“I love you. To distraction.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Claudia snapped.
Bitsy, Eddie and the secretary played the part of the Greek chorus. “Shut up, Claudia.”
“Speaking of sick…” Kat began.
Once upon a time, following her train of thought had been scary. Now he just enjoyed the ride.
“Have you been? Are you?” Was he on his way to being a dad, as well as a husband?
“I took a test this morning. But I wanted to wait until I was with you to check the result.” She shifted Toto to one side and turned her purse toward him. “It’s in there. Looks sort of like a thermometer.”
Andrew rummaged through what amounted to a small suitcase with an unsteady hand. “That’s it.”
He slowly pulled out the cylindrical stick and took the cap off. His hand shook like a leaf in a storm as he showed the window to Kat. “What does that mean?” He could barely speak as the blood thundered through his head.
“I don’t remember. Pull out the instruction box.”
He snatched the box and matched the stick to the back. A roaring filled his ears. “We’re going to have a baby! I’m going to be a daaaad…”
Stunned, Kat stared at her stuffy attorney husband stretched out in a dead faint.
Claudia sprang from the couch. “I know CPR.”
“Touch him and you die,” Kat challenged.
Toto took advantage of her lax hold to leap from Kat’s arms. Barking like a maniacal bundle of fur, he charged at Claudia.
Kat dropped to her knees and put her ear next to Andrew’s mouth to check for breathing-just in time to catch a faceful of ice water tossed by the efficient secretary.
Revived by the cold water, Andrew jackknifed up, catching Kat in the eye with his head. Kat clutched at her eye. “I think you just paid me back for that black eye,” she moaned, half laughing, as she clutched at the injury.
With her one good eye, Kat watched Claudia jump up onto the sofa to escape the marauding Toto. “Get this mutt away from me!”
With exquisite timing, Toto performed his well-rehearsed trick. Outrage distorted Claudia’s perfect features as she climbed down from the couch. “I hope I never lay eyes on any of you again.” Claudia stamped out with damp indignity.
A.W. growled from his leather chair. “She’s going to make your life a three-ring circus.”
Kat basked in Andrew’s boyish grin. “I’m counting on it. For a lifetime.”
She pulled a moderation tape out of her purse, tossing it over her shoulder. “Andrew in excess.” She’d never known such complete joy. “Now that has a nice ring to it.”
Epilogue
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
“Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Okay, baby, relax. Catch your breath.” Andrew coached Kat as she labored in the birthing room.
A jumble of emotions assaulted him. Excitement. Tension. Delight. Awe. Nausea.
They were about to become parents! Kat knew the sex. He’d opted for the surprise element.
He stroked Kat’s hand, desperately trying to remember the pointers from their birthing class. Encouragement. Yeah, that was it. “You’re doing great, baby. Just great. And you look beautiful right now.” Huge. Extremely huge, but beautiful.
“Did I tell you yet today just how much I love you?” Kat wiped the sweat off her face with her free hand.
“Yes, love, when they were wheeling you into the hospital earlier.”
“I lieeed,” she wailed as another contraction hit. She threatened every bone in his hand with a death grip. “This hurts,” she panted through clenched teeth.
Damn right it did. His hand would never be the same.
“Is she coming?”
Dear God! He didn’t know anything about babies. Birthing class flew out of his head as panic crowded in. “The baby? I don’t know. It’s a girl? How can I tell?”
“Not the baby. The doctor.”
The door opened and Liv Bertwick breezed in, followed by a nurse. The sound of rubber gloves snapping into place echoed in the room. “So, I understand you’re ready to have a baby.”
Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. Everything would be okay now that Dr. Bertwick had arrived.
Kat’s grip relaxed marginally. “I think it’s time.”
Dr. Bertwick examined his wife. “I believe it’s time, indeed. Take a deep breath and really push for me when the next one hits.”
Andrew and the doctor coached while Kat pushed and what seemed like hours but was really only minutes later, their efforts were rewarded by a squalling, bloody, beautiful black-haired boy.
In a moment of exquisite joy unrivaled by any other in his life, Andrew cried and laughed as he hugged his wife and his son. They’d done it. Kat had done it. They had a son!
“Okay, Kat. You did great. That wasn’t so bad, now was it? You ready for round two?” Dr. Bertwick’s words penetrated his euphoria.
“Round two? Two? As in more than one? As in another?”
Andrew didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until he caught the look that passed between doctor and patient.
Kat smiled at him over their son’s head. “You said you wanted to be surprised. Surprise, darling! We’re having twins.”
“Twins? Twins!” He dropped into a chair. Light-headed. He definitely felt light-headed.
The nurse shoved his head between his knees. “Now, none of that, Dad.”
After a few breaths, he straightened in the chair and caught up Kat’s hand in his.
Her sapphire eyes sparkled with mischief. “Did you expect anything else? You know I’ve got that excess thing going on. But don’t worry, it’ll be okay.”
“Okay? No. This is great.” He felt a stupid grin cover his face.
With that, the pushing resumed until the other twin made her appearance. And the volume of noise made by the tiny redhead could only be described as excessive.
Jill Shalvis
Jennifer Labrecque
