Kitchen Promises (Riverside Trilogy, #3) (The Riverside Trilogy) (17 page)

“Baby?” Her voice was music to my ears.

“Yes, sweetheart,” I cried out, unable to control my emotions anymore, especially after hearing how well she was now doing. “They’re doing great.” I answered her silent question. “They’re really doing great.”

“Oh god! I wanna see them so bad,” she cried. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

“I know, baby. We’ll figure this out, okay? River is strong. He’s almost breathing by himself.”

“River?”

“River Michael,” I clarified. “Do you like it?”

I heard her sniff before answering, “I love it! It’s perfect.”

We exchanged
I love you’s
before hanging up. She sounded much better, but I could tell being apart from the twins was killing her. Hell, it was killing me and they were right in front of me, but I wanted to hold them. I wanted to kiss and protect them.

As I sat and stared at the tiny humans in front of me, it hit me. I needed to marry Molly. Now. I didn’t want to wait. It didn’t matter to me how or where, I would not risk losing her and knowing I lost the chance of marrying her.

“Dahlia? I’m going to go see my fiancé. Will you page me if something changes?”

“Absolutely. Let me get you a beeper.” She smiled and gracefully handed me a pager.

I grabbed for it and while shoving it into my pocket, ran down the hall toward the elevators. I was so anxious that I could hardly keep my hands steady to press the call button.

Once I made it to her floor, I bolted to her room. Almost missing it, I swung in from the doorframe.

“Drake!” she exclaimed. She was still hooked up to monitors and the blood machine. “What are you doing here?” I could see fear in her eyes, thinking that something was wrong. Michael and Stella were passed out on the sofa as Molly watched TV.

“I needed to see you,” I said breathlessly. “I need to marry you.”

“W-what?” she breathed out almost in a laugh.

I bent down on my knees next to her, holding her free hand in mine. “Please. We need to get married. I don’t care where or even how, I just need to know that I didn’t miss the opportunity. Something worse could’ve happened to you and then I would’ve missed it, but I’m not going to miss it this time. I want to marry you, Molly.”

“I want to marry you, too,” she wept through a huge smile. “Let’s do it.”

“Oh god, I love you!” I stood up, cupped her face, and placed kisses all over her mouth. “I will make you the happiest woman ever, I promise.”

“I already am.”

-----<>-----

Molly

Holding the babies finally was the greatest gift ever. Watching them look up at me was the best feeling in the world. They were my little miracle babies.

“So, what are we going to call baby girl?” Drake asked. I was allowed to sit in the rocking chair now in the NICU and hold them.

“Since you named River, I want to name her.” I
announced.

“Okay, fair.” He smiled. “So, what’s baby girl’s name?” He rubbed
a hand over her little head as I held her.

It’s been six days since they were born. Her stats went up and down throughout the first three days, making us wonder how much fight she had in her, which apparently she had a lot.

“She’s a fighter, Molly. Just like her mama.” Drake said as he held me. Seeing them for the first time put me into tears. Baby girl wasn’t doing as well as River and I feared the worst.

Then yesterday, something incredible happened. Her stats leveled out. They were both on feeding tubes and oxygen, but she finally was up to the same levels as her brother.
It was a miracle.

“Miracle,” I said.

“What?”

“Her name is Miracle. Because she truly is one. She’s a fighter.”

“It’s perfect.” He kissed the top of her head gently.

“I wanna name her
middle name after my grandmother. Miracle Rose.”

“I love it, baby. River and Miracle.” He smiled.

*   *   *

River and Miracle stayed in the NICU for four weeks. They had to get off oxygen, the feeding tube, gain weight, and start eating from a bottle. It was the most exhausting four weeks
I had ever experienced.

Drake was able to make arrangements to have them transferred to Chicago’s Children Hospital a week after they were born. Michael helped with Stella and Liam, watching
them and making sure they got to school. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow children in the NICU, so today would be Stella and Liam’s first time meeting the twins.

“Yay, they’re home!” I heard Stella yell as Drake and I entered.

“Baby girl!” I squealed. She jumped into my arms. I had been switching off from sleeping at home to sleeping at the hospital. I tried my best to juggle being with the twins and being with Stella, but this last week I stayed so I could work on nursing them. “I missed you!”

“Do I get to see the babies now?”

“Yes, you do! You and Liam can hold them, but you both need to sit on the sofa first.”

“Okay! Me first!” she yelled, rushing to the living room.

Drake followed in behind me, carrying a car seat in each hand. “You look pretty good there, daddy.”

“Hey, free arm workout.” He grinned, pretending to curl each car seat.

“Can I hold the girl, mommy?” Stella asked as we got each baby out of their seat.

Watching Stella and Liam hold the twins brought tears to my eyes. God, it was just perfect. Four beautiful children. Four healthy children.

River and Miracle were both swaddled in blankets, laying peacefully on Stella and Liam.

“What’s wrong?” Drake approached me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He nuzzled his nose in my neck, inhaling my scent.

“Nothing.” I cleared my throat. “Absolutely nothing.” I smiled, letting him hold me as I just watched.

*   *   *

The following week was spent getting into a routine. It’s been over five years since I’ve done the getting-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night thing.

“How ya feeling, mama?” Michael asked, entering my bedroom with a tray of food. “I brought breakfast.”

“Oh, thank god. The twins are sucking every ounce of food out of me.”

“Well, you’re doing great. I mean, you need a shower, clean clothes, and probably a vagina tuck, but other than that, you look good as new.”

“Wow, thanks for cheering me up.”

“It’s what I do.” He grinned. He set down the tray
, and I didn’t wait to dig into the eggs, bacon, and pancakes. “Damn, this is good.”

“That was supposed to be for you
and
Drake, you know?”

“Screw Drake. Did he become a human milk machine?”

“It’s fine,” Drake chimed in, entering the bedroom in just a towel. “I have a business brunch.”

“What?” I dropped my fork. “You’re going back to work already? You’re leaving me alone with two crying babies?” I
panicked.

“Sweetheart, stop worrying. It’s just for an hour. I swear, I’ll be back soon. It’s for…” he cleared his throat and swallowed. “It’s about Denny.”

My eyes shot open. I’ve been so preoccupied, my brain hadn’t even thought about him. I hadn’t asked and he didn’t tell me how exactly he ‘got rid of him’

“Oh, well don’t be too long, okay?”

“Of course not.”

After Drake got dressed, he kissed me goodbye and left for the morning.

“Please tell me you aren’t leaving me,” I pleaded with Michael who was still sitting on the bed next to me. “They team up and have their scream fests at the same time.”

He laughed and promised to help. Michael had been super helpful, getting Stella to and from school, making dinner, checking her homework, cleaning up baby poop
. I mean really, he was like a second husband. And he wasn’t allowed to leave. Ever.

On cue, both of the twins started crying at the same time. Michael grabbed River from his basinet and handed him to me. He then grabbed Miracle and started patting her on the back to soothe her.

“I think she likes me the best,” he teased. She always quiets down for me.

“Well
, that’s a first. Usually girls scream and run away from you.”

“Except you,” he laughed. “Must be the Woods’ blood. Can’t get enough of me.”

“Yeah, that must be it.” I laughed. I finished changing River then switched with Michael to change Miracle.

“Alright, you two. Who wants to eat first?” They both lay on the bed smiling up at me.

“Well, holler if you need me. I’m gonna shower.”

“K, thanks Michael,” I called out as he left.

“Just you guys and me, huh? We can do this, right? Sure, we got this.”

After a full morning of nursing, changing, burping, and spit up, I was exhausted. I did need a shower and some clean clothes, badly.

“Where the heck is your daddy?” I cooed to them. “He’s late. Very, very late.”

The twins eventually fell back asleep in their ba
ssinets, giving me a little free time to brush my teeth and brush through my rat’s nest on top of my head.

Ugh, I forgot what newborns do to you. Stretch you out, make a grand exit out of you, then tire you out to the point where you forget if you flossed or not.

“Molly?” I heard Drake call out.

“In here.”

“Oh perfect,” he said as he rounded the bathroom. “Get in the shower. Don’t ask questions, just do what I say.”

I eyed him suspiciously.
What is he up to?

“What about the babies?”

“Don’t worry. They’re sleeping. I’ll watch them. Just shower, get dressed, do your girly thing or whatever, and I’ll be out here waiting.” He smiled wide. He was definitely up to something.

“Where are we going?”

“Nah ah. No questions.” He pecked me on the lips and rushed out. “Hurry up!”

Well, that was odd.
I did as he said. Twenty peaceful minutes in the shower? Yes, please.

I continued getting ready. Put on some makeup, brushed through my hair, and flossed again.

“What should I wear?” I called out as I searched through the closet.

“Something pretty. Pink or something,” he answered casually.

Hmm, he was acting suspicious, but I decided to let it go. I found a pink dress that was fitted at the waist, giving me enough room to feel comfortable. It’d be a while yet before I got my figure back, or rather,
if
I got it back. But they were worth it—every stretch mark and pound gained.

“Okay, I think I’m ready,” I called out, making an entrance into the bedroom where he sat waiting. “Good enough?”

He stood up as his eyes roamed over me. “You look perfect, sweetheart. Breathtaking.”

He grabbed me and kissed me deeply. “You look stunning.”

“Well, thank you. Now do I get to know where we’re going?”

“Not yet.” He reached over to the bed where a bouquet of a dozen roses lay. “These are for you.”

“Wow, these are beautiful! What’s the occasion?”

“Like there has to be,” he quipped. “But if you must know, it’s for Valentine’s Day. I have a very special night planned.”

“Oh my god, it’s Valentine’s Day?” I screeched. My days and nights have been mixed up. I didn’t even realize. “I feel horrible, I forgot.”

“Don’t you worry. Tonight is all about you.”

“But what about the babies?”

“I better get paid for this,” a voice interrupted behind me.

I turned as I recognized the voice. “Oh my god, Blakely! What is she doing here?”

“
She
is saving your ass. I’m here to baby watch.”

“You mean babysit,” Drake corrected her.

My eyes grew wide. “You asked Blakely to babysit?” I gasped.

“Don’t worry, Molly. I dragged Colin with me. He’s a dad, he knows what to do.” I wasn’t sure about leaving the twins already. They were only
five weeks old.

“Are you sure?” I whispered so only Drake would hear me.

“Sweetheart, it’ll be fine, I promise.”

I nodded, trusting him. I was dying for a night out, especially with Drake. After saying goodbye to the twins for a good ten minutes, Drake escorted me into his limo. Rose petals were scattered everywhere and champagne was cooling in the ice box.

“You are always filled with surprises, aren’t you?” I smiled as he handed me a glass of champagne.

“Just for you, sweetheart. I want this to be a night you won’t forget.”

As we drove to the restaurant, I enjoyed just laying on him, taking in the peace and quiet. It was chilly out so Drake wrapped us in a heated blanket. I was so comfortable that I could have easily fallen asleep.

“Hope you’re hungry. I made reservations.”

“You mean we get to eat in an actual restaurant with no kids sticking seeds up their noses or babies screaming?”

Drake laughed as he helped me out of the limo. I tripped on my heel, missing the curb. Fortunately, Drake was used to catching me.

“Wow, too much champagne?”

“I had one. It’s these damn heels.”

His arms were still wrapped around me, as he looked me intently in the eyes. “You look beautiful, future
Mrs. Stagliano
.”

“Well
, thank you,
Mr. Stagliano.
You are very handsome, yourself.” And he was. Hell, he always was, but Drake in a suit and tie was delicious. If I weren’t sleep deprived and starving, I’d tell him to stay in the limo with me.

Drake walked us right in, not even stopping at the
hostess station. It was a restaurant I hadn’t been to yet, but it was amazing. It was darker inside, giving a more romantic mood setting. The waiters and waitresses were all dressed in suits and ties with large white aprons around their waists.

“Oh, I miss work.” I missed the cooking part. I missed losing myself in the recipe, getting it just right as I added in the ingredients.

“No shop talk tonight.”

“Okay, fine.” I wrinkled my nose at him. I hadn’t even thought of when I’d go back or
if
I’d go back. It would be too hard leaving the twins.

Drake slid out my chair, helping me in. I watched as his hand glided down his tie as he sat across from me. I couldn’t get enough of how good he looked tonight.

“You look extra good tonight,” I commented as he took a sip of his water.

“Don’t get any ideas in that pretty little head of yours,” he warned.

“What? I can’t compliment you?”

“Yes, but yours comes with a double meaning.”

I laughed, knowing I had been caught. I wanted to rip his clothes off and have my way with him. I didn’t care that we were in a restaurant. It’d been way too long.

“Well, I can at least fantasize about it, can’t I?” Bef
ore he could respond, our waiter introduced himself and read off the specials.

We enjoyed an amazing dinner. It had felt like way too long since Drake and I had a night alone together. It was nice to rekindle our relationship after everything that had happened.

“So, do I at least get lucky tonight?” I teased as I dug into my dessert.

“It’s a possibility. Keep showing off your boobs like that
, and we won’t make it back to the house.”

“No way, they’re my secret weapon.”

His head fell back as he laughed. My boobs had doubled in size since the twins were born, not that he minded one bit. I on the other hand, was suffering from back pain and extreme soreness.