Once they were buckled in, Wes was hitting the gas and getting them to the hospital in record time, which was less than a mile away at best.
“I’m so bummed we didn’t get a chance to dance, but I’m so ready to get these twins out and have my body back to myself,” Brooke said, before another contraction took hold.
“We can dance tomorrow when we’re both holding one of our twins and singing them to sleep, love,” Dalton said, holding Brooke’s hand and rubbing his other hand along her round stomach.“Now breathe with me.”
*
“I can’t believemy niece and nephew tried to postpone this wedding, again,” Levi said, after he kissed his bride at the altar in front of their family and close friends.
Her skin was glowing, and she laughed as he held her dramatically tilted back.
“I think it’s kind of sweet—besides technically we were already married,” Missy whispered.
“Shhhh, don’t let your cousin or my family hear that.They’ll be devastated if they find out they missed the small beach ceremony last summer.”
Missy had her arms wrapped around Levi’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss.He didn’t feel bad at all for marrying Missy without everyone; he just didn’t want anyone to have their feelings hurt.
“Should we go to the hospital on our way to the reception?So they don’t feel left out?”Missy asked.
Levi laughed.“I love that you love my family too.”
“Of course I do.After all I am a Hart now too.”
“Can we skip the reception and go back to the honeymoon house instead?”Levi said as they began to walk back down the aisle as husband and wife.
Outside everyone blew bubbles to mark the occasion and they all agreed they should swing by the hospital before they went out to the reception.
“Maybe we can borrow one of the empty hospital rooms to consummate this marriage?”Levi whispered in Missy’s ear, in the back seat of the car service he’d hired.
“Why does it sound hot and dirty when you sayconsummate?”Missy asked, gripping Levi’s leg.“You look so handsome in this linen suit.”
“Wife, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’ll kick the driver out of this car, and we’ll be consummating this second marriage in the back seat of this car.”
“Promise?”
*
“Meet your great-granddaughter,Grace Diane Hart,” Dalton said as he handed his first-born daughter off to Gran.
“And where is my great-grandson?”she asked as she stood staring at the small five-pound twin who insisted on being born first.
“Well, he’s with his mom having his first meal, but I’ll bring him out next.”
“Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest little thing, Grace.Named after both your grandmothers—what a beautiful tribute to them,” Gran said.
“That way they’re always with us,” Dalton said, before kissing his grandmother’s cheek and snapping a picture of her misty-eyed and smiling as she cradled his newborn daughter.
“Wes, are you crying?”Shelby asked, handing him a tissue and hugging his waist tight.
“No, I just got something in my eyes,” Wes lied.
“How was the ceremony?”Dalton asked.
“It was beautiful, but we all agreed to stop by here first on our way out to the reception,” Miranda said, where she and Renn leaned against the hallway wall.“I took loads of pictures for you all to see.”
“Levi said he and Missy were coming too, but maybe they changed their minds,” Renn said, looking around.
“You think they know we all know they’ve been married for a year?”Gran asked as she cooed at her grandbaby.
