Finn Again (The Finn Factor Book 5) (13 page)

“No,” she snapped grumpily. “Not unless you’re my hairdresser or lasagna.” She took another look at the bear and gave in. “Or my Jeremy.”

Stephen nodded his greeting as Jeremy clapped him on the back. “The anesthesia’s worn off but they just put in a morphine drip. She’ll feel better soon.”

Tasha glared at her husband, but didn’t pull away. She liked what he was doing too much. “Will I? How do you know, Senator? Did you have your stomach split open and nearly twelve pounds of Finn scooped out today?”

Jeremy winced, but moved closer and took her other hand gently in his, carefully avoiding the tape and needles. “Stephen texted us right away but we couldn’t see you until you got into this private suite. Everyone’s in the waiting room.”

Dear Lord. “Everyone?”

“No reporters and the Baby Bump Brigade has that restraining order, so not everyone,” Jeremy teased. “But the family is here. We were too excited to wait for the news at home.”

Too worried. He didn’t say it but she knew it was true. She never wanted to put anyone through that again. It was a nightmare, having so little control of her life. Being helpless. Driving her new husband nuts with all her temper tantrums and not being able to help with most of her best friend’s wedding. “You’re still on your honeymoon.”

“Pre-honeymoon,” Jeremy corrected, a bemused smile curving his lips. “The real thing isn’t for another month and a half. Owen still has to get his passport.” He paused and bit his lip. “How are you feeling?”

Shit. She knew that look. She really did look bad. She forced herself to smile at Jeremy. “Sweetheart, I love you, you know that. But I need you to leave and get Little Finn. I think my overnight bag is still in the car. Give it to her and send her in. Stephen can you give him the keys?”

Her husband obeyed instantly, still not moving from his spot beside her as he reached for his jacket. But Jeremy hesitated. “No one cares how you look, Tasha. You just gave birth to two—”

“LF AT FOUR!” Tasha said, louder than she’d intended to. “Sorry, we don’t have a code for needing a touch up and I’m desperate. Go, Jeremy. If you love me, then make it fast.”

Call her vain, but there was no way in hell she was letting the entire Finn clan parade into her hospital room and gawk at the wildebeest she’d become. “I’m sorry, Stephen.”

He frowned, mystified. “For what?”

“I’m being awful. I look like a screenshot of a horror movie and I’m not exactly a glowing beacon of maternal Zen.”

He kissed her fingertips and looked into her eyes. “Natasha Finn, you just gave me the greatest gift of my life. You’ve made me a father of two healthy—”

“Don’t tell me,” she interrupted him, panicking. “I haven’t seen them yet.”

She’d been upset about that too. She’d heard stories about husbands holding the babies near the new mother’s heads so they could bond while they were being sewn back up, but she’d been having some trouble and the babies had a few of their own. “You said healthy? They’re healthy?”

“Two strong, healthy babies. They just need some extra TLC before they were ready for their debut. But the doctor says everything is fine now. They’re fine. I never doubted it for a minute, because they’re part of you. Part of us. And as far as I’m concerned you’re a goddess and you can behave anyway you want. Have anything you want.”

“Tea?”

He tried not to smile. “Ice chips.”

“Lies. You’re an evil, lying politician with sexy bedroom eyes and a kinky side I couldn’t resist. And
now
look at me.”

He didn’t even flinch. “You love me.”

She hated it when he was right.

Jen came rushing in with her bag in hand and Tasha nearly wept. She sent Stephen into the hallway—the first time he’d stopped being agreeable all day—and let Jen work a brush through her knotted curls and wrestle the angry hair into an acceptable bun. After that all she needed, according to Jen, was a little lip-gloss. She felt like a new woman.

Or maybe the morphine had kicked in.

When Stephen came back inside he wasn’t alone. Her in-laws were right behind him. Ellen and Shawn stood at the edge of her bed, grinning at her in a way that made her cheeks heat. She couldn’t begrudge them this visit. They’d been wonderful, and she already knew they were the best grandparents on the planet. Wes and Penny Finn took every opportunity to tell her so.

Stephen took her hand again. “They’re bringing them in, Natasha. I’m going to put another pillow behind you.”

“My babies?”

God, he was such a beautiful man when he smiled. He still made her damn knees wobble, and she wasn’t even standing up. “Thank you, Senator Sexy.”

Shawn’s chuckle drifted up from her feet. “Medicine’s working. That’s good.”

She laughed with him, tipsy from her sudden lack of discomfort. “It’s about damn time.”

Jen was still beside her and Tasha reached up and patted her arm. “Someone needs to apologize to Jeremy. My hair chased him out of the room.”

“He understands.” Jen looked toward the door and smiled, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. “Oh my God, Tasha. They’re here.”

She watched as if outside her body. The nurse handed a blanketed bundle to Stephen, who looked up at his father with tears in his eyes, asking for help with the second.

Jen moved out of the way as her father took her place beside Tasha and Stephen joined her on the other. She saw a tiny fist escape one pile as if to check the temperature before disappearing again.

They lowered her babies carefully onto her chest. Her arms instinctively cradled them as she took in their scrunched up faces. They looked profoundly pissed off to be out of the safe warm room they’d spent the last eight months in.

They were already taking after her.

She knew she was crying. She could feel the tears on her cheeks as she blinked away the blur so she could see them more clearly. Her babies. Stephen’s babies. She looked up at him, smiling. “Boys?”

He brushed his knuckle tenderly over her damp cheek. “How can you tell?”

She cuddled them closer and they seemed to like it. Maybe they were hungry. “I’m their mother. Plus, these blue blankets were a fairly big clue.”

Ellen slipped into her husband’s arms after a few minutes, staring raptly at her treasures and Tasha knew what she wanted. “Would you like to hold one of your grandsons?”

“Twin boys, Shawn. Honey, look how perfect they are.”

“They look exactly like Stephen and Seamus,” he said proudly.

Jen snorted. “They don’t look like anybody yet, Dad. And I’m still hoping they take after me. We need a matching set of redheads.”

Ellen carefully lifted the tiny body in her arms and asked what they’d decided to name them.

Tasha’s smile was innocent. She hoped Stephen remembered the plan they’d come up with months ago. “Well for a boy, I was thinking about Huckleberry. Huck for short.”

Stephen caressed the cheek of the one she was still holding with his finger, sending her a subtle wink. “And
I
was thinking about Boris. Every Natasha should have one.”

Ellen Finn was silent for a minute, hugging the baby closer as if to protect him from his parents and their horrible ideas. “Huck Finn?” she asked faintly. “You want to name my grandchildren Huck and Boris Finn?”

Tasha laughed, but flinched when she felt a sharp pinch in her stomach. “We’re teasing. Though I can’t swear that one’s nickname won’t be Huckleberry, because look at him. He’s so sweet.”

Stephen kissed Tasha’s forehead and spoke without taking his eyes from his child. “We liked the name Patrick, for Natasha’s father.” She felt the smallest tinge of sadness that he wasn’t standing next to the Stephen’s parents and studying his grandchildren. She wanted him to know about them. To know how complete her life had just become.
You will never doubt my love
, she promised her boys silently.
And whether you like it or not? I will never leave you.

“And, if it’s okay with you,” Stephen looked up at his father somberly. “Edward—Ned—for your father.”

Tasha worried for a moment that they’d made a mistake. Shawn’s blue eyes were instantly drowning in tears he refused to shed. She knew the stories. Ned Finn was connected to the Irish mob and Sol and Shawn had both renounced their ties to him. Sol became police chief and spent his life obsessed with rebuilding the tarnished Finn name. Shawn moved forward and found happiness in his family. But for some reason Seamus believed he might like it.

“It’s okay if you don’t like the idea. We were also thinking of—”

“No.” Shawn interrupted her by reaching down to grip her hand. “Ned is good, Natasha,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Ned is exactly right.”

Jen leaned over Stephen’s shoulder and smiled. “Hi, Ned.” She looked up at the baby her mother was holding and her smile turned mischievous. “Hey there, Huckleberry.”

Her mother shook her head, but she laughed. “I think you should have your baby back while you can, Tasha.” She handed Patrick over tenderly. “Shawn and I will go out and let Seamus have a turn. He’s climbing the walls out there, waiting to see his brother’s sons. But we won’t be far.”

Ellen slipped her arm through Shawn’s and was speaking in a soft, soothing voice as she led him out, Jen close behind. “Should we think of another name?” Tasha asked Stephen, unsure. “The last thing I want is to have his grandfather cry every time the little guy enters the room. We liked Henry too, didn’t we?”

Stephen picked Ned up and smiled at her. “I don’t think we need to change a thing. Seamus was right. Dad’s missed his father, the family he grew up with, for a while now. A boy needs his father, don’t you, Ned?”

“And his mother,” Tasha whispered against Patrick’s soft forehead. “You’re my Huckleberry.”

Stephen laughed. “Does our son’s nickname have anything to do with that old Wyatt Earp movie you’ve been watching on a loop?”

Tasha blushed. “I only had a few movies on my tablet and I was stuck in bed a lot. Alone, with only poor, sick-but-still-sexy Doc Holiday to keep me company.”

“Sexy?”

“Don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous,” Stephen assured her cockily. “I know you’re mine. You wouldn’t sweep me aside for some long-dead dentist with a bad cough.”

She laughed carefully as the door opened again, Seamus and his son Jake peering around the door. “Are we interrupting?”

Stephen beamed at him and Tasha hid her smile by nuzzling Ned’s temple. He was so overjoyed and proud it made her giddy. It made her want ten more…but she was sure that would pass. These two were going to be a handful as it was.

She looked up to watch Seamus pulling Stephen into a tight bear hug, practically lifting his twin off the ground. “Welcome to fatherhood,” he said with a slight hitch in his voice. “You’ll never sleep again.”

Stephen laughed as his brother set him down and patted him on the back. Tasha caught Jake’s eye and rolled hers. “As if he made them all by himself.”

Jake pushed his dark hair out of his eyes and smiled shyly at her. “You like them?”

Oh damn, the hormones were still raging. Tasha swallowed hard. “I love them Jake. In a few years they’ll be sick of me because I don’t plan to let them out of my sight.” Or my arms.

Jake digested this, nodded, and moved closer. She saw Seamus turn away and wipe his hand over his eyes, composing himself. These weren’t the first newborns young Jake had come to visit, Tasha thought about Penny, Wes and Little Sean. But she might be the first mother he knew who wanted to keep them.

“What do you think of your cousins, Jake?” Tasha gave him an encouraging smile. “I hope you like them, because I was hoping you’d show them the ropes. Our family can be a little confusing.”
And I’d love it if they were both as sweet as you.

“I can do that,” Jake said with a quiet confidence that belied his age. Nearly thirteen, but he might as well be thirty. She hoped he found time to be a kid before he graduated high school.

“Of course he can.” Seamus had himself together and was gazing at his son with pride. “Jake is a Finn, isn’t he?” Not biologically, but Tasha knew firsthand that blood wasn’t the only thing that mattered to this family.

Stephen’s brother choked up again when he picked Ned up in his arms. “They’re smaller than Penny was when she was born. So precious.”

Ned’s fist thrust out of his blanket again and a tiny hand curled around his uncle’s finger. “Strong grip,” Seamus laughed. “Ned might be a scrapper like his namesake. Or his Aunt Jen.”

Tasha grinned. “As long as he doesn’t pursue a life of crime I’ll be happy.”

Seamus met Tasha’s gaze with eyes so like his brothers—so full of love and pride—that she felt her breath catch. “You’d never let that happen. Not to these two angels.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

He glanced over at his brother. “I forgot how good newborn babies smell. It doesn’t last long, so enjoy it. And if you ever need someone to babysit…”

Tasha held up her free hand. “We’ll find someone else, because you’ll be in Ireland doing boring, manly things like making beer.”

Jake’s laugh was quiet but infectious. “Tough luck, Dad. You’ll miss out on all the fun.”

She hoped not. If anyone needed fun it was Seamus. Good, X-rated, completely adult fun that babies had no business being around. Her brother-in-law needed to shake off his case of
the dads
and remember what being single felt like. Her only fear was that he would stay in that brewery all day, surrounded by old Irish men and ignoring his baser urges.

Stephen took Ned from Seamus and winked at Jake. “That’s right. We’ll be here, up to our elbows in diapers and feedings and your poor father will be all alone on the other side of the ocean, waiting for us to call and share every detail.” He shrugged, but his eyes were sparkling. “Sometimes you just have to suffer through life’s trials and tribulations. In Ireland.”

Seamus sent his brother a look meant to silence him, then gestured subtly to Jake. “Let’s give them some peace before the next group of visitors come knocking.”

“I love you, brother,” Stephen said softly, the words thick with emotion.

“I love you too, Stephen. You did good.”

Tasha bit her quavering lip until they closed the door behind him and her husband looked back down at her.