Whirlpool (Cutter Cay Book 6) Read online

  "They're tickled to have a little sister," he told her.

  She smiled. "Really?"

  "Yeah, really. They feel as though they have years to make up for."

  "They don't. I should make it up to them for hating them because of something they had no control over. I wanted to hurt them because I was hurting. It was stupid and childish, and I feel like a complete moron for not just boarding one of their ships and telling them flat out years ago. My anger and pain was mixed up with my love for Rydell. He adored our Dad- his dad. I didn't want to tarnish that."

  Finn tenderly stroked his palm up and down her bare arm. "You'd been fending for yourself for so long you thought you didn't need anyone, macushla. But you went to extraordinary lengths to make a connection."

  "Pretty damn stupid. My rational brain told me time and time again they weren’t responsible for their father's actions. But he was dead. They were the only connection I had to take out my-"

  "Pain."

  "Frustration. Pain. Yes, I suppose so."

  You want to be loved, to be acknowledged. To know you had worth. I think you stole from the brothers hoping for acknowledgment. It was as though you were daring them to come to you, to demand to know who you were and why you were doing what you were doing. You wanted them to see you.”

  "All little girls need to feel safe and wanted." Finn turned her in his arms. "The props were knocked out from under you at a young age. When you grow up without something, the lack is always with you. I know better than most. Even when you finally have it. I understand that it's hard for you to trust. Give me another chance to prove to you that I’ll always be your rock, and I'll stand by your side no matter what."

  Peri wrapped her arms around his neck, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Even if I fib?"

  Love swelled his heart. He was in for a lifetime of fabrications, and whimsy. "How about this? If I ask, 'honestly?' you'll tell the truth."

  "Okay."

  "Honestly?

  She laughed.

  Shaking his head, amused, happy, and crazy in love, Finn kissed her soft mouth.

  "Hey, you two," Ry said as he and Addison came over to the rail where they stood. "You have an audience."

  "You shouldn't be supervising my honeymoon, big brother." Peri, arms loosely looped around Finn's neck, stayed in his arms as she turned to smile at the couple.

  "We want Adam to witness the non-apocalypse," Ry said dryly. Cradled in his arms, the baby wore a swimsuit covered diaper, and a minuscule blue t-shirt that read, 'Dive Baby'. He waved his little arms and legs and gave a gummy smile.

  "How long?" Ry asked Finn.

  ”Twenty minutes and a handful of seconds, give or take.” Walker set up a couple of monitors over there. We can watch from the onboard cameras."

  About to leave, Case hesitated at a nudge from his wife. "I've been reaching across the aisle, Magma. We have a long way to go to trust each other, it'll take time. But the Cutters and I have two people we love in common. That makes a strong, unbreakable tie, binding us together. Either I embrace them as family, or I lose both my sisters. And that's unthinkable."

  Peri's eyes filled as she said simply, but with great depth of feeling, "Thank you."

  "I want a couple of those," Finn said softly as Ry took Addison and the baby and went to where three giant monitors were set up. Lounge chairs were arranged so his guests could see the monitors, or lie back and watch the sky.

  Either they’d get a show. Or it would be a giant curtain call.

  "You do?" Peri kissed his chin.

  She sounded as surprised as he was. But the desire to have kids with Peri was as strong as he’d felt about any of his passions.

  "Hmm. You realize that we haven't used a condom for the last nine hundred and ninety- eight times we've made love, right?" Peri murmured, tracing a zig-zag path from his ear to his mouth with a finger tip through the dark stubble on his jaw.

  "Do you think we made a baby?"

  Her hand stilled. "You don't sound worried about it."

  "I'd love a daughter with your red hair and pioneering spirit, and a son with your jade eyes who'll colonize Mars. Or the other way around. I want to watch our children grow, and thrive. I want to teach them, and make sure that they know from the moment of conception that they're wanted and loved."

  “We’ll have to keep trying." Her jade eyes sparkled.

  In the background, he heard the footsteps and low murmurs of the others coming out on deck for the final showdown.

  Family. His now, too. An unexpected bonus.

  In Finn’s ear, Mission Control started the countdown, “Impact minus five minutes.”

  “It’s time.” Gently, he led Peri to stand near the others. “Kill the lights,” he instructed the captain via his headset.

  The ship instantly went dark. It was an eerie sight. In the distance, the other ship’s lights were pinpricks of gold dust, but the surrounding water was sprinkled with diamonds of starlight in the black dome of the sky.

  Lining the port-side decks below, the entire Blackstar crew, and all his office staff, looked out over the dark water. Tension pulsed in the near silence. No one spoke, people barely breathed.

  “Point to exactly where we should be looking.” Jonah’s voice was hushed with anticipation. Finn indicated the location. “What do you expect to see?”

  If they saw nothing it meant his rocket had missed its target. Hundreds of powerful telescopes around the world were focused on the same point. “A brief ball of fire as the rocket hits the asteroid, followed by a streak of fire as it harmlessly bounces on the atmosphere and hurtles into space.”

  Logan drew in a breath, tightening his hand in that of his wife’s, who stood by his side. “From your brilliant mind to God’s ear."

  "Amen," Dani whispered.

  “Holy shit, Rocketman, this is goddamned nerve-wracking!” Nick said quietly, arms wrapped tightly around Bria as they stood beside Finn and Peri at the rail.

  “It is exactly as Blackstar prophesied,” Vadini said reverently, his gaze intent on the sky. He dropped to his knees, clutching one of the tablets tightly to his chest, his lips moving in prayer.

  “He predicted that Finn would save the day, right?” Rydell, standing on the other side of Peri, had his arms around Addy and Adam as they too looked over the vastness of the dark ocean.

  “I have every faith in you, Finn,” Teal said. Zane stood beside her, their arms around each other’s waists. “This is epic, and I’m proud to be standing here at this very moment in history. Watching you make history.”

  “Two minutes to impact,” Finn repeated Halperin’s words, then held his breath, tightening his arm around Peri’s shoulders.

  "I take the pot," Jonah said with satisfaction.

  Logan gripped the rail. "Hasn't hit yet."

  "It will."

  "Don't spend your ill-gotten gains yet," Zane told him. "It might be over."

  All eyes went to the monitors. Real-time images from the onboard cameras in the nose of Red Star showed every detail of the comet in living color as it closed the distance to the giant rock hurtling toward them.

  Everyone tilted their heads to the sky. More reassuring, Finn thought, than seeing what was about to happen in real time on a giant screen. Millions of miles away, seen with the naked eye, was less threatening.

  "Watch the sky. Fifty-six seconds."

  "Come on come on come on," Peri whispered, fingers bunching his shirt, as she pressed tightly against his side. Fin tightened his arm around her shoulders.

  Finn continued the countdown, his own calm voice settling the threat of jitters in his gut.

  A flair of red sparked in the blackness, minutes earlier than predicted. Jonah was right. He'd won the bet. Finn's breath left his lungs in a rush, as he continued to repeat what Halperin was saying in his ear. “We made contact!”

  A bright orange ball of fire flashed, as Finn’s multi-million dollar rocket struck the asteroid.

  Zane whispered, “D
id it -?“

  “It hit!” Laughing, Finn swung Peri in a circle.

  “Damn, that was close.” Rydell slapped Finn on the back. “Congratulations to the man who saved the planet. Literally.”

  Everyone cheered as a tail of fire streaked across the blackness of the sky indicating the asteroid was bouncing on the atmosphere, as it harmlessly hurtled into space.

  “Shit, that was almost the end,” one of the Cutters said, voice hoarse.

  Gathering Peri into his arms, Finn whispered, “No. It’s only the beginning.”

  EPILOGUE

  One Year Later

  Finn had flown everyone, including Addy and Rydell, to the island on his fabulous jet, for their First Annual Cutter Cay Family Vacation. The word family had been stressed. Peri smiled. Repeatedly.

  It was late afternoon on the fourth day and they were all on the beach. Her skin felt pleasantly tight from an afternoon in the sea and the sun. She and Finn sprawled on a blanket in the deep shade of the fern-like leaves and brilliant clusters of red/orange flowers of an enormous Flame tree on the edge of the sand.

  Three-month-old Samantha, Zane and Teal's daughter lay on the blanket next to them, cooing and waving her arms and legs as if trying to catch the shifting light and shadows from the overhanging branches.

  Finn leaned against the wide trunk, Peri between his upraised knees, using his bare chest as a backrest. Relishing the smell of the ocean and evocative smell of recently lit charcoal, Peri lowered her sunglasses so she could see the true colors spread before her. The brilliant white sand, translucent, aquamarine water and a cloudless bowl of robin's egg blue overhead, were picture postcard perfect.

  Hiking her sundress a little farther up her thighs to catch the breeze, she inhaled, her mouth watering at the smoky, savory smell of grilling meat. Then smiled at the shouts and laughter from Zane and Teal, Jonah and Callie, as they ran back and forth, whacking a volleyball across the net. There was, of course, a bet riding on the winners, and a lot of trash talking accompanied by laughter.

  Peri breathed deeply in wonder at the carefree, happy sounds of her family. Taking a moment to absorb the sheer happiness of it all as she rested her head against Finn's chest and sighed with contentment. The babies rested on her bladder, and she really needed to pee. But she was too content, too lazy to move.

  One of the babies in her womb did a backflip. Her throat caught with emotion, and she moved Finn's hand, guiding it low on her belly so he could share the baby moving. "Woke up from your nap, did you, sweet pea? Oh. You're brother's coming to play, too."

  "How do you know which is which?" Finn rubbed his hand gently over her belly as one baby kicked, and the other rolled.

  "Your son's the soccer player. You're daughter's the gymnast."

  She felt Finn's smile as he rested his cheek on her crown. "Last week it was the other way round."

  "They'll keep us guessing 'till we meet them." Her stomach joined in the activity by rumbling. She seemed always to be starving. "Maybe they're responding to the smell of food. Hey, Dani?" Peri raised her voice to be heard. "Is my root beer in the cooler?" A disgustingly sweet soda that Peri had always despised, and now craved like an addict.

  "Yes, right next to the milk," Dani yelled back. "Want a drink now?"

  Her mouth watered. "I'll send Finn in a bit, thanks." Her bladder wasn't ready for her milk and root beer concoction right now.

  Logan and Nick flipped burgers, as Dani and Bria set up the rest of the food on a long trestle table in the shade of a nearby tree. Logan's dog, Buoy, barked as he darted between the table and the tempting smells from the grill.

  Lazily scooping sand into her palm she sifted the powder-soft grains between her fingers as she leaned against the solid bulk of Finn's chest. "Who, in a million years, could've imagined the two of us on vacation, let alone a family vacation?"

  He kissed her on the top of her head. “I’m not complaining. It's ironic, isn't it?" Finn rested his hand on her belly as they stared out at the placid Caribbean water lapping the sand. "We both ended up with the one thing we never dared dream of- family."

  "I never knew how lonely I was until I -wasn't. Talk about my cup overflowing."

  "You'll never have to be lonely again," Finn murmured against her temple. "Good thing this lot respects boundaries."

  Farther down the beach, Rydell and Addison splashed in the shallows swinging a giggling Adam between them. Her brother carried Antonio, Nick and Bria’s five-month- old, in one arm. Peri's eyes rested on her brother as he flung his head back and laughed at something his wife said. "I don't want him to feel left out. . ."

  "Look at him, love. He, Addison and Adam have been assimilated seamlessly into the Cutter clan. We've all been integrated as if it were meant to be."

  Turning her head, she smiled at him, loving the way his silvery eyes softened when he looked at her. Even after a year, their physical response to each other was off the charts. He was always touching her, as if she were his lodestone. She reached up to stroke the stubble on his jaw because she couldn't keep her hands off him either. "I've never seen you this relaxed." He'd even left his phone at Logan's house where they were staying, which was unprecedented.

  "I'm pretty damned relaxed after we make love."

  "Then you must be the most freaking relaxed man on the planet," Peri teased as she returned her attention to the strenuous volleyball game down the beach. The two couples had way too much freaking energy for a hot afternoon as they raced back and forth like crazy people, trying to spike the ball.

  "Sam's having. . .issues," he told her as the baby gave a mewling little whimper, that threatened to get louder.

  "Hand her over. It isn't rocket science. She's either hungry, needs a diaper change or wants a cuddle."

  Finn settled the baby in her arms. He shifted her so she could hold the baby more easily. “I’ll be ready when ours arrive. I promise.”

  Peri checked the baby's diaper, and since it was dry, and Sam still fussed, reached for her bottle. “Sure. I can imagine that being part of your daily calendar.” The baby latched onto the bottle's nipple as if she hadn't eaten all day. Peri knew the feeling.

  Finn pulled the diaper bag over for her to brace her elbow on as she fed Sam. “I’m already reallocating the time," he told her. "We can negotiate when the time comes, but for now I've estimated eight diaper changes per day for me. Four per baby. Ten minutes apiece.”

  Peri suppressed a smile. “I don’t think you can schedule a diaper change.”

  “They said I’d never make it to Mars.”

  "Hmm. I don't even want to know how you propose making them poop on schedule. But even if you could- and you'd make an untold million sharing the secret with other busy parents- a diaper change won’t take ten minutes.”

  “Figured there'll be cuddling time at each one.”

  The baby spat out the nipple. Peri lifted her to her shoulder, waited for the bubbly burp, then handed her over to Finn. "Practice."

  Finn, used to holding an infant, held Sam upright, gently rubbing her tiny back. Peri's heart melted.

  Dani and Logan were still trying to get pregnant, and as promised, Callie and Jonah were the doting uncle and aunt, already spoiling eighteen-month-old toddler Adam, and taking diaper, and babysitting duties when called on, for Sam and Antonio. And in about three months, if she didn't get so big she floated away like the Goodyear blimp, she and Finn would add their two babies to the pack.

  There'd be a lot of diapers involved. But they were all in it together, all of them used to the erratic, crazy wonder of it all. After some instruction from Rydell on the care and feeding of a baby, Finn had taken to handling all aspects of babyhood like a duck to water.

  "Hello, Samantha," he said, holding the baby so she could see his face, "You're getting stronger every day, aren't you?" His tone wasn't baby talk, but as if he were speaking to an intelligent adult. The baby stared into his eyes, her little hands waving. "Yes, pretty girl, I saw you lifting your head
just now. Any minute now you'll be running around with your cousin, Adam, won't you? And when you’re ready for school, I’ll help you with science and math. "

  "She understands you," Peri said, amused as the baby cooed and gave Finn a gummy grin.

  “Of course she does. And if I speak to her like an adult, then when she starts speaking, she’ll speak more like one, too.”

  “Really? And where did that fascinating parenting tip come from?”

  “I’ve been doing research.”

  “Of course you have.” Peri laughed softly. “You don’t do anything halfway.” It didn't matter if Finn was in a boardroom, directing a missile to intersect with an asteroid, or holding a baby, Peri had never seen him out of his element.

  "You're a very pretty girl, Samantha Cutter," he told the baby. "And I can see you're going to be as smart as your Mom and Dad. Being so pretty won't hurt. You're going to be a heartbreaker, yes you are."

  Peri laughed. "You're going to be a terrific father." He was so good with all the babies. Peri could barely wait for their own to be born. She was six months pregnant with twins and felt as big as a whale. She never considered how much of a challenge it would be to walk around when her center of gravity was shifted.

  "We could stay here—"

  She shook her head. "Not for three freaking months we can't. As idyllic as the island is, we'd both go nuts if we had to stay here for any longer than this couple of weeks. This is the first vacation you've taken in your life, you have to ease into it." The man barely slept and had the energy of a hummingbird on speed. That was going to come in handy with two babies. "I want them born on Blackstar where they were conceived. Arely will make a fine midwife."

  "I defer to your decision. Blackstar it will be." He stroked her tummy. "This is pretty damn perfect. Your pretty damn perfect, Mrs. Gallagher." Finn shifted her so he could rub the exact spot on her back that ached. Peri hummed her pleasure.

  "Want to walk to the Counting House after we eat?"

  "If I can move, sure."

  Standing at the top of a long jetty, on the west end of the island, the two-story wood structure of the Counting House looked as though the next tropical hurricane would blow it away. But like Zane’s Decrepit, its rickety looks were deceiving.