Best of My Love (Fool's Gold, #20)

“Whatever you’re thinking,” he warned her, “don’t say it out loud.”


The doors to the elevator opened on to the maternity floor. She smiled sweetly and said, “The condom companies must’ve really loved you. Did you get a Christmas card every year?”

“Funny,” he grumbled. “Very funny.”

Finding Isabel’s room turned out not to be a problem. It was easy to spot from all the people milling about outside in the hallway. Aidan would guess that a good percentage of her family, not to mention her husband’s, had already arrived.

Madeline saw them and waved them over. “She’s doing great,” Isabel’s business partner said. “She had a C-section, of course. It was triplets. Three girls! They’re all above three pounds, which is fantastic. The big issue with triplets is low weight at birth. It sets them up for all kinds of problems.”

Shelby hugged her friend. “Someone’s been on the internet.”

Madeline laughed. “I wanted to appear knowledgeable. I figured people would be asking questions. Hey, Aidan.”

“Maddie.”

Madeline wrinkled her nose at the nickname. “One of the disadvantages of living somewhere your whole life is the person who can always make you feel like you’re six years old.”

“You loved it then and you love it now.”

She grinned. “Shelby, honey, when all this settles, remind me to tell you about the time Aidan got very powerful glue on his hands and then had to pee.”

He groaned. “You wouldn’t.”

Madeline smiled. “I would and I will. Now come see the beautiful mother.”

The crowd made room for them as they walked into the hospital room. Aidan didn’t know if all maternity rooms were singles, but with the number of people visiting Isabel he doubted the hospital would’ve had a choice either way. Her parents were there, along with her husband’s impressive family. Ford was one of six children and his three sisters were also triplets. Denise, Ford’s mom, had her boyfriend, Max, along. Aidan winced as he thought the B word in association with a woman well into her fifties. But Denise and Max weren’t married and he didn’t know what else to call the man. Life partner just seemed so weird.

Shelby rushed to her friend’s side and they embraced. Aidan sidled over to where the men were standing. Ford looked a little shell-shocked.

“How you holding up?” Aidan asked him.

“I’m not,” Ford admitted. “I’ve seen combat. I’ve seen a lot of bad stuff. Nothing prepared me to watch a doctor slice open my wife’s stomach like a watermelon and pull babies out. They should warn you.”

Aidan didn’t know if he should laugh, offer a hug or run for the hills. The latter seem to make the most sense but he told himself to suck it up. He only had to hear about it; Ford had had to live it.

“I mean I knew it was triplets,” Ford continued, shaking his head. “I saw an ultrasound. The doctor was very clear. But jeez, when they pulled out one baby after the other and they were so damn small.” He stared at Aidan. “I’m talking small. What are we supposed to do with them?”

Aidan was saved from answering when Shelby waved him over. She showed Isabel the pretzel bread and the new mother promptly burst into tears. The hormone bath continued as the other women rushed into see what was wrong. He busied himself setting out the boxes of cookies, then slowly, very slowly, backed into the hall. He figured Shelby would know where to find him.

What he didn’t expect was to see his parents in the hallway outside the room. His mother, maybe, but his father? Ceallach wasn’t really interested in anything but himself.

His mother smiled when she saw him. “We heard the good news and came to see Isabel and the babies. Have you been down to the nursery? They’re so beautiful. Tiny, but beautiful. She must be so happy.” His mother hugged him. When she straightened, her gaze was direct. “I want grandchildren.”

Aidan took a step back and held up both hands. “Don’t look at me. Del is the one who’s engaged. Talk to him and Maya.”

“I want grandchildren from all of you. You need to get started on that. Shelby is a perfectly nice girl. What are you waiting for?”

Aidan held in a groan. There was no way he was getting into the we’re-just-friends conversation yet again. He turned to his father.

“Hey, Dad. How’s it going?”

His father looked at him. Ceallach’s gaze sharpened as if he just now realized who was in front of him. “You! This is all your fault.”

“There’s five of us. The grandkid thing is not just on me.”

“You’re the reason Nick’s leaving. You’re the one chasing him away.” His father’s voice rose with each word.

“Is that what you really think?” Aidan asked. “That I have anything to do with this? You’re wrong. This is all about you, Dad. This is all your doing. There’s a reason every one of your sons have left Fool’s Gold. Do you ever stop to think about that?”