Page 4

As I stand at the kitchen sink getting ready to sterilize baby bottles, there’s a knock at the back door. My heart jumps into my throat, and my first impulse is to call Tyler. But then I remember he said he’d send Jerry to stay with us.

I wipe my hands on a kitchen towel and turn to face the door. Relief floods me at the sight of Jerry’s profile partly visible through the frosted glass.

“Hey, thanks for coming over,” I say as I open the door for my friend.

Jerry steps inside and surveys the kitchen. “I hope I didn’t startle you.”

“No, not at all. Tyler told me you’d be coming by.”

“He asked me to wait with you until he gets home.” He glances at the kitchen counter, which resembles a baby bottle processing center. “I see you’re washing bottles.”

I chuckle. “It seems like that’s all I do these days. They go through bottles as fast as I can sterilize them.”

“That makes sense. I guess two babies are twice the work of one.”

Speaking of the babies, the twins are in their baby seats on the kitchen table. I arranged them so they could see each other. One of them will coo, and then the other one will respond. It’s adorable watching them attempt to communicate in their own way.

Jerry stands before the babies, his hands on his hips, and studies them. “You sure got some good-lookin’ kids, Ian.”

My smile morphs into a huge grin. “I think so, but I might be a little biased. Would you like to hold one of them?”

Jerry looks my way and scowls. “I probably shouldn’t. I’ve never held a baby in my life. I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to do it.”

“It’s easy. I’ll show you.”

He unzips his jacket and holds it open, revealing the black handgun tucked into his chest holster. “I’m armed.”

“Oh, right. Why don’t you take it off and hang it in the front closet? That’s where Tyler keeps his.”

Jerry hangs his jacket on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. Then he unbuckles his holster.

I point down the hall. “You can stash it on the top shelf in the front coat closet.”

Jerry disappears down the hall. I hear the closet door open, then close. And a moment later, he’s back in the kitchen.

He walks to the sink, washes his hands thoroughly, and dries them before holding them up in the air like a surgeon ready to don a pair of sterile gloves. “I’m ready.” His voice is deep and gruff, befitting his impressive stature. “Show me what to do.”

I unbuckle Will from his baby seat. “Hold out your hands and grip him carefully, but gently. Make sure you support his head.” As I lay Will in Jerry’s arms, I show him how. “Cuddle him against your chest so he feels secure.”

I pick up Lizzie and do the same. “Why don’t we go sit in the living room? We’ll be more comfortable in there.”

We both end up sitting in rocking recliners.

Jerry stares down at Will. “He looks like Tyler.”

That makes me smile. “They both do.”

“I take it Tyler’s the father? I mean, the biological father. I guess you’re both fathers.”

I nod. “Yes, Tyler is their biological father. We—actually, it was my idea.”

“How are the kids gonna address you? I mean, if they call both of you dad , it’ll get confusing real quick.”

“I’m Daddy, and Tyler’s Papa.”

Jerry nods. “Well, that works.” He gazes down at Will, bouncing him gently in his arms. “Hey, little fella.” He turns his attention back to me. “It’ll sure be fun watchin’ them grow up.”

When the doorbell rings, Jerry rises to his feet. “I’ll get it. Where can I put him?”

“You can lay him on the couch. He can’t roll off.”

Jerry lays Will down with extreme care, then places a couch pillow between the baby and edge of the seat cushion, just in case. Then he goes to the door. “It’s that friend of yours, that young Hispanic fella, with a pretty redhead.”

I smile. “Those are my friends Miguel and Ruby. It’s okay, I’m expecting them.”

Miguel Rodriguez, who works for Tyler’s brother-in-law’s security company—McIntyre Security Inc.—was once my bodyguard, back when someone was stalking me. Miguel saved my life and got himself shot in the shoulder in the process. We’ve been good friends ever since.

I hear the front door open, and then quiet voices as Miguel introduces his girlfriend to Jerry.

“ Hola, ” Miguel says, grinning as he and Ruby walk into the living room. Ruby’s holding two small white gift bags.

I stand and meet them halfway. “It’s good to see you, man,” I say to Miguel, giving him an awkward one-armed hug as I cradle Lizzie with my other arm. “Hi, Ruby.”

Ruby gives me a smile, but she immediately turns her attention to Lizzie. “Oh, Ian. This one is Lizzie, right? She’s adorable.” Then she looks around the room. “Where’s Will?”

“On the sofa.” I nod across the room.

Ruby walks closer to spot Will lying behind the pillow. “Oh, my goodness. He looks so much like Tyler. They both do.”

I’m amazed that Ruby’s here. When Miguel first met her—he was assigned to be her bodyguard when someone was terrorizing her—she suffered from agoraphobia. She hadn’t left her apartment in a couple of years. Miguel stayed in her apartment with her while he investigated the source of the threat. He discovered the guilty party and saved Ruby’s life. And in the process, they fell in love.

Miguel’s been working with Ruby to help her overcome her fear of going out in public. Ruby has since moved in with Miguel, in his apartment in a secure building owned by McIntyre Security, along with a lot of Miguel’s fellow employees.

Miguel glances around. “Speaking of Tyler, is he here?”

“He’s on assignment,” Jerry says.

Miguel studies me a moment, and something he sees in my expression prompts him to ask, “Ian, is everything okay?”

I shrug. “Not really. Someone’s trying to blackmail me.”

“What!” Instantly, Miguel goes into protector mode. When Ruby instinctively takes a step toward him, he wraps his arm around her and pulls her close. “Ian, tell me everything.”