When Luke returned, the nurse was with him, rolling in the plastic hospital bassinet with Mary Grace crying loudly within it. Luke picked up his daughter immediately and brought her to Melanie, gently laying her across her chest. Although Melanie gave no outward sign that she was aware of her daughter, her heart rate that was displayed on the monitor beside the bed increased dramatically.
“We’re keeping her with us for the rest of the time she’s here,” Luke told the nurse firmly, waiting until the nurse nodded and left the room before speaking again. “Look how beautiful our daughter is, Melanie,” he told her softly. “She needs her mama just like I do.”
“Luke, sit behind Melanie and help her nurse the baby,” Gracie told him softly. “Deuce, help Melanie sit up so Luke can get behind her.”
Lifting her tiny niece into her arms, the baby was instantly soothed by her touch. She stepped back while Deuce carefully gathered Melanie in his arms and eased her forward until she was practically sitting. Luke pulled off his boots and climbed up onto the bed, settling himself behind his wife. He carefully pulled her hips toward his body until she sat snugly within the cradle of his thighs.
Luke untied the shoulder tie of Melanie’s hospital gown and folded the material down to expose his wife’s left breast. Gracie placed the baby before her sister, grabbing the fallen pillow that had been beneath Melanie’s head and situating it beneath the baby to prop her up at just the right height for her sister to nurse her daughter.
She smiled as the baby immediately began to root for Melanie’s nipple. Luke’s large hand held his daughter’s head and guided her to her mama’s breast. When Mary Grace latched on to Melanie’s nipple and began to suckle, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Luke’s arms were wrapped around Melanie as he held her against his chest and supported his baby daughter at the same time.
Gracie stepped back and found herself within the strong arms of her mate. She turned to look up at him and saw the happiness on his face as he looked down at her.
“Good job, Mate,” he whispered. “That’s exactly what both the baby and Melanie needed. Look how her heart rate is increasing. I bet it won’t be long before she fights her way out of that coma so she can hold her baby and nurse her all by herself.”
Luke looked down at his daughter as she nursed at his wife’s breast. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered, drawing Deuce’s attention. “I’m so blessed.”
“You are,” Deuce agreed. “The entire family is.”
“I’ve told the pediatrician that you’ll be taking Mary Grace home with you,” Luke told them sadly.
“I would offer to bring the baby back to you so Melanie could nurse her, but that wouldn’t be practical,” Gracie told him. “That’s why Melanie gave me the breast pump. After Mary Grace finishes nursing, I’ll show you how to use it. We’ll make sure someone comes by every day to get the milk you express. I know it won’t be for too many days because I know Melanie will be home within the week.”
“You know that, Gracie?” Luke asked her hopefully.
“Melanie told me,” Gracie answered honestly. “She told me she would be at the ranch within five days. She said five days, so start counting.”
Luke laughed with relief. “I’m counting,” he promised.
Gracie reached out and touched her niece’s head softly, smiling as she saw how the baby had fallen asleep. Very gently, she gathered her in her arms and turned to hand her to Deuce. Deuce took her without hesitation, grabbing for the blanket in the plastic bassinet and quickly placing it over his shoulder before bringing his niece up to settle her against his shoulder. He patted her back softly, watching while Gracie carefully wiped the mother’s milk from Melanie’s breast before reaching down and picking up the case that she had carried into the hospital with her and placing it beside Melanie on the bed.
She took out the parts of the breast pump and efficiently connected all the pieces. Both men watched her in silence. Luke was especially attentive. He had to learn how to do what Gracie was doing so his daughter would have enough breast milk.
“Untie the other shoulder of her gown,” Gracie told him softly. When Luke did as she instructed, she handed the harness to him. “Place this around her back and pass the connections to me.”
Luke carefully maneuvered himself so he could place the harness around the back of his wife and held the connections on either side of her chest. He waited while Gracie connected the clips that held the pumps with the bottles attached to them. She placed the suction cups of each pump over Melanie’s breasts, being careful to center them perfectly so that her nipples were directly in the middle of the cup. Hooking the center strap together, Gracie adjusted the harness so that the pumps were pulled snugly against Melanie’s breasts.
“Okay, once you’ve done this you can turn on the pump. Watch the bottles carefully for the first few times. Since Melanie’s milk supply is just coming in, you may not get much at first. When the flow of milk stops, shut off the pump. Then you’ll need to remove the bottles and store the milk in the bottles that are already in the case. The milk needs to be refrigerated. Unhook the harness and clean Melanie and all the parts of the pump. It’s really pretty easy.”
Luke nodded and reached forward to turn on the pump, watching in amazement as the suction cups drew milk from his wife’s body to collect it in the attached bottles. He looked up at Deuce and shook his head in amazement.
“Can you believe how our women’s bodies feed our babies?” he asked in awe.
Deuce smiled and nodded, too choked up at the thought of Gracie nursing their baby. Her body would provide life, food, and love for their children. He was going to be sure to show her how much he appreciated her every day for the rest of their lives.
Mary Grace took that opportunity to let out the sweetest little burp. All of them smiled, suddenly relaxed.
“Good job, baby,” Deuce praised her, kissing her head lightly.
When he looked up, he saw Gracie watching him with the tenderest look he had ever seen. He could see the yearning in her eyes, and he smiled at the beautiful secret she had growing within her womb right this moment. He was looking forward to the time she would be aware that his baby was inside of her.
Gracie snapped out of her daze, warmth filling her as she looked at Deuce holding their niece so competently. It was obvious he already loved the little girl, and Gracie couldn’t help but wish that he was holding their own little daughter.
She pulled her attention back to the two containers of Melanie’s breast milk and concentrated on transferring it to the smaller bottles that were in the small case that the pump came in. Once that was done, she had to clean the parts of the pump. Picking them up, she walked toward the doorway of the room.
“I’ll be right back,” she told the men. “I’m going to clean the pump and these bottles so you’ll be ready to use them again.”
“Thanks, Gracie,” Luke told her sincerely as he covered his wife and tied the fastenings of her hospital gown before pulling her back against his chest.
Deuce stepped toward the bed, waiting until Gracie left before turning back to his brother. “Luke, look at the mating mark on Melanie’s neck and tell me what you see,” he told his brother quietly.
Luke’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion but did as his brother instructed. Carefully gathering his wife’s luxurious tresses in his hand, he pushed them aside so he could look at her neck.
“What am I looking for, Deuce?”
“What does the mark look like?”
“It has two golden links that are entwined, and there are two smaller links that are joined and are hanging from the original connection.”
Deuce took a step forward and looked down at Melanie’s neck. As he had suspected, he could only see the original mating mark. The two smaller links that he knew represented Robbie and Mary Grace were not visible to him.
“I don’t see the two smaller links, Luke,” Deuce told him quietly. “I believe that they represent your kids but can be seen
only by you and your mate.”
“Really? I never realized that. I always thought all of you saw them.”
Deuce shook his head. “John just saw the new link that represents the baby Jamie is carrying. I can’t see his new link just like I can’t see your two links that represent your babies.” He reached forward and placed Mary Grace on the pillow in front of Melanie, smiling as Luke immediately pulled his daughter toward Melanie’s body and cradled her carefully within his arms. “We need to keep this information to ourselves for now, though, Luke.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s a tiny link attached to my mating mark. Gracie hasn’t seen it yet, and she doesn’t know it’s on hers as well. I don’t want her to be aware of it yet.”
“Gracie’s pregnant? That’s awesome, Deuce. Congratulations!”
Deuce couldn’t prevent the smile that came to him. “I’m pretty happy about it. I’m hoping Gracie will be happy about it, too.”
“She’ll be thrilled, Deuce. Why are you worried that she wouldn’t be?”
Deuce sat beside Melanie and reached out to touch his baby niece. “I think she’s afraid of having kids in case they inherit her gift. It’s been hard for her knowing that when she touches some people she causes pain. I think she just needs more time to come to understand and accept that our children will be fine even if they do inherit her gift.” He shrugged, unsure how to explain to his brother how he feared the loss of his mate even though there was no reason for him to feel that way. “Will you keep it to yourself for now, Luke?”
Luke hesitated briefly. “If that’s what you want, Deuce, I will. But you really don’t have to worry about it. I think Gracie will want this baby and a few more. You’ll see.”
Deuce nodded, hoping his brother was right. He turned to face the opening door, smiling at the sight of his beautiful mate. She hesitated as she saw both men looking at her.
Deuce opened his arms, and she came to him immediately. He settled her between his legs, pulling her up onto his lap and holding her tightly.
“What’s going on?” she asked, smiling up at him. “You guys look like you’re up to something.”
Deuce pulled her tighter in his arms, settling his hand on her hip to keep her in place as he covered her belly with his other hand. He smiled as Gracie covered her hand with his, knowing she was unaware of the significance of her actions.
He looked at his brother and winked, seeing the way his brother looked at Gracie’s belly and smiled at the secret he shared with him. Luke looked at him calmly.
“So, Gracie,” Luke began softly, smiling mischievously. “Are you ready to be a mom?”
Chapter 19
Gracie sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, holding Mary Grace in her arms. Deuce walked quietly into the room, stopping beside the chair and dropping to his knees slowly. He reached out and touched the soft, black fuzz of hair on his niece’s head, smiling as she drank from the bottle Gracie held.
“She sure is beautiful,” Deuce spoke softly.
“She is,” Gracie agreed.
Deuce leaned forward and kissed her little hand as she held onto Gracie’s thumb with her little fingers. Something squeezed in his chest as he looked at the sweetest, newest member of his family. He would protect this little one and make sure she grew up surrounded by the love of their family.
The sounds of Robbie’s whimpers reached them both at the same time. Gracie took the bottle from Mary Grace’s mouth, smiling as the little girl puckered her lips from the interruption before settling back to sleep. She placed the empty bottle on the bureau next to her and carefully eased the baby onto the cloth diaper she had placed against her shoulder.
“I’ll check on Robbie,” Deuce told her, standing slowly, kissing Gracie’s forehead before he walked away.
Gracie smiled at his retreating form as he passed through the adjoining doorway into Robbie’s room. He had no idea how amazing she felt every time he kissed her forehead. It was a good thing she was sitting down or her knees would have buckled beneath her. His tenderness undid her. She felt cared for and cherished whenever he pressed his lips softly against her forehead. When he did that, she knew he did so with no sexual intentions—just wanting a moment of closeness with her that sent a thrill clear through her.
Standing, she gently tapped the baby’s back as she walked into Robbie’s room, stopping short when she saw how the little boy was clinging to Deuce and crying.
“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked her nephew softly, making her way over to him and sitting beside them both on the bed.
“I had a bad dream,” Robbie told them, sniffing as he buried his head against Deuce’s chest.
“It’s only a dream, honey,” Gracie assured him. “You’re safe with Uncle Deuce and me. And your baby sister is here, too.”
Robbie pulled his face away from Deuce’s shirt slowly, opening his eyes to look at the baby in Gracie’s arms. He reached out and touched the baby’s leg lightly.
“Hello, Mary Grace,” he said happily, patting her leg. “I love you.”
Gracie smiled at her adorable nephew. “What a nice big brother you are, Robbie,” she praised him quietly. “Mary Grace is going to be your best friend.”
Robbie nodded and smiled up at his aunt. “Mary Grace will ride horses with me.”
“I bet she will, buddy,” Deuce agreed. “You can show her how well you ride on top of Brutus and Daisy. Uncle John and I will show her how to ride, too.”
“Unca Spence and Unca Tim will let Mary Grace play with their little girls,” Robbie told them excitedly.
Deuce laughed softly. “Maybe they will someday,” he agreed. “Until they have their little girls, you can play with your sister.”
Robbie thought about it a minute then leaned against Deuce’s chest and wrapped his arms around his neck. “Okay,” he muttered tiredly. “Unca Jake can teach us to play the guitar, and Unca Rafe can help us paint pictures.”
“Sounds like you have a plan for the whole family, Robbie,” Deuce teased him.
Robbie smiled and hugged him, pulling himself up his uncle’s strong body to sweetly kiss his cheek. “I love you, Unca Deuce.”
Deuce melted at his nephew’s words. Wrapping his huge arms around the little boy, he hugged him gently. “I love you, too, Robbie,” he whispered before he kissed the top of his head. “Now, how about if you lie down and try to get back to sleep.”
“I don’t want to,” Robbie insisted immediately. “Daddy fell off his horse and hurt his arm.”
“Is that what you dreamed about, baby?” Gracie asked him softly, reaching up to pet his hair lightly.
“Don’t want to see Daddy get hurt,” Robbie insisted.
Gracie looked at Deuce and saw the concern in his eyes. She remembered when Melanie was little and she had bad dreams. Gracie would have to climb into bed with her and hold her until she settled down.
“Why don’t you come into Mary Grace’s room with us,” Gracie suggested. “You can lie down in the big bed with Uncle Deuce while I take care of your sister. When you’re ready, you can come back in your room and sleep. How does that sound?”
“Up, Unca Deuce,” Robbie told him immediately, hugging him tighter.
Deuce lifted him easily, placing a secure hand under his bottom as he scooped him up and rested his head against his chest. Leaning down, he grabbed his pillow and the small blue blanket that was Robbie’s constant companion since infancy and turned to head into the nursery.
“Come on, Aunt Gracie,” he called over his shoulder. “It’s way past our bedtime.”
Gracie followed him, smiling at the sight of the big man who defined gentleness. Despite his size and strength, the tenderness with which he treated all of his family members was enough to choke her with emotion.
Deuce settled Robbie in the huge bed that had once belonged to Spence and tucked him in securely, making sure that Robbie’s little pillow and blanket were in place.
“Unca Deuce, is my daddy hu
rt?”
“No, Robbie,” Deuce assured him instantly, leaning forward to kiss his nephew’s cheek lightly before pulling back to look down at him. “He’s with your mommy until she can come home from the hospital.”
Gracie watched him as he placed his hands beside Robbie’s shoulders and held himself over the little boy. To see his massive arms bulging with muscles as he leaned above Robbie caused her womb to clench in need. She could feel the desire pooling in her channel, slowly dripping out onto the crotch of her panties. She wondered if he could smell how much she wanted him.
He had no idea how incredibly sexy he was. Not only was he strong and handsome—he was also loving and kind. His gentle spirit was what had always called her to him. The way he loved every member of his family completely and unconditionally was a big reason why she loved him so much. He protected them all without thought. It was his job, as he told them all often enough, but Gracie knew that he didn’t see what he did as a job or a chore. He had the instincts of a loving father who looked out for them all and protected them fiercely. Most importantly, what he did and how he acted was because he wanted to be that way. He wanted to be the patriarch of the family who loved and guided them all.
“I saw Daddy fall off his horse,” Robbie insisted, tears filling his bright, blue eyes. “He had a big, blue towel on his arm.”
“Don’t worry about your daddy, Robbie. He’s a tough cowboy.” Deuce’s voice was soft but firm. He watched his nephew silently, hoping he could reassure the little boy. “I’m going to change out of my jeans. Do you think you can watch over Aunt Gracie and your baby sister until I come back?”
Robbie smiled and nodded. “I’ll watch them,” he promised.
“Okay, buddy.” Deuce leaned down and kissed his forehead lightly, straightening and turning to walk toward Gracie. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her carefully as she held his sleeping niece against her shoulder. “I’ll be right back, Mate,” he whispered against her cheek, kissing it lightly before releasing his hold on her and walking from the nursery.
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 23