Once, Twice, Three Times a Baby

ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A BABY

A flood of relief, joy, and love coursed through Henley's veins as Garrett tightened his hold on her and deepened their kiss. The last fourteen months of heartache faded away with his arms around her, and the connection she'd thought long gone flared to new life. It was every bit as strong as it had been before he'd chosen to stay in Seattle for his promotion and her new job took her across the country. The rash decision to have the last of their embryos implanted on her way out of town had deepened their bond instead of ending it.

He eased back a fraction of an inch, his rough breathing matching her own. "Finally."

"Finally." Not bothering to fight a smile, she kissed him again. "Do you—"

Knocking sounded at the back door and a trio of louder babbles and squeals came from the other direction.

Garrett sighed as he touched his forehead against hers. "I need to get used to lots of interruptions."

"Mm-hm." She touched her lips to his beard, testing the feel of it on her skin. The thought of it brushing her inner thighs sparked anticipatory ripples in her lower belly. "We're definitely continuing this later. I'll see who's at the door if you go check on the babies."

"We also need to talk about squeezing in a trip to the courthouse for a license and a wedding between classes, meetings, and feedings on Monday." He helped her off his lap, but his hand lingered at her waist when he stood. "Our journey has been hard, but I don't think I'd change any of it if I could. I'm right where I want to be now."

Her emotions welled up in her heart, preventing her from responding. A nod and another quick kiss were all she could manage before they headed in opposite directions.

The stern expression on the man standing on her doorstep tried to chase away the good feelings, but she refused to give Carson Hines that power. What more could he have to say after telling Garrett he should insist on a paternity test?

She locked an equally steady stare on him and waited for the geneticist to speak.

Following a full ten seconds of silence, he cleared his throat. "I owe you an apology. You have absolutely no reason to lie about Garrett being your triplets' father, and I should've given you the benefit of the doubt. I thought I was protecting a friend when I offered to run a DNA analysis on him and the kids. Being an expert witness a few dozen times has jaded me, but it's still no excuse. He trusts you. That's good enough for me. I was a jerk, like you said, and I'm sorry."

Stunned by her visitor's admission of guilt, she blinked at him. "You believe me then?"

"Yes." Not a trace of dishonesty showed on his face, and his voice sounded sincere.

"Okay. I accept your apology." Giggles carried to her from the bedroom, but she kept most of her attention on Carson.

"Thank you." He glanced over her shoulder, evidently hearing Reid's and Tripp's contagious laughter. When Glynnis joined her brothers' fun with a happy garble of chatter, Carson cracked a smile. "Is Garrett here so I can apologize to him too?"

She gestured for him to enter. "Come on in. He's checking on the babies."

Garrett toted Tripp on one arm and Glyn on the other into the kitchen as their guest stepped inside. Without slowing, he headed toward the line of high chairs. "What are you doing here, Carson?"

"I was out of line. I came to apologize. To both of you. I'm sorry." Carson's gaze swung toward her and then toward Garrett, his eyebrows dipping at the latter. "Wow, Zinnia and Beryl were right. The resemblance is more than just a few common traits. Eye shape and color. Ears. Browbone. That slightly crooked smile. They have Henley's cheekbones and jaw structure, but everything else is you. Where's Reid? I didn't notice earlier. Does he share the same facial characteristics as his brother and sister? You have no idea how much I'm nerding out right now over knowing somebody with triplets."

Garrett snorted as he lowered Glyn into the seat. "I spent two years living down the hall from you. You're practically drooling over the possibility of analyzing their DNA so you can see which markers they share. We might decide at some point to let you play with their saliva in your lab, but it's not happening until after we're married—and the sources of the samples have to remain anonymous to everybody but you."

"Not a problem. Wait. You're getting married? When is this happening?" Those shifting eyebrows rose this time.

"Hopefully, Monday afternoon. Make yourself useful and plan a small reception at your house for about six o'clock. I'll text you details tonight." Juggling a wiggly Tripp, Garrett somehow managed to fasten the harness on their daughter. "Right now, we have kids who are going to start telling us they need to be fed and we'd kind of like to celebrate our re-engagement before the wedding."

"Gotcha." Their visitor's grin was accompanied by a quick wave as he turned the doorknob. "Thanks for not making me grovel, and don't worry about a thing. Zinnia, Beryl, and Archer will help me with the food, the cake, and whatever else needs to be done. Oh, and congratulations. It's great to see you happy."

The back door clunked shut, easing the weird tension in the room.

Garrett blew out a noisy breath and secured Tripp in the middle high chair. "Are you okay with Carson handling the party after the wedding? I couldn't think of any other way to distract him from the genetics stuff."

"Honestly, I hadn't even thought about having a reception." A tiny twinge of guilt tried to take root, but Henley pushed it aside to prep bottles and bowls while he went back for Reid. "If it keeps him too busy to ask about the whole DNA testing thing, it's fine with me."

Footsteps grew closer after a few rustling sounds. "Good. We have enough to do with work and the babies. I think we should all take a nap after they eat."

She caught his grin as he buckled in their middle child. "A nap, huh? Why do I get the impression you have something else in mind?"

Giving up on trying to concentrate, Garrett logged out of his email and shut down his computer. As Mondays went, it definitely wasn't his worst. The moment he'd been looking forward to since the first time he'd proposed to Henley was finally about to happen.

He pushed away from the desk and stood to retrieve his suitcoat from the back of the chair, grateful he'd been given a second chance with the love of his life.

"Knock-knock." Dr. Needleman stepped through the open doorway, her ready smile in place. "Do you have a minute?"

"About five, if you need them." He shrugged on his jacket as she entered his office.

"I only need the one. I understand you and Henley Langston are getting married today, and I wanted to stop in to wish you all the best while I had a free moment." She held out an envelope with neat lettering on the front. "Congratulations to you both."

"We are. Thanks." Sliding the card into his pocket, he rounded the desk. "We're having a small ceremony at the courthouse after work. I know it seems quick, but we were together for two and a half years in Seattle."

She frowned and waved away his explanation. "Velocity is less important than depth in relation to love. My daughter and son-in-law—Zinnia and Carson—filled me in on a few of the highlights. He mentioned you know each other from grad school and that you applied for the job and moved to Cradle Gorge to reconnect with her. As long as you're both happy, that's all that matters."

"I'm happier than I've been in a long time." A surreptitious glance at the clock on the wall told him he could leave now if he moseyed instead of walked to the daycare center.

"You look like you're anxious to go, so I'll head back to my office." She grinned and set off out the door at her usual hurried pace. "Have a wonderful rest of your day!"

"Thanks." He trailed after her, pausing to lock up and then saying a quick goodbye to his secretary. Sunshine greeted him when he exited the building, but his attention landed on the woman waiting for him at the bottom of the steps.

She smiled up at him, sending his heart into the same pitter-patter rhythm as the first time he'd laid eyes on her. "Hi. I have it on good authority that we have an appointment with a justice of the peace in about an hour. Want to get married today?"

"Today and every day." Feeling lighter than he had in what seemed like forever, he shuffled down the stairs and gathered her in his arms.

Her warm breath tickled his ear as he closed his eyes to savor the moment. "Sounds like a perfect plan."

The hope he'd carried for fourteen months and twenty-five hundred miles swelled inside him. "I love you."

"I love you too. Let's get the kids and go have a wedding." She slipped her fingers through his and walked with him toward their future.