Page 107 of Hope & Harmony

CHAPTER 8

Gino rocked in the chair by the hospital room window, enjoying the warm midday sun and the warm bundle of joy in his arms, softly singing his newborn niece to sleep.

“That’s a new one,” June said from the bed where she was nursing Rachel’s twin, Riley. “The song.”

“Just something I’ve been noodling,” he replied, and excitement sparkled in her blue eyes, causing Gino to divert his gaze out the window, guilt crawling its way up his throat. She was happy for him, always so supportive, and yet he’d failed his baby sister again. It had been five in the morning by the time they’d made it back to San Diego, only to have Marsh greet them at the airport curb with news that June was resting in recovery after a thankfully uneventful C-section. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here in time.”

“You could’ve just lied and said you made it. You were here when I woke up. I would’ve never known.”

He chuckled, causing little Rachel to open her eyes and blink up at him. “Exceptyoucan always tell when I’m lying.”

“Well, you’re here now. That’s what matters.” She shifted Riley in her arms, closing her robe and holding him against her shoulder to burp. “How are things?” she asked as she pattedhis back. She was barely eight hours into motherhood and a pro already, all that babysitting she’d done for the rest of their siblings and cousins serving her well. “You had all those tour changes, and we didn’t get to talk before you left.”

“Juney, you don’t need to worry about me right now.”

“Humor me.” Being the baby made June the most easygoing of them, and being closest to their FBI agent cousin made her an excellent observer and a not too shabby interrogator. Or maybe that was just their mother coming out in her. “How are you and Bennett? How’s the tour going?”

“We’re good, and the tour’s going really well. Best in a long while.”

“I heard you’re playing acoustic.”

He nodded.

“So, then, what about all that farewell tour talk? If things are going so well...”

Before Gino could answer, Levi appeared in the doorway. Suspiciously solo. “Where’s Mom?” Gino asked.

“Where’s Rick?” June asked on his heels.

Levi wandered into the room and perched on the end of June’s bed. “Bennett drove your husband to fetch In-N-Out for you.” June practically swooned. After she’d come to in recovery, the first words out of her mouth wereWhere are my babies?followed in short order byI need a double-double after that.”

“And Mom?” Gino said.

“Marsh took her to get those kouign-amann pastries they both like so much.”

“At the bakery near your place?”

He nodded. “They’re gonna pick up David too.”

Gino saw where this was going. “That bakery is farther away than the closest In-N-Out.”

“Exactly,” Levi said with a wide grin, one Gino had wondered if he’d ever see again on his widowed cousin’s face. He didn’tknow Marsh that well yet, but he knew the hacker cowboy made Levi happy again after losing the first love of his life, and Levi’s son, David, was wild about him too. That was good enough for Gino.

June was certainly a fan, sighing happily as she rested back against the propped-up pillows, Riley on her chest. “I love your husbands.”

“I won’t tell Rick you said that,” Gino said as he handed Rachel to Levi, everyone’s laughter stirring both newborns. It took a few coos and chords and Levi swapping places with him in the chair for the munchkins to settle back down, but once they were quiet, Gino asked his sister, “Does the early delivery complicate anything at work for you?”

“The lab had a game plan in place. Just accelerating it a smidge.” She was a principal scientist at a biotech company in town. “I’ll need to do a lab call sometime next week, make sure everyone’s on the same page, but with the product officially launched, it’s mostly in commercial’s hands at this point anyway.”

“How’s work for you?” he asked Levi next.

“Not shot at or almost run over this week,” he said with a smirk and a shrug. “Will count that as a win.”

June balled up a tissue and chucked it at him, then turned the inquisition back on Gino. She nudged him with her toe. “Don’t think we missed you dodging my farewell tour question.”

He glanced again out the windows, at his sunny hometown, then around the room at his growing family. “It’s for real,” he said with a nod. “Not saying we won’t play a charity gig here or there, but this is it.”

“How do you feel about that?”

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