Her Twin Surprise (Forsaken Sons Book 2) by Elizabeth Lennox (web ebook reader txt) 📗

“Is he dead?” Janus asked, eyeing the enormous beast-turned-rug.

Stevie glanced over her shoulder at her dog.  “Nope.  Not dead.  But he might as well be because he isn’t moving from that spot for a while.”

Halley and Harrison stepped into the kitchen, staring at the sleeping dog.  “What happened to him?” Harrison asked.

“I tossed the ball for him.  Apparently, he’s not used to catching the ball when it goes out to the fence line.”

Harrison’s eyes widened.  “All the way to the fence?” he whispered in awe.

Janus shrugged, taking his jacket off and hanging it on one of the pegs by the door where the kids had hung their own coats.  “Sure.  How far can you throw the ball?”

Harrison blinked and turned to his mother.  “How far can I throw the ball, Mom?”

Stevie smiled at her son over her shoulder.  “I don’t know, honey.  But I think that your father can show you how to throw it better.  He used to play football.”

Harrison stepped closer, the awe in his eyes deepening.  “You played football?”

Janus glanced over at her, then down at Harrison.  “Yeah, little man.”  He bent down.  “I played professionally.  Didn’t your mother tell you that?”

He shook his head.  “I didn’t even know that I had a dad,” Harrison said, inching closer.  “If you’re my dad, then are you Halley’s dad too?  I don’t think I can have a dad unless she has one too.”

Janus looked over at the girl, seeing the worry in her eyes.  “Yeah, Halley.  I’m your dad too.”

The relief in her eyes was almost instantaneous and she moved closer to her brother, the two of them so close that their shoulders touched.  “I have a dad?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Janus whispered back. It felt like his heart was both shattering and reforming in the same instant.

There was a sizzle behind him and he watched as Stevie fought back the tears.  Ostensibly, she was watching the grilled cheese sandwiches on the griddle.  But he sensed there was a deep sadness inside of her.  Going on instinct now, he turned back to the twins.  “Is she as bad at cooking as she is at throwing the ball for Herbie?” he asked in a mock whisper.

The pair giggled, covering their mouths with dimpled hands.  “She can’t throw at all!” Harrison whispered back.  “But she’s a good cooker.”

Stevie turned and mock-glared at the three of them, then turned back to the sandwiches.  “Why don’t you two see if you can shove Herbie out of the way, then set the table?”

Halley and Harrison knelt side by side behind Herbie, placed their hands on his back and….pushed.  Herbie didn’t move even an inch.  Nor did he seem to notice the disturbance to his nap.  In fact, his eyes barely fluttered.  The dog continued to slumber blissfully.

“Need some help?” Janus asked, watching with amusement.

Halley and Harrison shook their heads.  “It’s useless.  Herbie won’t move.”

Janus bent down, rubbing his hands together.  “Maybe, with the three of us working together, we could move him.”

The twins were eager to try.  With little tongues sticking out, they eagerly watched as their new father added his huge hands to Herbie’s back.  “One.  Two. Three!”  All three shoved in unison.  This time, since Janus was there to help, the dog slid easily across the hardwood floor.  Janus kept pushing until the dog was now laying in the family room next to the pillow fort.  Herbie didn’t even twitch.

“We did it!” the twins exclaimed, jumping up and throwing their arms around Janus, hugging him.

Janus was so surprised by the affection that he almost didn’t catch them.  But his reactions were still fast and he caught them, laughing. Their spontaneous outburst of affection washed over him, warming him.

He closed his eyes as he held his children for the first time, savoring this moment.  But he knew that this was still their first day as a family. It would take time to find his place here with them.

Pulling back, he grinned down at them.  “So how about if we check out these grilled cheese sandwiches?” he suggested.

Both kids echoed his grin and the realization was like a punch to the gut when he noticed the matching dimples on their left cheeks. The same place he had one.

They were halfway to the table before he could recover from the blow.  He stood up slowly, turning around and settling into the only empty chair at the table. “Okay, here you go,” she announced, putting a platter of six grilled cheese sandwiches on the table.  “But you have to finish your soup before you can have a sandwich.”

Obviously, they knew the rules, because they grabbed their spoons and started slurping, both staring eagerly at the grilled cheese sandwiches.

“Slow down! And don’t slurp!” she urged as she ladled some soup for herself and Janus.

They ate quietly until the soup was gone, then Halley and Harrison gobbled down apple slices and quarters of grilled cheese sandwiches.  It was a simple meal, but Janus enjoyed it more than anything he’d eaten in a long time.  They also talked.  Halley and Harrison told him about their hobbies and interests, often finishing each other’s sentences.  Janus was fascinated by the interaction between them and often caught himself glancing over at Stevie with a smile, just enjoying this peaceful family time together.

Unfortunately, they started to fade quickly.  Another fascinating aspect of four years olds was that they were wide awake one moment, telling him about…something, he wasn’t sure what.  And the next moment, Halley was about to face plant into her plate.

“Naptime,” Stevie announced, standing up and scooping up Halley while Janus collected Harrison.

Stevie led the way up the stairs and turned right into a colorful bedroom. There were two toddler beds, one with a flowered comforter and the other with a