HONORED: The Mountain Man's Babies Read online

  “I even got you a new car, angel,” he tells me. “That rusted out van won’t do for my wife. Or my three sons.”

  I look past him and see a shiny bright minivan parked beside my old one.

  I bite my bottom lip. “What is it?” he asks. “You don’t like the color?”

  It’s a silver gray, sleek and beautiful. I can’t believe he sold his precious truck for me.

  “How many seats does it have?” I ask.

  “It’s either 6 or 7? Enough for the five of us.”

  I swallow. “Well, actually, it has to be enough for the six of us.” I press my hand to my belly.

  “Are you kidding me?” Hawk asks.

  I shake my head. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

  “You’re having my baby?”

  I nod, seeing the tears in Hawk’s eyes.

  My heart bursts with joy, I’m so proud to be his woman, proud to be carrying his child. He falls to his knees, wraps his arms around my waist, Titus’ little legs kicking him in the head.

  Hawk kisses the tiny foot of Titus, then kisses my belly, before he stands and kisses me.

  “I’m so glad you’re pleased,” I tell him.

  He shakes his head, grinning. “Angel, you made a man out of me.”

  Epilogue 1

  When we go in for the 12-week ultrasound, it’s just Honor and me. Josie from the diner has been our babysitter the last few weeks, and she came over today to help us out.

  Of course, we’re nervous and anxious, me more so than Honor. She’s done this before.

  For me, I couldn’t be more excited to hear the heartbeat of my child.

  We got married as soon as we could, we went to the courthouse and Jaxon and Harper were witnesses. They understood we couldn’t wait. There was no reason to. Honor had never been legally married before so it was pretty straightforward.

  The most straightforward part of it being my own unwavering commitment to her and her family.

  In the van on the way to the appointment, she fills me in on the conversation she had this morning with her ex-sister-wives, True and Kind.

  “They both have found a place to live. Luckily Kind has family in Washington state, and they came and got her and her children last week. She sounds good. Still pretty shook up, but that’s expected.”

  “And True?” I asked.

  “She has a brother who left the church a year ago, and he has an apartment in Boise. True and her little girl are there now. It’s easier since she just has one child.”

  “Still hard. Damn, I’m so happy they had found a place to go.” I look over at my wife, knowing how hard this is all been on her. She was under the impression no one was being physically hurt under Luke’s hand, but it turns out he hadn’t been as gentle with True or Kind as he been with her.

  “Any word from your parents?” I ask.

  “Not since that last letter.” Honor licks her lips but she doesn’t say more.

  “I’m sorry, Angel.”

  She takes my hand, lacing her fingers through mine. “We’re all grown-ups here, we all made our own choices. The shame is, most of what was happening at the church isn’t necessarily illegal. But at least now social services are involved, they're gonna come check on families with young children again. And who knows if Harper’s parents or mine are going to continue living that lifestyle, at least I know that True and Kind got out before they were hurt anymore.” She shakes her head. “I just wish I could do more.” She wipes her eyes.

  “Oh, sweet angel.” I pull her hand to my lips, kiss it.

  “I know, I’m crying at the drop of a hat these days.”

  “That’s okay, you can cry all you want, I just hate to see you hurting.”

  “It’ll be good to hear the heartbeat.” She smiles, through her tears.

  “Do you think it’s a boy or girl?” I ask.

  “I honestly can’t tell. But this pregnancy feels different. I’m already showing. Maybe it’s because it’s my fourth.”

  I squeeze her hand. “I’m sure everything is just fine.”

  “The ultrasound technician presses his wand against Honor, and she grips my hand, staring at the screen anxiously.

  “Is everything okay?” she asks. “I’m so nervous.”

  “Oh, you’re carrying just fine, and I’m glad you came now and didn’t wait any longer before your first appointment.”

  “We’re pretty anxious to hear the heartbeat of our child.”

  At that, the ultrasound technician smiles. “Hear that?”

  There’s a thump, thump, thump and movement on the ultrasound screen.

  “It sounds like two heartbeats,” I say.

  “Which one is mine, and which is the baby’s?” Honor asks.

  The ultrasound technician shakes his head, looking at her with a smile.

  “Honor, that second heartbeat you’re hearing isn’t yours.”

  “What do you mean?” she asks, her eyebrows knitted together. She leans up on her elbows to get a better look at the ultrasound screen.

  My eyes widen, I look over at her, seeing if she sees what I see.

  “There are two babies here. Congratulations,” the technician says. “You are having twins.”

  Epilogue 2

  My back is killing me. My knees are killing me. My feet are killing me.

  Basically, everything hurts.

  I’ve done this three times before, I’m not exactly sure why it feels so excruciating now.

  Oh, probably because there are two babies inside me this time.

  “Baby, are you sure you don’t want to call the doctor?” Hawk asks.

  I shake my head. “I don’t want to leave for the hospital until I really have to. And the contractions aren’t that bad yet, besides, my water hasn’t even broken.”

  “Well, I’m still calling Josie. It won’t hurt to have her at the ready for when it’s time to leave for the hospital.”

  I smile at Hawk’s thoughtfulness and continue to waddle around our cabin.

  Our house is more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined. Probably because it isn’t really a house all, it’s a home through and through. We got through our first winter here, Hawk and I both getting used to the deep trenches of snow, being housebound for so many weeks. The boys loved it, of course, Timothy and Thomas would spend an hour getting bundled up just to play outside for ten minutes.

  But the house would have a blazing fire and hot cocoa waiting for them when they returned with their father. Titus is too small to go outside, but I’d hold him on my hip, and we would look out and watch them from the window, my sons making snow angels next to their dad.

  It was a picture-perfect winter, more beautiful than I ever thought I deserved.

  But Hawk reminds me daily that I do deserve all this. And more.

  And I’m beginning to believe it’s true. Believe that we all deserve this kind of happiness.

  That there is enough.

  That happily ever afters aren’t just for the virgins and innocents. A happily ever after belongs to every woman, no matter how complicated their past or present may be. No matter how many tears they’ve shed or how many battles they’ve lost.

  I’m beginning to believe that every woman deserves a man who will fight for her.

  Now it’s March and the snow is melted, and the first tulips are beginning to bloom around the perimeter of our little cabin.

  I walk out onto the front porch, resting my back against the railing, imagining what this place will be like in the summer. All five of our babies will be here, under our roof, in one place, feeling safe and secure, with two parents who love them more than life itself.

  “Mama, potty,” Thomas says, walking out to the porch where I’m getting fresh air.

  I laugh. “You can go to the potty without me.” I shake my head. Toilet training is not for the faint of heart.

  I follow him to the bathroom, and while I wait for him to finish, I look toward the kitchen where Timothy and Titus are in highchai
rs, finishing a snack of goldfish crackers.

  My life is simple and beautiful, and mine.

  Hawk walks toward me from the kitchen, phone in hand. “Josie is on her way.”

  I shake my head at my worried mountain man. “It could still be days. Is she just gonna sleep on the couch until I going to labor?”

  “I don’t want to risk anything.” Hawk kisses me softly on the lips. This husband of mine has been more neurotic than me this entire pregnancy.

  The moment he heard we were having twins he became this bundle of energy. Assembling cribs months before they would be needed, researching the best car seats. And insisting that we replace all the boys’ seats too, not just getting new ones for the twins.

  I tell him we can’t afford top-of-the-line anything, but then he puts in more hours at work, explaining that it’s not about getting top-of-the-line, it’s about getting the safest. And that sometimes the safest costs more money. But that he’s not going to skimp on safety when it comes to his children.

  I just smile and nod, inwardly beaming that he cares so much about his children.

  I’m so distracted by Hawk’s kissing that when he pulls back, telling Thomas to not pee on the floor, only then do I realize that’s not Thomas peeing at all.

  “Mommy peed on the floor, not me,” he says, wide-eyed. “Mommy had an accident. But it’s okay. It’s just like Mommy says, accidents happen and that’s okay.”

  Hawk looks at me wide-eyed, and I start laughing.

  “Did your water break, baby?” he asks.

  I look down at myself, feeling the shift already.

  I nod.

  “See, I wasn’t being overly anxious. It’s a good thing Josie is coming now.”

  Just then, I grip Hawk’s arms, squeezing tight.

  “Oh, my God,” I moan. “Oh God, Hawk.”

  A contraction barrels through me, it’s as if the moment my water broke my body went into high gear.

  I shake my head. “Oh, my gosh, I think... Oh my gosh.” My body sinks against the wall, and I lower myself to the ground.

  “No, no, no,” Hawk says. “Don’t sit, we need to get you in the car.”

  “I can’t move,” I groan, another contraction twisting through me.

  “Baby, you can’t just sit here like this, we gotta get in the car. We have to get to the hospital.”

  “Oh, baby, I can’t, I can’t,” I start screaming. Thomas looks at me, wide-eyed and I don’t even care, my thighs are already trembling. I think I’ve dilated from 0 to 8 in 10 seconds flat.

  “There’s no time,” I tell him, knowing we are way too far out in the sticks to get anywhere before these babies are born. “Call Harper and Rosie. Get them over here. Now.” Hawk fumbles with his phone like a bumbling father-to-be, he is so adorably anxious— which is quite the contrast to me.

  I’m a freaking freight train with broken brakes, headed to the station at top speed.

  Hawk makes the calls and the whole time I’m screaming at the top of my lungs.

  Minutes pass, next thing I know Hawk has me by the shoulders, looking right in my eyes. “Angel, calm down, steady now, you got this, baby.”

  Sweat rolls down my face, how was it just a few minutes ago, I was looking out at our property getting a breath of fresh air, and now I’m on my back in my living room with contractions rolling through me one right after the other?

  I focus on Hawk’s eyes.

  He tells me the boys are fine, that Josie is here. I nod, closing my eyes tightly as I brace myself for the pain.

  The next time I open my eyes, he tells me that Harper, Rosie, and Stella are here as well.

  Rosie brings me a washcloth and wipes my forehead, Harper and Stella have a sheet tucked underneath my rear, holding onto me as they help me breathe, in and out, in and out.

  “You can do this now, you got this,” Rosie says gently, and I believe her. I believe anything Rosie says right now, she had her twins at home, unexpectedly, too. If she can do this, I can do this too.

  I push. I push again.

  I’m not scared. I’m ready to find out if I have a baby boy or baby girl... Hawk and I decided to keep it a surprise.

  “You got this, Angel,” he tells me.

  And I nod, believing him. I close my eyes and push.

  I’m ready to meet our babies.

  An hour later I’m in our bed, Hawk beside me, each of us holding one of our babies. The paramedics arrived after I gave birth, and it didn’t take long for them to realize we had things under control.

  Between all of us, we had delivered more children at home than those paramedics certainly had.

  The babies were two weeks early, but they are healthy, happy. Beautiful.

  Girls.

  Two perfect daughters who I already know are going to be Daddy’s Girls, through and through. Hawk looks like he has died and gone to heaven, his eyes glisten with tears, he wears a grin—he has everything he never knew he wanted.

  “They’re perfect,” I say, my eyes glistening with tears. “Are we still going to give them names that mean love?” I ask.

  My heart surges with pride as I look at my rugged mountain man. The man who gave me a home and a family and a forever.

  He nods. “I think this one should be Ettie, and she should be Imogen.”

  I nod. “That’s perfect. They were born out of love, after all.”

  Hawk brings my face toward his and cups my cheek with his palm. I breathe him in, accepting his strength and sinking into his courage. I’m so proud of my husband, how he’s transformed from a man into both a husband and a father. How he never faltered in his commitment to us.

  “I love you,” I tell him, feeling weepy again. Thinking I might always be this way. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.

  He kisses me and I know it’s both a promise and a prayer.

  “May we always be this happy,” he whispers. “May we always see our children as a gift, our life as a blessing.”

  I lift my daughter to my breast, brimming with pride, nestled in a cocoon of commitment.

  Knowing I found my happily-ever-after in the least expected way.

  And knowing my mountain man will never leave my side.

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  Also By Frankie Love

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  THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

  Stand-Alone Romance:

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  Stand-Alone Bad Boy:

  BIG BAD WOLF

  Stand-Alone Mountain Men:

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  About the Author

  Frankie Love writes sexy stories about bad boys and mountain men. As a thirty-something mom to six who is ridiculously in love with her own bearded hottie, she believes in love-at-first-sight and happily-ever-afters. She also believes in the power of a quickie.

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ind Frankie here:

  Frankie Love

  www.frankielove.net

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