The Twin Birthright

“It’s a girl,” he said, emotion clogging his voice as he confirmed the gender ultrasounds had shown.

But hearing it now still carried such a momentous thrill.

“She’s okay?”

“A healthy set of lungs, ten fingers and ten toes.”

Once Royce tied off the cord and wrapped the infant in his parka, he passed the bundle to Naomi, who held out her arms. She cradled the precious weight against her, marveling in gazing at her child for the first time. Love swelled in her heart and she looked at Royce. Just as another contraction gripped her. He reached over her to settle the baby at her side.

Naomi gasped, “I guess...now...I know with absolute...certainty that you have...delivered a baby before.”

His low chuckle filled the SUV just before the pressure built again, until she felt the familiar release. Followed by another infant cry.

“Naomi, you have another healthy baby girl.” Royce’s joy was mixed with a hint of a tremble that relayed yes, he must have been more nervous than he let on.

How could he not have been?

But all that mattered now was that her twins were alive. Safe. She sagged back in relief, holding her first child against her side and reaching out her arm for the other.

Royce wrapped the second newborn in her pink parka and passed the baby over. Naomi stared into those wide curious eyes and thought of her sister, Breanna, who’d died over a decade before, along with their mother.

The connection between Naomi and her sister had been strong. They were fraternal twins. Although people had often thought Breanna was Marshall’s twin since she favored him so closely when they were young, and they were inseparable. Who knew how her sister would have looked as an adult since she’d died so young. Naomi swallowed back a lump of emotion and focused on the present. This joy.

Royce settled her legs and rested a blanket over her, before stretching up to lie beside her. “I’ve sent out texts for help. Let’s just enjoy the babies and stay warm while we wait.”

He climbed onto the reclined seats, curving his muscular body against her, somehow making room for himself in spite of the seat belts draped overhead and flashlights suspended from bungees. He was so familiar, and Lord, how she’d missed the feel of him, this closeness. She’d once dreamed of them like this, except spooned together in a hospital bed with the babies, all of them a family.

She looked over at him and found him studying the babies, which allowed her to stare at him longer. He was so much more than broodingly handsome good looks. The appeal was more than his leanly muscle-bound body on display in his chest-hugging T-shirt. And yeah, he got bonus points for the thick dark hair a hint too long, as if he’d forgotten to get a haircut, tousled like he’d just gotten out of bed.

All enticing. Sure.

But it was always his eyes that held her. Those windows to the soul. To the man. A man with laser-sharp intelligence in his deep brown gaze that pierced straight to the core of her and seemed to say, Bring it, woman. I can keep up.

And he had. He’d been willing to make every compromise to secure her—and her babies—in his life in a sad effort to recreate what he’d lost when his former fiancée had miscarried, then walked away.

Naomi couldn’t risk hoping for a future with him, now more than ever, with the stability and well-being of these two precious little lives counting on her. If only they could all four stay just like this forever, warm and secure together while the storm raged outside.

A crack echoed, interrupting her thoughts, and she glanced up sharply to see an ice-laden tree fall across the hood of Royce’s SUV.

* * *

Compartmentalizing was easier said than done.

Royce Miller wanted to be the cool scientist, detached. But this was Naomi. Her babies.

Not his.

His chest ached as if he’d sucked in a gulp of frozen air. He tucked his arm around her tighter as she catnapped, the babies sleeping against her chest.

Earlier, while she’d nursed the babies, he’d sent out a slew of additional texts, hoping one would make it through the storm. The SUV was still running, and he had extra fuel in the emergency kit. But once they needed that, he would have to try to move the tree off the hood. Hopefully, the SUV would be in shape to drive, although that was a last resort in this weather. Especially with two infants and no car seats.

He’d turned off all but one of the flashlights now to preserve batteries. His heart still slugged against his ribs in the aftermath. He could still barely wrap his brain around the fact that he’d delivered the babies. That Naomi was okay. Relief mixed with the reality that until he had them all in a hospital, he couldn’t breathe easy.

After scanning the babies, checking that their chests rose and fell evenly, he glanced at the pulse in Naomi’s neck. He grounded himself in the steady rhythm.

“Royce?” she whispered.

Her soft voice drew his gaze to her face. The look in her tired but beautiful eyes was...incredible. Shining brighter than the flashlight overhead.

He’d had her, and she’d slipped away from him.

It still grated deep in his gut how she’d pushed him away, given up on what they’d shared, what they could have had in the future. It was hard as hell to forgive how she’d just let go.

He brushed back her hair from her forehead, the softness of her skin soaking into him. “Here we are again, stuck together.”

“Your SUV is almost as big as that little cabin you were staying in.” She smiled at him wryly. “Somehow, we always manage the craziest scenarios. The way you chased that bear off my car when we first met.”

Memories of that day filled him. How she’d bluffed her way into his cabin retreat to convince him to sign on his research with her family’s oil business—Alaska Oil Barons, Incorporated. He’d been resistant, but man, how she’d won him over with her lawyer skills—and her smile.

And her bravado in the face of an unexpected grizzly climbing on the hood of her vehicle when she’d arrived at his cabin. “I suspect you could have handled that massive Pooh Bear yourself.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It was intended as one.”

She was a gutsy woman with an indomitable spirit he admired. Pulling his gaze away from her intoxicating whiskey-brown eyes, he looked out the window. The snow had turned to sleet, pinging on the rooftop in the silence between them.

Naomi shifted and settled. “Now you’ve saved me again. And my girls. Maybe I could have handled that bear, but I couldn’t have delivered my own babies.”

“Happy to help. And even happier everyone’s okay.” Relief still burned through his veins. So much could have gone wrong. Still could, if help didn’t arrive soon. “As much as it seems we have these somewhat similar crazy turns in our lives, a lot is different.”

She chuckled hoarsely. “Like the fact that there’s not a chance we’ll be having sex this time.”

He tapped his temple. “I’m intuitive that way.”

Except he hadn’t been so intuitive at the start. He’d fallen for the deception that brought her into his life. She’d hidden her identity as a Steele, hoping to get an inside scoop on his research, and ultimately lure him into signing on with her family business. He’d seen only her, wanted her, was determined to have her. And he’d ignored all the warning signs. In fact, he could see now how they’d both used sex to avoid talking about the deeper issues that would later tear them apart.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed. “Thank you, so much. You were amazing and calm. I can’t believe everything went okay. They’re healthy and alive and I’m still here.”

“Yes, you are.” He swallowed hard.

“They’re beautiful.” Her voice rang with awe and love.

“That they are.” Like their mama. “Have you settled on names yet?”

“Mary for my mother...” She pressed a kiss to the forehead of her firstborn, still wrapped in his jacket. “And I was thinking Breanna and call her Anna—” she kissed the clenched fist of her baby wrapped in her pink parka “—in honor of my sister.”

Both of whom had died in a plane crash.