Make Way For Babies!. Laurie Paige

expression, his face softened.

      “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

      She didn’t know what he was talking about. “What?”

      “Nothing.” His face assumed its usual devil-may-care grin, effectively hiding the inner thoughts he guarded.

      At that moment, a soft snuffle came over the monitor. It was followed by a wail. A second cry chimed in.

      She and Spence laughed at the same time.

      “Looks like you’re going to be busy. Duty calls, Mom,” he teased. “Need a hand with the feeding?”

      “Yes.” She led the way to the nursery, wishing she hadn’t sounded so grateful.

      “Okay, how do you do this?” he asked cheerfully, watching as she scooped Hannah into her arms.

      He mimicked her gestures. Returning to the kitchen, she heated the formula pouches in warm water just enough to take the chill off. The twins wailed the whole time.

      “Okay, Uncle Spence, let’s see how well that famous charm works in this situation,” she challenged, handing him one of the pouches.

      He gave her a sidelong glance. “The McBride charm never fails. Remember that.”

      She didn’t have to. She had never forgotten, she realized as they settled into the chairs. The babies stopped crying and nursed hungrily.

      “Hah, that’s how you stop the screaming,” Spence stated in satisfaction. “You plug up the holes.”

      Watching him with Nicholas, that funny feeling came back. This time it reached all the way to the core of her being. Be careful, she warned herself without defining exactly what the danger was.

      Thirty minutes later, they put the twins back to bed—fed, burped and diapers changed. Spence handled that part with aplomb, too.

      “How did you know to come over?” she thought to ask when they settled in the living room to catch the news on television. “You didn’t just happen by with two of your famous gourmet sandwiches.”