baby’s first few minutes with her family.
Jack pressed a kiss to Beth’s forehead then to the baby’s.
“Hey, Zachary Murray,” he said gently.
“We changed our minds,” Beth said as she looked at a grinning Steve. “My family is everything to me and Steve said we should name our son Campbell, to keep the family name.”
Donna smiled through tears and Jack was choked. His dad may well have been an idiot, but Donna had loved him and his family name meant something to him.
“His middle name is Jay,” Steve said proudly. “After Jack and Josh, his uncles.”
Jack didn’t know what to do with himself. He was overcome with emotion, and Josh looked as wrecked as he felt.
“Cam for short,” Beth added.
“Then welcome, Campbell Jay Murray, Cam for short,” Donna whispered softly. “Welcome to the family.”
Chapter 3
Riley opened his eyes to bright sunshine, and his immediate emotion, well the one after his brain kicked into action, was panic. He couldn’t understand why. Beth was okay; she’d gone home yesterday from hospital and Cam was a good baby who seemed to do little else but eat and sleep. So why was he panicked?
He looked at the clock. Eight am and there was no noise from the twins. Jack was in bed with him—he could feel the weight of his husband against him.
Dread skewered him, and he jumped out of bed in an instant and was at the twin’s door in seconds. He stubbed his toe on the doorjamb, but even that didn’t stop him from stumbling into the room.
The twins were fine. Connor had his eyes open and was making little snuffly noises that were the precursor to the feeding cry. Lexie was still fast asleep, but she was breathing. Riley knew that because he checked. Every time he went past the room he checked that they were breathing and yes, he knew he was being an idiot.
“What’s wrong?” Jack said urgently from behind him.
“Nothing,” Riley said softly. He scooped Connor up out of his crib and patted his diapered bottom. “Connor slept through.”
“Oh my God,” Jack said with relief in his voice.
“I panicked when I woke up,” Riley explained.
“Me too. But he’s okay.”
“Needs a change and breakfast, but yeah, he’s okay.”
Lexie let out a similar snuffling sound to Connor, and Jack lifted her up and out of the crib.
“I can’t believe we slept through the alarm,” he said.
Riley grinned at his husband. “I’m sure Robbie and Liam have it covered.”
They changed both babies, then moved out to the kitchen for milk. The routine was familiar and one of the best parts of Riley’s day.
Jack made coffee one-handed, something that he had grown adept at doing, and soon the fragrant scent filled the kitchen. Riley fell on his cup like a man starved and the first sip was nectar.
“You ready for the interview?” Jack asked when enough caffeine had kicked in so they could have a decent conversation.
“I just hope she’s the right person,” Riley said. “And that we’re doing the right thing.”
Deciding they needed help here was not something they’d come to with lightly. Even though Riley had cut his hours, he still had responsibility for so many people, and Jack managed to fit what he could of the ranch around the times Riley was here to back him up.
“We’re doing the right thing,” Jack stated. “When Max gets here we want to balance family and work, and we want to help Max and have a nanny for the twins. On paper she’s perfect.”
“Are we taking Max out after?”
“That’s what we arranged. We need to pack up the twins’ stuff.”
Riley nodded and pushed aside his doubts, and the two men moved through the morning routine with the added luxury that neither of them had planned work. Today was finding-a-nanny day, then spending time with Max. At last the clock clicked around to eleven and the nanny arrived for interview one. Marcus had recommended her. In fact Marcus Walker, half owner of the surrogacy agency that they had used, was a
Jack pressed a kiss to Beth’s forehead then to the baby’s.
“Hey, Zachary Murray,” he said gently.
“We changed our minds,” Beth said as she looked at a grinning Steve. “My family is everything to me and Steve said we should name our son Campbell, to keep the family name.”
Donna smiled through tears and Jack was choked. His dad may well have been an idiot, but Donna had loved him and his family name meant something to him.
“His middle name is Jay,” Steve said proudly. “After Jack and Josh, his uncles.”
Jack didn’t know what to do with himself. He was overcome with emotion, and Josh looked as wrecked as he felt.
“Cam for short,” Beth added.
“Then welcome, Campbell Jay Murray, Cam for short,” Donna whispered softly. “Welcome to the family.”
Chapter 3
Riley opened his eyes to bright sunshine, and his immediate emotion, well the one after his brain kicked into action, was panic. He couldn’t understand why. Beth was okay; she’d gone home yesterday from hospital and Cam was a good baby who seemed to do little else but eat and sleep. So why was he panicked?
He looked at the clock. Eight am and there was no noise from the twins. Jack was in bed with him—he could feel the weight of his husband against him.
Dread skewered him, and he jumped out of bed in an instant and was at the twin’s door in seconds. He stubbed his toe on the doorjamb, but even that didn’t stop him from stumbling into the room.
The twins were fine. Connor had his eyes open and was making little snuffly noises that were the precursor to the feeding cry. Lexie was still fast asleep, but she was breathing. Riley knew that because he checked. Every time he went past the room he checked that they were breathing and yes, he knew he was being an idiot.
“What’s wrong?” Jack said urgently from behind him.
“Nothing,” Riley said softly. He scooped Connor up out of his crib and patted his diapered bottom. “Connor slept through.”
“Oh my God,” Jack said with relief in his voice.
“I panicked when I woke up,” Riley explained.
“Me too. But he’s okay.”
“Needs a change and breakfast, but yeah, he’s okay.”
Lexie let out a similar snuffling sound to Connor, and Jack lifted her up and out of the crib.
“I can’t believe we slept through the alarm,” he said.
Riley grinned at his husband. “I’m sure Robbie and Liam have it covered.”
They changed both babies, then moved out to the kitchen for milk. The routine was familiar and one of the best parts of Riley’s day.
Jack made coffee one-handed, something that he had grown adept at doing, and soon the fragrant scent filled the kitchen. Riley fell on his cup like a man starved and the first sip was nectar.
“You ready for the interview?” Jack asked when enough caffeine had kicked in so they could have a decent conversation.
“I just hope she’s the right person,” Riley said. “And that we’re doing the right thing.”
Deciding they needed help here was not something they’d come to with lightly. Even though Riley had cut his hours, he still had responsibility for so many people, and Jack managed to fit what he could of the ranch around the times Riley was here to back him up.
“We’re doing the right thing,” Jack stated. “When Max gets here we want to balance family and work, and we want to help Max and have a nanny for the twins. On paper she’s perfect.”
“Are we taking Max out after?”
“That’s what we arranged. We need to pack up the twins’ stuff.”
Riley nodded and pushed aside his doubts, and the two men moved through the morning routine with the added luxury that neither of them had planned work. Today was finding-a-nanny day, then spending time with Max. At last the clock clicked around to eleven and the nanny arrived for interview one. Marcus had recommended her. In fact Marcus Walker, half owner of the surrogacy agency that they had used, was a
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