Husband by the Hour (23 page)

She laughed. "Nick, a baby. Isn't that great?"

"It's pretty cool." He thought for a second. "I doubt five in the morning is the best time to go visiting. The hospital might not let us in."

She tossed her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm a cop. I know how to act like I have a right to be somewhere. Besides, with all the children being born in this family, I'm sure we get a discount. I'm going to get dressed."

Forty minutes later, they walked into the hospital and followed the sign to the maternity ward. As they pushed open double swinging doors, a nurse stopped them.

"Visiting hours aren't until later in the morning."

"I know," Hannah said. "My brother and his wife just had a baby. We wanted to stop by briefly and congratulate them."

The nurse eyed her for a second, then shook her head. "I should have known. You're with the Haynes family." She laughed. "I suppose it will be your turn soon. Go on ahead. You can't miss them. The herd is in the maternity waiting room."

"Thanks." Hannah glanced up at him. "See?"

He had a box of doughnuts in one hand. He placed the other at the small of her back. "Which of your law enforcement skills did you use? I couldn't tell."

"I didn't have to use any."

"Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing you in action."

They rounded the corner and saw the open doorway of the maternity waiting room. Despite the early hour, conversation and laughter spilled out into the hallway.

"They amaze me," Hannah whispered. "So many people are here. You think they've done this for every birth?"

"Probably. It's just their way."

"Wow."

She stopped walking and stared into the room. Nick had a feeling she was a little overwhelmed. He couldn't blame her. Like her, he'd been a loner for a long time. Years ago, he'd stopped wishing for what he could never have. If someone had asked, he would have sworn families like this only existed on television.

But here they were, in the flesh. A living, breathing, loving family.

"I think I'm very lucky," Hannah said.

"You're right." He squeezed her waist. "Scared?"

"A little. At least I really like babies." She glanced at him. "Thanks for being here, Nick. I appreciate it."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"I bet I can think of a couple of places. How about
Hawaii
?"

"Nope."

"
Tahiti
?"

"I don't think so."

She frowned, trying to think of other exotic locations. He wanted to tell her the only place he would rather be was in her bed, loving her. That wasn't an option.

"How about—"

He dropped a kiss on her mouth to silence her.

"Is that all you two ever do?" a voice asked. Nick looked up and saw Kyle approach. The other man grinned. "It's five in the morning. Give it a rest."

Hannah laughed. "Nick can't help himself. He finds me irresistible."

"Why not?" Kyle asked. "You're a Haynes. The opposite sex always finds us irresistible."

"Gee, I could have used a little of this confidence during my gawky teenage years."

They entered the room. Nick fell into step beside them. "I'm sure you were stunning," he said.

"Oh, yeah. Stunningly awkward."

Kyle sniffed. "Do I smell fresh doughnuts?"

"Here." Nick handed over the box.

"Look," Kyle called. "Hannah, Nick and doughnuts."

Everyone turned toward them. There was a flurry of greetings. The family made quite a crowd. Three brothers and their wives, Austin and Rebecca, Louise and Richard – Nick wondered where the professor had been that he'd known about the early-morning birth – Hannah and himself.

He glanced at Travis, but there was nothing unusual in the other man's expression. Whatever Travis might think about Nick and his relationship with Hannah, he obviously wasn't going to discuss it here.

"We've got bagels, too,"
Elizabeth
said and motioned to the white paper bags sitting on the coffee table in front of the sofa. "There's coffee, fruit, juice. We could open a restaurant."

Louise came over and gave Hannah a hug, then squeezed Nick's hand. "A beautiful little girl. Jill's doing well. She's sore, but happy."

"I'm so glad," Hannah said.

Elizabeth
handed them coffee. Kyle circled the room with the box of doughnuts. Hannah was pulled aside to hear the details of the delivery.

"Does everyone have something to drink?"
Jordan
asked. There were murmurings of assent. He raised his plastic coffee cup. "To Craig and Jill. To the new baby. And to the Haynes legend."

Nick took a sip of coffee and studied the people in the room. From all that he'd heard, the brothers hadn't had a happy childhood. Their friend, Austin, had had it worse when he was growing up. They'd all managed to mess up relationships. Travis had been divorced before he'd met and married
Elizabeth
. Craig's first wife had left him, even though they had three children together. Three boys. If the legend was true, there had never been any love in that relationship.

So much pain and tragedy. An unfaithful father. A mother who simply disappeared. Yet through it all, they hadn't lost hope. Somehow, somewhere, they'd discovered the secret. They'd learned how to love and be loved in return.

Nick frowned. He'd never been in love. He'd wanted women, had enjoyed their company, but he'd never met anyone he couldn't leave behind. He'd never been willing to risk being hurt.

He often told himself that some kinds of fear were healthy. Better to respect an oncoming truck than to step in front of it. He knew his limitations. He knew the price of being wrong. So he hadn't taken a chance – not even once. And he hadn't regretted that until now. Until he'd seen what real happiness looked like. Until he'd watched this family and realized the emotional self-sufficiency he'd prided himself on meant spending the rest of his life alone.

What would it be like to stay in one place? To put down roots? To belong? What would it be like to commit to another person forever?

His gaze strayed to Hannah. She was laughing. She hadn't bothered to pull her hair back in a braid, and the soft waves framed her face. What would it be like to be married to Hannah for real?

* * *

"She's perfect," Hannah breathed as she pressed her fingers against the glass protecting the nursery from the outside world.

A nurse stood holding the tightly wrapped infant. The baby slept on, unaware of the adults watching over her. Hannah ached to hold her close and inhale the sweet baby scent of her.

"Six pounds, nine ounces,"
Elizabeth
said. "Jill is so tiny herself. I know she was terrified of having a ten-pound baby."

Sandy
shuddered. "I know the feeling. It's this pesky gene pool. The guys are so big."

"But we give good babies," Kyle said, slipping his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"That you do."
Sandy
smiled at him.

Louise moved closer. "I think she looks a little like her mother."

Elizabeth
laughed. "That will be a pleasant change. Uh-oh, Nick, you're in trouble. Look."

Hannah glanced up and saw everyone staring at her. "What?"

"I recognize that expression,"
Elizabeth
teased. "Be careful, Nick, or soon you'll be a daddy."

Hannah felt herself start to flush. She hadn't thought her feelings were that obvious. She couldn't bring herself to look at Nick. She didn't want him to think she was trying to trap him into anything. But
Elizabeth
was right – she did want a child of her own. A family. Did she have a chance of making that real?

"If what everyone says is true, I guess it wouldn't be a boy," Hannah said.

She risked glancing at him. He didn't look angry or even upset. She couldn't read the expression on his face, but some of her tension eased away.

"I'm so glad you're here to experience this with us," Louise said and pulled her close for a hug. "You, too, Nick." She drew him into the circle.

One by one, the brothers and their wives joined in.

"Group hug," Kyle joked. "Just like in the movies."

Hannah felt as if she was in a movie, or maybe a dream. Her heart swelled with emotions she didn't dare identify. It was as if the protective shell she'd built around herself had started to crumble. She would have thought that would frighten her, but instead of fear, she felt renewed.

They separated and began talking. She saw Nick in conversation with Richard, Louise's beau. Her pretend husband was as tall and good-looking as any of her brothers. Feelings continued to burn hot inside of her. Was it love?

How could that be? she asked herself. Love Nick Archer? Had she handed over her heart? He was nothing she wanted in a man. She drew in a deep breath. He was
everything
she wanted in a man. Kind, gentle, smart, funny, sexy. He made her heart race and her knees buckle. He made her believe in possibilities.

Her gaze shifted and she saw Travis watching her. Her happiness faded slightly. She'd lied to her family. Not just once, when she'd first shown up, but every day. Even now, in this hospital waiting room, she lived a lie. She wanted to say it was because of Nick. She wanted to be able to blame him, but she couldn't. She was the one at fault. She had chosen to keep the truth from Travis and everyone else. She and Nick had no future together. But reality didn't stop her from wanting one.

Craig appeared in the doorway. He spotted Hannah and walked over. "You guys came."

"Of course. Why wouldn't we?" She smiled. "How's Jill doing?"

"Great. Why don't you come and say hi?" He motioned for Nick to join them, then led the way down the hall.

Jill was sitting up in her bed. She was pale, her short hair framing her pixie face. She waved as they came in the door. "Thanks for coming. Have you seen the baby?"

Hannah walked over to the bed and took her hand. "Yes. She's amazing. So perfect and pretty."

Nick moved to the other side of the bed, leaned over and kissed Jill's cheek. "Thank God she looks like you and not her father."

"Hey." Craig grinned. "We're a good-looking bunch. I know you believe that. You married a Haynes."

Nick glanced at Hannah. "I didn't have a choice. She stole my heart when I wasn't looking."

"Oh, don't," Jill said and reached for the box of tissues on the table beside her bed. "I'm still fighting my hormones. It won't take much to get me to cry."

Hannah pulled up a chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Tender, but happy." Jill sniffed, then smiled. "Labor is the pits. Craig was with me. He kept promising it hurt him just as much to watch me as it did for me to go through the whole process."

"I doubt that," Hannah said.

"That's what I told him at the time." She sighed. "It's worth it, though. She's wonderful. And a girl. Just like
Jordan
said."

Craig moved to the foot of the bed. "I wonder how it will apply to you, Hannah. You're a Haynes, but female. What do you think?" he asked his wife.

Jill shrugged. "I'm not sure I even believe the legend, but so far it's working. You'll have to go ahead and get pregnant, Hannah. We're all going to be curious."

"What do you think about that, Nick?" Craig asked.

"I think we need to practice making babies a little more before we consider having one," he said lightly.

There was a knock at the door. Kyle and Sandy stepped in. "Are you up to more visitors?"
Sandy
asked.

"Sure," Jill said.

Hannah backed away from the bed, as did Nick. She watched him. He'd become a part of her family more easily than she had. As if he belonged. Travis and Elizabeth entered the room, then Rebecca and Austin. Nick left and she followed.

In the hallway, her throat tightened unexpectedly and her eyes filled with tears. Nick touched her face.

"Those hormones must be contagious," he murmured.

She nodded, unable to speak. When he pulled her close, she went willingly, never stopping to question why it felt so right to be in his arms.

* * *

"Have they already released Jill and the baby?" Hannah asked.

"This morning." Louise moved to the stove in Holly and
Jordan
's kitchen and stirred the simmering pot. "Usually I stay with the wives for a couple of weeks after they're released. Just to give them a break from taking care of the house." Louise grinned. "Not that being with a newborn is any kind of hardship for me." Her silver cowboy boot earrings glittered in the afternoon light.

"But Craig and Jill don't live in Glenwood," she continued. "So Rebecca is going to stay for a few days, then
Elizabeth
. I'll head up when you and Nick go back to
Southport
Beach
."