right now with her newborn son cradled against her breast.
"Oh, Ingrid...." Megan's breath caught as she touched the infant's downy cheek. "He's wonderful."
"And hungry," said Ingrid. "I have a feeling this one is going to end up playing for the Dolphins in another few years."
"Stace is beside herself with excitement," Megan said. "All she could talk about was Charlie."
Jenny and Stace had already visited with Ingrid and the baby. Jenny's hand-picked flowers occupied a place of honor next to a splashy bouquet from Miguel's parents. A nurse had taken the girls for a trip to the nursery to look at the pair of twins who'd been born right after Charlie.
"So where is he?" Ingrid asked, moving Charlie to her left breast.
"In the waiting room. He didn't feel right coming in to see you."
"I'm disappointed. I wanted to meet him."
"That's probably one of the reasons he's in the waiting room."
"Don't tell me that gorgeous hunk of man is shy?"
"Who said he's a gorgeous hunk of man?" Megan countered.
"Stace couldn't stop talking about him," she said, kissing Charlie atop his head. "You lied, Meg. Her baby brother ran a poor second."
"I'm afraid Stace has a major crush on Jake." She sighed. "Jenny's not too crazy about him, though."
"That's not what she said to me." Ingrid met Megan's eyes. "She said he'd be a perfect daddy."
"That's not funny, Ingrid."
"It isn't meant to be. Jenny said that he told her he has a little girl of his own."
Megan buried her face in her hands. "I've made a hash of things, Ingrid. A week ago everything made sense, but now...."
"You're in love with him. It isn't a crime."
"I'm not in love with him."
"Right," said Ingrid, glancing down at her chest. "And I'm not breastfeeding." She paused a moment. "When are you going to tell Jenny that he's her father?"
Megan peered at Ingrid from between her fingers. "We're not."
"You're making a big mistake."
"Telling her would be a mistake. Jake has no intention of staying around to be part of her life. In fact he's leaving tonight for God-knows-where. Why complicate things for Jenny?"
"It seems to me they're complicated enough already."
"Back off, Ingrid," Megan said. "I think I know what's best for Jenny."
Ingrid stared her down. "And I think I know what's best for you. You're a lousy liar, Megan. Sooner or later you'll have to tell Jenny. Don't make it any more complicated than it already is."
"Thanks for the advice, Doctor Chavez. I'll keep it in mind."
"Being in love isn't a crime."
Megan glared at her friend. "If you weren't breastfeeding, I'd tell you to put up your dukes."
"Face it, Megan. It's Jake Lockwood and it always will be."
"That's a lousy thing to say."
"Like it or not, the three of you are a family. Why not give things a chance? Put all of your cards on the table and let fate decide." Ingrid waited. A broad smile spread across her face. "What's wrong, chica? No answer for that one?"
"I have an answer," Megan said, "and when I think of it I'll let you know."
#
Jake was flipping through a copy of American Baby when Jenny raced into the waiting room then skidded to a halt in front of him. "I saw twins in the baskets! One has red hair and the other's bald!" She grabbed his hand and tugged. "Don't you want to see them?"
"Haven't given it much thought, Jenny." Staring at babies under glass had never been high on his list.
"You have to see them."
"Did you see Charlie yet?"
"He's cute," Jenny allowed, "but the twins are cuter."
He glanced around. "Where's Stace?" The two of them were rarely apart.
"She went home with her aunt Carmen." She tugged at his hand again. "Come on!"
Jenny dragged him down the hall to the nursery where Jake looked through the glass at a smorgasbord of babies on display.
"Those snorkers are little," he said, staring at the sea of tiny faces. "I thought they'd be bigger than that."
Next to him Jenny giggled. "What's a snorker?"
He ruffled her hair. "You were a snorker when you were their age."
"Is that what they call babies in Australia?"
"Sometimes." He looked down at his daughter. "Wonder what you looked like when you were a snorker."
"I was bald," Jenny said proudly. "Mommy told me that she was afraid I'd be bald forever."
You missed it, mate, and there's no way you can ever get it back.
"Your mommy must have been relieved when all of your pretty red hair began to come in."
Jenny nodded vigorously. "She took pictures of me every