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Cadence gulped, not realizing how emotional seeing her baby would make her—just one glimpse and she was absolutely in love.
“We’re measuring at four millimeters,” Dr. Santana said, “and… oh…” She sounded surprised.
Cadence stiffened, hyperaware of any problem. “What?”
“Let’s look at this.” Dr. Santana’s nimble fingers controlling both the wand and the view on the screen turned to a different angle. “Cadence, look! You’ve got two yolk sacs… and oh, there’s another fetal pole. You’ve got two babies.”
“Two babies?”
Dr. Santana smiled from ear to ear. “Twins!”
Twins… just like Porter!
Cadence sank back. Her little family had just doubled in size.
Twins? What would Porter say? Knowing him, he’d be overjoyed.
One thing was for certain—she’d teach her children good and well toneverpull a twin switch on anyone!
She laughed and cried. Dr. Santana kept talking about the brain and nervous system developing and how the lungs were forming for the babies’ first breath. Cadence tried to pay attention through her excitement.
“You’re eight weeks pregnant,” the doctor said. “Looks like your due date is March 7th.”
March! Cadence would see her babies in March, when the winter released its chilly hold on the world and prepared for spring. Before they knew it, Lily’s roses would be blooming again.
She imagined rolling out a blanket on the grass and tickling her babies’ cheeks with soft petals.
Would Porter be beside her?
She frowned—or would the ranch be long gone, sold to Lacy’s heartless investors who’d turn itallinto cattle land, or worse. She couldn’t imagine what awful things they’d do to Lily’s gardens, but Lacy would encourage complete demolition just to tweak her.
Her phone beeped with a message. Looking down at her screen, she caught her breath. Just thinking of that demon conjured him up, it seemed. Lacy’s text reeked of cruelty. “Angel, it’s time to reunite our happy little family. Let’s talk.”
Lacy must’ve used another phone to reach her after Porter had blocked him. The man was like a wild bear on the hunt. He wasn’t going to let her or the babies go easily. Her hand went to her children now. She caressed her stomach.
Cadence knew what she wanted—Porter’s arms around her. He’d told her that he’d protect her, and she already knew that he’d celebrate these babies’ lives with her, but was that what was best? What about Porter or his family? Even the town was in danger. She’d caused so much trouble already.
For now she’d hold her secrets close to her.
The doctor gave her a print of the ultrasound. With a cheery blue marker, she’d written “twins” on the top with a smiley face.
As soon as Cadence was dressed, she thanked the sweet doctor and headed out the door. The hazy rays of the evening sun caressed her neck and hair. She’d never forget the vivid colors of summer at Harvest Ranch. The emerald green maples sliding down over the street provided an enchanting shield from the worst of the heat.
As she neared her home, a car door pushed open from a black SUV Mercedes. “Cadence?”
She jumped, seeing Lacy. Her heart got tangled in her throat somewhere. She turned away from him, trying to hurry away.
“You can’t run from this,” he hissed.
She couldn’t. She knew that, but how else could she make him go away? Planting her feet, she faced him, bracing for the attack of words that would drip with his smarmy charm. “What do you want?”
“Come home with me and we’ll figure this out,” he said.
She shook her head and tried to walk away. His hands found the ultrasound print and he ripped it from her fingers. “What does our baby look like, huh?”
“Give that back, Lacy.” She couldn’t deny again that those two were his babies, but neither would she ever say that they were.
His eyes bulged as he read what the doctor had written above the grainy image. “Twins?” he asked.
