Page 76 of Doctor Daddy

“What? You’re messing with me.”

He shook his head. “How is Strawberry any different than Lily, or Zinnia, or Peach? It’s not common, but it is a name.”

I swallowed. “Okay, what would you like to name her?”

“I’d like to keep Strawberry. Strawberry and Summer sound like happy free spirits. I want our girls to be happy. I think those are perfect names.”

Our girls. I had to blink hard to stop more tears.

“Come here.” Mark sat on the edge of the bed, one arm holding Summer, the other he wrapped around me, and pulled me against his chest.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I sniffed. “I was scared and angry.”

His hand stroked along my back. “I know you were. But I’m here now. We can figure the rest of this out together.”

I eased out of his embrace. “You mean that? Together?”

I tipped my face up to his.

“I mean that.” His lips were soft as they pressed against mine. I had missed his kisses with my very soul.

“I love you, Mark.”

35

MARK

Before I left the hospital, I knew what I had to do. I loved Brooke, she loved me, and we had two beautiful daughters. We couldn’t sneak around anymore.

“I might not be back until late,” I said.”

“You’ll come see us?” The fear in her eyes broke me in half.

I rested my hand on her cheek. “Of course, I will. If you’re asleep I won’t bother you. You are going to need all the rest you can get.”

“I love you,” she whispered, but I heard her loud and clear.

I leaned over and kissed her. I had missed her. I would have loved seeing her pregnant and knowing those were my babies growing inside her. I wasn’t going to fool myself; I had seen her pregnant. Because I convinced myself that some other man had done that to her, I had missed out on her incredible beauty. She was tired, but still so beautiful.

I placed gentle kisses on the tops of my babies’ heads. Strawberry and Summer were perfect.

I didn’t bother checking out of the hotel before I headed to the airport. I would be back.

What I had to do needed to be done in person. Man to man, face to face.

I didn’t tell Brooke what I was going to do. I knew she would fight me over it, but it had to be done. And it was better coming from me. Not that I wanted Peyton’s wrath, but it was better that he and Karen directed their disappointment and mistrust at me than at Brooke. She needed the loving support of her family, especially now that she had twins.

I texted my colleague an apology. Something had come up and I had to return to Atlanta immediately.

“You are the talk of the conference. Did you really deliver twins in the ballroom?”

“Yes, I did. Dr. Whitmore assisted with the second delivery. If you want to talk to the real hero, find a young man named Jason. He was level-headed enough to look for help while everyone else was staring in wide-eyed horror at the pregnant woman.”

I settled into my plane seat and closed my eyes. I could only hope to get some rest on the flight back.

I took a car from the airport back to my house. I didn’t even go inside before I climbed into my car and headed over to the DeBoise home.

Karen answered the door. “Mark, I’m surprised to see you here. Is everything okay?”

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