Baby's First Christmas: The Christmas Twins / Santa Baby

Pepper shook her head. There was no way she could talk about her secret. It wasn’t time. Eventually, perhaps she could. But not now. Zach would be shocked. Duke would be stunned. Despite their own out-of-wedlock pregnancies, they would be beside themselves to learn of her own children.

She couldn’t second-guess her decisions now. The die had been cast long ago. “I am positive that if we spend this cold, rainy evening getting your issues addressed,” Pepper said, “I’ll feel better empathetically.”

Zach hoped so. A less-selfish brother would insist that she let big bro shoulder her burden, but Pepper wasn’t the type of girl who could be pushed.

“My problem is Jessie,” he said. “She’s having my children.”

“I know,” Pepper said. “I took a gift by. I look forward to having her in the family.”

He frowned, completely startled.

“Well, I do,” Pepper said. “She’ll be a wonderful sister, just like Liberty.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” Zach asked. “Because when I left her forty-five minutes ago, she didn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

“Not you, maybe, but she’s fine with me. And I’m the auntie. I’ll occupy a glorious place in those little babies’ lives.” She smiled, pleased by the notion. “It’s a wonderful Christmas present. I’ll have two little Forresters to spoil and coddle, and when they turn into brats, you won’t be able to blame Aunt Pepper because they’ll love me too much.”

Zach frowned. “They need to be Forresters.”

“They’ll be Farnsworth-Forresters,” Pepper said. “Doesn’t that sound pretty?”

“It’s a mouthful,” he said unhappily. “Pepper, I don’t want to be a father who isn’t married to the mother of my children. I want us to live under one roof. Does that make sense?”

Her brother touched a nerve inside her. But she doubted her teenage love would have shared Zach’s sentiments. No one wanted to be tied down by children at that young age. “It makes sense,” she said carefully. “I’m not really a good person to talk to about this.”

“You’re the best.”

“No,” Pepper said, getting up from the table with her teacup. “Believe me, you should talk to Helen and Pansy or Holt. I am no expert on anything except medical matters.”

Since she’d just been on her way out the door to catch a redeye to visit her own twins, Toby and Josh, her advice was probably the worst Zach could receive. Far better for him to talk to someone with a success rate, like Duke.

She had to concentrate on her children and Christmas and the medical clinic she was starting, and how she was finally going to bring the boys home to Tulips without everyone she knew being completely ashamed of what she’d done so many years ago.

IN THE MORNING, Zach got up bright and early and went outside to the barn to check on Jessie’s car. Molly-Jimbo slept in the back seat, so he shooed her out, not certain how she’d sneaked into the garage and gotten in. “You are the wiliest dog I ever met,” he told the golden retriever. “Why can’t you act like you’re Duke’s dog?”

Molly barked at a chicken and ran off, not bothered at all by Zach’s lack of praise for her cunning.

He inspected the car, certain Jessie never had a long-haired dog sleeping in her precious land yacht. The best thing to do would be to take it into town, have it vacuumed and polished, hang a wreath on the grill and take it to her with an apology and a goodbye.

“But I’m a stronger man than that,” he said, starting back toward the house. “I’m not going to let her scare me off with a wee little ‘no.’”

After talking to Pepper last night, he’d realized he couldn’t give up so easily. Not this time. Duke had hung in there until he won Liberty’s heart—surely Forrester grit counted for something.

He had babies counting on his grit.

He felt good about deciding that determination would be his guide. The doorbell rang and his heart leaped—maybe Jessie had come to get her car at last. Or even better, perhaps she’d come to say that their future together, in whatever form or fashion, would be a bright one.

He hoped so. He was becoming quite fond of that sassy girl from the city.

Opening the door, he looked at the two tall, big-shouldered strangers on his porch. A faint sense of alarm trickled through him. Strangers didn’t pass by this way often.

“Howdy,” he said. “Can I help you boys?”

“We’re looking for Zach Forrester,” one of them said.

“I’m Zach,” he said, and the men nodded their heads.

“Good,” the other said, punching him square on the jaw.

Chapter Ten

Jessie heard a crack and a thump and realized her brothers had not been candid with their reasons for wanting to meet Zach. “You hurt him!”

She rushed forward and knelt beside Zach. “Are you all right?”

“I was better about five minutes ago,” Zach said, rising to his feet. He looked at her brothers with a frown. “Settle your issues, boys, and move along.”

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