Having Adam's Baby. Christyne Butler

paused, her hand on the handle, not turning around.

      “I arrived yesterday, ahead of everyone else,” Adam continued, his voice carrying across the room, “but just so you know, the return date for the entire unit has been moved up. You should be getting notified.”

      Tears burned at the back of her eyes. Why would she be called about the new date? It wasn’t like she had anyone coming home.

      “I’m trying to lay low,” Adam went on, “get used to being home before I see … anyone.”

      “Don’t worry.” A sob caused her breath to hitch as she yanked open the door. “Your secret is safe with me.”

      Adam waited until late Saturday afternoon before heading to the Murphy family compound. There was no sign of his parents’ RV camper even though they’d emailed everyone this morning to say they’d be home by dinnertime.

      He pulled his pickup truck into the parking area at the rear of the sprawling two-story log home that also served as the corporate office for Murphy Mountain Log Homes, and cut the engine.

      He sat for a moment and took in the buildings and grounds. A feeling of peace filled him.

      The first person he saw was his niece, Abby.

      Nolan’s oldest child, she sat in the gazebo that was a thirtieth-anniversary gift from him and his brothers to their parents a decade ago. Head bent, her long blond hair hid her face as she concentrated on whatever she held in her hands.

      He got out of his truck and headed up the path toward her. The sun was warm through the cotton material of his short-sleeved shirt. Boy, it felt good to be in civilian clothes again, to be wearing cowboy boots instead of combat boots.

      Abby evidently didn’t hear him approach. As soon as he saw her fingers flying over the smooth keyboard of her cell phone he knew why. So he leaned against the open door frame. “Hey, is this the Murphy place?”

      Her head shot up. “Yeah?”

      He tugged down his mirrored sunglasses and peeked at her over the rim. A wide smile came over her face.

      “Uncle Adam!”

      Jumping into his arms, she gave him a big hug. Abby and her brothers were visiting their mother in Boston when he was last home in April, so it’d been eleven months since he’d seen them. What a difference a year made.

      “Boy, have you gotten tall.” He returned her hug, set her down and righted his sunglasses. “And even prettier, if that’s possible. Where are the twins?”

      Abby grinned at his compliment and rolled her eyes. “You mean Tweedledum and Tweedledumber? Probably inside playing video games on Uncle Dev’s computer.”

      Adam laughed. “Is that any way to talk about your brothers?”

      “I’ve heard you all calling each other worse names than that,” she shot back. “Most of which I’m not allowed to repeat.”

      “Hey, those weren’t meant for young ears.”

      She tucked her phone into her pocket. “My ears turned sixteen last winter.”

      “Something I’m sure your father is thrilled about.” Adam laid an arm across her shoulders. “Where is everyone?”

      She gestured toward the main house. “Having their usual Saturday afternoon wrap-up before a family barbeque. Nana and Pop are coming home today. Aren’t you supposed to be overseas?”

      “Yep, so let’s surprise them.” Adam headed up the walkway, his niece tucked in close next to him. “Glad school is out?”

      He listened as Abby chattered about her summer plans, his gaze moving around the family’s property that bordered a lake with an official Indian name too difficult to pronounce so everyone just called it “the lake.” There were two smaller log homes that sat nestled in the surrounding trees and the skeletal framing of a third that stood closer to the water near the boathouse.

      Nolan had moved into the larger home with his three kids after they’d moved back to Destiny a couple of years ago. According to an email from his mother, the newlyweds, Bryant and Laurie, occupied the one-bedroom cabin where he’d lived for a few years. What he couldn’t see was the log chapel situated deeper in the woods his family had built and where Bryant and Laurie were married last fall.

      They entered the main house through his mother’s kitchen, right off the oversize deck. The large and sunny room, like the rest of the place, had grown and changed over the years as the family and the business had. Back here, and the two wings on either side, was where his three single brothers still lived along with his folks.

      The front of the house was comprised of offices, conference rooms, a wide staircase that led to the second-story guest quarters and a reception area that doubled as a gathering spot for clients, staff and, on the weekends, family.

      A hard kick of anticipation landed in Adam’s stomach. This past year had been tough, especially with his unit losing two of its own during this last tour. Escorting the body of his best friend home the previous summer had been the hardest duty Adam had ever done during his twenty years of service.

      Despite all that, he was damn glad to be back in Destiny.

      “Dad said you wouldn’t be back for another week.” Abby looked up at him and grinned. “Wait here. I’ll let him know someone wants to see him. They’re all gonna be stupefied when you walk into the room.”

      His niece’s unique description was a step above the reaction he’d gotten yesterday from Fay.

      Waiting out of sight on the other side of the large log archway, his mind went back to everything he and Fay had said—and didn’t say—to each other.

      Much like he’d done ever since she’d walked out his door.

      He wanted to call her, to see if she was feeling all right. She’d looked so tired. But every time he grabbed his cell phone, something kept him from dialing her number.

      His plan to steer clear was going to be impossible to keep. He’d known that the moment he’d first seen her, touched her.

      Except he was sure Fay didn’t feel the same way.

      “Hey, Dad, you got a visitor outside.” Abby’s voice carried across the room. “Can I show him in?”

      “Now?” His brother’s reply was laced with irritation.

      Adam grinned. Nolan was the next in line after him, younger with less than two years separating them, so his annoyance was nothing new.

      “The last thing I want right now is to put on a happy face for a client.”

      “How about for a brother?” Adam stepped out and headed for the U-shaped seating area in front of the large stone fireplace. “Can I put a grin on that ugly mug of yours?”

      Chaos broke out as everyone jumped to their feet and rushed him. Nolan reached him first, his smile broad and sincere. Adam found himself returning hugs with each of his brothers and high-fiving his thirteen-year-old nephews who came to see what all the noise was about.

      He ignored Dev’s whispered comment about owing him for keeping his mouth shut, congratulated his kid brother Ric on earning his college degree and ended with giving his new sister-in-law a big kiss since he’d missed seeing her in April, as she’d been traveling on company business.

      “Well done, you two.” He shot Bryant a wink. “Glad that brother of mine finally made an honest woman of you.”

      “When I told him he either had to marry me or find himself a new senior management accountant, he finally came around.” Laurie grinned. “We’re sorry you couldn’t be there for the ceremony.”

      “No worries.” He’d had a trip home planned last October for the wedding, but his plans had been changed at the last minute, courtesy of the U.S. military. “Glad you went ahead