Page 1 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

S he’d come to despise the words bed rest .

Abby McCarthy was slowly going mad from being stuck in a Providence hospital bed for eight weeks.

It was unbearably boring and oddly exhausting despite how it might sound to those who craved more time in bed.

A person could lie around only so much, and then they had to get up and get on with it.

Except she couldn’t get up or get on with anything until she safely delivered the four baby boys competing for space in her belly.

The lack of activity had made her feel weak and useless.

She couldn’t even help her husband, Adam, take care of their son, Liam.

Thankfully, Adam and Liam were staying nearby at Adam’s uncle Frank’s house and came to visit every day, which was the highlight of Abby’s endless days confined to bed.

Their visits were never long enough for her, though, because Adam could entertain Liam in a hospital room for only so long before their almost two-year-old got antsy.

One day this week, or maybe it was last week — who could keep track when every day was the same as the last one? — Liam had fallen asleep in her arms and taken a two-hour nap. Poor Adam never got a break, though. He couldn’t leave Liam with her in case he woke up.

As of tomorrow, she’d reach the thirty-week mark, which was a significant milestone for a quad pregnancy.

The longer the babies “cooked,” the doctors had said, the better their chances for avoiding numerous scary complications.

They were giving her two more weeks to percolate, and if the babies didn’t come on their own, they’d be delivered by C-section.

While she didn’t relish the idea of major surgery, she also wasn’t thrilled with the idea of giving birth to four babies naturally. Neither option was particularly appealing, especially since she’d have five little ones to care for afterward.

She couldn’t imagine fourteen more days of this tedium, so she was hoping her baby sons took mercy on their mother and decided to get the heck out of their increasingly cramped accommodations sooner rather than later.

The days had begun to run together weeks ago. She couldn’t recall what’d happened when, such as what day Liam had napped with her. Hopefully, the pregnancy brain would let up by the time she had four new babies to care for.

Four. New. Babies.

Even with thirty weeks to prepare, the thought of welcoming four infants at the same time was incredibly overwhelming. She’d been told a while ago that it was likely she might never conceive. Well, she’d shown “them.” She’d conceived, all right, and then some.

Her body was so swollen as to be obscene.

She was careful to keep her belly covered when Adam was there so he wouldn’t run away in horror.

If he knew she was thinking that way, he’d be angry.

He told her every day how proud he was of her, how amazing she was and how lucky they were to soon have five sons to grow up together and be the best of friends.

Five sons.

Five more McCarthy boys.

Just what the world needed.

Her mother-in-law, Linda, had teased her about what she was in for. “I had only four, and they nearly killed me,” Linda had said when she and Big Mac had come to visit last week.

They’d shared a big laugh because Abby was well acquainted with the original four McCarthy boys, as she’d dated Grant for more than a decade before marrying his brother a couple of years ago.

Adam and his brothers were capable of a ridiculous amount of mischief, separately and together, which she often found entertaining.

Would the nonsense be as entertaining if her own children were perpetrating it? Probably not.

Her goal in life was to raise five respectful, well-behaved boys. The fact that mischievous McCarthy DNA ran through them would make that goal more difficult to achieve, but she was up to the challenge.

Or so she hoped…

Her favorite McCarthy boys came strolling into the room, cheeks flushed from the December chill.

In addition to all her other complaints, she’d missed autumn, her favorite time of year on Gansett Island.

They’d go home to winter in full swing and the holidays looming, on top of everything else.

She’d done some online shopping for their nieces and nephews, as well as for Liam.

Thank goodness for her laptop, a Wi-Fi connection and Netflix, which had helped to keep her entertained.

“Mama, we go to the park and play on the slide!” Liam’s brown eyes were big with excitement.

Adam lifted him onto the bed so Abby could hug her baby. She missed taking care of him more than just about anything. She also missed snuggling with her handsome husband, which was all but impossible due to her massive belly.

Liam allowed her to hug him for close to a minute before he squirmed free, ready to move on to the next thing. They had some toys for him in the room, and he ran over to play with his trucks while Adam bent to kiss her.

“I’d ask you what’s new,” he said, smiling, “but your updates have gotten really boring lately.”

Abby laughed. “I’m the most boring wife ever.”

“I’m just teasing, and you know it. You’re growing four little men in there. Nothing boring about that.”

“How are you guys doing?”

“We’re okay.” He gave her a guilty look before adding, “He slept with me again last night.”

“Adam! We talked about that.”

“I know, but I can’t be mean when he’s crying.”

“It’s not being mean. It’s being firm . There’s a difference.”

“I suck at that.”

“At this rate, he’ll sleep between us until he goes to college.”

“No way. Trust me, he’ll want his privacy by the time he’s twelve.”

“That’s ten years from now. Do you want him between us every night for that long? And besides, what’ll it be like when there are five of them between us? These boys will do whatever Liam does.”

“I’ll try harder tonight.”

“Yes, you will.”

“He’s just so damned cute and snuggly, and I’m lonely without you.”

“Adam…”

“I hear you, honey. I’ll work on it.”

“Do that before we have a baseball team in bed with us.”

He laughed. “I love when you’re stern with me. It’s hot.”

“Oh please. Nothing about me is hot except a body temperature set to roast because these boys of yours are overheating me.”

With Liam occupied with his toys, Adam sat on the edge of her bed, took her hand and brought it to his lips.

“You have no idea how beautiful you are. In fact, you’ve never been more beautiful than you are now, full of maternal power as you prepare to give birth to a rare double set of identical twins. ”

Though she felt like an ugly whale, she appreciated his efforts to raise her self-esteem. “If you say so.”

“I say so, and I’m the husband, so whatever I say goes.”

Her scowl made him laugh again. “I can’t wait to be home with you and our boys. I miss our life on the island.

“Same. I miss sleeping with you.” He waggled his brows. “Among other things.”

“Speaking of that, you should use the remaining time on the mainland to get yourself a vasectomy, because now that I know you’re packing super sperm, you’re not coming near me again while that thing is still active.”

He made a sad face. “I’m deeply offended on behalf of my thing and my super sperm.”

“Whatever. Get the snip. Have your parents or mine come over to watch Liam. They’re always happy to help.”

Adam released her hand and put his over his package, as if protecting it. “I take back every nice thing I said about you.”

Abby laughed hard and then burped, which made her laugh even harder. The heartburn, burping and flatulence had been ridiculous as her pregnancy progressed.

Adam laughed with her and then kissed her. “Even if you’re planning violence against my manhood, I still love you.”

“You’d better still love me. This is all your fault.” She curled her hand around his. “Won’t be much longer. I have a feeling we’re getting close to the finish line. There’s nowhere left for them to go in there.”

“I hope so for your sake. I’m afraid you’ll go loco before they arrive.”

“I’m hanging in there, thanks to you and our families and the visits from our friends.

Everyone has been amazing. My girls on the island call or text every day.

They’re planning a shower for when we get home, since we left somewhat abruptly.

” In a Life Flight helicopter, no less, after she went into early labor.

“That’s very sweet of them.”

“The theme is Four of Everything.”

“Ha, good idea.”

“I sure hope we’re home in time for Christmas.” The only way they wouldn’t be home by then was if there were complications with the babies, which neither of them wanted to think about.

“I hope so, too, but if we’re not, I’ll make sure we celebrate right here.”

“I know… I just miss everything.”

“Home stretch, love.”

Abby rested her hands on her massive belly. “Literally.”

Laughing, he kissed her and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m so ridiculously proud of you.”

“I’m ridiculously proud of you, too.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s not easy taking care of a two-year-old completely on your own for weeks on end, while also working.”

“That’s nothing compared to what you’ve been doing.”

“It’s not nothing. Knowing he’s with you makes it possible for me to get through this.”

“How about we be proud of us?”

“Yes, that works. We’re going to have to stick together to get through the next eighteen years.”

“I’m here for it. I’m here for all of it.”

And he would be. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt.

A long and difficult journey had led her to this moment with this man, and even as she went nuts from the boredom, she couldn’t wait for their babies to arrive and to watch their five sons grow up with Adam by her side every step of the way.