In Too Deep (22 page)

“S
queeze in just a little more,” Quinn directed from behind the camera set up on a tripod. In front of him everyone shuffled close together. “That's it.”

The occasion was Lily's parents' fortieth wedding anniversary. This was the first time the entire family had been together since the double wedding a few months before Quinn met Lily. Her mother was determined the occasion be marked with a family photograph.

Patty and Dan Jensen, Quinn's mother-in-law and father-in-law, stood in the center of the group. Their love and respect for each other was palpable. Quinn had the feeling they were excited to be leaving for the trip to Hawaii that everyone had chipped in to buy for them.

Dahlia and Jack stood next to Dane. This was the first time Quinn had met Jack since he had been stationed overseas most of the last two years. Besides being brothers-in-laws, he and Ian were best friends, a circle they had expanded to include Quinn. According to Patty, Jack would be leaving the Army when his current hitch was up and would be pur
suing a long awaited degree in architecture. Dahlia was radiant, only as a soon-to-be mom could be, her first baby due in another four months. She was also reaping the rewards for her ground-breaking research on clear-air lightning.

Rosie and Ian stood next to Patty. Rosie held six-month-old Jeremy in her arms, and Ian held eighteen-month-old Gillian. The children weren't the only thing that kept them busy. Ian ran Lucky's Third Chance, which had developed a reputation for being one of the best programs in the country for at-risk kids. Comin' Up Rosie provided thousands of seedlings for reforestation every year.

Lily stood next to Jack. Fifteen-month-old twins David and Danna squirmed in her arms. Besides the arrival of the babies, the last two years had been busy with the rebuilding of the Kantrovitch Research Center. Lily's research was showing promise much sooner than she had anticipated, and Quinn was sure that her findings would provide the foundation for a new family of antibiotics.

Seven-year-old Annmarie stood in front of her mother, her smile brilliant. “Save room for Dad,” she commanded.

She had begun calling him dad the very first day she learned he and Lily were getting married, and he had adopted her a month before the twins were born. His throat tightened with emotion as it sometimes did when he thought about how close he had come to losing both Lily and Annmarie.

Jack squeezed closer to Dahlia, and a space appeared between him and Lily.

“That's it,” Quinn said. “Nobody move.” He set the timer on the camera, then slipped in next to Lily and took David from her.

“Smile!” Patty said. “Everyone smile.”

And they did.

Of all the pictures on the mantle above the fireplace in Quinn's and Lily's house, that one became Quinn's favorite. It marked the first time he realized his dream had come true. He was part of a family. He had a wife he adored and chil
dren who were his very life. And, amazingly, he also had brothers and sisters and parents. No man could be luckier or more blessed.