by Robyn M Ryan
Lauren laughed. “I guess I’m glad she didn’t just say, ‘okay,’ and leave with a stranger.”
“A healthy dose of skepticism never hurts.” Tom beeped the trunk open and removed the bags. “Though, I expected someone much younger.”
Lauren tried to hide a smirk. “Define ‘much younger,’ Tom.”
“Seventeen, eighteen?”
“Try twenty. Worried about robbing the cradle?”
Tom shrugged. “Just curious…So, have the guys gone on to the arena?” He changed the subject.
“Thank God, yes! Dave’s so tense, I told him to go early and skate it off.”
“Big game tonight. The entire city’s holding its breath.”
“I hope the Suns just grab this win so we can get on with the Conference Final.” Lauren took the handle of the roller bag and followed Tom to the bedroom Caryn mentioned.
“Caryn thinking about going to the game tonight?”
Lauren shook her head. “Not on Cassie’s first day. Maybe during the Final.”
“If I didn’t need to work, I’d volunteer to stay here.” Tom glanced at his watch. “Speaking of, I need to head out. Please tell Caryn and Cassie I’ll catch up with them later.”
Cassie looked up when Lauren joined them in the nursery. Enamored by the twins, Cassie leaned to kiss Jenna’s forehead as she rocked back and forth. She saw her aunt’s expression soften as she gazed at the babies.
“Ready to put them in their cribs for a nap?” Caryn asked.
Cassie shook her head. “I could rock them forever.” She heard soft chuckles from both Caryn and Lauren.
“I’ll show you how to settle them in bed,” Caryn said as she stood, sleeping Daniel cradled in her arms. Cassie watched, then tried to duplicate Caryn’s actions with Jenna. She covered her with a light blanket, and Caryn stepped beside her. “She loves this little teddy bear,” Caryn whispered as she picked up the stuffed animal and placed it beside Jenna. She flipped the switch on the monitor and motioned for them to follow her from the nursery.
“Warning, they do not always go to sleep so easily,” Caryn said as she led the way to Cassie’s bedroom.
Cassie’s excitement grew when she entered her room. French doors opened to the pool deck. The decor—beach blue and white drew her in. Besides the oversized bedroom, there was an ensuite bath. Caryn also opened the door to a walk-in closet, then showed her the dresser and nightstands.
“Think of this as your oasis—you definitely will need one after spending the day with the twins. The bathroom connects to another bedroom, the same as this one. You can choose the other if you prefer.”
“I love this decor—very summery, my favorite season. It’s more than perfect.” It’s the size of two of the bedrooms combined at home. Lauren didn’t prepare me for this. I may never leave.
“Can I get you something to drink or a snack while you get settled?” Caryn asked.
Cassie waved her hand. “Thanks—we just had a wonderful lunch. I experienced my first hush puppies—yummy!”
“My weakness…always with honey butter.” Caryn sighed, then looked at Lauren. “Did Tom leave for work?”
“He said he’ll see you later.”
Cassie felt a pang of disappointment. “I didn’t get the chance to thank him.” Or get to know him better.
“You’ll have plenty of opportunities, Cass,” Lauren said with a smile. Cassie ignored the mischief in her aunt’s green eyes.
“Tom lives in the apartment at the back of the house.” Caryn nodded toward the far end of the pool. “His schedule is crazy.”
“Where does he work?”
“He’s completing his residency in neurology at the Tampa hospital.”
Doctor? Neurologist? Whoa…out of your league, Johnson. “So, does he work like a gazillion hours straight, then get a day or two off?”
Caryn laughed. “Something like that—unless he’s on call or there’s an emergency, then schedules go out the window.”
“I had no idea…he doesn’t look like any doctor I’ve seen.”
“Because he’s young and hot?” Lauren asked with a knowing smile.
“Maybe. I’ve never seen a young doctor except on TV.” Cassie flipped her hair over her shoulder and pretended to focus on the pool. Lauren’s smiling like she can read my mind…Tom must be older than I thought. But maybe not too old? Enjoyed stopping for lunch, going to the Apple Store…But, you’re not here to chase after sexy doctors, Cass. Remember that…Look, but do not touch. As if I’d have any chance.
Days flew by in a blur as Cassie learned the routines and schedules Caryn tried to follow in caring for Jenna and Daniel. She told Cassie that she didn’t expect them to eat or sleep on pre-determined schedules. When they were newborn preemies, she and Andrew had to feed them every two hours since they could swallow only two ounces of formula. But now that they’d reached seven months, Jenna and Daniel had exceeded the norm for height and weight on the pediatrician’s growth charts.
Caryn said she waited for them to ask for a bottle, rather than force them into some arbitrary schedule for her convenience. Naps followed soon after meals, and with the recent addition of baby cereal, they slept through the night.
“How did you handle two babies with the every-two-hours schedule?” Cassie marveled at Caryn’s ability to handle every challenge with patience and a sense of humor.
“Lots of help. Before Drew started playing again, he took on a lot of the work at night, so I could get uninterrupted sleep.” Caryn looked at Cassie with a smile. “Once he began to play, he wanted me to hire someone to help full time. I resisted because I ‘knew’ I could handle it. I did, but I became a walking zombie. Total sleep deprivation. Tom and his ‘friend,’” Caryn hooked her fingers in air quotes, “Katie helped as much as their schedules allow, and Lauren and our friends Kelly and Terri made sure I had plenty of breaks.”
“I don’t know how you did—and do—all this. I hope I can make things easier for you.” Cassie lifted Jenna into her arms and kissed her forehead. She tried to hide her disappointment that Tom had a female “friend.” No huge surprise, Johnson. Friend? Sounds more like “girlfriend.” Great-looking doctor, he has his choice of women.
“You already have made things easier, Cassie. I’m so relieved we didn’t have to hire a stranger to live in our home…When Lauren mentioned your gap year, I wondered if you’d be interested. I thought you’d rather travel around Europe or somewhere exotic.”
Cassie laughed. “That’s always a fun dream. But when you called, I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather spend this year. And helping you with these beautiful children is so far beyond any expectations. Maybe the universe wanted our paths to cross?”
“Definitely,” Caryn replied. “I don’t know how I managed without you. You’ve spoiled me, and Jenna and Daniel love you, too. You’re part of our family, Cassie.”
Cassie’s heart swelled, and she took a deep breath to prevent tears from slipping from her eyes. These lucky babies would grow up surrounded by love. Like she had during her youngest years—before her parent’s bitter divorce and before she felt like a ping pong ball bouncing from house to house, parent to parent. Andrew and Caryn’s love for each other radiated each time they were together—the same love they showered on the “peanuts,” as Andrew called the twins. Cassie couldn’t imagine either of them putting the twins in the crossfire of a divorce. She couldn’t even imagine Caryn and Andrew arguing, much less divorced.
Cassie had stopped feeling she belonged to a family long ago, since they divided her days between two homes. When she lived with her mother, Amanda’s bitterness toward her dad, Trevor, seeped into conversations. Even after Amanda convinced her own mother, Allyson—a virtual stranger to Cassie—to live with them last spring, she didn’t feel any sense of family. If anything, tension had increased in the home.
When she visited her father, Trevor, and his wife, Tanya, Cassie felt guilty because she preferred their home. Her dad always spoke ab
out Amanda with respect, and Tanya made a point of including Cassie in their celebrations, especially with her toddler sibling, Taylor. Even though Amanda insisted on referring to the baby as Cassie’s “half-brother,” Cassie loved Taylor as her brother in every sense of the word.
She spent as much time as possible playing with him or babysitting. Getting to see him as often as she wanted depended on her mother’s mood. Whatever good vibes she absorbed while spending time with her dad faded when she returned home. Amanda clung to her bitterness like a shield. Lays a good guilt trip on me just because I want to see my dad, Tanya, and Taylor.
“These sweet angels are so blessed to have you and Andrew as their parents.” Cassie didn’t realize she had spoken the thought until she felt Caryn’s hug.
“And we are all blessed to have you, Cassie.”
4
When the Suns needed one win to progress to the Stanley Cup Final, Cassie encouraged Caryn to attend the game. Jenna and Daniel ran out of energy by dinner, and Cassie knew that the evening routine—dinner, bath, PJs, and the rocking chair—helped lull them into a deep slumber. She sensed Caryn wanted to watch the games in person rather than on TV and tried to assure her she could handle both babies.
“You want to go to the game, Caryn—I know you do,” Cassie coaxed as she sat with Daniel in the rocking chair. “I promise to care for the twins as if they’re my children. I won’t let anything happen to them.”
“Oh, Cassie, I know that. I just feel guilty leaving you with no backup. Lauren, Kelly, and Terri will be at the game. Tom’s working…What if you need help?”
“What do you do when the munchkins get grumpy and you have no backup?”
“Cope.” Caryn shook her head, suppressing a laugh as she sat beside Cassie. “I try to get both settled down, but sometimes one of these angels just has to wait—and cry—while I take care of the other.”
Cassie recognized the hesitation in her eyes. “If—and that’s a huge if—both give me a hard time, I’ll stay calm and do what you would.”
“You’ve heard the set of lungs they have when they’re out of sorts.”
“My little brother sometimes got so worked up he couldn’t settle himself down. I swaddled him, held him, played soft music, sang to him—anything until he fell asleep. His cries sounded more like screams—I was sure the neighbors would call the police!” Cassie pressed her lips against Daniel’s soft baby hair. “And I called my dad or Tanya. That only happened once.”
“You’ll call me if you get overwhelmed?”
“Promise.”
Cassie’s confidence faded when the twins realized their mother wasn’t the person giving their baths. They looked for Caryn, then made their displeasure known, communicating the only way they could—with angry wails. Cassie spoke gently to them, completing Jenna’s bath and dressing her for bed. After securing Jenna in the swing, she selected soft music and a slow, soothing pace.
Daniel started kicking the moment she lifted him from the second swing. He resisted sitting in the bath chair, arching his back, and screaming in Cassie’s ears. Rather than force him into the bath chair, she dipped his toes in the warm water, hoping that soothed him. Daniel enjoyed bath time, but he wanted nothing to do with the water, the bath, or Cassie. His shrieks grew in volume, and Cassie watched his little face grow red with the effort.
After securing him on the changing table, she used a dampened washcloth to clean him as best as she could. “It’s okay, Danny,” she soothed. She reached across him to grasp a towel to dry him, and when Daniel chose that moment to pee, Cassie saw the laughter in his eyes as the warm water soaked her shirt.
“You are such a trickster!” Cassie kept her voice soft and humorous. “Let’s get you cleaned and in a diaper, okay?” She covered her shirt with a towel and enjoyed a few minutes of calm while she dressed Daniel and then strapped him in his swing. She patted her shirt with the towel, wanting to change but unwilling to leave the twins alone.
Caryn called the swings a sanity-saver, and Cassie understood why as she kneeled between them, singing along with the music. Their eyes grew heavy, the lids at half-mast, and Cassie hoped to tuck them into their cribs before they fell asleep.
She grabbed a clean towel to cover her wet shirt. “Hey, cute girl,” she whispered as she gently drew Jenna from the swing and cradled her against her chest. Jenna’s eyes popped open, and she startled when she didn’t recognize her mom. Her face turned red, and after she drew in a breath, Jenna unleashed a high-pitched wail worthy of an opera soprano. Daniel soon joined in the protest with angry screams that also reached the upper decibels.
“Can you use a hand?”
Cassie turned in surprise when she heard Tom’s voice. “I thought you were working tonight?”
“Slow night. Put on call and sent home.” Tom lifted Daniel, and the infant’s tears and wails ceased when he recognized his uncle. “Are you giving Aunt Cassie a hard time?”
“In the middle of her bath, Jenna realized that I’m not her mom. She voiced her displeasure, and then Mr. Daniel protested.” Cassie grinned as she showed her soaked shirt. “They nearly fell asleep in their swings…but as you heard, they’re not happy campers.”
She caught the twinkle in Tom’s eyes. “Daniel got you, eh? Join the club. Why don’t you let me rock both of them while you change?”
“Thank you—I smell like a soaked diaper.” She handed Jenna to him after he had settled in the rocker with Daniel. She watched them before she left the room. Does he have any idea how extremely hot he looks holding the twins? Her heart melted watching him settle the babies, each tucked into an arm. Such a big guy with those babies—they looked so tiny in his arms. Tom glanced at her, and Cassie’s cheeks reddened. He’d caught her gawking. “Eh…I’ll change and be back in a minute.”
“Take your time. Now that they’ve settled down, I hesitate to move them to their cribs.” His eyes held hers for a long moment, and Cassie realized he’d enjoyed catching her staring. She broke eye contact and hurried from the nursery before she made an inane comment.
Tom and Cassie placed the exhausted babies in their cribs when sleep overcame their whimpers. She turned on the monitor and grabbed the receiver before following Tom to the great room.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Cassie asked as Tom picked up the TV remote and navigated to the Suns game in progress.
“Something cold with caffeine.”
“Sure you don’t want a beer?”
Tom turned to look at Cassie’s eyebrows raised in question and a teasing expression across her face. Does she know how adorable she looks? “As good as that sounds, I can’t take a chance when I’m on call. But don’t let me stop you—you earned one tonight.”
Cassie pulled two Cokes from the refrigerator. “Not when I’m caring for the twins. Besides, one beer puts me to sleep.” She grabbed a bag of pretzels and settled on the couch.
“Thanks,” Tom said and then pointed to the pretzels. “Dinner?”
Cassie laughed as she opened the bag and held it toward him. “Maybe.”
Tom sat on the couch, careful to leave a space between them. “Your first time solo with Jen and Danny?”
“For dinner, bath, and bedtime. I didn’t expect them to protest so vocally when they realized Caryn wasn’t here.” Tom watched Cassie shake her head with a wry smile. “But I’m so glad she went to the game. I promised her I could handle everything.”
“You did, and you kept your cool even when Danny sprayed you, and both tested the sound barrier.”
Cassie popped a pretzel in her mouth and chewed it before sipping her Coke. “With a timely assist from you.”
“Nah, you had everything under control. Did you babysit much in Vancouver?” Tom turned to face her.
“Sure, but my brother, Taylor, is the only infant I’ve cared for before now.” Cassie glanced away before eating another pretzel. “My dad’s son with his new wife.”
Something in her tone caused Tom to hesitate to
ask another question. Cassie had turned her attention to the TV as the teams skated out to begin the second period. “Is Taylor as much of a prankster as Danny?”
Cassie giggled. “Well, today’s not the first time a sweet little baby boy aimed his pistol at me.” Her shoulders relaxed and Cassie leaned back against the soft leather. “As far as volume goes, I’d say all three have great lungs.”
“No wonder you stayed calm.” Tom stood and retrieved a large bowl from a cabinet. He emptied the bag of pretzels into it. “Can I get you a sandwich?”
“Not now, thanks. Don’t miss the game.” She met his eyes. “I’m a huge Suns fan—ever since Lauren introduced me to Dave, and he got traded here. Before, it was Blues all the way. I tend toward vocal while watching the games, so please stop me if I get too loud. Don’t want to disturb my munchkins.”
A week later, Cassie awoke before dawn and glanced at the clock. Only two a.m.? Crap, I might not fall back asleep. Cassie had occasional bouts with insomnia, but not since she’d moved to Tampa. She knew if she allowed herself to play “what if,” she could give up on sleep. She thought of the sleep medicine her doctor had prescribed in Vancouver. If I take it now, I might not wake up at five. At least not in a coherent state. Time to go with Plan B—warm decaf tea or milk.
Cassie crept from her room and held her breath as she tip-toed past Caryn and Andrew’s bedroom, and then the nursery. She didn’t turn on a light for fear she’d wake someone, and the new moon added no extra illumination. Cassie navigated the great room from memory, guided by the kitchen’s night light. With only several feet to reach the kitchen, she blinked her eyes—the semi-darkness caused her vision to blur. She shut her eyes and moved toward the kitchen, reaching to touch the counter.
Cassie didn’t expect to collide with someone else in the dark. She bit back her urge to scream—intruder?—when hands gripped her shoulders, preventing her from tripping.