Hourglass Squared (25 page)

"Ooo," I cried excitedly. "Give me one." I stretched out my arms as Jake passed over Ethan to me. His little outfit was swimming on him, but so cute as if he was about to be in a photo shoot of his own.

"Oh, you guys, he is just perfect." I leaned in to his face and breathed in the smell of baby lotion.

In the meantime, Savannah was unbuckling a now-awake Hope and cooing to her, "Well, hello there, blue eyes. You've missed your Aunt Sav, haven't you?" She began instinctively rocking as Hope nestled up into her, while we all walked to sit in the living room.

After a few minutes, Ethan began to fuss and search for food, and so we all rotated babies. Ethan going to Sav, Jake joyously taking Hope, and me getting to snuggle Emma. As I looked around the room at us, all filled with bundled babies, I became overwhelmed with emotions, tears brimming in my eyes.

"Brooke, what's wrong?" Jake asked.

"Absolutely nothing. This is just perfect."

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Savannah

I
CLIMBED INTO
bed and sprawled out, taking up all of the room just as Jake emerged from the shower. His skin glistened, still damp, and the white towel clung just below his hips, allowing me full view of my gorgeous husband. I watched as he crossed the room and silently shut our door then twisted the lock behind him.

Intrigued by what he was doing, I lifted myself onto my elbows and watched him as he made his way back over to the bed, dropping his towel in the process. A low, carnal purr left my lips at the sight of him standing there completely naked.

His strong hands began to slide up my legs, finally resting on my hips, and suddenly he'd pulled my body down the bed to where my legs were hanging off the edge with him between them.

I sat up, my fingers tiptoeing over his sculpted chest, finally linking themselves around his neck. "You know we've got two more weeks until we can do this, right?"

He huffed, leaning his forehead against mine. "Don't remind me. I'm just trying to imagine how good it will be when it finally happens."

Pressing my lips to his, I slipped my tongue into his mouth, still able to taste the mint of his toothpaste. "Let's get some rest. They're going to be crying in three hours."

Jake let out a groan as he climbed past me and into bed. "No more babies. One pregnancy is enough. Had I known we'd have to give up sex for six weeks after, I may have reconsidered impregnating you in the first place."

Not able to help my laughter, I shimmied up the sheets and curled in next to him and rested my head on his chest, "Don't you dare say that. Those babies are the best thing that has ever happened to us, and who's to say I wouldn't want more?"

Jake's body shifted underneath me, and he creased his eyebrows, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "This coming from the woman who spent more than half of her pregnancy upset that
squatters
had taken over her body. The same woman who cried for days, praying that the test results and bloodwork was wrong, and she really wasn't pregnant? And now you think you want to do it all over again?"

I shook my head at my husband while simultaneously slapping his stomach, then rested back down, my finger now tracing each one of his defined abs. "Maybe one more, or a few. You don't want any more?" I asked, suddenly sad at the thought of never being pregnant again.

His arm squeezed my body tighter to him. "I could definitely go for a few more." His deep, tired voice whispered into my ear before he pressed his lips to the top of my head.

A smile splayed across my face as I drifted to sleep.

The next morning I was up with the rising sun, tending to my beautiful twins. Ethan was just like his daddy, always happy to start a new day. So I always dealt with him first and let Emma sleep a bit longer. Finishing his feeding, I patted his tiny back as I picked out an outfit for the day.

The eight of us, including Penelope, were going up to the mountain house for the weekend to get away for a few days.

After I laid Ethan down on the changing table, I reached over and opened the wooden blinds, allowing the sun to shine through the window, and as I did every morning, I dressed Ethan while singing to him.

"Good morning, Good morning, Good morning from the sun. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning, everyone!"

His little feet kicked and his hands flailed, as smiles and giggles filled the room.

Jake's voice sounded behind me soon after my morning song was finished. "How's my boy? Ready to start the day?"

I lifted Ethan off the changing table and passed him over to Jake. "All set. Now to wake up Sleeping Beauty." I crossed the room and leaned over Emma's crib, gently rubbing her back to wake her.

"Good morning, baby girl. It's time to rise and shine." I lifted Emma from her crib and cradled her in my arms, and Jake leaned in, kissing her face, then my lips.

"Josh and the girls will be here in an hour. Does that give you enough time to get her ready and then yourself?"

I nodded my head, sitting down in the glider to feed Emma. "That should be perfect. Just check with your mom and make sure that the babies' suitcases are all packed."

After I'd finished feeding and dressing my adorable baby girl, I made my way down the hall and into the master bathroom. Emma lounged in her bouncy seat, perfectly placed right next to me on the bathroom sink top as I did my make-up in the mirror.

"Never leave the house looking anything less than fabulous. You never know who you are going to run into, and, regardless of how nice people are, they will always judge you based on your appearance."

Taking a brand new blush brush that I hadn't used yet, I swiped Emma's cheeks with the soft bristles.

"Are you two ready?" Jake asked, as we were coming up on the hour timeframe he'd given me earlier.

"Yes, I just need to dress, and then we are all set. Take Emma downstairs, and I'll be down in a minute."

I slipped into the closet in search of an outfit as I listened to Jake talking to our daughter, telling her she was perfect just the way she was, and he never wanted her to wear makeup.

Traveling with three newborns was a true test of patience, but once we'd made it to the cabin and the babies were fed and taking a nap, Jake, Brooke, Josh, and I were finally able to sit down and relax.

Penelope was in the kitchen cooking, and the four of us were lounged out on the couches in the living room, Brooke and I glued to the baby monitors. "Okay, so I know the babies are still brand new, but I think we need to start thinking about their first birthdays. Should we do them together as one big party, or should we have separate parties? Also, Brooke, what about photographers? I don't want anyone else shooting the parties, but there's no way I am going to be behind the camera the entire time."

I looked at the three most important people in my life, besides my children, and could not help but laugh at their stares.

Josh piped up first. "First birthdays already? Really, Sav? Let's not wish their lives away. Besides, Brooke's birthday is coming up first, so why don't we talk about those plans? Maybe the four of us can go away for a week. Leave the babies with Mom?"

Jake agreed, "That sounds great."

Brooke and I held each other's stare before she answered, her response the same as mine would have been had I said it out loud. "We cannot leave the babies. It's too soon."

Hearing the cries of Emma, I hopped up and ran off to get her. Making my way back, I cradled her snugly in my arms. "I agree with Brooke. I'm not ready to leave these precious little ones behind just yet, so if we go, we have to take them with us."

I plopped down on the couch next to Jake, and he took Emma from my hands, kissing her soft cheeks. I couldn't help but laugh as her face scrunched underneath the scruff of his beard.

The weekend had passed too quickly, and we'd made it back home. Penelope was in the kitchen tending to dinner, while I bathed the twins. Jake stepped into the master bathroom just as I finished and needed a hand.

"Would you grab a towel and take Emma? I'll finish up with Ethan and meet you in the nursery."

I handed Emma over to Jake, and he wrapped her snugly in her pink blanket and then looked back to Ethan and me. "Hard to believe how times have changed. I'll never forget the day I was in here while you were talking to our squatters."

I smiled, unable to comprehend how I could have possibly been so upset about these beautiful, precious gifts. Standing, I held my son in my arms as I pressed myself onto my tiptoes, leaning in to kiss my husband. "This life, right here. This is perfect."

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Brooke

T
HE ALARM BLARED
in my ears, bouncing around in my head, trying to wake me up and bring me to life. How had this day already arrived? I was both excited and nervous. What would they expect of me? What if I couldn't do it?

"Rise and shine, beautiful." Josh crooned, as the smell of chai tea and bacon filled the bedroom.

"Ooo, breakfast." I half-sighed and half-moaned in appreciation as the aroma made my mouth water with starvation.

"Yes, a balanced meal of pig fat and weird tea to jumpstart your morning," he teased, as he set the wood tray over my lap and pecked my lips swiftly.

"You're an angel. How is Hope?" I asked as I took a big bite of the cooked-to-perfection bacon, not too crispy, exactly how I liked it.

"Still sleeping soundly. Mom will be here in thirty minutes, and I don't leave for an hour, so go get glammed up and dressed for work. It's your first day back, and I'm sure they are all anxious to have you back home."