Detective Barelli's Legendary Triplets. Melissa Senate

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СКАЧАТЬ get back the license before it’s processed, we’ll have to get an annulment.”

      “The whole thing is nuts,” Shelby said. “Jeez, I thought my life was crazy.”

      Norah wouldn’t have thought anything could top what Shelby had been through right before Norah had gotten pregnant. Her sister had discovered her baby and a total stranger’s baby had been switched at birth six months after bringing their boys home from the Wedlock Creek Clinic. Shelby and Liam Mercer had gotten married so that they could each have both boys—and along the way they’d fallen madly in love. Now the four of them were a very happy family.

      “You know what else is crazy?” Norah said, her voice going shaky. “How special it was. The ceremony, I mean. Me—even in my T-shirt and shorts and grubby slip-on sneakers—saying my vows. Hearing them said back to me. In that moment, Shel, I felt so...safe. For the first time in a year and a half, I felt safe.” Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked hard.

      She was the woman who didn’t want love and romance. Who didn’t believe in happily-ever-after anymore. So why had getting married—even to a total stranger—felt so wonderful? And yes, so safe?

      “Oh, Norah,” her sister said and pulled her into a hug. “I know what you mean.”

      Norah blew out a breath to get ahold of herself. “I know it wasn’t real. But in that moment, when Annie pronounced us husband and wife, the way Reed looked at me and kissed me, being in that famed chapel...it was an old dream come true. Back to reality, though. That’s just how life is.”

      Shelby squeezed her hand. “So, last night, did the new Mr. and Mrs. Barelli...?”

      Norah felt her cheeks burn. “I don’t know. But if we did, it must have been amazing. You saw the man.”

      Shelby smiled. “Maybe you can keep him.”

      Norah shook her head. Twice. “I’m done with men, remember? Done.”

      Shelby let loose her evil smile. “Yes, for all other men, sure. Since you’re married now.”

      Norah swallowed. But then she remembered this wasn’t real and would be rectified. Brody let out a wail and once again she snapped back to reality. She was no one’s bride, no one’s wife. There was a big difference between old dreams and the way things really were. “I’d better go save the detective from the three little screechers.”

      Norah opened the door and almost gasped at the sight on the doorstep. Brody was in Reed’s strong arms, the sleeves of his navy shirt rolled up. He lifted the baby high in the air, then turned to Bea and Bella in the stroller and made a funny face at them before lifting Brody again. “Upsie downsie,” Reed said. “Downsie upsie,” he added as he lifted Brody again.

      Baby laughter exploded on the porch.

      Norah stared at Reed and then glanced over at Shelby, who was looking at Reed Barelli in amazement.

      “My first partner back in Cheyenne had a baby, and whenever he started fussing, I’d do that and he’d giggle,” Reed explained, lifting Brody one more time for a chorus of more triplet giggles.

      Bea lifted her arms. Reed put Brody back and did two upsie-downsies with Bea, then her sister.

      “I’ll let Mom and Aunt Cheyenne know you might not be in today,” Shelby said very slowly. She glanced at Reed, positively beaming, much like Annie had done earlier. “I’ll be perfectly honest and report you have a headache from the sweet punch.”

      “Thanks,” Norah said. “I’m not quite ready to explain everything just yet.”

      As her sister said goodbye and walked off in the direction of the diner, Norah appreciated that Shelby hadn’t added a “Welcome to the family.” She turned back to Reed. He was twisting his wedding ring on his finger.

      “So you were supposed to work today?” he asked.

      “Yes—and Sundays are one of the busiest at the Pie Diner—but I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate. My mom and aunt will be all over me with questions. And now that I think about it, with the festival and carnival continuing today, business should be slow. I’ll just make my pot pies here and take them over later, once we’re settled on what to say if word gets out.”

      “Word will get out?” he said. “Oh no—don’t tell me Annie and Abe are gossips.”

      “They’re strategic,” Norah said. “Which is exactly how we ended up married and not sent away last night.”

      “Meaning they’ll tell just enough people, or the right people, to make it hard for us to undo the marriage so easily.”

      “She probably has a third cousin at the courthouse!” Norah said, throwing up her hands. But town gossip was the least of her problems right now, and boy did she have problems, particularly the one standing across from her looking so damned hot.

      She turned from the glorious sight of him and racked her brain, trying to think who she could ask to babysit this morning for a couple hours on such short notice so she could get her pies done and her equilibrium back.

      Her family was out of the question, of course. Her sister was busy enough with her own two kids and her secondhand shop to run, plus she often helped out at the diner. There was Geraldina next door, who might be able to take the triplets for a couple of hours, but her neighbor was another huge gossip and maybe she’d seen the two of them return home last night in God knew what state. For all Norah knew, Reed Barelli had carried her down the street like in An Officer and a Gentleman and swept her over the threshold of her house.

      Huh. Had he?

      “You okay?” he asked, peering at her.

      Her shoulders slumped. “Just trying to figure out a sitter for the triplets while I make six pot pies. The usual suspects aren’t going to work out this morning.”

      “Consider me at your service, then,” he said.

      “What?” she said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t ask that.”

      “Least I can do, Norah. I got you into this mess. If I remember correctly, last night you said you’d always wanted to get married at that chapel and I picked you up and said ‘Then let’s get married.’” He let out a breath. “I still can’t quite get over that I did that.”

      “I like being able to blame it all on you. Thanks.” She smiled, grateful that he was so...nice.

      “Besides, and obviously, I like babies,” he said, “and all I had on my agenda today was re-familiarizing myself with Wedlock Creek.”

      “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t try to let you off the hook. Triplet seven-month-olds who are just starting to crawl are pretty wily creatures.”

      “I’ve dealt with plenty of wily creatures in my eight-year career as a cop. I’ve got this.”

      She raised an eyebrow and opened the door, surprised when Reed took hold of the enormous stroller and wheeled in the babies. She wasn’t much used to someone else...being there. “Didn’t I hear you tell Annie that you had no intention of ever getting married? I would think that meant you had no intention of having СКАЧАТЬ