“You have thirty minutes. I’m depending on you, so don’t let me down.”
“Thirty minutes? Tristan, I’m used to you giving me much longer lead time.”
“That’s for my clothes, Angelo. This is my wife and kids we’re talking about, so get going and set this up for me.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll get on it now.”
“Good. Call me with the details.”
Angelo’s tone told me he’d get the job done. I could always rely on him. Barely ten minutes later, he was giving me the details about how happy Elise Weston of Petits Coeurs would be to help us. “Thanks, Angelo. I won’t forget this.”
“I hope not. And, by the way, Elise says a layette is clothes. Well, clothes and whatever else she decides to bring. She’ll be there by eleven.”
“Perfect. By the way, I’m going to need some things for the events after the babies are born, like the christening, so here’s your lead time. You have at least a few weeks.”
Angelo chuckled. “Now that’s the Tristan Stone I’m used to. I’ll get to work so you’re ready when those little bundles of joy arrive. Happy shopping!”
Elise Weston arrived exactly at eleven, just as I got Nina settled in the living room. I’d kept my plans a secret, so when the concierge rang to announce her arrival, Nina’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “Did he just say Petits Coeurs? Oh, my God! I’m not dressed to shop there, Tristan!”
“Thanks, Frederick. Make sure security on the floor below checks everything out and then send her up.” I sat down next to Nina on the sofa and held her hand. “Shhh…you look incredible. And you’re not shopping there. They’re bringing a layette here to you and you’ll decide if it’s what you want. And if it isn’t, I’ll get another one to do the same thing until you get what you want.”
Nina shook her head and smiled. “You crazy man. You got the most exclusive baby boutique in town to come here to show me a layette?”
“You wanted to shop for a layette, and I want to keep you safe and secure. Now we’re both happy.”
Hugging me, she whispered against my chest, “I love you so much, Tristan. Thank you for this.”
I kissed her and squeezed her to me. “I love you too, princess. Now let’s get these kids their layette.”
Chapter Nine
Nina
I felt like a real life princess as Elise showed off newborn clothes, blankets, and every possible item a baby could need. With Tristan egging me on, I picked out two of every item I liked, and by the time she left, our living room was full of what every newborn needed in those first weeks of life. I knew since our twins would probably be small or even preterm, we might have to wait a while to put them in those adorable little onesie outfits decorated with giraffes to match their nursery, but that was okay. The very fact that Tristan had arranged for the owner of the most exclusive baby boutique in Manhattan to come to our house made the day more special than even he probably knew.
Tristan worked hard to make sure every day was as wonderful as the day that Elise Weston brought me most of her shop to pick and choose from. Sometimes we enjoyed a simple movie and popcorn, and other times he brought in chefs to create meals that bordered on banquets. Each morning, I awoke to flowers on my nightstand. Roses, daisies, and lilies, they made the start of each day wonderful. Even as I felt bigger and more uncomfortable by the moment, I couldn’t help but feel like I was the luckiest woman in the world.
We spent a quiet Thanksgiving at the penthouse with Jordan, who was happy to have someone to celebrate the holiday with instead of sitting around her apartment alone. I remembered those days after my father died and how lonely they’d always felt, so when Tristan asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate Thanksgiving, having her over was top on my list. Plus, by that time, I couldn’t help feeling I wanted to have the two people I cared most about around me. I wasn’t due until late January, but something told me it wouldn’t be long before the babies came.
December in New York brought a winter storm that nearly crippled the city. I watched out the penthouse windows as people hurriedly moved along through the snow with their shoulders up around their ears toward the warmth of stores and restaurants, and for the first time in weeks, I didn’t mind not being outside with them. Work on the heart drug to replace Cardiell took up most of Tristan’s time, and as much as he wanted to spend his days with me, being CEO meant he had to spend his hours at his office.
I watched him dress in his usual suit look, coming up behind him to adjust his tie as he looked in the mirror in the bedroom. Barely able to reach around him because of my very pregnant belly, I straightened his look and gave him a hug, like I always did before he left for work. “What time will you be home tonight?”
Tristan stared back at me in the mirror and smiled. “I’ll be home for dinner by six tonight. What time is Jordan coming by this morning?”
“She’ll be here by ten. That leaves only one hour for me to cause mischief here,” I teased as I walked around to face him.
He took me by the chin and frowning, shook his head. “What am I going to do with you? I spend all day worrying you’re going to go into labor and I’m not going to get you to the hospital in time, and you make jokes about being alone here.”
I looked up into those brown eyes now so concerned as they stared down at me. “My oh-so-serious husband. Smile. We’re going to be parents soon. Then you can wear your serious face all the time like all good dads do.”
“If that’s the criteria for being a good dad, I should be the best then,” he said with a tiny smile that told me he wasn’t sure of the father he’d be.
But I was. Standing on my tippy toes, I kissed the corner of his mouth. “You’re going to be a fantastic daddy. You’re going to spoil our kids rotten but be the one who does all the glaring when they misbehave. Don’t worry. You got this covered.”
“Thanks for letting me know my role,” he joked. “Now that I have the job description…”
I turned to head for the bathroom and felt something wet on my leg. Instantly, my mind raced through all the pages of my pregnancy books, and I knew it was time. Looking down, I expected to see water or something like it on the floor, but there was nothing. My gaze trailed up my leg and there, in the middle of my thigh, I saw a line of bright red blood.
Terrified, I spun around to face Tristan. “There’s something wrong. We need to go to the hospital now!”