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Ooh Baby, Baby Part 2
Diana Whitney
36 Hours SerialAs a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever….Ooh, Baby, Baby Part 2In the middle of the raging storm the power goes out, mud washes onto the roads…and Peggy Saxon gives birth to twins in the back of Travis Stockwell's cab.Peggy's been handling things on her own since the end of her disastrous marriage. But she has to admit–things are a lot nicer with Travis around. She could get used to the feeling, if only she knew that it would last…Travis can't seem to stay away from the Saxon family. Those beautiful babies–and their mother–deserve the best of everything. But what if the best for them is the stable life he can't provide?The story concludes in Ooh Baby, Baby Part 3.
36 Hours Serial
As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever….
Ooh, Baby, Baby Part 2
In the middle of the raging storm the power goes out, mud washes onto the roads…and Peggy Saxon gives birth to twins in the back of Travis Stockwell’s cab.
Peggy’s been handling things on her own since the end of her disastrous marriage. But she has to admit—things are a lot nicer with Travis around. She could get used to the feeling, if only she knew that it would last…
Travis can’t seem to stay away from the Saxon family. Those beautiful babies—and their mother—deserve the best of everything. But what if the best for them is the stable life he can’t provide?
The story concludes in Ooh Baby, Baby Part 3.
Dear Reader,
In the town of Grand Springs, Colorado, a devastating summer storm sets off a string of events that changes the lives of the residents forever….
Welcome to Mills & Boon exciting new digital serial, 36 Hours! In this thirty-six part serial share the stories of the residents of Grand Springs, Colorado, in the wake of a deadly storm.
With the power knocked out and mudslides washing over the roads, the town is plunged into darkness and the residents are forced to face their biggest fears—and find love against all odds.
Each week features a new story written by a variety of bestselling authors like Susan Mallery and Sharon Sala. The stories are published in three segments, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the first segment of every three-part book is free, so you can get caught up in the mystery and drama of Grand Springs. And you can get to know a new set of characters every week. You can read just one, but as the lives and stories of each intertwine in surprising ways, you’ll want to read them all!
Join Mills & Boon E every week as we bring you excitement, mystery, fun and romance in 36 Hours!
Happy reading!
About the Author
A three-time Romance Writers of America RITA® Award finalist, RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee and finalist for Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence, Diana has published thirty romance and romantic suspense novels since her first Silhouette title in 1989. Diana has conducted many writing workshops and has published several articles on the craft of fiction writing for various trade magazines and newsletters. She is a member of Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., Published Authors Network and Romance Writers of America. She and her husband live in rural Northern California with a beloved menagerie of furred creatures, domestic and wild!
Ooh Baby, Baby Part 2
Diana Whitney
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
After giving birth to her twins in the back of a taxi, in the middle of one of the worst rainstorms in Colorado history, and having some cowboy get to know her intimately as he delivered her babies, Peggy Saxon thought she’d seen it all—until she awoke to find a woman stealing her babies! But she wasn’t about to let panic set in. There had to be a reasonable answer to why this strange woman was standing over the cribs in the middle of the night, when the house was locked. Forget reason, panic and anger were ready to take over! Her baby girl and boy were the best things in her life and she wasn’t about to let them go. This stranger was about to meet this determined mother and she’d better have a damn good explanation ready. And if that cowboy Travis was involved, that destructive thunderstorm would seem minor to what Peggy would dish out. Hell hath no fury like a mother…scared.
Contents
Chapter Five (#uca302f97-6e8e-5313-9fd0-f37534a74115)
Chapter Six (#uc7b30756-c061-5f00-84ab-609166de597f)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five
The woman turned, tightening her grip on the tiny baby girl nested at her shoulder. Peggy’s heart, jolted by shock, raced in fear. She stepped back, bumped into a large, warm body and spun around with a yelp.
Travis Stockwell reached out as if to steady her, eyed her raised fists and thought better of it. “I see you and Sue Anne have met,” he said, nodding toward the brick of a woman who flashed a warm, vaguely familiar smile.
Bewildered and disoriented, Peggy Saxon dropped her arms, turned and stared at the dark-eyed, dark-haired person who was tenderly cuddling newborn Virginia in her mannish, muscular arms. “Sue Anne…your sister?”
“Guilty as charged,” Sue Anne said cheerfully. “I’ve got to tell you, hon, these are two of the cutest babes I ever laid eyes on. Now I see where they got those adorable feathers of red hair. Whoa, sweetie!” She turned her face toward the blinking infant. “My, that was a big one. Betcha feel better now, hmm?”
Peggy moistened her lips, fighting the urge to leap forward and rip her child out of the stranger’s arms. “I’m pleased to meet you, but why— I mean, what—”
“What am I doing here?”
“That question did flash through my mind.”
Chuckling, Sue Anne laid Ginny back into the crib, cooed once, tweaked the tiny little cheek and straightened, eyeing her brother with blatant amusement. “Tell her, Travis.”
Peggy swung her gaze around, scraping him with a look. “Yes, Travis, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“Well, ma’am,” he drawled, barely able to contain a smug smile, “looks to me like your in-home assistance finally got here.”
“My what?”
“Guess I’ll be moseying along.” With that, Travis tucked his hands in his pockets and sauntered out, grinning like a cat with feathers in its teeth.
Peggy sagged against the wall for a moment, then hurried over to check each of her babies. T.J. was on his back, sound asleep. Virginia was awake, but yawning. Peggy inspected her daughter carefully, checking each and every baby appendage.
“Not that I wouldn’t like to steal a couple of those sweet little toes,” Sue Anne said with a knowing sparkle in her eyes. “But I figured the child might be needing them someday.”
Peggy turned, propped her hip against the crib and regarded the woman, realizing that her smile had been familiar because it was very much like her brother’s. The siblings shared the same whiskey-colored eyes and full, flashing grin, but the resemblance stopped there. Travis was lean and slender, with a tight, rounded rear that made blue jeans look like denim skin. Sue Anne Conway, who was wearing a plaid shirt and a pair of Levi’s, was built like a tractor, squat and square, with shoulders broad enough for a man to envy. Peggy recalled that Jimmy Conway’s shoulders were larger, but not by much.
Recognizing the blatant appraisal, Sue Anne laughed. “Believe it or not, I’m the spitting image of our mother. Travis takes after Pa. Except Travis isn’t a wimpy, drunken fool.”
“I see.”
There was enough ice in the comment to make Sue Anne wince. “Guess he didn’t mention that I’d be dropping by.”
Peggy folded her arms. “It must have slipped his mind.”
“Honey, nothing slips my brother’s mind. He’s got a reason for everything he does or doesn’t do.” She cocked her head, smiling kindly. “My guess is that he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of the look you’re giving me right now. Most men would rather be gut-gored than face off with an angry woman, and Travis isn’t any different. Except in his case, you can add babies to the list. He’s scared to death of the little critters, which is why it’s so comical he got stuck delivering yours in his taxi during the storm. First babies he’s ever touched in his life, as far as I know. If he had his way, they’ll be the last, too.” Her eyes twinkled. “But somehow, I doubt he’ll have his way on that. Thing is, he’s a stubborn cuss, and he’s been fretting about you.”
“Why? He barely knows me.”
“How much does a person have to know to recognize someone in need?”
“I am not in need—”
“Sh, now, don’t get your dander up. Everyone can use a helping hand now and again. There’s no shame in that.”
Peggy sucked her lips between her teeth, feeling inadequate, fighting tears.
“Hormones,” Sue Anne commented with a knowing gleam in her eye. “After my babes were born, I cried at detergent commercials.”
Peggy sniffed. “I feel silly.” Not to mention fat, bloated and besieged by postpartum uterine contractions that made her wonder if she was going back into labor. “Listen, Mrs. Conway—”
“Sue Anne.”
“Sue Anne, I really do appreciate your concern, but it isn’t necessary for you to take time away from your family on my account.”
“It is to Travis.” Sue Anne brightened. “Say, you must be neigh onto starving by now. I got a casserole in the oven.”
A spicy aroma wafted down the hall, making Peggy’s mouth water. “Casserole?” She wandered to the doorway, sniffing appreciatively. “As in real food?”
“Nothing fancy, just chicken and noodles, but I figured you’d be too tuckered to fix anything nourishing for yourself.” Sue Anne scanned Peggy as if sizing up a prized hog. “Looks like you haven’t been filling your plate for quite a spell. You’re nothing but bones. But don’t you worry, hon, we’ll fatten you up in no time.”
Peggy angled a morose glance down at the tummy pouch that threatened to pop the elastic on the only pair of prepregnancy slacks she could squeeze into. “Fattening is the last thing I need.”
“Leftover flab, eh?” Sue Anne clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “Well, don’t worry about that, sugar. It’ll tighten up. After Danny was born, my belly sagged so low I could squeeze it between my knees.”
“Really?” Peggy felt her spirits lift. “I thought it was just, you know, me.”
Sue Anne’s laugh was deep, resonant and warming. “Heck, no hon, we’re all sisters when it comes to the pains of womanhood. There’s nothing happening with you that hasn’t happened to most all of us at one time or another.”
For some odd reason, Peggy found that immensely reassuring. “What about, well…” Embarrassed, she made little scratching gestures at the sides of her abdomen.
“Stretch marks?” At Peggy’s miserable nod, Sue Anne’s eyes warmed with sympathy. “They’ll fade some.”
“They won’t go away?”
“Think of them as a merit badge, the purple heart of motherhood.” She tossed a sisterly arm around her. “Are your stitches giving you grief?”
Peggy rolled her eyes and nodded.
“A real pain in the butt, hmm?” Sue Anne grinned at her own joke and gave the new mommy’s shoulders a squeeze. “And speaking of pain, let’s talk breast-feeding. Just wait until your little sharks get teeth.”
* * *
For the next few hours, Peggy’s fear and loneliness dissipated in a rush of giggles and girl talk. With twenty years of mothering experience under her ample belt, Sue Anne anticipated and answered all of Peggy’s questions, and shared tips on caring for babies—tips that hadn’t even been hinted at in the parenting books Peggy had read. Sue Anne even helped give the twins their first bath, which was more a damp mop job than the full submersion wash, which she suggested could wait until their little umbilical cords had healed.
After the sponge bath, when the twins were clean and comfortable, Peggy was flushed with exhilaration along with more self-confidence than she’d felt in a very long time.
Then, with T.J. cradled in Peggy’s arms and little Ginny nestled in Sue Anne’s, they spent hours talking—about nothing and everything, about midnight feedings and the horrors of breast pumps, about diaper rash and maternal insecurity, and about the very real pressure of just being a woman.
Sue Anne was able to expose Peggy’s fears without exploiting them, to rationalize seemingly irrational emotions, and to offer valuable reassurances. By evening’s end, she’d become the confidante Peggy so desperately wanted, the sister she’d never had, and the mother she’d lost—all rolled up into one wisecracking bundle of effervescent energy.
Even more important, Sue Anne became exactly what Peggy needed more than anything in the entire world. She became a friend. Which was, Peggy suspected, exactly what Travis Stockwell had in mind.
* * *
“You mean you just left her alone?”
Sue Anne hiked a brow and flopped on the sofa, balancing a bowl of buttered popcorn in her lap. “What did you expect me to do, roll out a sleeping bag on her living room floor?”
Travis slapped his hat on his thigh and muttered an oath. “Yes, dadgummit, if that’s what it took. Peggy just had those babies Saturday. It’s not right, her being left to fend for herself and all.”
“She’s just fine. Ted, hand me that flipper.” Sue Anne tossed a few kernels into her mouth while her oldest son, who was hunched cross-legged on the floor, felt around the carpet for the television remote. He found it and handed it over without taking his glassy eyes from a babes-in-bikinis beer commercial flickering across the screen.
Standing behind the sofa, Travis tossed his hat on a table, planted a hand on each side of his sister’s shoulders and shouted at the top of her head. “What if something happens? What if one of those babies gets sick?”
Sue Anne tipped her face back, grazing her frustrated brother with a bland stare. “Peggy Saxon’s a bright woman, Travis, and she’s good with those babies. A natural mommy. She’ll deal with whatever comes.” She refocused on the screen, aiming the remote. Her thumb jerked.
Ted spun around. “Hey!”
“I wanna watch the news,” she mumbled, continuing to flip channels as Jimmy ambled in from the kitchen with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. Sue Anne spared him a glance. “Is Danny still handling dispatch?”
“Nah.” Jimmy smacked his lips and dropped into a worn recliner. “There ain’t been no calls for a couple of hours, so he flipped the switch to speaker and went on to bed.”
Since there was only one cab on duty during the slow overnight shift, the switch in question would sound an audible alarm throughout the house if a call came through dispatch. Most nights were quiet enough, which allowed the Conways to sleep undisturbed while the bored night cabbie snoozed through his shift parked by a quiet curb somewhere in town.
Jimmy finished his sandwich and eyed the bowl on his wife’s lap. “That popcorn?”
“Roasted maggots,” Sue Anne replied, tossing the remote aside and settling back to watch the news. “Want some?”
Jimmy leaned over and scooped up a handful. “Hmm, hot buttered maggots. Yum.”
Clearly revolted, Ted, who’d been known to lose his lunch at the sight of a kitchen ant invasion, left the room, muttering. A moment later, his bedroom door slammed.
“More for us,” Sue Anne said, grinning broadly to indicate that had been her plan in the first place. Jimmy concurred with a grunt, then dug another huge handful out of the bowl.
Travis was about to bust. “Forget the danged popcorn. What about Peggy?”
Jimmy looked up, his cheeks bulging. “Wha’ about her?”
“Don’t talk and chew at the same time,” Sue Anne growled. “Didn’t your mama teach you no manners?”
Properly chastised, Jimmy swallowed. “Yes, honey pot.” He heaved sideways in the chair, turning his attention back to Travis. “So, what’s wrong with Ms. Saxon?”
“Sue Anne left her alone, that’s what. Alone.” He shot an accusatory stare at the back of his sister’s head, which responded by jerking around as if it had been physically poked.
She glared at him. “Dang it, Travis, she’s a grown woman, and she don’t need no baby-sitter. If she wants help, she can pick up the phone.”
