"It's a boy," Adam whispered. "We have a son!"

A tear rolled down Ryan's cheek and he hastened to shrug it away with his shoulder.

Ethan crowded in and Adam held the squirming, slippery bundle up for Ethan to take.

"Can you take care of the cord?" Adam asked. "I'll need to make sure she delivers the placenta."

Ethan reached reverently for the wailing baby, tears glittering in his eyes as well. The three brothers exchanged glances, their eyes full of emotion. Ryan squeezed her in his arms, the rush of love he felt for her so strong it was all he could do to contain himself.

Ethan cut and tied off the cord then wrapped a blanket around the baby. He walked over and gently lowered the bundle into Holly's outstretched arms.

Ryan got his first glimpse of his son. Holly cradled him in her arms, her fingers lightly exploring his tiny face and fingers.

"He's beautiful," she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion.

Ryan sat there, holding them both in his arms. He held everything that mattered right there, close to him, against his heart. Another tear rolled down his cheek and this time he didn't wipe it away.

"I love you," he choked out against her hair.

Ethan bent in close to kiss Holly's temple then he lowered his face to kiss the baby's brow. "Thank you," Ethan whispered. "He's absolutely beautiful."

Holly turned her face up to beam at both him and Ethan. "Isn't he though?"

She turned the baby into her breast, offering him her nipple. After a few moments of the baby nuzzling and rooting, Holly managed to get him latched on. Soon he was contentedly feeding.

Footsteps sounding in the hall and a second later the midwife bustled in. She took in the scene then beamed over at Holly. "Well, I'd say you all did just fine without me."

22.

She hustled over and took control of the situation. She shooed the men away, giving them each a different task, a.s.suring them they could come back just as soon as she'd had a chance to get mother and baby cleaned up and checked over.

23.

Chapter Six.

Holly lay in a clean bed, a clean gown on and her baby in her arms. The midwife had fussed over her, gotten her and the baby cleaned up and checked over before beaming at her and declaring her and the baby just fine.

She felt tired. Exhausted, really. The midwife had wrapped her ankle and cautioned her to stay off of it for a several days. Not that Holly planned on getting out of bed anytime soon. She might just sleep for a week.

But she'd never been happier than at this moment.

The midwife bustled out, saying she'd be out to check on her and the baby the next day. Immediately afterwards, the guys filed in, all headed to where Holly lay.

They crowded around, easing on to the bed with her but being careful not to jostle her.

They stared in awe at the baby, each taking turns touching his cheek or his tiny fingers.

"He's beautiful," Ethan whispered reverently.

Ryan curled an arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him. "Are you all right? How are you feeling?"

"Yes, baby, how are you feeling?" Adam asked, concern darkening his eyes.

Her chest clenched. Tears swam in her eyes as she surveyed the scene before her. "I'm fine," she choked out. "I've never been better." And it was the truth. How did life possibly get better than at this moment? It would never be as perfect again.

This picture would be forever locked in her memory. As frightened as she'd been, now that it was over, she couldn't imagine a better delivery. No sterile hospital environment. No strangers bringing her son into the world. Just the men she loved more than life. Just the way it should be.

She looked up at Ryan who was still studying the baby with an expression akin to rapture. "Do you want to hold him? You're the only one who hasn't yet."

"I'd love it," he said huskily.

She lifted the bundle up, and Ryan eased his large hands around the tiny baby. He cradled him to his chest and watched in fascination as his son opened his eyes.

"What are we going to name him?" Ethan asked.

"Seth," Holly replied. "I like the name Seth."

"Seth Colter. It's a fine name," Adam said, his eyes softening when they met Holly's. "Thank you."

She c.o.c.ked her head, smiling up at him. "For what?"

"For our son. For loving us. For understanding us," he returned.

Her throat tightened, and for a moment she couldn't have spoken if she wanted. She struggled to process the surge of emotion that built and swelled within her. Suddenly it was too much and not enough all at the same time.

She was safe. She was loved. She loved with all her heart. She was home.

25.

About the Author.

To learn more about Maya Banks please visit www.mayabanks.com. Send an email to Maya at

Look for these t.i.tles by Now Available:.

Seducing Simon.

Understood Overheard Undenied Brazen.

Love Me, Still Stay With Me Reckless Golden Eyes.

Amber Eyes Falcon Mercenary Group Into the Mist Into the Lair Linger.

Songbird.

Coming Soon: Colters' Lady.

Colters' Daughter.

Can their love give her the strength to overcome the tragedy in her past?

Colters' Lady.

2010 Colters' Legacy, Book Two.

When police officer Seth Colter sees the delicate, shabbily dressed beauty in line at the soup kitchen where he's serving, he's gut shot over the idea of her being on the streets cold and alone. More baffling is the dark, possessive instinct that tells him she belongs to him.

For Lily Weston, home is a secluded nook in a back alley-until Seth offers her a place to stay. She's wary of his offer, but even one night out of the cold is too much temptation to resist.

Seth is convinced Lily is his. The problem is, when his brothers lay eyes on her, the same primitive instinct comes roaring to the surface. The Colters never imagined they'd follow the unconventional path of their fathers, but they can't ignore their mutual need to offer Lily their protection-and their love. But before Lily and the brothers can forge a future together, they must heal the deep wounds of her past.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Colters' Lady: Seth Colter walked into the soup kitchen and was greeted by a chorus of h.e.l.los from several police officers from his precinct.

"Hey man, I didn't think you were going to make it," Craig Sumner called.

Seth cracked a smile, surprised at how glad he was to see the guys he'd worked with for the past few years. "I said I would be here."

"How are you feeling?" Rob Morgan asked as he slapped Seth on the back.

"Better," Seth acknowledged, and for the first time in weeks, he realized it was the truth. He did feel better. He'd been sleeping better lately, and his dreams weren't so littered with the images of a faceless gunman and the exploding pain of a bullet tearing through his shoulder.

"Hey, that's great. You'll be back before you know it," Craig said.

Seth nodded. Yeah, he'd be back. He hated being away from the job. He hated being away from the camaraderie of his fellow cops. For the first while, he'd sequestered himself in his apartment, refusing visitors. He hadn't wanted their pity. He'd resented the h.e.l.l out of the fact that they were still on the job and he was stuck in his apartment popping pain pills and hoping he regained the use of his arm.

"What do you want me to do?" Seth asked.

Craig threw him an ap.r.o.n. "Get behind the serving line. We open in fifteen minutes. And hurry.

Margie runs a tight ship."

"I heard that."

Seth turned to see a small, gray-haired lady standing behind him, her green eyes bathed in warmth.

"h.e.l.lo, Seth." She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. "It's so good to see you again. Are you taking care of yourself?"

She patted him on the cheek for good measure, and he smiled as he returned her embrace.

"I'm good, Margie. How about yourself?"

"Oh, I'm the same as ever. Busy. Just how I like it. Now you better get to your station before I open the doors. Looks like we have a lot of folks lined up to eat today."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a grin.

"See?" Craig said. "She's a complete slave driver."

Feeling lighter than he had in a while, Seth tied on the white chef's ap.r.o.n and walked behind the buffet to stand in front of the baked chicken.

"Smells good, Margie. Who did you harangue into catering for you this time?" Seth asked.

She grinned. "I called in a favor. Or two."

He laughed. Margie Walker was simply good people. She was a surrogate mother to many, but beneath the good-as-gold exterior lay a hard-driving woman who didn't think twice about leaning on people to help her causes. Her pet project was Margie's Place. Simply named but it was appropriate. Every day, rain or shine, she opened her doors to the homeless and she always had enough food to feed as many as filtered through her doors. No one was entirely sure how she managed it, but she always did.

His precinct routinely volunteered and they worked in shifts. Seth and five others came in once a month to serve, although for him it had been three months since he'd last been in.

"Okay guys, I'm opening up," Margie called as she walked over to the doors.

For the next two hours, a steady stream of people came through the line. Workers from the kitchen brought out more food as soon as the trays emptied, and the guys dished it up.

The flow had dwindled when Seth looked up to see the most startling pair of blue eyes he'd ever seen in his life. In the process of extending the pair of tongs with a piece of chicken, he stared in shock at the woman standing in front of him, small hands gripped tightly around the dinner tray.

There was something infinitely fragile about her and equally arresting. His gut tightened, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. Or maybe he was unable to.

Dressed in a shabby, worn sweater and a pair of jeans so faded they were nearly white, the woman stared back at him, wispy midnight curls escaping the knit cap she wore.

She was beautiful. And haunting. Her gaze looked wounded and faint smudges rimmed her eyes. A fierce surge of protectiveness welled up inside him, baffling him.

Her fingers tightened around the tray, and she started to move forward without the chicken he still held in the air like an idiot. He thrust it forward onto her plate.

Then she smiled, and it took what little breath he had left and squeezed it painfully from his lungs.

"Thank you," she said sweetly.

She moved down the line as a man moved into the spot where she'd stood and looked expectantly at Seth. Still staring after the woman, Seth slapped the next piece of chicken on the man's tray and wondered what the h.e.l.l had just happened here.

He watched as she sat away from the others, finding a corner where there were only two chairs at a tiny table that looked out a window.