Her Festive Baby Bombshell

Holly gasped as it landed on the floor and shattered, sending shards of glass all over the room. As she knelt down to clean up the mess, she muttered to herself. It was then that she heard rapid footsteps in the hallway.

“What happened?” Finn’s voice carried a note of concern. “Are you okay?”

“I am. But the same can’t be said for the lamp.”

“I’m not worried about it.” His concerned gaze met hers.

“I’ll have this cleaned up in no time. Your contract is on the edge of the dresser.”

When he stepped forward, she thought it was to retrieve the contract. However, the next thing she knew, he knelt down beside her.

“What are you doing?” she asked, not quite believing her eyes.

“Helping you.”

“I don’t need your help—”

“Well, you better get used to it because I plan to help with these babies.”

It wasn’t a question. It was an emphatic statement.

Her stomach churned. She was losing her control—her independence. She was about to lose her sense of security because her life would no longer be her own—Finn and the babies would now be a part of it—forever.

Holly sucked in a deep breath, hoping it’d slow the rapid pounding of her heart.

“Did you cut yourself on the broken glass?” Finn glanced down at her hands.

“I’m fine.” She got to her feet, needing some distance from him. And then she smelled something. She sniffed again. “Oh, no! The cookies.”

She rushed to the kitchen and swung the oven door open. The Christmas cookies were all brown and burnt. With Finn hovering about, she’d forgotten to turn on the timer. She groaned aloud, not caring if he heard her or not.

She turned to the garbage and dumped the cookies in it. Her gaze blurred. The memory of Finn’s words and the knowledge that life would never be the same made her feel off-kilter and scared. What were they supposed to do now?

CHAPTER TWELVE

HE HAD TO do something, but what?

The next evening, Finn did his best to concentrate on the details of a potential acquisition for Lockwood. Try as he might, his thoughts kept straying back to Holly and the babies. This was the time when his family would be invaluable. A deep sadness came over him, realizing that his children would never know his parents or his brother, Derek. In that moment he knew that it would be his responsibility to tell his children about their past—about their grandparents and uncle. Finn didn’t take the notion lightly.

He glanced across the study to where Holly was sitting on the couch, working on her laptop. She’d been feeling better, which was a relief. Whatever the doctor had told her to do was helping. Now they could focus on the future.

His gaze moved to the windows behind her. The day was gray and glum just like his mood. He knew what needed to be done. They needed to get married.

He’d wrestled with the thought for days now. And it was the only solution that made sense. Although, he wasn’t ready to get down on one knee and lay his heart on the line. Just the thought of loving someone else and losing them made his blood run cold. No, it was best their marriage was based on something more reliable—common goals.

The welfare of their children would be the tie that bound them. Finn’s chest tightened when he realized that he knew less than nothing about babies. He would need help and lots of it. That was where Holly came in. He needed her guidance if he wanted to be the perfect parent—or as close to it as possible. Without her, he wouldn’t even know where to start.

He assured himself that it would all work out. After all, Holly was the mother to the Lockwood heirs. Their fates had been sealed as soon as she became pregnant. They would have to marry. And he would do his utmost to keep his family safe.

Holly leaned back. “I’m almost finished with the last details for Project Santa. I’ve reviewed the list of volunteers, state by state and city by city. I’ve been trying to determine whether there are enough volunteers to transport the gifts from the airports to the designated outreach centers.”

Finn welcomed the distraction. “And what have you determined?”

“I think we need a few more drivers. I’ve already posted a request on MyFace. I’ll wait and see what the response is before I take further steps.”