An Alaskan Twin Surprise Read online

  The family he was supposed to have...

  His runaway bride is back...

  With twins!

  The last person Gabriel Lawson expects to find in town is Rachel Marshall—especially with twin toddlers in tow. Gabriel refuses to risk his heart again on the woman who left him at the altar years ago. But working to renovate her mother’s house means he must spend time with Rachel and her adorable twins...and soon he can’t help but wish they were his family.

  “There’s something I should tell you,” she said.

  Gabriel held up his hand. “Rachel, it’s all water under the bridge. There’s really nothing we have to talk about after all this time. Anything you want to say should have been said years ago.”

  When he’d wanted to talk things over with her three years ago, Rachel’s response had been to skip out on him a few days before their wedding. She’d left him nothing more than a hastily scribbled note saying she couldn’t marry him. All attempts to reach her had been rebuffed. She had effectively cut him out of her world.

  “It’s really important.” Her brown eyes beseeched him to listen. The sense of urgency in her tone couldn’t be ignored.

  Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from the other room. Rachel shut her eyes and let out a groan. More cries followed. It sounded like a baby wailing. Was Helene blasting the television? He didn’t even remember there being one in the living room.

  A funny feeling washed over him. All of his nerve endings were on fire. The sounds appeared to be growing louder by the second. “What is that noise?” he asked.

  Rachel bit her lip. “I didn’t come here alone, Gabriel. I brought my babies with me.”

  Belle Calhoune grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. Married to her college sweetheart, she is raising two lovely daughters in Connecticut. A dog lover, she has one mini poodle and a chocolate Lab. Writing for the Love Inspired line is a dream come true. Working at home in her pajamas is one of the best perks of the job. Belle enjoys summers in Cape Cod, traveling and reading.

  Books by Belle Calhoune

  Love Inspired

  Home to Owl Creek

  Her Secret Alaskan Family

  An Alaskan Twin Surprise

  Alaskan Grooms

  An Alaskan Wedding

  Alaskan Reunion

  A Match Made in Alaska

  Reunited at Christmas

  His Secret Alaskan Heiress

  An Alaskan Christmas

  Her Alaskan Cowboy

  Reunited with the Sheriff

  Forever Her Hero

  Heart of a Soldier

  AN ALASKAN TWIN SURPRISE

  Belle Calhoune

  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

  —Psalm 119:105

  For my brother, Eric Calhoune. Your love and support have always meant the world to me.

  Acknowledgments

  For all of my readers: I’m so grateful for your continued support and enthusiasm.

  A special thank you to my editor, Emily Rodmell, and senior editor, Melissa Endlich, for allowing me to write this story.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from A Summer Amish Courtship by Emma Miller

  Chapter One

  Rachel Marshall had been dreaming about her return to Owl Creek, Alaska, for a very long time. It had been an eternity since she’d felt this arctic wind whipping against her cheeks and smelled the crisp, pure Alaskan air. Way too much time stood between her and this town, she thought, as regret sliced through her. It had been three years since she’d fled her hometown and made a life for herself in Colorado. Even now it seemed hard to believe that she’d taken off two days before her wedding. Back then she’d allowed fear to rule her life.

  Rachel hadn’t expected to feel this strong rush of emotion with regard to coming home, but it had hit her like a ton of bricks the moment she’d seen Anchorage from the airplane. Her chest had tightened as the rugged mountains and stunning landscape came into view. Then her pulse had quickened once she’d caught sight of the breathtaking harbor as the ferry steamed toward Owl Creek. Alaska! Home. A place like no other in this world.

  Truthfully, it had been an exhausting journey from Denver. She’d avoided taking a seaplane from the Anchorage airport, knowing if she’d done so the news of her return would spread like wildfire through Owl Creek. She had no interest in fanning the flames of gossips. And besides, she didn’t like flying on small planes. They reminded her too much of darkness and the loss of her father. Instead, Rachel opted for the ferry, which had been a bit of a challenge with two little ones to consider. The twins hadn’t slept a wink ever since Anchorage, and then as soon as they’d reached Owl Creek, both girls had fallen fast asleep.

  All of a sudden, her breathing became shallow. Raw emotion washed over her. She’d never once imagined returning to her hometown under these grim circumstances. Letting out a deep breath, she reminded herself of the reasons she’d chosen to come back home and take a leave of absence from her nursing position at Memorial General Hospital. Her mother’s illness. Her duty as a nurse. Mama needed her. Now more than ever.

  “I’m not doing so well, Rachel. Doc said the cancer is spreading.” Once her mother had said those words to her she’d immediately made arrangements to come home to Owl Creek.

  Helene Marshall was a proud woman who’d never asked for much in the way of help.

  This time was different though. Her mother knew it was the only thing that made sense. Her illness was worsening, and she couldn’t afford to hire a round-the-clock nurse to see to her needs.

  Rachel had known she couldn’t ignore her familial obligations despite the fragmented relationship between her and her mom. She’d already lost so much. Losing her mother would be a devastating blow. It would be far worse if she didn’t have the opportunity to care for her and to try and bridge the gap between them.

  By the time she reached her mother’s house, Rachel was completely exhausted.

  She stood a few feet away from her childhood home and gazed at the modest ranch-style abode as memories washed over her. There had been such good times spent in this house. Most of those wonderful moments had ended right along with the premature death of her father. For Rachel it had seemed as if all the light was extinguished from her world when Lance had left them so suddenly. It still caused an ache of sadness and grief to overwhelm her. She shook off the melancholy emotions, choosing instead to focus on the here and now. She would need strength for what was to come. As a nurse she was accustomed to working with sick and dying patients, but caring for her mother would be far more personal than usual.

  Rachel dug into her purse and pulled out the gold house key. She performed a juggling act as she let herself in, all while dealing with two sleeping babies in car seats. She put one carrier down inside the threshold, then pushed the other one in with her foot. A feeling of exhilaration soared through her. She’d done it! The girls had been premature babies and were still smaller than most one-year-olds. Nevertheless, lugging them around in their car seats was still an effort. Despite the complexities, she had made it all the way from Denver to her remo te Alaskan hometown with her daughters.

  Once she’d made it inside the house with the girls, she immediately called out to her mother. “Mama! It’s Rachel. I’m home.” Saying the words left her throat feeling clogged with emotion. She would never be able to put into words how much she’d missed being in this very place and how badly she’d wanted to return home. Despite all of the hard times she’d endured in this house, it fit her like a second skin.

  “I’m in here!” her mother responded in a feeble voice. Rachel cringed at the sound of it, bracing herself at the prospect of coming face-to-face with her mother after all this time.

  When Rachel had left Owl Creek her mother had been robust and healthy. Now, Helene was facing a seemingly insurmountable illness. She walked toward the sound of her mother’s voice, heading into the spacious family room. Rachel sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her sitting in a rocking chair by the window. Although Helene was a beautiful woman, cancer had left an indelible mark on her. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in and dark shadows rested beneath her eyes, no doubt due to her decreased appetite and restless nights.

  “I’ve been waiting for you all day!” her mother said, scowling at her. Clearly she had seen their arrival from her bird’s-eye view of the front yard. Rachel sighed. She couldn’t tell whether her mother was pleased by their presence or not. Helene had always been hard to read and impossible to please. Swallowing her nerves, Rachel quickly moved toward her mother and placed a kiss on her temple. Helene reached up and smoothed her palm across Rachel’s cheek. It was something she’d been doing ever since she was a small child, yet it surprised her to feel the slight caress. It had been ages since she’d experienced it.

  “They’re pretty little girls,” her mother said in a begrudging tone as she gave the babies the once-over, her expression stoic. “Which is which? You’ve barely sent me any pictures of them at all.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured, deciding to hold her tongue rather than remind her mother of their fractured relationship. Helene had a bad habit of only remembering the things she chose to recall. A quick glance around the room revealed not a single picture of the twins was on display. Rachel tried not to let it bother her.

  “This is Faith in the pink and Elizabeth is wearing the mint-green coat. I call her Lizzy.”

  Pride rang out in her tone. She held so much love in her heart for her daughters. When she’d given birth to them, Rachel had vowed to never let anything come between her and her girls. And she never would.

  “No one here in town knows about the twins,” Helene said, locking gazes with Rachel. Her voice took on a wary tone. “It will come as quite a surprise to most folks when they see you with them.”

  Her mother’s words served as a none-too-subtle warning. The townsfolk would be stunned by her return to Owl Creek with twin babies in tow. Not a single person would forget the manner in which she’d fled town three years ago. And she would face judgment in some circles for being an unwed mother.

  It wasn’t shocking at all to Rachel that her mother had sought to hide the existence of her grandbabies. Helene Marshall had always been very concerned about wagging tongues and gossip. Ever since Rachel could remember, she’d carefully guarded the reputation of the Marshall family to ensure their good name remained intact. Rachel had once cared about those things, but as a single mother raising twins, she no longer had time to worry about it.

  “Well, that very well may be the case, but I’m not going to hide away from prying eyes,” she said, her chin trembling. “I’ll never regret these two little blessings.” Nothing could ever make her feel ashamed of her sweet darlings despite the circumstances of their birth. Not even her mother’s disapproval.

  Helene just stared at her and said nothing further. Rachel knew her pursed lips meant she wasn’t pleased by her daughter’s response. In the past she’d hardly ever brought her mother a sense of pride. Rachel had always been lacking in Helene’s eyes, and it still caused a world of hurt to rise up inside her. Even with an RN degree, Rachel still felt unworthy. In the past few years she had tried to better herself by dedicating her life to her profession and the girls. She wondered if her mother would even notice.

  The peal of the doorbell startled Rachel, dragging her out of her thoughts.

  “Go answer the door, Rachel. I’m expecting a delivery!” Helene barked.

  Rachel darted a glance at Lizzy and Faith. “I’ll watch the girls for you,” her mother said. “I don’t think they’ll wake up. They both look plum tuckered out.” A quick glance at the twins confirmed that they were still sound asleep in their carriers. They couldn’t look more content.

  Rachel let out a sigh at Helene’s tone. Some things never changed. Her mother was still as sharp-tongued and dictatorial as ever. She quickly made her way to the front door and pulled it open. When she saw who was standing there, Rachel let out a gasp that echoed in the silence. All of sudden a feeling of unease gripped her. Even if someone had warned her, she wouldn’t have been prepared for this cataclysmic moment.

  Lord, help me...

  “Gabriel!” The name flew out of her mouth. It had been so long since she’d uttered his name. It almost sounded foreign to her ears. For the better part of three years, Rachel had forced herself not to think about him. It brought her too much pain to dwell on what might have been if she hadn’t run away from Owl Creek due to her fear of losing him in a plane crash. Gabriel’s mouth was open, but he didn’t say a word. His soulful brown eyes did all the talking for him. They radiated shock and confusion at the sight of the woman who’d left him in the lurch two days before they were supposed to get married.

  * * *

  Gabriel Lawson felt as if his legs might give out underneath him. For a moment he struggled to catch his breath. His ex-fiancée, Rachel Marshall, was standing mere inches away from him, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. With her warm brown skin, dark wavy hair and russet-colored eyes, she had always been a striking woman. The most beautiful girl in Owl Creek. His chest tightened as the weight of this moment settled over him. Seconds ticked by as he drank her in.

  Words were lost to him. It felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut.

  “Rachel.” Somehow he managed to speak past his shock and confusion. Their eyes met and held. Neither one seemed able to look away from the other until a noise from down the hall jolted them both out of their stupor.

  She waved him inside the house, and he walked in as if on autopilot. No one had told him about Rachel’s return, least of all, her mother, Helene Marshall, who he saw a few times a week. A hundred different thoughts careened through his mind. Why had she come back to Owl Creek after all this time?

  “W-When did you get home?” He blurted out the question as his mind whirled with a dozen or so more inquiries he wanted to hurl at her. All things considered, this seemed like a safe thing to ask.

  “A little while ago,” she answered in a low voice. “It was a long trip from Denver.”

  She was shifting from one foot to another and casting nervous glances over her shoulder. Denver! So that’s where she’d landed. He’d heard rumors about her whereabouts on more than a few occasions. Hawaii. Seattle. Wyoming. Her mother had always remained tight-lipped on the subject, seemingly unwilling to disclose such information to Gabriel. After a while he hadn’t even wanted to know such detailed facts about the woman he’d been desperate to forget.

  “Who flew you in?” he asked, battling feelings of betrayal. He knew everyone in the local plane community, and he couldn’t think of a single one who wouldn’t have given him a heads-up regarding Rachel’s return. They wouldn’t have wanted him to be blindsided in this manner since everyone in town knew their tangled history.

  “We flew to Anchorage, then took the ferry over,” she explained.

  We. The word immediately put him on edge, causing his body to stiffen. Had Rachel come back with a husband or a fiancé? Despite his frequent trips to her childhood home to bring Helene medicine and groceries, they never talked about the woman he’d once planned to marry. Rachel had always been a taboo topic of conversation, and he had no idea whether she’d moved on in her life and found the happiness he hadn’t been able to give her. Frankly, he didn’t want to know. She was a part of the past he’d been trying to stuff down for the last few years.

  “So, what brings you here?” Rachel’s gaze drifted toward the bag he was holding in his arms. She seemed nervous. He imagined she was feeling just as awkward as he was.

  “I’ve been bringing supplies by and taking your mom to appointments when I can swing it,” he explained. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been of much help lately due to his hectic work schedule. But moving forward, he intended to spend a lot more time here due to his promise to help Helene with a home-renovation project. However, that might prove to be incredibly awkward due to Rachel’s unexpected presence at the house.

  Her expression registered surprise. “That’s really nice of you. The two of you were always so close. Mama didn’t mention a word about it though.” She knitted her brows together, as if trying to process the information he’d just provided.

  He shrugged. “It’s the least I could do. She has a few friends stopping by along with Pastor Zeke and the visiting nurse, but it must get lonely out here since she’s all by herself.”

  Rachel visibly bristled. He’d only been stating the facts, but his words were probably sounding like judgment to her ears. He had unwittingly poked at a sensitive subject.

  “I only recently found out she was sick. She didn’t tell Neil either. I came as soon as I could make plans to take leave from my job and sublet my condo.”

  Gabriel nodded. “I’m sure she’s grateful. She’d never admit it, but I think she’s missed you a lot.”

  “You’re right about that,” Rachel muttered under her breath. “She would never say those words to me in a million years.”