A Must for Christmas: A Darling Cove Novella Read online

  Lily choked. “God, no.”

  “You like keeping information to yourself, don’t you?”

  “Gotta protect my sources. Gotta give out just the right amount of information.” She closed one eye and squeezed her thumb and forefinger together. “To keep you coming back for more.”

  “Do you have any brothers?” When Lily didn’t answer right away and blanched at the mentioning of family, something kicked at Greg’s protectiveness. He hadn’t blown smoke up Lily’s ass before. Faith adored her. That meant, Lily was on their side.

  Any asshole who fucked with her would have to answer to him.

  “No.” She tugged at her collar. “I have an on-again, off-again relationship with my parents. They’re good people. But they don’t really understand me.”

  “Not all families are on the same page.” Greg considered himself lucky as hell things were tight with his family.

  His father had something to do with that. Whenever his sisters had been squabbling, he dragged them to the house and sat them at the dining room table until they got whatever was bothering them off their chests. They weren’t allowed to leave until they kissed and made up.

  While Greg considered Andrew and Edward his brothers now, he wondered what it would be like to have an actual brother.

  Walking back to Faith’s curtained-off area, Cassandra had informed him that the babies had been fed by his dad and Madeline, and they were back in maternity, snoozing away. His chest tightened picturing it. Two babies meant he was going to have to get used to people doing things like that for him. For them. He and Faith wouldn’t be there every second of every day. They were going to need help.

  A lot of it. “Let’s go check on them,” he said to Lily.

  “Greg?” a weak voice called out to him.

  He looked at Lily whose lips were tight. Who said his name like that?

  His eyes opened wide, and he dove behind the privacy curtain.

  Faith gasped for air. Her eyes stung and she couldn’t focus. Her mouth was dry and her lips chapped.

  “Greg,” she hoarsely whispered, searching for him, touching and feeling all around her.

  A brawny body flew next to her bed. His beautiful emerald eyes clouded in worry. “Faith?” He touched her cheek.

  “What…” Her voice struggled against the sore throat, and she tried to sit up.

  “Babe, don’t move yet.” Greg leaned down and touched her face. “Can you breathe okay?”

  “I think so. What happened?”

  He knelt down and found her hands. “After the babies were born, you…you wouldn’t wake up.”

  “Wait.” She felt underneath the covers. Her brain was still fogged over. The last thing she remembered was being on an operating table. About to be put under. Because… “The babies! Where are they? One of the babies was in trouble? Greg?”

  “Baby B is in an incubator.” Greg’s words cut through her, the sorrow in his voice.

  “B?” She was confused. “Wait.”

  “Faith, Babe, look at me.” Greg held her chin. “They’re both okay. I just want to make sure you’re okay, too.” He found the call chord and pressed it with his thumb. “I need help here.”

  “Lily?” Only then did she see her assistant producer standing a few feet away.

  “You had that man worried sick,” Lily commented quietly but cracked a small smile. The lack of graveness in her face and voice made Faith hopeful.

  “Well, look who joined the party.” A jovial woman in a purple nurse’s uniform rushed into the area and nudged her way through. Taking Faith’s arm to check her blood pressure, she looked down at the gauges.

  It was all still confusing. With Greg close, Faith assumed the position she’d always taken when fear gripped her. She buried her face in his chest. “Hold me.”

  “Always.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Take your time.”

  “Your vitals are good, Mrs. Mallory.” The nurse untangled her from the hoses and tubes that had been sustaining her while she slept. “Sit up, honey.” The nurse took her hand. “Swing your legs around. I want you up and walking around before I put a little baby in your arms.”

  “That’s bribery,” she quipped, letting both the nurse and Greg hold her by the waist.

  “Atta girl.” The nurse gently released her, and she leaned against her husband.

  “I…feel okay.” She looked at Greg. “I want my babies.”

  Greg smiled. “I know what you mean. It’s been so hard to go back and forth. I didn’t like being pulled in two different directions.” The pain in his voice jabbed at her. What has he been going through?

  “Please. Please take me to them.”

  “We’ll bring them to you, honey,” the nurse answered for him.

  “No. Let her walk,” Greg commanded in his cop voice. “She needs to move around.”

  “Yes, I want to walk.” With every step she held on to Greg less and less, but she still wanted to be as close to him as possible. “Lily, you still never told me what you’re doing here.”

  “You just had your babies. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Lily followed her, tugging at her hospital gown. “That’s a cute butt you have there, but I’m sure Greg doesn’t want the entire hospital seeing it.”

  “How long have you been here?” Faith looked over her shoulder.

  Before Lily answered, the atmosphere around her changed significantly. The walls were brightly colored now, and there were soft coos of babies all around her. The lively yellow wallpaper stopped and opened up to a wide plate of glass. Behind it were portable cribs with swaddled babies.

  “Greg.” Faith squeezed his hand. “Which ones are ours?”

  “Right there.” He pointed to the back corner.

  A baby wiggled in a blue blanket and next to him was an incubator. “Oh no.”

  “It’s just until he can breathe better.”

  Faith felt a pull inside her; she felt like she could smash the glass. Mother adrenaline. She whipped her head toward Greg. “I want my babies. Now.”

  “Mrs. Mallory?” A voice turned her around. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. I want my babies,” she said to a woman in a white suit.

  “You’ve been in surgical recovery. Let us get you to an actual room, and I’ll have them brought to you.” She held her hand out to Faith.

  “Now.”

  “Yes. Right now.”

  “Come on, Babe. You’re doing so good. But you can’t hold both of them standing up.” Greg had a point.

  She let her husband lead her down the hall. The woman stopped at the first room after the maternity pool. “Wow.” The hospital room looked like a five-star hotel room.

  “You’ve been through a lot. We want you comfortable.” The woman helped Greg guide her further into the room.

  “Bring me the Mallory babies,” she said to a nurse who followed them inside. “Right away, please.”

  Greg pulled the covers away from the bed. “Get comfortable, Faith.”

  “I want to sit up in the chair.” She didn’t want to be in a bed again, anytime soon.

  The room got quiet, and all she could hear was a squeaking noise that got louder and louder until a plastic box on wheels turned the corner and came into the room.

  Faith was shocked to her feet and instincts propelled her toward the incubator regardless of her weak muscles or her feet that weren’t fully working. Greg was there, however, holding her up.

  “Baby,” she said, feeling choked up. “Mama is here. I’m sorry I’m only seeing you now.” A tightening in her chest made it hard to talk and breathe for a moment. She looked at the sweet face. The tiny slits of eyes. A button nose, so small. The skin so smooth. She turned to Greg and wearily fell against him. “This is my fault.”

  “No, it’s not.” Greg’s voice was low as he pressed his lips against her forehead. He snuck a look at Lily.

  “Faith, you’re a strong cookie,” she chimed in. “This was your first pregnancy. You didn’t know ho
w far to push yourself. Greg is proud of you.”

  “I am.” He squeezed her by the waist.

  When another nurse brought in a baby wiggling in a blue blanket, Faith gulped a lump down in her throat. “Baby! My babies.” She looked from one to the other, not knowing which one to grab first. She wanted to scoop them both into her arms at the same time.

  “Yes, Faith, those are your babies. Our sons.” Greg nodded to the nurses and sat her down in the chair. “Let’s get you introduced to them.”

  Chapter 10

  10:09 AM

  Greg nodded to the aide, who gently took Baby B out of the incubator. Faith had been freed up of all her wires and tubes. But the poor baby was still tangled up. He squeezed her hand, remembering what it was like watching this happen for the first time.

  Slowly the nurse lowered the baby into what had to be aching arms. Faith had wanted this so badly.

  “Oh my God. He’s so…tiny,” she croaked, letting his warm little body settle against her.

  “I can honestly say he seems to be doing so much better.” Greg gently stroked the baby’s covered head.

  When the other baby cackled and broke out into a little cry, the nurse leaned in and handed a blue swaddled-up infant into Greg’s arms first. “He wants his mama too.”

  Faith leaned in to look at her other baby. “He has the same face, same nose, same skin, even. Have you noticed the eyes are slightly different though?” After she looked from one to the other, she put on her stern, you’re in trouble face. “So, which one of you little beasts kicked me all these months?” Faith was going to be in charge; Greg could tell. He already couldn’t wait to watch her keep order in a house with three Mallory men. This was going to be fun.

  “I would guess that one.” He leaned in. “Probably tuckered himself out.”

  “You guys are just so adorable together.” Lily held up her phone and tapped away.

  Greg had almost forgotten she was there. Which made him think of everyone else he chased away, and now he had to round them all back up. Before he could drag out his phone, Martin and Madeline rushed into the room.

  Many people in that hospital knew the Darling Cove police captain. Martin had ears all over town. For certain, someone else had called him. Greg didn’t care. He was glad his father was there. This was how it all was supposed to go down. Not that excruciating two-day speed bump delaying the moment he’d been looking forward to. The moment he deserved. With Faith.

  “Faith,” Madeline shrieked and rushed to her daughter.

  “Mom, I’m fine. Really.”

  Madeline threw her arms around all four of them. “Thank goodness.” She held Faith’s chin. “You look so wonderful.”

  “I feel wonderful.” She just needed her babies, apparently.

  Greg smiled then looked up and saw his dad with a face trying to hold back tears. “Glad to have you back, Faith. I’ll go start making calls.”

  When Martin left and her mother didn’t, Greg snuck a look at Faith, silently signaling that she’d been wrong about Madeline. Greg knew this would snap his mother-in-law out of her funk. Faith had worried her mother would be distant. That all of this would dredge up more bad memories, and she would only look at this through a lens that her husband, Faith’s father, had missed it.

  While Greg knew his father had felt that way too about his mother, Martin’s skulking in the corner and not enjoying his grandsons was the last thing Greg knew, his mom would have wanted. If he knew that, surely his father did.

  Madeline, thankfully, proved Faith wrong.

  “Do you want to hold them, Lily?” Faith rocked a baby in her arms, ready to share the love.

  Greg released a small laugh. “She held Baby A and practically threw him back at me.”

  “Don’t make me want one of these, Faith.” Lily pointed a finger at her. “I’m not ready yet.”

  “You looked pretty happy holding him.” Greg was going to have fun with this one. Tame that bad girl.

  She waved her hands. “Anyway. Um, here’s your bag Faith.” She put it on the bed and took out the book.

  Greg nearly dropped his son and was ready to stand up. No.

  “Your pregnancy journal was in it. I took a peek; I hope you don’t mind.”

  “What?” Greg’s gaze pierced her.

  She opened the book and brought it over. “It’s all about her pregnancy. How it felt, and not just all the kicking. She even taped in the sonogram pictures.”

  A pregnancy journal? That’s all that book was? And Lily didn’t say anything because she refused to let him off the hook. “Why didn’t you show me any of this, Faith?”

  “We talked to the babies every night. You were there for all of the sonograms. This book is for them, when they grow up. I was just keeping it to myself until it was all over, and then I was going to show you.”

  “And are you going to tell Greg the other news?” Lily smirked folding her arms.

  “Thanks, Lily.” Faith’s voice was laced with stress.

  What the fuck? “No. She didn’t. You’ve been here since she opened her eyes.”

  “Well, anyway, I’ll let you do the honors.” Lily sauntered over and leaned in to kiss Faith on the cheek. She swept her hands gently across both boys and punched Greg in the arm. “Your husband was right. I’m not sure I can get enough of those two. So yes. I’ll do it.”

  “You will?” Faith’s voice ticked up.

  “Do what?” Greg asked.

  “Yes, do what?” Madeline chimed in. “What are you girls talking about?”

  “Heh, heh.” Lily bounced toward the door. “Bye Mallory’s. Mwa” She blew a kiss and kept walking.

  Faith took a deep breath. “I met the VP of Channel Six at an event a couple of months ago. He told me they were broadening their news department. With a lot of manufacturing starting up again around here because of all the government contracts, they want to expand their news division.”

  Each word was like a brick she laid one by one, until the final blow. “And?”

  “I’m going to take it. And I’ve been begging Lily to come with me. Which means I won’t have to work so many hours. The offices are just a few miles away.”

  His chest squeezed. “When?”

  “That’s the best part.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I can work from home on a consulting basis until they’re ready for me to go full time.”

  “Again…when, Faith?”

  “A year.”

  “You’ll work from home…for a year?”

  “Is that okay?”

  He engulfed her and the babies in his arms. “Of course, it is.”

  “I’ll let my boss know after the holidays.” Faith tried to sound brave, but Greg knew her better than anyone.

  “I’ve been doing some thinking too.” He pushed a red curl behind her ear.

  “About?”

  “I’ll take an extended leave.”

  “Wait, no—”

  “Gregory, I’m here. I can help,” Madeline said, sounding strong. “You stay at your job. It’s the FBI for crying out loud. We’re so proud of you.” She took Baby A from him. “We’ve got this.”

  “She’s right.” Faith smiled.

  Greg knew she wanted to have this with her mother. “I’m putting it out there. It’s up to you. I’m willing to take time off from my job too.”

  “Let’s get out of this hospital with our sons first.” Faith snuggled against him.

  He nodded while his stomach clenched, relieved that Christmas would be spent at home and not in that hospital. He was—they were—bringing their sons home.

  The next hour was spent handing the babies back and forth. After a few exchanges, Faith commented how Baby A was slightly heavier. That would change though. And even she noticed how Baby B tilted his head differently and cuddled more. Baby A liked to stretch and wiggle.

  “Sounds like someone’s awake.” Skye stepped behind the curtain, Edward’s hand in hers and Julian behind them.

  “He
y guys.” Gwen snuck around the other corner, holding Ellie. “Andrew had to go into the office for a little while. Hopefully, the snow will ease up, and we won’t have a blizzard like we did last year on Christmas.”

  “What do you mean? There was no snow last night when we got here.”

  “Do you mean when you went into labor?” Greg smirked at her. “That was two days ago.”

  “What?” Faith sat up. “It’s Christmas Eve?”

  Everyone nodded, smiling. Even though they had been stuck in a crappy hospital.

  She leaned back in the chair, her face twisted with stress. “Guys, I’m so sorry.”

  “Do you think we would be sitting by a lit-up tree somewhere drinking eggnog and happily unwrapping gifts while you’re here in the hospital?” Gwen challenged.

  “I guess not.” Faith looked at Edward’s son. “Julian, come say hello to your cousins.”

  The little boy approached cautiously and peeked into the blankets, looking from one to the other. “I saw them yesterday. They’re still so small, Daddy.” Julian’s father had studiously taught him to look with his eyes and not his hands. Although with his own brother or sister coming next summer, Greg wondered if he’d be able to control himself.

  “They’ll be bigger soon,” Faith assured their new nephew. “I hope you’ll come around. They’ll need someone older like you to teach them all sorts of cool stuff. Boys need other boys, right Greg?”

  He exchanged a warm smile with Edward. Greg had been the lone wolf for years. In less than twelve months though, he’d gained a new pack: Edward and Andrew.

  Greg caught Faith’s eyes and smiled but turned back to everyone. “As you can see, Faith’s good. We’re good. We would feel better if you all went home. Enjoy your holiday. No offense, but I’m kind of sick of looking at all of you.”

  “You are such a liar.” Skye laughed and tugged Edward’s elbow.

  Gwen took what looked like a nourishing breath that suggested she was thankful there was yet another Mallory happy ending. “Okay, we’ll leave. For a little while. We’ve smothered those babies with enough love. It’s time for them to know their mama.”