Mason (Carter Brothers #2) - Lisa Helen Gray Page 0,111

tell her and rush over to the bag and grab the camera. Once I’ve shown her what to do, I look down at both my girls with a huge smile on my face. The camera goes off making me jump.

“Hey, I wasn’t ready,’’ I mumble.

“No...maybe not, but that picture was just too precious,’’ the midwife smiles, her smile reminding me of my Nan’s. It’s kind and gentle. “Now shift in closer,’’ she advises us.

Denny scoots over a little, giving me space to place my ass on the bed, and then she shifts Hope so she’s somewhat between us, our heads bent together. Before the picture is taken I turn my head over to Denny, who does the same when she feels me shift.

“I love you so much, Mrs. Carter,’’ I grin, liking the sound of her soon-to-be new name.

“I love you too,’’ she says, her eyes soft with love shining through her eyes. Then we both turn our heads, both wearing huge grins on our faces as the flash clicks.

Epilogue

DENNY

Three weeks of being at home and you would have thought everyone would have gotten used to there being a baby around the house. But no! Max comes round hourly, if not more to come see his favourite niece. Myles comes by daily, not wanting to become a pest like his twin brother and Malik and Maverick come between working.

Harlow has been here the most helping out. After having stitches after giving birth, I was finding it hard to manoeuvre around the house. It also meant she missed out on going to the court hearing, but thankfully her lawyer called when it was over and told her that Davis got fifteen years in prison and was found guilty on all charges.

We also found out that his brother Carl would be in prison for life, not ever having the chance to get out on parole, because when they tried transferring him from one precinct to another, he caused problems, attacking one of the guards who ended up dead. The list of crimes he had been charged with just kept getting added along the way.

I’m just glad I won’t have to attend court. I’m not ready to leave my baby girl, especially since they let my mom off with a warning. She’s meant to have left, but I don’t trust the woman as far as I could throw her. My Nan has even hired some private investigator to try and find her. As soon as she knows where the wicked witch of the west left to, she will have her checked on regularly, wanting to know where she is at all times, so that if she does show signs of returning we will have a heads up.

Mason... now Mason on the other hand has shocked the hell out of me since I gave birth to Hope three weeks ago. I never expected him to be so hands on. When I first came home I was still recovering, and he offered, well jumped at the chance to do night feedings every time Hope woke up. I could understand his need to do this; I wanted to be around her all the time too, even if it meant just holding her sleeping in my arms. But Mason, he jumps up ready when she needs her nappy changed, or if she stirs.

Like earlier, he had been leaving to go check in on the club and ended up being an hour late because every time he got to the door he swore he could hear her. She never made a peep, I should know, she was in her moses basket right next to me. He left after I threatened him with bathing Hope by myself tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I felt his anxiety; I didn’t like the thought of leaving Hope for a second, let alone for a few hours to go to work, so I never gave him too much shit.

Now he’s back and brought Maverick and Myles with him. Max was already here trying to get me to give in and let him hold her.

“Max, I just got her to go to sleep, wait until she wakes up then you can hold her,’’ I scold, feeling like I’m telling him off like a mother would, and every day the feeling increases.

“She’s right. For some reason Hope was hard to settle down last night and she needs her sleep,’’ Mason pipes in, walking into the room looking D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S as hell in his black work shirt