Scrubbing his hands over his face, Joe blew out a breath. “It’s Angie.”
“Angie, my God, what happened, is she all right?”
He nodded. “She’s fine. For the moment,” he added, leaning back against the couch and letting his aching muscles release some of the tension they’d been holding. “Late this morning I stopped by to check on her. I found her collapsed on the floor.”
“Oh, Joe.” Mattie sat down next to him, wanting to soothe, to comfort him.
“I called 911. The Healing Harbor ambulance came, of course, but the paramedics took one look at her and said she probably was going to have to be transferred to a larger, metropolitan hospital that had a neonatal intensive-care unit.”
“She was in labor?” Mattie asked, and Joe nodded.
“By this time, yes, but she’d collapsed because her blood pressure had gone so high. They were afraid they were going to lose her and the babies.”
“Joe, why didn’t you call me?” Fear and worry made her voice sharper than she intended. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’m sure you had your hands full.”
“You’re not kidding. And I tried calling you, Mattie. I tried the gallery this afternoon but the line was busy for almost an hour, and then I couldn’t leave Angie.”
She patted his hand. “I understand, Joe, what happened next?”
“Once we got to the hospital, the doctors tried to stabilize her, but they recommended she be sent by air ambulance to Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. They have a top-notch neonatal wing as well as high-risk obstetrical specialists on staff. So they transferred her there. We had to wait a couple of hours for the air ambulance, and by the time we finally got to Loyola, she had gone into labor.” Joe shook his head. “This whole day seems like one long nightmare.”
“Did she have the babies?”
His smile was grim. “She still had about five weeks to go, but fortunately, both babies are strong, healthy and are doing well.” He managed a smile. “My two new nieces are just fine. They’ll be in intensive care for a few weeks, but the doctors are pretty confident they’re going to be just fine.”
“Oh, Joe.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m so glad, I was so worried.”
“Mattie.” The tone of his voice had her looking at him curiously. He took her hand in his. “I missed the boys’ play.”
“I know, Joe, it’s okay. They understand.”
“No,” he said simply. “You don’t understand. You know I’d never do anything deliberately to hurt the boys.”
“Of course. I know that, Joe.”
“And you also know how much I love them, and you.”
“Yes, I do,” she said, wondering where he was going with this.
“I love you guys, Mattie, with all my heart, and you know I’d never deliberately let you down, but I did, Mattie, tonight. I let you and the boys down by not being there.”
“Joe, that’s not the way it is. They understand—”
“But they shouldn’t have to understand, Mattie, that’s my point. I disappointed both you and the boys tonight because my family—my sister needed me. And Mattie, I can’t see that changing anytime in the future.” He blew out a breath.
“What are you saying, Joe?”
“I love you and I love the boys, Mattie, but I have no right to. I can’t and won’t marry you because you have a right to expect to come first in your husband’s life, ahead of everything, and I can’t ever promise that.”
“I don’t recall ever asking you to,” she said quietly. She got up from the sofa and went to the television set, picking something up off it. “Do you see this, Joe?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s a video camera.”
“Joe, I probably understand about family responsibilities coming first more than anyone. Haven’t my boys always come first in my life?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “While I understand the responsibility you feel toward Johnny and admire it,” she added, “and love you for it as well, I don’t think you truly understand the meaning of family.”
“What on earth are you talking about, Mattie?” He was doing this for her own good. And the boys. He never wanted to hurt any of them. He loved them all too much and simply couldn’t bear disappointing them.
“You see this camera? When I realized you might not make it to the boys’ play, I brought it with me and taped the whole performance so you wouldn’t miss anything.”
For the first time since he’d arrived, Joe smiled. “You’re kidding. That’s great. Thanks, Mattie.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I don’t understand what taping the play has to do with me not really understanding the meaning of family, though.”
Mattie smiled. “Joe, you and I are always going to have responsibilities. To our children. To our individual families and family members, but we also have a responsibility to ourselves and the love we have for one another. Because we love each other, we have a responsibility to be as happy as we can and to share our lives, our loves and all our responsibilities with each other. That’s what a real family does. They share their family and their responsibilities with the person they love. That’s what makes a family, Joe. Sharing of all these things.”
“What are you saying, Mattie?” he asked carefully.
“I’m saying, Joe, that if we love each other, truly love each other and want to be together, do you really think Johnny or your responsibility toward him should be the reason we can’t be together?” Cocking her head, she looked at him. “How do you think he’d feel if he knew that’s what you thought? He wouldn’t like it, would he?”
“Of course not, but Mattie, do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
“Of course I do. I’ve done everything on my own for so long, I don’t even know what it’s like to have a family.”
“And are you saying you’d like to find out?”
“Yep.” She grinned. “I would.”
“Mattie, but what about Johnny?” he asked softly, making her grin spread. “You know I take my responsibility toward him seriously. It comes first, it always has, it always will. Can you live with that?”
“Well, let me put it this way, Joe.” She grinned. “I love Johnny, truly, and apparently the feeling is mutual.” Her grin widened and she rocked back on her heels. “In fact, if you don’t want to marry me, I’ve got a standing offer from him.”
“Johnny?” Surprised, Joe merely stared at her. “What—how did that come about?”
“At the play tonight—”
“Johnny was at the play?” He shook his head. “When—how—” He shook his head again, too exhausted to think. “I don’t understand.”
“The boys wanted to invite him, so I offered to go get him. I called the home and got permission to take him out for the evening. Johnny was thrilled to go with us.” She shrugged. “We all went to the play, out for ice cream, and then the boys and I drove him home.”
“And you’re all right with that, Mattie? Having Johnny as part of our lives?” He held his breath, unable to dream, to hope.
“He’s part of our family, Joe, why wouldn’t I be comfortable or all right with that?” She laughed. “The boys love him so much they want to go live with him.” She pushed her hair back. “I told them that still needed a great deal of discussion. But maybe, Joe, we could have Johnny live with us at some point. Even if it’s just a night or two a week. I think it would be good for everyone.”
All the fears and doubts he’d carried around inside evaporated like a misty fog, and his heart swelled with love. “Mattie, you are incredible.”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “Just practical. I figured if you wouldn’t marry me, hey, Johnny would.”
Joe reached for her. “He’s going to have to get his own girl.” He kissed her full and hard on the mouth. “You’re mine.”
“Does this mean you’re going to marry me?”
Joe held her tight, then let all
the empty hopes and dreams he’d carried around in his heart for so long…go.
“I am, Mattie, if you and the boys will have me.”
“We’ll have you,” Cody and Connor yelled from their perch on the steps were they’d been eavesdropping for the past five minutes. “We’ll have you.” Jumping up, the boys scurried down the stairs, raced across the living room and jumped in Joe’s lap.
“Does this mean you’re going to marry our ma?” Cody asked, snuggling closer to Joe.
“Indeed it does,” Joe responded, ruffling his hair.
“Then it’s a rule that you gotta be our father, right?” Connor asked, snuggling to get closer as well.
Joe and Mattie exchanged glances. He’d been around the boys long enough now to know when they were up to something. But at the moment, he was too tired to try to figure out what.
“A rule?” He shook his head. “Well, I don’t know what those rules are you’re talking about, but I would like very much to be your father. That is if you boys want me.” Joe looked from one impish face to the other then relaxed as both boys grinned.
“Yes, yes, we want you,” they both shouted, making him wince. “Can we tell Bobby Dawson tomorrow?” Cody asked. “I can’t wait to tell him we got our own dad now.”
“Yeah, and our dad can play baseball and run fast.”
“He likes us and—” Cody stopped abruptly, turning to face Joe. “Coach Joe, do you know how to do arithmetic?”
Joe’s eyebrows went up. “Arithmetic?” He glanced at Mattie, remembering they’d already had a conversation about this. Several, in fact.
“Well, yeah, I guess you could say I know how to do arithmetic.” He frowned. “Why, is it required to be your dad?” he asked skeptically. Another thought followed that one. “Does this have something to do with Bobby Dawson?”
He had a feeling that Bobby Dawson had a lot to do with a lot of things the twins got mixed-up in. And mixed-up about, he realized with a smile.
Both boys exchanged mischievous glances. “Well, Bobby said that we get arithmetic problems in school and we’ll have to bring them home to do.”
“Yeah, and I said that was stupid,” Cody explained.
“So…let me see if I’m getting this,” Joe said, realizing he just might be following the maze of the boys’ minds. It was a scary thought. “So you wanted a dad who knew how to do arithmetic so he could help you when you had to bring problems home, right?”
“Yep.” Twin strawberry-blond heads bobbed up and down. “You got it.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Joe said with a laugh. He wrapped his free arm around Mattie and drew her close. “Well, Mattie, I guess it’s a done deal. You’re stuck with me.”
“And you with me.” She kissed him, her heart soaring as she looked at the man she loved holding the children she loved. She’d never seen anything more beautiful or perfect. “Okay, boys, it’s time to get back to bed. You have school tomorrow.”
“Aw, do we have to?” they complained as she shooed them off Joe’s lap and toward the steps.
“Hey, Connor?”
“Yeah, Cody?”
“We got us a dad, right?”
“Right?”
“And a new friend, Johnny.”
“Yeah.”
Cody turned and flashed his parents a mischievous smile. “I wonder how Coach Joe feels about…dogs.” With a laugh, both boys bounded upstairs.
“I’m going to love being a father,” Joe said. “Mischievous or not.”
“You know they’re going to drive you nuts now until you let them get a dog.”
“Hey, not me. That’s a family issue. And we’re a family, remember?”
Mattie pressed her lips to Joe’s and sighed. “I remember.” A family, she thought warmly. It was what they had wanted and needed all along.
Epilogue
One year later
“Cody, if you take that tie off, your mom’s going to skin us both alive,” Joe said as he glanced around the gallery, trying to make sure Mattie wasn’t within sight. Or earshot.
“How come I gotta wear a tie?” Cody asked.
“Because this is your mom’s first solo showing of her artwork. It’s very important to her that we all look nice.” Joe fiddled with his own tie, wishing he could take it off. “And now that she’s bought the gallery from Aunt Maureen, it’s important to your mom that everything run smoothly.”
“Dad, do you think anyone’s gonna buy Mom’s pictures?” Connor asked, looking up at him.
“I’m sure of it,” Joe said proudly. “Remember how Aunt Maureen explained that she’d already sold five sketches? She’s taking some of your mom’s sketches with her to Europe as well.”
“When’s Aunt Maureen leaving?” Cody wanted to know, making Joe smile.
“Well, Aunt Maureen and Clancy are leaving on their honeymoon sometime tomorrow.”
“Honeymoon?” Cody giggled. “What’s that?”
Uh-oh. Joe’s frantic gaze searched for Mattie. This was not a question or a subject he wanted to get into, at least not now, not with the boys. He didn’t think he was old enough to talk about this with them yet.
“Mattie?” He waved toward her, then smiled when she turned and started walking toward them.
“Thank goodness,” he murmured, grabbing her arm and pulling her close. “Cody wants to know what a honeymoon is.”
Mattie saw the look on Joe’s face and burst out laughing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were scared,” she teased, making him run a nervous hand around his collar.
“Scared?” He shook his head. “Terrified is more like it. You explain it to them.”
“Fine.” Mattie bent down so she could see both boys’ faces. “A honeymoon, boys, is when a man and woman who’ve just gotten married go away together on a vacation, just them two alone.”
“How could they have any fun alone?” Cody wanted to know, almost making Joe choke. “Can’t they bring any friends?”
“No,” Mattie said. “No friends.”
“What about toys?” Connor asked, and Joe almost lost it.
“No, no toys,” Mattie said, smothering a smile of her own.
“Boring,” Cody complained. “Can me and Connor go sit outside with Johnny and Clumsy?” he asked. “It’s hot in here.”
“Sure,” Mattie said, placing a gentle, loving hand on his cheek. “Just stay right in front, and stay with Johnny.”
“We will.”
Mattie waited until the boys were outside before turning to her husband. “Well, I think you handled that…well.”
“Hey, hey, you’ve got years more experience than I have with this parenting stuff. I’ve only got a year.”
“Yeah, well, let’s hope that’s enough experience for what’s coming.”
He drew back and gave her a suspicious look. “What? What’s coming now?” He had to admit, there was never a dull moment in his house.
“A baby,” she said softly, meeting his gaze. “We’re having a baby, Joe.”
He merely stood there, staring at her for a moment. “A real-live baby?” he stammered, not certain it had registered yet.
“As opposed to a fake-doll baby? Yes, Joe, a real live one.”
His gaze went to her belly. It was still flat as a pancake. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“When? When are we having this baby?”
She grinned. “In about six months or so, Joe.”
“A baby,” he breathed softly, lifting her off her feet with a whoop. “We’re having a baby,” Joe repeated loud enough to make Mattie roll her eyes. She was almost positive everyone in the gallery knew her news now.
“Joe, please, put me down.” She grabbed his shoulders.
“We’re having a baby,” Joe said to Maureen and Clancy who walked up to them wearing identical grins.
“So we’ve heard,” Maureen said, lifting her glass of champagne in the air. “A toast.” Her gaze shifted to Mattie. “To my beaut
iful niece, her beautiful husband and her beautiful, expanding family. May she always know the joy of love.”
“Hear, hear,” Clancy said, draining his glass, before turning to Mattie. “Well, lassie, my money’s on another set of lads.”
“Set?” Mattie repeated with a shake of her head. “I don’t think so, Clancy.”
“No?” He grinned, and held out his glass for a waiter to refill. “I’ve got good money that says it’s a matched set of lads identical to the ones you’ve got.”
Joe almost shuddered at the thought of another pair of mischievous male twins. “I’ve got ten bucks that says it’s a single, female.”
“You’re on,” Clancy said, touching his champagne glass to Joe’s before taking his bride by the arm to spirit her away. “Come on, love, our honeymoon awaits.” Clancy gave Mattie a kiss on the cheek, and with a wink, he and Maureen were gone.
Six months later both Joe and Clancy lost their respective bets when Mattie gave birth to female triplets.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-2831-3
DADDY PATROL
Copyright © 2003 by Sharon De Vita
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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