Reed: Bowen Boys (18 page)

He wanted to laugh when Burton flushed. He had to know, or at least probably guessed, what had happened in the bathroom at the airport. But he only shook his head.

“No. I understand that you’re emotionally drained right now. I don’t blame you. You’ve had a lot thrown at you. I wanted to speak to you both about…you’re my only family. All I have left of my sister.”

Kerry sat up and looked out the window before looking at him again. “I don’t want whatever it is you think I should have because of that. I’ve enough right here with Reed and his family. If you want to be a part of that, I’m okay with that, but I don’t want to be any sort of heir to your money.”

“That’s too bad, sweetheart.” Kerry started to speak, but Burton held up his hand. “I have a great deal of money. Not as much as the family has as a whole, but I’m very wealthy. I’ve had years and years of planning and saving. I’ve invested very well over the years and have managed to turn a good profit. It’s all yours, whether you want it or not.”

“Well, I don’t.” He laughed at her, and Reed had to work hard at not laughing too. She looked as stubborn right now as he’d ever seen her look.

“Too bad. And so you know, you didn’t get your stubbornness from your mother. I’ve got her beat in spades. Also, it’s a moot point as of the day I had it confirmed what my heart already knew. You’re my only living relative. Also, since you’re already being pissy, your eggs have been returned to you.”

When she looked like she was going to argue, Reed put his hand over her mouth and held her back. He wasn’t positive she’d hurt Burton, but there was no reason to take chances.

“Do you have a problem if she takes the money and uses it for other things? Like setting up college funds for our children? Or donates it to charities to help out?” Burton shook his head and smiled. “Good. I think we can work on her being a lot more thankful for the money.”

She took his hand away. “And if I wanted to set up a college fund in the name of someone? Like a fund that would be there for others like me, children who lost their parents and have had to live with less than…desirable people. Can I do that?”

Reed watched the smile come across Burton’s face. “You mean a foundation that would support a child or an adult to go to college and not have to worry again? Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea. Do you have a name for this foundation?”

“I do. I want to call it the George and Corrine Bowen Foundation, and I know just the person to run it for us. She owes me so much.”

Chapter 18

“I just don’t see why you had to go and name me the person in charge of this thing.” Kerry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was in too much pain to placate her mother-in-law right now. “You could have named any number of others to this.”

“But I didn’t want to. I named you.” Kerry took another deep breath. “Are you sure this is right?”

“Yes. You’re doing fine.” She glared at Walker and then looked at Corrine again. “If you want someone to help you, then go for it. Just so long as it’s not me. I’ve enough going on right now with all this other crap he dumped on me.”

Her Uncle Burton had died three months ago. He’d not told anyone he’d had a heart condition, not even Rowena. He’d gone to bed one night and had simply not woken up. He’d died with a smile on his face, a face that Kerry wished she could smack right now.

“I’ve nine, nine,” she shouted when another pain ripped through her. “Nine corporations to run, and not a flipping clue how to do it.”

“You’re doing a fantastic job, love.” She glared at Reed, who looked like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. “You should have called me sooner and I would have come home then.”

“Your brother said it would be hours yet.” She looked at Walker when he snickered. “Pay back is going to be a bitch, Walker. I swear to you when this is over, I’m going to make you pay.”

Another pain started at her lower back and up through her throat. The scream that tore from her throat hurt her as much as the pain. She looked at Reed when he said her name.

“Breathe, Kerry. Slow and easy. You can do this.” She shook her head at him. “Yes, you can. We’ve been practicing and you know what to do. Just keep breathing for me and we’ll get through this.”

“I never want to do this again.” He nodded at her, and she wanted to punch him in the face. “I swear to you, you’re never touching me again.”

Walker laughed, then straightened up on his little stool. “Okay, sweetheart. The next time a contraction comes up on you, I want you to bear down like I told you. Take a good hard shit and you’ll deliver this little guy.”

She felt the tightening again and did just as he’d told her. Bearing down with all her might, she nearly fainted when she felt the relief of the pressure that had built up. She looked at Reed when he laughed.

“It’s a boy. We have a son.” Reed was handed their son, and she looked over at him when another pain tore from her.

“Walker,” she shouted, and he said he had it. Had what, she had no idea, but the urge to push nearly sent her over the edge. When she heard the cry of a baby, she looked down at Walker, who was handing off a baby to the nurse standing next to him. He looked shell-shocked.

“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Reed handed the baby in his arms to a nurse, and Kerry thought for sure she was losing it. When Walker told her to bear down again, she knew that something was terribly wrong.

“I can’t. I’m too tired. Please, you said it would be over when I pushed before. I can’t do this anymore. Just cut it out of me, I beg you.”

Walker said something to Reed, and he pulled her face over to look at him. When she looked into his eyes, she didn’t see fear but happiness. When he kissed her on the mouth, she started to close her eyes when she had to push again.

Everything was a blur. Babies seemed to be everywhere, and her head was spinning. Corrine kept wiping her face down with a wet cloth, and Reed kept telling her to keep at it. When she closed her eyes after pushing as hard as she could, she felt herself slip away, welcomed it as a matter of fact. Her body felt as if she’d run a marathon on her hands and knees.

When she woke up, she was in a pretty little room with the curtains open. She looked around and found flowers everywhere, as well as people. She looked at Monica when she stood up and walked toward the bed.

“How are you feeling?” Kerry tried to speak, but she was so dry. “Here, Walker said you could have as much as you wanted to drink, and I’ve had iced tea brought to you. There’s two gallons here, so drink as much as you want, but slowly.”

She sipped at the straw and felt as if someone had given her a whole new throat. She smiled at Monica when she winked at her. She wanted to sleep again but needed to see the baby.

“Do you think they can bring me our baby? I want to see him. I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

“I bet.” Monica laughed. “I’ll wake the rest of them, and they can hug you before you talk to Reed. You’re going to be very surprised, I think.”

Kerry had no idea what she meant, but Reed came to her and kissed her. When the door clicked close then opened again, she continued looking at her husband. He kept holding her and kissing her.

“You’re beautiful.” She shook her head. “Let me be the judge of that, thank you very much. And if I say you are, then you are.”

“I love you.” He kissed her. “Where’s our son? I was so out of it in there, I didn’t get to see him. You must think I’m a wuss.”

He laughed. “Hardly. Where would you like to start? I’ve not named them yet, but I thought that—”

“Them?” She sat up when he moved off the bed. There were three little cribs lined up along the wall. She looked at them, then at him.

“You had triplets. All boys, and according to Walker, all identical. I know that we planned to name one of them Burton Reed, but the rest I’m at a loss for.”

“Three baby boys.” She didn’t look at Reed this time; she couldn’t take her eyes off the cribs. “Are they all right? I mean three can be…we have three sons?”

“Yes and yes, they’re all just fine. All their fingers and toes, and Walker said that they are incredibly healthy. He said that you did a fine job hiding them from him too.”

“I didn’t know.” She glanced at him, then at the cribs, seeing that there were still three there. “Are you going to be all right with this? I mean, we only made up one bed and one…Christ, Reed we have three sons.”

“I know. Would you like to meet them?” She nodded, and he moved to the first one and scooped up a baby. She didn’t have a clue what to think when he started to hand him to her.

“I’ve never held a baby before. Well, not my own. And I’m pretty sure it’s different than holding someone else’s.” Reed put the baby in her arms, and she looked down at the little face staring up at her. “Oh my God, Reed, he’s beautiful.”

“Handsome. And yes, he is. Simply beautiful. Here.” He handed her another one on her other side and she looked down at him. This little man had his eyes closed, and he yawned at her. His little lips were so pink, she wanted to kiss them. The third little bundle was held by Reed, but he showed him to her. They were absolutely perfect.

“I’m in love.” She started to cry as she looked at them all. “I’m so in love with them, I can hardly contain it. We’re so lucky.”

“Yes, we are. And Walker said that they are as well. He will be in later to give you and them a once over. But he said we need to come up with names soon. The family is having an argument on which one should be called what.” He kissed her gently on her mouth and smiled. “Are you really all right? I was so worried about you.”

“I’m perfect now.” She kissed Burton on the head and then the other babies. She looked at Reed. “I think I have a solution to our naming problem.”

~~~

Corrine held Burton and looked at the other two that had come into the world less than forty-eight hours ago. They were all sleeping now, and she wished one of the others would cry that they needed her so she could hold two in her arms. When Kerry sat in the chair across from her, she smiled.

“Can’t get enough of them, can you? I can’t. You’d think that they’d be driving us nuts. And I know that it’s been only a few hours, but I feel like this is going to be okay.” Corrine nodded at her and smiled. “What do you think of their names?”

Corrine felt her eyes tear up. “I couldn’t have thought of better names. Naming them…I’m so overwhelmed that you did this.”

The first one was called Reed James Bowen the second; the second little man was Burton Olen Bowen; and the little one, the youngest grandson, was Garrett O’Brien Bowen, named after both his grandmothers using their maiden names. Garrett had been George’s mother’s maiden name, and Corrine’s had been O’Brien. She absolutely loved them.

“I didn’t know that the maiden names would work so well. I was afraid that one of them would be something like Deatherage or something like that. I went to school with someone with that as a surname, and it was forever being pronounced wrong.” Kerry stood up to get little Reed. “We’re going to call him James to keep the confusion to a minimum. I don’t know if it will last, but at least it might help.”

Kerry handed her James and then went back for Garrett. She held him while Corrine held the other two. Corrine was so happy at that moment, she thought for sure she could bust. She nearly ignored the small touch of her mind.

You love them, do you?
George sent her his love as he spoke to her from the beyond.
I can’t come to see them, but just to know that you love them so much does me well. Another reason that I had to save this one. She’s going to do this once more before she and Reed decide they’ve had enough. Won’t stop them from coming later, but the first six will be enough for them for a while.

Six? Oh my, George, whatever will they do with six little babies
? She was secretly excited to know that her son would have so many children.
And do you know what they’ll be, by any chance?

Boys. They’ll have six strapping boys like we did. But not one at a time like most. Couldn’t have named them better either. Named them after important people. They did the very best. My mom is proud as a pup, she is, and yours…well, I’m thinking she’ll need to have her buttons moved to another spot. Been popping them everywhere.

Her mom had been gone for many years, so long that she’d never seen Corrine’s children born. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what she looked like, but all she could see was the babies. She glanced at Kerry when she started to nurse Garrett.

Will I see them, George? Do you know that?
She kissed the baby in her right arm, then the one on the left. She so wanted to watch them grow into men, but knew that when her time came, she’d be ready to see her George too.

Don’t know, love, just don’t know. But I can tell you that you’ll see most of them come into the world before you’re ready to come see me. And don’t you go forgetting every little thing they do so we can talk about them all when you come here. Grand place it is here too. You’ll love it. Flowers messing the place up at every turn.

He’d always fussed at her about her flowers, but every year he’d buy her flats and flats of them to plant. She decided to keep a notebook with her at all times, and every day
she was going to write something about someone in it. Pictures too. She wanted memories for all of them, and that way, she’d have them to share as well.

Good idea. You write it down, and I’ll make sure a copy of it is sent up here. You’ll leave the thing behind, of course, for them all, but you and I will have a copy too.
She loved the idea and decided that she was starting today.
I love you, my Corrine. I miss you terribly. I’ll be able to talk to you on occasion, but you can’t be telling them. We’ll converse, you and I, until the time comes.

I love you too, you old fool. More and more daily.
She looked down at the babies in her arms.
Thank you for what you’ve given me. All of us. Without you, this would never have been.

Now don’t be going all mushy on me. I did what any man would have done. Course, I did it a great deal better, but I don’t want to brag
.

Of course he didn’t. She smiled when she felt his connection close. He was closed to her, but she knew that if she needed him, he was only a thought away. Helping Kerry move the babies around so she could nurse another, Camps handed her a bottle.

“You’ll be staying on for a few more days, Miss Corrine? I’ll fix up a room for you if you wish.” Kerry nodded at them both. “Very good. I think the family needs you for a time.”

Corrine hoped so. She’d never want to intrude, but being here with these children and knowing that all of them were so close to her as well made her feel like she could conquer the world.