“Whatever Rebecca needs,” Riley answered quickly.

Doctors Standings merely nodded and made a notation on his file. “Ultrasounds are done more frequently to rule out growth disparity between the twins and to check for things such as twin/twin transfusion.”

“That sounds bad,” Riley said. Jack was glad Riley had been the one to say that because he was still in shock.

“It’s a complication where one twin gets more placental blood flow than the other. Twin/twin transfusion can lead to special procedures like in utero transfusion of one of the twins and early delivery. There is nothing to worry about at this moment. My staff will organize a schedule of visits and let you have them as soon as they are ready.”

* * * * *

Riley and Jack waited in reception, and Jack knew he was probably in shock. Riley wasn’t any better. Suddenly there were two new lives that had been created.

“We’ll have to extend so they can have their own bedrooms,” Riley said. He sounded dazed.

“They’ll probably sleep together to start.”

“But eventually. What if it’s a girl and a boy? They’ll need their own space.”

Jack grasped Riley’s hand. “We can deal with that later.”

“Uh huh.”

The door opened and Rebecca walked through. She was grinning from ear to ear, and Jack couldn’t resist pulling her into a hug, which Riley then did also.

“Twins,” she exclaimed. “My last surrogacy and it’s twins. How exciting? Are you excited?”

Jack nodded. “More like thrilled, but I think we’re in shock.”

“Thank you, Rebecca,” Riley added. He hugged her again and Jack smiled. This was turning out to be one hell of a day. “Can we drive you home?”

She shook her head. “Hubby is picking me up. We have an appointment with a language therapist for Max.”

“How is his Thomas?” Riley asked. “Did the engine survive after I mended it?”

“It’s still in one piece. He loves that engine. A lot of kids with learning difficulties love the Thomas the Tank Engine stories. Apparently it’s the colors and the clear faces.”

“Maybe when we visit again I could bring over some other engines?” Riley asked carefully. Jack laughed inwardly. His husband was like the biggest toy nerd he’d ever seen. No doubt Max would end up with every single engine that was ever created.

“That would be lovely,” Rebecca agreed. “I wanted to ask you a favor though.”

“Is it money?” Riley said immediately. “I can get you more money today, whatever you need.”

Rebecca tilted her head, and Jack saw a brief flash of emotion in her eyes. Riley’s immediate solution to any and all issues was to think what his money could do to alleviate things. He just said words before his brain was in gear. Rebecca placed a hand flat on Riley’s chest.

“I don’t do this for money,” she said softly. Riley immediately looked chagrined and a bright flush of red filled his tanned face. Jack felt sorry for his husband, but at the same time he applauded Rebecca for her simplistic honesty.

Riley placed a hand over hers. “I apologize.”

“What favor do you need?” Jack asked. He was concerned Riley was going to spiral into some kind of apologetic state, and Jack knew Riley would hate that he was doing that.

“I was thinking my family and I could visit the ranch. The older kids love horses, and it might be good for Max.”

“Of course.”

“I was thinking in February? The first Saturday is our next free day at a weekend with no recitals or ball games or other commitments.”

They agreed on the date and time and she left Riley and Jack standing where they had been waiting for her before.

“I shouldn’t have said that about money.” Riley groaned as he spoke. He scrubbed a hand over his face and looked at Jack with an expression that screamed embarrassment. “Not everyone thinks money solves all problems.”

Jack decided to take pity on him. He tugged Riley outside and over to their car. Inside he waited until Riley shut his door then he turned to him. “You know money doesn’t solve all problems, you didn’t offer for that reason. Maybe she needed meds or something that you can help with. She understood why you said it, I promise.”

“But she said she wasn’t doing it for money, she obviously thought I was trying to pay for something. Fuck my life.”

Jack chuckled and Riley glanced at him with narrowed eyes.

“C’mon, het-boy, it’s nothing; she was just making a statement we all needed to hear, okay? Now let’s go home.”

Chapter 13

~February~

Rebecca arrived with her family in tow and neither Donna nor Hayley could contain their excitement. Donna channeled the feelings into cooking a huge spread for lunch, and Hayley channeled hers into questions.

“Three girls and one of them is the same age as me,” she was telling Donna as her Gramma mixed and chopped. Riley listened to his daughter chattering away about friends and school and the impending visit and contemplated what today would be like. Was it going to be awkward having the mother of their baby in the same place as her family and his?

Eden was here with Sean, Donna was in the kitchen, and Neil was out in the barns with Robbie. Everyone wanted to meet Rebecca, and a part of Riley felt very sorry for the woman.

Riley met them outside and immediately took them into the warm kitchen filled with the scents of baking. Hayley became a little hostess in her own right and with the help of Rebecca’s youngest daughter, everyone soon had coffee and cake. Peter was quiet and simply sat back to watch his wife and daughters. Riley resolved there then to make sure he had a private chat with the man whose entire family was female. Poor guy, he must be kinda left out.

Sophie, the oldest, had her phone out until Rebecca told her in no uncertain terms that if she kept texting then the phone would make its way into the horse feed. Megan, the middle sister, couldn’t take her eyes off Jack—obviously she liked cowboys. And boy hadn’t Jack played up the cowboy today. In his most worn jeans that molded his ass like a second skin, he also wore a faded chambray shirt, and he hadn’t taken his Stetson off in the kitchen. Donna didn’t call him on it, which was unusual. Riley decided his husband was making a statement about what and who he was. Whatever he was doing, Riley found it impossible not to join Megan in the staring. Lizzie was the youngest, the same age as Hayley, and the two of them disappeared from the kitchen with cake and hot chocolate. Lizzie apparently shared Hayley’s devotion to One Direction, some British band full of young lads. Max was quiet. He sat in the corner with Thomas and trucks and an iPad that had a colorful reading program live on the screen. He was a good boy, and Riley didn’t argue when he appeared at Riley’s side and climbed up to sit on his lap. Riley wanted to pull him close but stopped at a warning shake from Rebecca. Instead he steadied the small boy with a single touch to his arm and settled back in his chair.

“How are you feeling?” Riley heard Jack ask Rebecca.

“Tired,” she said with a laugh. Then she qualified the statement quickly. “I’m always tired first trimester, and the morning sickness is a little worse than what I’m used to.”

“Is that the twins thing?” Riley asked. Rebecca looked good, and he found he had a great swelling of affection for the woman who would be changing his and Jack’s lives. What she was doing for them was so unselfish and brave. She’d said this was her last time, and he wondered what toll it took on a surrogate to know their babies were out there somewhere. She didn’t appear to think anything about that, but Riley meant to ask the question one day.