot his weight up as well.
Martin was in the living room and used his cell phone to make a video of the joyous homecoming. The house smelled of cinnamon buns and strong coffee. Her mother had arrived earlier and got right to work. Despite Greg’s grumbling, everyone was coming to the house in a few short hours.
Even though Greg wanted Faith to rest, she wanted the family around her, and he had a hard time saying no to her. She’d promised her babies hustle and bustle, and well, the Mallory’s, Morgan’s and Mendelsohn’s fit the bill.
Martin stopped the video. “Do you need a hand getting up the stairs?”
“Nope,” Greg replied. “We’ll have to do this on our own eventually.”
With James’s carrier tight in her arms and Greg holding Thomas, they climbed the stairs. They’d painted the nursery sky blue with green accents. Bold white cribs and coordinating changing tables were scheduled to be delivered in a couple of days. The two matching multi-functional bassinets were set up in her and Greg’s bedroom. Andrew and Edward had been ordered by their wives to come by earlier to put them together.
In her bedroom, she and Greg did diaper changes and replaced the hospital-provided sterile onesies for the fun, colorful ones Skye and Gwen had purchased.
Greg took James from her and sat on the bed with both babies, while she did a quick clean up herself. A very fast hot shower rinsed days of grime out of her hair and layers of sweat from her tender, sore body.
Once dry, Faith slid on a long sleeve, knee length dress and tall, cozy suede boots. Then she added a snug sweater. When she came out, Greg had both babies laid out in front of him, while he leaned on an elbow. Faith clutched her chest watching him coo and snuggle his sons. She could see right there how close they were going to be. Just like him and his dad.
He had a little foot in his mouth when he finally noticed her. His smile made her want to jump on him and make some more of those babies.
“Coffee is ready,” Madeline called from downstairs. “Faith, I have decaf for you.”
Faith held on to Thomas, and James sat comfortably inside Greg’s elbow as he swayed down the stairs. He already looked like an expert at baby handling. The man was made for this.
When the boys began to fuss at the same time, Madeline stepped up with a burping blanket on her shoulder. “Give me James. Martin will take Thomas.”
The babies were handed over, leaving Faith with…Greg. Taking advantage of the few brief moments she had alone with her husband, she brought Greg to the Christmas tree and reached for the special gift.
“Here, this is for you.” Faith handed him the square box. “It’s just a fun gift. Nothing serious or expensive.”
“Good thing.” He tore at the gift’s shiny wrapping paper. “I hear kids are wildly expensive.”
“If we made all this work…” She pointed back and forth. “…anything is possible.”
Greg popped open the small box and took out the mug. World’s Greatest Dad. A wide smile formed on his beautiful mouth. Then his eyes turned down.
“Stop it!” Faith swatted at him. “It cost six bucks.”
“It’s not that.” He looked over her shoulder. In the reflection from the front window panes she could see her mother and his father with their sons. A beautiful table set up for them to have a nice breakfast, sparkled with his mother’s crystal serving pieces. “I’m only the greatest anything because I’m with you.”
“Greg.” She sniffled and took a breath again looking at her babies, already aching to hold one…both really. “Those two are proof we were meant to be together.”
Greg gathered her in his arms. Much like he did several days ago when she’d gone into labor. It’d been just a few days, but her entire world was different. And scary, but so was facing Greg back in February after ten years.
Now Faith had everything. She was excited for her new work opportunity on the horizon. She and Lily were going to get into that network and tear it up. Nearly fifteen years working at CNN taught her a thing or two. Now she just had to convince Lily to move to Darling Cove. A few days driving back and forth and she’ll be shoving money at a landlord for a place to live.
“Are you ready?” Greg asked, squeezing her tight.
What a loaded question. Tackling twins? Being a mother? Being the mother Greg had been expecting based on his caveman ways? “I thought your mother was a great mom.”
Her comment silenced Greg.
“We don’t have to do this like your parents. Or mine.”
“Of course not.” A few lines on his forehead crinkled, but it made him even more handsome. “This is our life. In the ambulance you said we need to get our stories straight about how we met and came together.”
“I can’t wait to tell them when they’re older. From the moment I saw you when I was ten, to…”
“So what was your favorite part?” Greg steered her toward the dining room. If he was like her, he too was already aching to hold one of the babies. Or both.
“This Greg. All. Of. This.”
* * *
The End
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Suzanne Link and Donna Alward who offered their comments on early
versions of this novel. Thank you to everyone at The Killion Group who held my hand on my first independent project. You were all so great to work with.
About the Author
Deborah Garland is a versatile author of women’s fiction, contemporary and paranormal romances. Her books are about love and the struggles of complicated relationships. The heroines are strong and witty and the heroes fall hard for them. She lives on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband and a very spoiled pug Harley. She loves to read, chocolate, and eats her bacon cheeseburgers with a Grey Goose Cosmopolitan.
Visit Deborah at: www.DeborahGarlandAuthor.com
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