Book 28 Delivery After Dark #4
“He used to call me Touchy because I’m a massage therapist. At first, I thought he meant that I was prickly, which I can be at times, but he just laughed and made a massaging motion with his hands to let me know that’s where the name came from.”
“That sounds like him. Our grandfather had nicknames for everyone. Billy got that from him.”
“What did he call you guys?”
“Billy Bluster and Morgan the Menace.”
“Menace, huh?”
“I was always getting into stuff when I was really little, so he gave me that name, and it stuck. Billy called me Menace, and I called him Bluster. It’s weird to think how those names kind of end with me. No one else in the world knows about them now.”
“I know about them. I’ll keep them safe for you.”
He glances over at her. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you. I was going to ask if you wanted to get dinner sometime, but then I thought maybe that wouldn’t be fair since I have no idea which end is up right now or whether I’m coming or going.”
“I’d love to have dinner with you sometime, and it’s okay if you’re not sure of anything. Neither am I, and I didn’t just suffer a devastating loss.”
“So you’re saying it’s not just me who’s a total mess?”
She laughs. “Not at all.”
“That makes me feel a little better.”
“Whatever I can do to help.”
When he smiles, it changes his entire countenance, giving her a hint of what he might be like when he isn’t caught in the depths of grief.
The man is a handsome devil all the time, but that smile…
“I should get going,” she says. She puts two twenties on the bar to pay for her drinks and the cup of chowder she had for dinner, as well as a tip for Jace. “I’ve got an early morning at the studio.”
“I’ll walk you home since I’m heading that way.” As they walk through town, Morgan says, “When are you going to have dinner with me?”
“When do you want me to have dinner with you?”
“How about tomorrow night? I’ll make a reservation at Stephanie’s. I hear that’s good, and I haven’t been there yet.”
She pulls her coat closed against the stiff breeze coming off the water. “It’s very good, but you don’t need a reservation anywhere this time of year.”
“I’d hate to leave anything to chance for such an important engagement.”
“You’re kinda making my head spin with all your pretty words.”
“Am I?”
She nods, feeling as breathless as she’s ever been around a man.
He steps closer to her, tips her chin up and lays a soft, sweet kiss on her lips that surprises the hell out of her. They decide on a time for their date and say goodnight.
Dan Torrington is learning that labor isn’t for the faint of heart as Kara’s stretches into the eighteenth hour, and the medical team seems to become less animated with every half hour that goes by.
Kara asks for an epidural. Dan goes to find David and Victoria. They promise to be right in.
“You’re there,” Vic says. “We’re ready to push.”
“So, no epidural?” Dan asks.
“Nope, but don’t worry. She’s got this. I’ll be right back.”
Victoria returns with David and Katie, who are wearing gowns, masks and gloves and move like a well-oiled pit crew who’ve done this very thing many times before. Their obvious competence infuses him with confidence that he badly needs as he prepares to support his wife through the birth.
They instruct him to get behind her on the bed while they position her legs and take their places, with Victoria leading the charge, Katie standing next to Kara and David waiting to care for the baby after the birth.
Over Kara’s shoulder, Dan watches as the baby enters the world into Victoria’s waiting hands.
“Congratulations! You have a daughter!”
Dan can barely see her through the haze of tears as he holds Kara.
“You did it,” he whispers. “I love you so much. We have a daughter!”
Dan sends the first photo of their family of three to his family and Kara’s as well as all their friends on Gansett Island with the message, Welcome to the world, Dylan Adele Torrington, born at 7:38 pm on December 10th, weighing in at eight pounds, four ounces, and measuring nineteen inches.
Mom was a stud, and Dad held up pretty well, all things considered. We’re overjoyed to have a daughter!
Linc and Monique end up at his apartment.
They listen to music, and Monique convinces Linc to dance with her.
He says he has two left feet, but with the right partner, he’s a great dancer.
He isn’t sure what comes over him as he leans into a dip that he pulls off rather smoothly, if he says so himself.
“Not bad, Commander. Not bad at all.”
“We’ll see if I can still walk tomorrow.”
When she tosses her head back and laughs, he’s completely captivated and can’t resist leaning in to kiss her neck.
“Mmm.” She moves against him, firing him up like he’s never been before as he walks her backward toward his bedroom while continuing to kiss the sexy column of her neck and breathe in the bewitching scent of her skin.
“Where are we going?” she asks, sounding a bit breathless.
“Somewhere more comfortable.” He lowers her onto his bed and comes down on top of her, propping himself up on his arms. “Are you comfortable?”
She shakes her head and smiles.
“What can I do about that?”
“I’ve got some aches you could see to.”
“Is that right? Well, I’d need to do a full exam to make sure I tend to them all.”
Linc loves her laughter and the abandon with which she throws her arms over her head, giving him access to every sexy inch of her. He takes his time, uncovering her slowly and learning what makes her gasp and what has her lifting her hips to drive him wild.
This… This is the thing that people write songs and poems about… This feeling… It’s everything he’s ever wanted, and so much more than he’s dared to hope for. He wants it to last forever.
When a quadruplet mom goes into labor, things happen so fast, the parents’ heads spin as they go from the tedium of waiting to the chaos of delivery.
They were moved to an operating room in case a C-section became necessary and were immediately surrounded by people—nurses they knew well by now and doctors they’d never seen before.
A doctor explains that two people would be assigned to each baby when they arrive, which accounts for eight of the people in the room, along with others on standby in case they’re needed.
One of the nursing students had taken the sleeping Liam from his dad and promised to stay with him until his grandparents arrive in the morning. “We’ll be right down the hall,” the young woman named Dana said. “You can check on him any time.”
“Thank you so much,” Adam had said as she left with Liam.
“Where’s Izzy?” Abby asks of Dr. Isabella Connors, who’s been monitoring her since they arrived in Providence.
“On her way,” one of the others replies.
Izzy comes rushing in ten minutes later, gowned and ready for battle. “I’m here! Let’s have some babies!”
Murphy Callahan McCarthy arrives twenty minutes later, followed shortly after by his brothers Rory, Kane and Beckett, each weighing between four and five pounds, which had been the goal.
Murphy and Rory are identical twins, as are Kane and Beckett.
The nurses apply the colored armbands Abby had read about on a multiples Instagram account to help them keep the babies straight.
“Are they okay?” Abby asks over the cacophony of four babies crying at the same time.
“They’re great,” the neonatal specialist says. “They scored eight or above on all their Apgar tests, and they’re breathing well on their own. Well done, Mom.”
Adam releases a sigh of relief at the same time Abby does. Their eyes meet, and they smile as he kisses her. “Well done, indeed, my love.”
“Should we announce their arrival?”
“We need a picture.”
They wait until the doctors bring them all four babies and pose one set of twins with Adam and the other with Abby so a nurse can take the picture for them.
Thankfully, the babies have stopped crying for the moment.
Then the nurse holds two of the babies so Adam can send the text to their family and friends:
Help us welcome two sets of identical twins, all of them with Callahan as their middle name: Murphy and Rory (with Abby), Kane and Beckett McCarthy.
They’re each at least four and a half pounds and measuring between sixteen and eighteen inches.
They’re breathing on their own and scored well on the Apgar, which is a huge relief to Mom and Dad.
Mom was a trouper through delivery and is looking forward to being OUT OF BED for the first time in almost nine weeks!
She’s a superstar, and I’m so proud of her. Much love to all of you!
“Look at what we did, sweetheart. Look at this family we get to raise and love. Look at how beautiful our boys are.” Two of them are blond, and the other two have darker hair.
“Remember how rare it is to have two sets of identical twins. They’ve been remarkable from the start, and they’re only going to be more so as they grow up.
How lucky are we that we get to watch that happen? ”
“Very lucky,” she says as she gazes down at the babies.
“We’ve got this, Abs. We’ve already proven there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.”
“They’re here!” Linda McCarthy announces to her husband as she brings him coffee in bed at six in the morning. They’re booked on the eight o’clock ferry to the mainland.
Big Mac sits up to take the phone from her so he can see the photo of their new grandsons. “Will ya look at that?”
“Thank goodness it’s done and they’re all doing well.”
“So that means they can come home fairly soon, then, right?”
“I think so. They’ll want to keep them for a week or two to make sure they’re good to go, especially since they’re coming to an island.”
“We can pick up the car seats on the way out of town, so we’re ready when they’re released.”
“Grammy and Pop are coming. Let’s get moving! We’ve got things to do today.”
They go to Adam and Abby’s house to pick up the infant car seats and some other things Abby has asked them to bring. By seven-thirty, they’re in line for the eight o’clock boat off the island.