Page 8 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

Abby held out her arms to him, and he worked his way around the monstrosity that was her pregnant belly to snuggle up to her.

He smelled like fresh air with a hint of wood smoke, which was one of her favorite scents this time of year.

She was sad once again to be stuck inside during her favorite season.

“How was the park?”

“Good. Daddy pushed the swing.”

“He’s a good daddy.”

“Uh-huh. When can you go to the park?”

“Your brothers will be here soon, love, and then we can all go together.”

“I don’t want brothers.”

“I know.” Abby smiled at Adam. They hoped he’d change his mind once the babies arrived. “They’ll be your best friends.”

“You’re my best friend. And Daddy.”

“Aw, we still will be. You’ll just have more best friends.”

“Don’t want more.”

Abby hugged him tighter. “Just you wait. Those boys are going to be so much fun.”

He shook his little head, but for once, he wasn’t struggling to get free, so she let him have the last word on the matter.

She and Adam were worried about his lack of excitement about his new siblings, but Linda had told them it was probably because he couldn’t conceptualize having four new baby brothers arrive all at once. What was a lot for them was even harder for a two-year-old to process.

Linda had assured them that Liam would be an awesome big brother.

They hoped she was right about that.

“I’m stir-crazy,” Abby said as she stroked Liam’s silky, dark hair.

“At most, you have two weeks to go.”

“That feels endless.”

“Home stretch, baby.”

“Emphasis on stretch . It can’t happen soon enough for me.”

“Don’t forget that after it’s over, we’re going to have five kids aged two and under. So we should probably enjoy this peaceful interlude while it lasts.”

“This interlude isn’t peaceful for me.”

“I bet you’ll look back at it and yearn for some time to yourself to lounge around in bed.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever want to lounge around in bed again.”

“Yes, you will. We’re going to be so tired that bed will be our favorite place for totally different reasons than it used to be.”

“You must wonder if you’ll ever have s-e-x again.”

“We will.”

She made a scissor gesture with her fingers. “Not until you’re snipped.”

Adam winced. “Yes, dear.”

“I’m not gambling with your super swimmers again. I’ve learned my lesson times four.”

“I should’ve done it while we were here, but I’m not sure Liam would be down for having both of us laid up at the same time.”

“Probably not, but please make the appointment to do it as soon as you can so we can get that over with.”

“Yes, dear. Is he asleep?”

“I think he might be.”

“Make room for Daddy.” Adam crawled onto the bed and put his arm around her. “I’ve missed the snuggling.”

“Me, too. So much.”

“Soon enough, we’ll be back to normal.”

Abby laughed. “Nothing is ever going to be normal again.”

“New normal. It’s going to be awesome. You’ll see.”

“Me and my six McCarthy boys. Awesome. And smelly. Pee on the toilets. Sneakers everywhere. Fourteen tons of laundry per day, not to mention the food.”

“We could have one more and try for a girl.”

“Shut your mouth, Adam.”

Grinning, he said, “Yes, dear.”

“And stop gloating about how you knocked me up with four babies and outdid all your brothers.”

“Did I or did I not outdo all my brothers?”

“You’re shutting up now, remember?”

“I’m just asking, and I should get to enjoy this a little bit.”

“Not while I’m stuck in a bed. Talk to me about gloating after we’re home with our four miracles.”

“I’ll put a reminder on my calendar to bring this up with you then.”

“You do that.”

He caressed her face. “I miss this.”

“What?”

“Lying in bed, bickering with you. It’s my favorite thing to do.”

“You’re very good at it.”

“Pushing your buttons—all of them—is the most fun I’ve ever had.”

“No one has ever pushed my buttons—all of them—as well as you do. And I felt your chest expanding as I said that.”

“You think you know me so well.”

“I know you better than anyone, and don’t tell me your chest isn’t expanding.”

“Maybe just a little. After all, I did knock you up with four babies all at once. No McCarthy boy in history has ever done that.”

“Congratulations on your remarkable accomplishment.”

“Now that’s the attitude I’m looking for.”

Abby sighed. “I want out of here so badly.”

“I know, hon. You’ve been a trouper. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks but so have you. Taking care of Liam on your own, while working and visiting me, hasn’t been easy either.”

“My part has been much easier than yours, and we’re not going to fight about that. It’s true.”

“I keep telling myself two more weeks. Two more weeks.”

“Or less.”

“That’d nice. We need to finalize names for these boys. I’m under tremendous pressure from my mother, who wants to embroider things.”

“Where’s the list?”

“On the tray table.”

Adam sat up and reached for the piece of paper they’d referred to as the brainstorming document. “Did we agree we’re not doing all L names?”

“Yeah, I don’t think we can do that and meet the goal of having Irish names that’re recognizable and not hard to pronounce.”

“Okay, so are the top contenders still Beckett, Ryan, Rory, Eamon, Murphy, Cormac and Patrick?”

“I haven’t added any new ones to the list, so yes, those are the top ones. Murphy is my favorite, because that was my grandmother’s maiden name.”

“I’m still not sure how I feel about Murphy McCarthy.”

“Murphy Callahan McCarthy.” They’d agreed to use her family name as the babies’ middle name, like they’d done with Liam.

“But no one will call him by the full name. They’ll call him Murph McCarthy.”

“I like that.”

“Okay, we’ll put that one first in the final column.”

“One down, three to go,” Abby said. “What’s your top pick?”

“Rory. I like that a lot.”

“Me, too. Put it in the number two spot.”

“Two down.”

“Your turn to pick,” Adam said.

“Cormac,” she said.

“I dig it, but…”

“What?”

“Will people call him Mac?”

Abby groaned. “Probably, and we cannot have that.”

“No, we can’t. So what’s your second choice?”

“My other grandmother’s maiden name was Crosby. What do you think of that?”

“Crosby. What would people call him?”

“Um, Crosby?”

“But there’s no nickname.”

“Cros?”

He made a face that indicated what he thought of that. “I don’t love the nickname, but I do love the connection to your grandmother. Any other family names we could draw from?”

“My mother’s mother was a Kane.”

“With a C or a K?”

“K.”

“I like that. Kane Callahan McCarthy.”

“Do we have a winner?” she asked hopefully.

“I think we do.”

“Yes!”

“Your turn to pick the last one. What’s it going to be?”

Adam studied the list thoughtfully. “I’m going with… Beckett.”

“Beckett Callahan McCarthy. Will we call him Beck?”

“Maybe, but that’s okay with me. You?”

“Yeah, it’s got a nice ring to it. Beck McCarthy.”

“So our holiday card will say with love from Adam, Abby, Liam, Murphy, Rory, Kane and Beckett McCarthy. How does that sound?”

“Unless…”

“What?” Abby asked with exasperation.

“Do we want each set of identical twins to have the same initial name?”

“Adam! We had it decided, and you’re throwing that into the mix now?”

“I’m just asking.”

“No, I’m putting my foot down as best I can while on bed rest. Those are the names we’re going with. Murphy, Rory, Kane and Beckett. They don’t need matching names. They’re already going to have matching faces.”

“That’s true. Good thing you’re here to talk some sense into me.”

“How many times in our lifetime together will you have reason to say that?”

“Probably hundreds.”

“Thousands.”

“Easy, babe. It’s not like I’m Mac or something.”

“That’s true.” His eldest brother was famous for regularly getting himself into trouble with his wife, Maddie. “And thank goodness for that.”

“He texted me earlier to ask how we’re doing. The kids are excited to meet their baby cousins.”

“Aren’t we all? Nice of him to check on us. How are they doing?”

“All the kids have had colds that have made everyone miserable, especially their parents.”

“Five kids with colds. I can’t imagine that.”

“I hate to point out that we’re about to have five kids.”

“Trust me, I know.”

“So it could happen.”

“Be quiet, Adam.”

“Yes, dear.”

Abby shifted in the bed to find a more comfortable position, which was becoming harder all the time. Every position was uncomfortable lately, and the grinding pain in her back that’d started yesterday was beginning to become unbearable.

“What’s the matter?”

“My back is killing me.”

“Let me take Liam.”

“I don’t want to let him go. I miss him so much.”

“I know, hon, but you don’t want to get your back acting up worse than it already is.”

“True.” Abby kissed the top of her son’s head and surrendered the sleeping child to his dad, who settled him at the foot of Abby’s bed.

“Want me to rub your back?”

“Oh, would you?”

“Of course. Whatever my baby mama needs, I’m here for it.”

He helped her to turn onto her side, which was easier said than done, and got behind her to rub her lower back.

“That feels so good.” Her entire midsection felt tight with a rolling tension that seemed to be worsening by the minute, along with a pervasive pressure that could no longer be ignored. “Adam…”

“Yeah, hon?”

“Um, I think I might be in labor.”