Chapter 48

They stopped to have a late breakfast at Stella's. Parker made her way through biscuits and gravy while Kelly worked on banana pancakes.

"You love coming here don't you?" Kelly asked.

"I do. It's good. We had a date here."

"We did," he remembered. "You had blueberry pancakes."

"You remembered that?"

"Of course I did. You looked so cute. You had your ponytail through the back of your Cubs cap. It cracks me up when you girl do that."

"Keeps it from coming loose."

"I always wondered about that."

Parker sipped her tea. She missed coffee, but there was no way in the world she was going to drink decaf. It looked, tasted, and smelled like crap. "You had the wake up special."

"I'm surprised you remembered that."

"Easy to remember. I was half in love with you, and I kept telling myself I was crazy."

"And here we are, a wedding, two kids, a house, and a Grandma later."

Parker smiled. "I swear you fell in love with Grandma the second you met her."

"I did."

"She was always on your side."

The server refilled Kelly's coffee and set down another pot of hot water in front of Parker.

"You sure you don't want to know what the baby is?"

"You're just dying to tell me, aren't you?"

"I can't help it. I'm happy."

She reached across the table and took his hand. "I can tell."

"Wow, Lieutenant, I never expected to see you here."

Kelly looked up to see Joe Cruz with the twins. "Hey, Cruz. Good to see you. Hi, Michael, Gabriel. Soccer practice, huh?"

They nodded.

"They're hungry. Figured this was faster than going home and having Tay cook."

"Sounds like a plan."

"So what are you two up to?"

"We just got done at the doctor's. We had the ultrasound today."

"Yeah. How did that go?"

"Everything's fine. And yes, we found out the gender. She doesn't want to know."

"Taylor was the same way. But once we found out we were having twins, she changed her mind."

Michael or Gabriel tugged on Joe's hand. "Come on, Dad. We're hungry."

"Ok, ok. Settle down," he told the twins. "I'd better go."

Kelly nodded.

Once Joe had found a table with the twins, Kelly glanced back at them, and shook his head. "Those two are terrors."

"So I've heard. I heard they knocked over the Christmas tree at the house Christmas party."

"They did. It was the year Philip was a newborn. They knocked it right over. I thought Boden was going to have a stroke."

"For real? Boden is a pretty mellow guy."

"He is for the most part. But there are limits to his patience."

"Just like everyone else."

Kelly eyed Parker's bacon. "Are you going to eat your bacon?"

"Yes. Order another rasher. I love you dearly, Kelly Michael, but there is no way in Hell I am giving you my bacon."

Kelly's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously? You won't share your bacon?"

"I'll share everything else with you, but bacon is the one thing I will not share."

"Man. You're tough, Park."

"I just love bacon."

"Obviously if you won't share."

"Stop pouting. You can get a side fresh and hot."

"True. Looks like I'd better order a rasher for you too."

"Please."

"Ok, but only because you're pregnant and hormonal."

"You're too good to me."