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Gwen leaped off the couch as Faith and Brian let themselves in the front door and stripped off their coats. She bounced a twin on each hip. “My word, guys, I turned on the TV in time to hear your story break. There was a mob or reporters at the courthouse. The channel I watched tried to interview Nick Carter and his wife. His dad took a swing at the cameraman. How did you two escape?”

Faith dropped into a chair. “My knees are still shaking, Gwen. Those photographers are nuts. Brian almost ran over one who stepped in front of the car.”

“The media types did seem obsessed. So, the lab found the twins don’t have the same father. A real bummer, huh? What’ll happen to them?” she asked, handing one of the twins to Brian.

He kissed the baby’s downy hair. “It’s anyone’s guess at this point,” he said, heaving a sigh. “Everything’s up in the air again.”

Faith listened closely. She wanted to hear what Brian had to say, as he hadn’t mentioned the DNA results on the way home.

He shrugged. “If you want the truth, I haven’t had time to absorb it all.”

“If you understand the findings, Gwen, maybe you can explain,” Faith said. “I’m skeptical. Only on rare occasions do some women release more than one egg. Why this time? Why Chloe?”

“I worked in endocrinology for a couple of years,” Gwen said. “Extra eggs aren’t all that uncommon. What’s unusual is for the eggs to be fertilized by sperm from different men,” she added dryly. “During the broadcast, one lawyer told a reporter the judge ordered your legal teams to consult with a reproductive expert. I say, good luck. In our clinic, the doctors couldn’t even agree on how long eggs stay in the fallopian tubes. Some said three days. Others four. I should think a day could make a huge difference if these lawyers decide to get down and dirty.”

“In what way?” Brian asked.

“To put it delicately, if they decide to make each man prove when the deed was done.”

Faith took the other baby from Gwen and realized it was Evan. She wondered if Brian even realized he held Nick’s daughter and not his son. “That may have been an arguable point without the DNA, Gwen. But those results were conclusive. Besides, both men submitted depositions before the first hearing, listing the dates...”

“Then what’s the problem?” Gwen sounded puzzled. Collecting her purse and her sweater, she kissed each baby, hugged Faith and moved toward the door.

“I’m the problem,” Faith said forthrightly. “Chloe signed over her custodial rights to me. And I take that responsibility seriously.”

“You aren’t totally to blame for this, Faith,” Brian reminded her. “Nick’s dad is demanding additional DNA testing. He thinks Evan, not Elyse, is his grandchild,” he added for Gwen’s benefit.

She stopped at the door. “Now who would care which child was theirs? They’re both perfect little angels.”

The phone rang before either Faith or Brian could respond to her statement.

“I know my way out,” Gwen said. “Go catch your phone.”

Brian deferred to Faith, since it was her phone. He walked Gwen to the door. “There may be reporters hanging around the main entrance. If you take the elevator all the way to the basement, there’s a back door that opens into the parking lot. Try not to let anyone slip inside. That’s assuming the media bird-dogs have found us.”

“They have,” Faith said. “That was a reporter on the phone.” Even as she broke off speaking, the telephone rang again.

“Unplug it.” Brian suggested. “James has my cell number. You can give it to Reed and also Carter.”

“Bye, guys. Sounds like you two have all you can handle.” Gwen wiggled her fingers and stepped into the hall.

“Hey, thanks for baby-sitting.” Faith called. “I owe you one.”

“Honey, I’ll collect if you ever get your life in order. Right now, I’d say you have more than enough to keep you busy.” With that, she slipped out and closed the door.

Frowning at the insistent telephone, Faith disconnected it as Brian had urged. “How long do you suppose this will go on?”

“I don’t want to sound negative, but probably until Judge Brown hands down a final decision.”

“Three more weeks?” Faith blanched. “How will we shop or get out to take the babies for walks in the park? Will I be followed again if I go to visit my dad?”

In a spontaneous move, Brian bent and kissed away the frown that creased Faith’s forehead. “Three weeks only gets us to the next hearing, sweetheart, which I’m afraid will turn out to be another round of arguments resulting in further delays.”

Slipping an arm around his waist, Faith leaned on him. The babies’ chubby fingers entwined. Both seemed content to be held by adults they trusted. “Judge Brown won’t really separate them, will she, Brian?” Faith asked worriedly.

“Separate them?” Brian seemed to have lost his train of thought. In actuality, he felt more relaxed than at any time since he’d walked out on Faith and the twins last night. When they were together like this, their problems seemed to dwindle in scope.

Faith tipped back her head and searched Brian’s face. “You didn’t hear Nancy Matz demand an open-and-shut case? You were sitting there when she proposed awarding Elyse to Nick and Evan to you. What did you think she meant?”

“I didn’t hear her say that. I’ll admit that after the judge read the DNA results, I was in a fog for a while. What was Nick’s reaction?”

“None that I recall. He and Shelby both seemed shell-shocked by the DNA reports. From what I observed, their attorneys couldn’t agree among themselves. I’m hoping that’ll be a strike against them with the judge.”

“What planet did that Matz woman fall from? What kind of person proposes separating twin infants for any reason?”

Faith’s gaze cut back to the babies. “If that seems to be a serious possibility, I’d drop my case before I’d see them split up. I’d recommend they both go to either you or the Carters.”

“No.” Reacting to the pain in her eyes and the tremor in her voice, Brian angled his head and settled his lips softly over hers. He meant it as a kiss to show support. Things changed when Faith’s mouth opened under his. Desire, banked for too long, flamed out of control, triggering a restless longing in Brian. One impossible to quench while they each held a baby.

When Brian finally lifted his head, he discovered his free hand buried in Faith’s feathery curls. Her eyes were closed, her breathing quickened—-and it was all he could do not to kiss her again.

Faith, who hadn’t realized she’d risen on her toes, dropped slowly back onto her heels. She opened her eyes and uncurled the fingers entwined with his shirt. Unable to stop a blush, she directed her attention to smoothing the fabric. “It’s almost time to feed the babies, and here we are still in formal clothes.”

Brian exerted a little pressure on the back of Faith’s head and forced her to meet his eyes. “It happened, Faith. We kissed and both felt the floor sway. You have to stop denying honest attraction.”

“Don’t you mean lust?”

“Are you so sure it’s not more than that?” Brian continued to knead the tense muscles at the back of her neck.

She drew in a shaky breath. “We’re trapped together in the middle of a combustible situation. Emotions run high.”

When Brian refused to make light of what had happened, Faith directed his gaze from her to the infants. “Ask yourself why you kissed me now. Can you honestly say it wasn’t a result of our discussion involving the twins?”

“It was, but not in the way you mean. I share your pain and disappointment, Faith. When you’re hurt, I’m hurt. I can’t speak plainer than that.”

Faith’s smile was brittle and she knew it. A foolish part of her had hoped Brian might say he loved her. What was it about that silly little word that made it so important? In the next heartbeat she answered herself. If a man and a woman truly loved each other, all of life’s problems could be conquered. Her parents had shared such a love; they’d built a happy marriage, in spite of overwhelming odds. Faith wanted no less.

“I’m going to change.” She said, handing Evan to Brian.

“Running away is another form of denial.” Brian’s cell phone rang before he launched a second barrage at her retreating back. Placing the twins in the playpen, he flipped open the phone. “Hello?” he snapped, feeling on the verge of explosive, “James, hi.” Brian expelled a breath. “Sorry I left you to fend off the piranhas. We had a sitter here at Faith’s. I wanted to get home before reporters started bugging her.”

He listened a moment.

“Just Nick and Shelby?” Brian asked in response to James’s information. Apparently the couple planned to swing by for an informal visit before they returned to New York.

“We can’t very well stop them, can we? I mean, the judge gave everyone unlimited access.”

Faith reentered the room while he was still talking.

“Your lawyer?” she asked when he’d clicked off. Her stomach tightened as she waited for his reply.

“Nick and Shelby are stopping here on their way out of town. They’ve been trying the land line, but of course we have the phone unplugged.”

“What do they want?”

“To see Elyse, I guess. Should we put her in a dress?” he asked, shoving his cell phone into a side pocket of the diaper bag.

Faith watched the babies batting at plush black-and-white cows tied to the slats of the playpen. Gwen must have brought them “Ellie’s clean. She looks cute in that pink terry sleeper. And comfortable. Let’s leave her.”

“Okay.” Brian walked over to the window. “There’s a van from a local TV station parked out front. I’m going down to wait for the Carters in the lobby. We don’t want reporters following them inside.”

Faith had a bad feeling about this impromptu visit. “Why are you suddenly being so accommodating of our enemies?”

“Enemy? Nick is Elyse’s father.”

As Faith watched the door close on Brian’s heels, she leaned down and kissed both babies. Then she straightened the magazines on the coffee table and plumped the sofa pillows, wondering how she’d get through their visit.

The couple must have been in the area when James called. Brian was back all too quickly with Nick and Shelby in tow.

They’d barely voiced stilted greetings when Nick made a beeline for the playpen and picked Elyse up. He sat on the couch. Instead of joining him, his wife perched on the chair farthest from the babies, and inspected her flawless fingernails.

Nick stared at the baby for a long time, as if memorizing every feature. “I was hoping by now to recognize something of myself in her.”

“She’s the spitting image of Chloe.” Faith blurted. On hearing a sharp hiss of air to her left, where Shelby sat, Faith guiltily twisted her mother's ring around her finger. She could have bitten her tongue.

A slow dawning of the truth flashed in Nick’s eyes seconds before he doused it and looked at his wife. “I read that children, even adopted ones, come to resemble the people who raise them,” he stammered, seeking support from Faith and Brian.

They remained tense and silent, continuing to hover on either side of the playpen.

“Uh.” Nick cleared his throat. “I have a proposition for you, Littrell.” He said, his eyes locking with Brian’s, closing Faith out.

“What kind of proposition?” Brian crossed his arms and widened his stance. He tried but failed to catch Faith’s eye. Brian was pretty sure neither of them was going to like what the man had to say.

Nick lowered his voice. “Take some time to consider what I’m proposing. I’m sure when you examine all the facts, you’ll agree it’s the best possible solution.”

“Spit it out.” Brian growled.

“All right. As you, Shelby and I all live in New York, I’m recommending my wife and I take both babies to live with us. You’d need a live-in maid anyway. Whenever you can escape work, it’d be a simple matter of coming by to pick up the boy.”

Brian practically tripped over his tongue in his haste to answer. “What gives you the idea I’d ever agree to such and arrangement?”

Nick smiled. “My dad is your partner’s stockbroker. Lucas is floundering without you. If you don’t go back soon, your clinic will collapse. Understand, we aren’t asking to adopt Evan. If, after the twins are older, you find more time in your schedule, it’ll be easy enough to move him in with you. Under my plan, the siblings can eventually attend the same private school. Last, but not least, family courts generally place children with a couple when faced with an either-or choice. Since the babies technically belong to you and me, if we can reach some kind of terms, it’d save everyone time and expense. Judge Brown pitched a fit over the media blitz. I’d bet big bucks she’ll rubber-stamp any reasonable system you and I work out.”

Faith couldn’t believe how neatly he’d cut her out of the triangle. Frozen inside, she finally dared to look at Brian. She expected, no, prayed he’d be gearing up to explode. The icy knot in her stomach froze even tighter. Brian calmly appeared to be considering Nick’s deal. But why shouldn’t he? Faith thought numbly. After all, she’d said she’d bow out rather than separate the twins. Until this very minute, she hadn’t a clue how impossibly hard that would be. The room swelled and receded as her world slowly crumbled.

“Tell you what. Give me some time to weigh the pros and cons.” Brian aimed a polite smile at Shelby. “Does Nick’s proposal meet with your approval?”

The woman hesitated too long, in Faith’s opinion. But when Shelby did at last issue a scratchy “Y-yes.” Brian apparently found it satisfactory. Otherwise he wouldn’t have extended his hand to Nick.

Whatever else passed between the two Carters and Brian escaped Faith. She felt sucked into a muddy vortex. She was vaguely aware of Brian walking the couple to the door. She might have managed a cordial goodbye or maybe not. The first real emotion that registered after her stomach hit bottom was when Brian struck the living-room wall with a fist, exclaiming, “That stuck-up son of a bitch!”

Faith’s head reeled. She flinched, listening to the inventive curses rolling off Brian’s tongue as he paced the room.

“But you treated them so civilly,” she gasped. “Why...why didn’t you tell him no?”

“Because while he was spouting off, I devised a plan of my own.”

“What kind of plan?”

“I...well, never mind. It has a few snags I’ll need to work out. We’ll talk about it later. Maybe over dinner, after I have time to fill in some of the holes.”

“Holes or not, it can’t be any worse than Nick’s plan.” Faith insisted, pausing to try and read in his eyes whether his unnamed idea was as one-sided as Nick’s. “I’m not going to like this, either, am I?” she asked, tensing at the nervous way Brian scraped his fingers through his hair.

Both babies, who’d been quietly contented up to now, kicked unhappily and began to squall, allowing Brian a reprieve.

“I’ll fix their bottles.” Faith said over the noise.

Brian scooped up the two infants.

“When do they get real food?” he asked, the query coming out of left field.

“Dr. Sampson prefers to start cereal at three months. Maybe later for these guys, since they were premature.”

In the flurry of activity centered on changing diapers and preparing to feed two hungry babies, Faith forgot about Brian’s plan. What struck in her mind was something Nick had said. It surfaced again when she and Brian were settled on the couch, each feeding a baby. “Brian, your clinic isn’t really in danger of folding, is it? I mean, you are keeping in contact with your partner.”

“Yeah. Lucas has called a number of times.”

“So, then Nick was lying? Or else his dad?”

“Luke may well have complained. My partner goes through a lot of money. He’s a confirmed bachelor and switches girlfriends every few months. A guy like that can’t fathom why I’d leave a booming practice to spend time with crying babies.” Brian grinned. “They were crying every time he called.”

“Nick got the story right in another sense, too. I guess.” She said. “I never stopped to think, but technically you are just on a holiday.”

“Where’s this conversation leading? Have I ever implied otherwise?” Brian’s eyes pinned hers.

“No. No, you haven’t.” She agreed readily.

“So what’s troubling you? I can almost hear the wheels turning.”

Faith changed gears without blinking. “Did you ever want to do anything other than be a surgeon?”

Brian laughed. “Sure. When I was six I wanted to be a priest.”

That was probably the last career Faith would have expected. But at six...he was probably pulling her leg, “Huh, I’ll bet that notion didn’t last long.”

“Until I was fourteen.”

“Really? Fourteen? What happened to change your mind?”

“Well, my dad caught me necking on the porch swing with my sixteen-year-old neighbor. He said with the interest I showed in anatomy, I ought to spend my free time in his office learning to be a doctor. Then he proceeded to lecture me on sex and celibacy. I knew, of course, that priests were celibate. I suspect I gleaned enough about the female anatomy during my swing encounter with Sara Davidson to decide on a new career path then and there.”

“Yeah, right.” Faith snorted. Lifting a sleepy Elyse to her shoulder, she drummed her fingers lightly on the baby’s back, trying to get her to burp. “How long before you and Sara found a more private place to finish that anatomy course?”

“We didn’t.” Brian let his son slurp down the last of an eight-ounce bottle. Burping had never been a problem for Evan. He let out a big one, then closed his eyes. “This kid’s ready to crash. I’m going to stick him in the crib. I’ll turn on the monitor, so all you have to do when Elyse finally burps is put her down.”

As though she didn’t want to take a back seat to her brother, Elyse emitted three in a row. “I’ll go with you,” Faith said. “That way I won’t risk waking Evan later.”

The babies still slept together in one crib because they preferred it. Brian placed Evan down first and covered him with a blanket. While Faith settled Elyse, Brian flipped on the monitor, which allowed them to hear the babies from the other room.

Faith led the way to the door. She realized that Brian hadn’t followed and turned back to see why not. Hands thrust into the pockets of his suit pants, he stood gazing at the sleeping babies. A raw look of love softened his masculine features. “Is everything all right?” Faith whispered. Brian’s expression had triggered a coiled ache in her abdomen.

Brian pulled one hand from his pocket and motioned Faith toward him. He slipped the same hand around her shoulder once she stood beside him. “Look at the way Elyse burrows against Evan,” he murmured. “Have you noticed that their heads and arms always touch when they sleep? I defy anyone to look at this picture and say they should be separated.”

“I have film in my camera. Maybe I ought to take some snapshots for the court record,” Faith said, resting her own head on Brian’s shoulder.

“Yes, do.” He urged. “There’s no way anyone with a heart could see how attached they are and then turn around and split them up.”

Good sense told Faith that in the case of three people vying for two small babies, someone had to lose. Not wanting to burst Brian’s optimistic bubble, she padded off to get her camera.

Brian was obviously stressed by some worry of his own. He barely said two words during their meal of tangy, taco-baked potatoes and small garden salads that Faith had prepared after she’d used an entire roll of film on the babies.

Watching Brian toy with the cheesy topping on his potato, Faith decided he must be more worried about the situation at the clinic than he’d let on. It had become easy to forget that either of them might ever have to return to demanding jobs. The fact remained that the long, erratic hours Brian spent attending to patients had been the catalyst for Chloe’s leaving him. It hadn’t taken Nick Carter long to figure that out and capitalize it on Brian’s hectic life.

It hurt too much to think about strangers raising her sister’s babies. Realistically, Faith knew that was what would happen if the court gave Elyse and Evan to their fathers. Neither man was ever home. Although, maybe Shelby would eventually come to love the twins—-one or both of them. After all, as Gwen had said, who wouldn’t lose their hearts once they got to know these precious little ones?

A dish Faith had always loved and looked forward to making suddenly seemed tasteless. Excusing herself, Faith rose and scraped her food into the trash.

Brian wasn’t any more able to eat than she was. “Something has to give, Faith.” He said, joining her in clearing the table. “Do you agree we can’t go on like this?”

Faith gripped the edge of the sink, and her throat jammed so she couldn’t speak, could only nod.

Brian gathered her hands and turned her around. “At the risk of sounding like Carter did earlier, I’d like you to listen to me, Faith. Don’t interrupt until I finish, then you can have your say.”

A ripple of hope coursed through her body, followed by a shiver of fear. Faith did her best, nevertheless, to muster a smile. “I’m trying hard not to be scared, Brian. But I’ve rarely seen you this intense.”

He rubbed his thumbs over the white knuckles of her hands. One at a time, he lifted her arms and pressed a reassuring kiss into each palm. He was grateful she came easily into his arms. That way he could bury his face in her sweet-smelling hair and not have to face a refusal he was awfully afraid would show first in her eyes.

Faith settled comfortably with an ear to his chest. She had no idea what he was about to spring on her. Nestled in his arms like this, she thought even the most horrible news would be palatable. Her lips quirked in a smile as the first strains of his soft voice rumbled beneath her ear.

“There was one thing Nick said that grabbed me and refused to let go. Do you remember how he sounded so positive about the court placing the twins with a couple rather than a single parent?” Brian laid a row of kisses along her ear.

Faith stilled, taking comfort for a moment in the steady beat of Brian’s heart. She fingered the points of his crisp shirt collar. “Nick was making a case to suit himself. According to David, the judge will study a range of factors before rendering a decision. James must have told you we all have strong points.”

Brian’s arms tightened around her. “I asked you to listen, Faith.”

“Then stop asking me questions.” She scolded softly, reveling in the security of being held. Hugs had been infrequent in Faith’s life.

“But suppose a married couple does look like the better option?”

Faith knew to keep quiet this time. Brian had made it clear he wanted to work through to his conclusion without interruption.

“If I was the one deciding, I might think two people were more capable of caring for two children,” he said. “I read the report Burgess and Lang submitted. More than once they praised us for working together.”

Loosening his hold, Brian ran his palms in lazy eights over Faith’s back. She practically purred and hoped he’d continue.

“What I’m getting at, Faith is straightforward. If we were married, we’d actually look better than Nick and Shelby. You are their aunt and the one that Chloe chose to raise the twins, and both of us have experience taking care of the twins, while they have none. What do you think?”

In a stupefied corner of her brain, Faith realized that this time, Brian expected some response. She lifted her head. Still, he held her so tightly she couldn’t see past his chin. “I’m sure you think you’ve hit on the perfect solution. But, Brian, I haven’t even dated anyone in over a year. Maybe it’s easy for you to snap your fingers and come up with a wife. In fact, it probably is.” Faith’s stomach dived again as she wriggled out of his arms and said in a shaky voice, “Whoever she is, she’d better be sincere about wanting children. Judge Brown doesn’t strike me as someone easily fooled.”

Brian’s face went through various stages of shock before sinking into dismay. He doubled back over what he’d said and how it had come out so wrong. He saw now where he’d made his mistake.

Slipping an arm around Faith’s stubbornly rigid shoulders, he navigated her into the living room. There, he turned her and pressed her onto the couch. Sinking down on his knees, he again gathered both of her hands. “Faith, honey,” he said, with only the most minimal tremor, “I meant that we should marry each other.”

“Each other?” Faith practically swallowed the question. Disengaging one hand, she pointed first to herself, then to Brian and back at herself again. Words failed her completely this time.

A smile finally kicked up one corner of Brian’s mouth. He managed to nod before he placed a hand on either side of her and leaned forward to capture her lips in a reassuring, heartfelt kiss.

The kiss went on and on. Brian followed her lips when Faith toppled backward into the soft cushions.

She tried and failed to get a grip on her senses. At some point, without even being aware of it, she kicked off her shoes. It seemed as if his kisses burned everywhere, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Cradled in his arms, she felt her entire body tingle in anticipation of more than kissing and being kissed.

Married. Such a beautiful word. It tumbled around and around in Faith’s head, gathering hope. It had been several years since she’d allowed herself to think, to plan, to dream about a husband. About walking down the aisle of the church where her parents had begun their married life. Oh...Brian probably wouldn’t want a church wedding. He’d been content to marry Chloe in a dreary hospital room

Now that this niggling worry had wormed its way into her mind, Faith thought it quite likely that she and Brian had widely differing views concerning this possible marriage. The word “love” had not crossed his lips. Of course, she’d been rather dense about his proposal at first and after that, his lips had kept her mind on his kisses.

Did love matter, after all? She wondered as she tunneled her fingers deep within the satiny strands of his soft hair.

The thoughts spinning in Faith’s head soon gave way to feelings. Feelings she’d flirted with a few times, but mostly had only imagined. The few times the accountant had slept over at her apartment, their fleeting encounters had been nothing like this.

Brian’s skin felt slick and soft on his arms and shoulders and where it stretched over his muscled back. His palms were warm on the inside of her thighs. Faith wanted to sob. She did cry out and felt as though she’d been caught in a downward spiral.

At that moment, she didn’t think anything in the world could possibly compare. Especially when his searing kisses moved down her body, and his hands slipped behind her, lifting until he gently removed her shirt then covered her lips with his again.

She was a mature woman, and a nurse. Faith knew the facts of life, yet she couldn’t believe what Brian was doing with his tongue.

He blew softly on her stomach and groaned. “Ah, Faith...”

Faith writhed beneath his mouth. Could a man who wasn’t in love do this to a woman? Brian’s lips wreaked pure torture. Pure rapture. In a tiny still-functioning corner of her brain, Faith envisioned herself and Brian spending a lifetime of nights like this.

Gwen said babies invariably decided to cry and interrupt their parents lovemaking. Faith listened carefully but heard nothing except the babies’ soft breathing on the monitor. Nothing except the pounding of Brian’s heart and then her own moan of pleasure as, moments later, she flew apart.

Brian, her lover, her friend, her security...could life get more perfect?