searched her eyes, as confused by the moment as she was. “Is that ok?”
Nodding, Mia placed Nathaniel in his arms.
“You are so cute. Holly told me that you looked like me, but I did not expect you to be a mini-me,” he laughed, his face a full blown smile. “I have a mini-me,” he said proudly.
Nathaniel rewarded him with a smile, cooing as if Zac were reading him an amusing story. Thrusting himself forward, he pressed his open mouth to Zac’s cheek, leaving a big wet spot.
“What’s he doing?” Zac’s eyes were again wide with confusion.
Mia laughed. “He just kissed you. He doesn’t know how to give real kisses yet, so that is how he kisses. He likes you, Zac.”
“He’s really cute.”
Feeling the tears beginning to well in her eyes, Mia willed them to stop, but they weren’t complying and she quickly brushed them away.
“Mia. I’m sorry about everything. I’m glad you’re ok. Really, I am. And I’m really glad he is ok, too.” He was transfixed on Nathaniel.
In his eyes, Mia saw contrition. Holding his sweet, innocent brother in his arms finally made the ramifications of what could have happened abundantly clear.
Not ready to verbalize anything to him, she nodded. Clearing her throat, “Let’s go take Nathaniel to meet his grandparents.”
As Zac led the way, his brother still in his arms, a shocked Mia walked alongside them wondering about the seemingly immediate bond that she had just witnessed between the two Moore brothers.
Chapter Fourteen
“The Brothers Moore have arrived,” Zac announced upon entering Gavin Moore’s hospital room.
Both Gavin and Dee’s faces lit up at the sight of their two grandsons. Surprised to see his two sons together and his older son proudly walking in with a smiling Nathaniel in his arms, Schooner’s face was a portrait in shock and astonishment.
“Oh, let’s see this handsome boy.” Gavin Moore was distinguished and handsome. His light hair now a thick shock of white, setting off his deep tan and pale sapphire Moore eyes.
Mia’s smile matched the intensity of everyone’s in the room. It had been nearly a quarter of a century since she had seen them, but the moment she was in their presence, she felt that same warmth they had shown her as a teen.
Giving Dee a welcoming hug, she could see the strain and fear in her lovely blue eyes. Mia gave the older woman’s hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know they were there now and she no longer had to shoulder the burden alone.
Going to Gavin’s bedside, she bent down to give him a kiss. Pulling back to take in his handsome face, the look in his eyes told Mia they were happy about her place in their son’s life.
“Look at you. As pretty as you were when you were a teen. And that’s quite a good looking boy you’ve got there.”
Mia took his hand in hers and sat in the bedside chair that Schooner had brought over for her. “I’d say the Moore men are a good looking crew.”
“That’s because we surround ourselves with beautiful women. You make us look better,” Gavin laughed. “Look at the curls on this one,” commenting on the first few curls of fair hair that were now just beginning to come in.
Zac handed Nathaniel to his grandfather.
“You are quite the handsome young man, Nathaniel Moore.”
Smiling at his grandfather, baby Nathaniel was providing a cure that modern medicine could not rival. The dream for Gavin to be present and in good health for the milestones in this little boy’s life dispensed the ultimate impetus to heal.
Schooner was standing behind Mia and she could feel his hands on her shoulders giving her a squeeze. Without even turning around, she instinctively knew the look on his face and in his eyes as he watched his father cuddling the newest member of the family. As Mia watched her small son flirting with his grandfather, she knew that she was not only Schooner’s, but that she was a member of the Moore family, and while Zac might be the last hold out
Nodding, Mia placed Nathaniel in his arms.
“You are so cute. Holly told me that you looked like me, but I did not expect you to be a mini-me,” he laughed, his face a full blown smile. “I have a mini-me,” he said proudly.
Nathaniel rewarded him with a smile, cooing as if Zac were reading him an amusing story. Thrusting himself forward, he pressed his open mouth to Zac’s cheek, leaving a big wet spot.
“What’s he doing?” Zac’s eyes were again wide with confusion.
Mia laughed. “He just kissed you. He doesn’t know how to give real kisses yet, so that is how he kisses. He likes you, Zac.”
“He’s really cute.”
Feeling the tears beginning to well in her eyes, Mia willed them to stop, but they weren’t complying and she quickly brushed them away.
“Mia. I’m sorry about everything. I’m glad you’re ok. Really, I am. And I’m really glad he is ok, too.” He was transfixed on Nathaniel.
In his eyes, Mia saw contrition. Holding his sweet, innocent brother in his arms finally made the ramifications of what could have happened abundantly clear.
Not ready to verbalize anything to him, she nodded. Clearing her throat, “Let’s go take Nathaniel to meet his grandparents.”
As Zac led the way, his brother still in his arms, a shocked Mia walked alongside them wondering about the seemingly immediate bond that she had just witnessed between the two Moore brothers.
Chapter Fourteen
“The Brothers Moore have arrived,” Zac announced upon entering Gavin Moore’s hospital room.
Both Gavin and Dee’s faces lit up at the sight of their two grandsons. Surprised to see his two sons together and his older son proudly walking in with a smiling Nathaniel in his arms, Schooner’s face was a portrait in shock and astonishment.
“Oh, let’s see this handsome boy.” Gavin Moore was distinguished and handsome. His light hair now a thick shock of white, setting off his deep tan and pale sapphire Moore eyes.
Mia’s smile matched the intensity of everyone’s in the room. It had been nearly a quarter of a century since she had seen them, but the moment she was in their presence, she felt that same warmth they had shown her as a teen.
Giving Dee a welcoming hug, she could see the strain and fear in her lovely blue eyes. Mia gave the older woman’s hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know they were there now and she no longer had to shoulder the burden alone.
Going to Gavin’s bedside, she bent down to give him a kiss. Pulling back to take in his handsome face, the look in his eyes told Mia they were happy about her place in their son’s life.
“Look at you. As pretty as you were when you were a teen. And that’s quite a good looking boy you’ve got there.”
Mia took his hand in hers and sat in the bedside chair that Schooner had brought over for her. “I’d say the Moore men are a good looking crew.”
“That’s because we surround ourselves with beautiful women. You make us look better,” Gavin laughed. “Look at the curls on this one,” commenting on the first few curls of fair hair that were now just beginning to come in.
Zac handed Nathaniel to his grandfather.
“You are quite the handsome young man, Nathaniel Moore.”
Smiling at his grandfather, baby Nathaniel was providing a cure that modern medicine could not rival. The dream for Gavin to be present and in good health for the milestones in this little boy’s life dispensed the ultimate impetus to heal.
Schooner was standing behind Mia and she could feel his hands on her shoulders giving her a squeeze. Without even turning around, she instinctively knew the look on his face and in his eyes as he watched his father cuddling the newest member of the family. As Mia watched her small son flirting with his grandfather, she knew that she was not only Schooner’s, but that she was a member of the Moore family, and while Zac might be the last hold out
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