Marie Ferrarella - Twins On The Doorstep

Undoing the ropes that were holding the basket and its precious cargo in place, he picked up the twins and made his way into the diner.

The moment he walked in, Cole knew he had Miss Joan’s full attention, even though she was behind the counter and on the far side of the diner.

A couple of the waitresses, Eva and Rachel, reached him first, oohing and aahing over the infants in the basket.

But it was Miss Joan whose attention he was after. The moment the red-haired owner reached him, Eva and Rachel immediately, albeit reluctantly, stepped aside, giving the older woman unobstructed access to both the babies and the young man who had brought them in.

Deep hazel-green eyes swept over the scene, assessing it. “I assume that there’s an explanation why you brought these babies into my diner,” Miss Joan said to him.

He nodded. “I was hoping you could tell me who they belonged to.”

Miss Joan’s austere expression never changed, and neither did her piercing gaze. “You’re the one who brought them here, not the other way around. Something you need to get off your chest, boy?” Miss Joan asked him pointedly.

He thought it best if he gave Miss Joan a quick summation of events. Beating around the bush never got anyone anywhere with Miss Joan.

“I found them on the doorstep this morning. Almost walked right on top of them,” he told her, giving her all the facts he had to offer. “I’ve never seen them before and I thought if anyone would know who they belonged to, it would be you.”

There was only the barest hint of a smile on the woman’s thin lips. “I think you’re giving me a little too much credit here, Cole.” She looked from one tiny face to the other. “Have they eaten yet?”

“Rosa fed them. I’ve got a couple of baby bottles all ready to go in the truck,” he told her with a hopeful note. Garrett had returned with the bottles from the general store in record time. “So if you or one of your girls want to feed them later—”

“Back up, boy,” Miss Joan ordered. “I run a diner, not a nursery.” She paused, scrutinizing the expression on his face and putting her own meaning to it. “If you need help later, we can talk. But right now, you’ve got to find out where these babies came from.”

Jeb Campbell, sitting at the counter, raised his hand. “I know where babies come from,” he volunteered in all seriousness.

“Eat your eggs, Jeb,” she ordered in a no-nonsense voice. “We know where they come from. What we need to know is where they belong. Anyone know of someone who recently gave birth to twins?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over all the occupants of the diner.

It was at that exact moment that the door opened and Stacy walked in.

Silence descended over the entire diner as all eyes turned in Stacy’s direction.

As for Stacy, she felt as if she had just walked into one of her nightmares. It was surreal.

Her heart accelerated the second she saw Cole.

And then it all but stopped dead when she saw the babies in the basket. The basket was on the counter, but from its proximity, she assumed that the tiny inhabitants had to belong to Cole.

She’d only been gone from Forever a little over eight months. He certainly didn’t waste any time, did he?

Or had he been seeing someone else the entire time he had been seeing her?

Disappointment washed over her like a giant tidal wave. She needed to get out of there, needed to get some air because she could hardly breathe.

Turning on her heel, Stacy was about to push open the door she’d just entered when Miss Joan called out to her.

“Welcome back, Stacy. I was sorry to hear about your aunt.”

Stacy froze.

It wasn’t her nature not to be polite, no matter how much she wanted to flee. And Miss Joan had just said something nice about Aunt Kate. Stacy couldn’t just ignore the woman.

She forced herself to turn around and look at Miss Joan.

How did the woman know? she wondered. No one knew about her aunt except for Olivia, and she was certain that Olivia wouldn’t have said anything. Olivia was a lawyer and prided herself on being discreet.

“Thank you,” Stacy finally murmured.

“Park yourself on a stool,” Miss Joan instructed. There was no room for argument. “I think Cole here might need some help getting these two little ones over to the clinic.”

Cole felt all but numb, seeing Stacy walking into the diner. He’d envisioned this scene a dozen different ways in the last eight months.

More.

Envisioned seeing Stacy walking toward him, tears in her eyes, saying she’d made a mistake leaving. And each and every time, he forgave her. Forgave her because he didn’t want to dwell on what had been but rather what could be.

Forgave her because he wanted her in his life.

And now, here she was, back. Back the same day that he had found babies on his doorstep. He looked down at the infants, then up at Stacy.

This couldn’t be a coincidence—could it?

Could the babies be hers? And if they were, did that mean...?

Oh, lord, he thought, that would explain so much. Explained why she’d left without a word. Guilt had made her come back, he realized. Guilt because these babies were not only hers, but his, as well.

The thought created elation and panic, and they both vied for equal space within him.

Slowly, the last thing that Miss Joan had just said penetrated the fog around his brain. She was recruiting Stacy to help him take the babies to the clinic.

“The clinic?” he repeated, looking at the woman. “You think they need to be seen by a doctor?”

“You said you found them on your doorstep, right?” Miss Joan reminded him. “It wouldn’t hurt to have them checked out—just in case.” Miss Joan turned toward Stacy. “Don’t you think so?”

“Um, sure.” Stacy felt as if she was trying to talk with a tongue that had suddenly grown two sizes. “I don’t have any experience with babies and all,” Stacy said, pausing uncomfortably between each word. “But that makes sense. I guess.”

“Glad that you agree,” Miss Joan said in a tone that indicated there was no other path open to either of them except to agree with her. “Why don’t you go with Cole and help him?” Again, there was no room for argument. “He certainly can’t manage those babies by himself.” Before either of them could protest or even comment, Miss Joan asked Cole, “How did you get them over here?”

That he could answer, he thought, relieved. “In my truck.”

Miss Joan gave him a withering look. “I realize that. How did you get them over in the truck?”

Cole thought for a second. Miss Joan’s interrogation had been known to make many a person’s mind go blank. “I secured the basket with ropes and looped them around the passenger seat.”

Miss Joan’s eyes shifted toward Stacy, the expression on her face indicating that her point had just been made. “Keep an eye on those babies for me,” she instructed Stacy.

“I can help,” Eva volunteered, stepping forward.

Miss Joan obviously had other ideas about the transport. “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” she told the young waitress before looking at Cole and Stacy. “I’m sure these two can manage, working as a team—the way they used to,” she added significantly.

Stacy took back her earlier assessment. Hotel or no hotel, nothing had changed in Forever.

The hotel, she suddenly remembered. “I can’t go to the clinic.”

Miss Joan’s expression darkened. “And just why’s that?”

“Rebecca just hired me a few minutes ago to work the reception desk,” she said quickly, then blurted, “Elsie just found out she’s been accepted to college.”

Miss Joan looked unconvinced. “College is not for another eleven months,” she pointed out.