"The doctors wanted me to tell you the good news. You're fine," he told Charity. "A few bruises and sprains, and we're to watch you for reaction to the concussion, but that's all."

"The baby?"

"It's fine." He looked at Ross. "They want to keep her for the night for observation. They'll come in to talk to her, and then we can take her home in the morning."

Ross raised an eyebrow. "Well, Mason, you're going to have to choose whether you want to be best man or give away the bride. Or do you suppose you could do both?"

Mason looked perplexed, and then his face broke into a delighted grin. "Are you two finally getting married?" he scoffed teasingly. "It's about time. I'm sick of worrying about you. Now maybe I can go back to my normal life."

"Anything to make things easier for you," Ross teased right back. "But we'll be living right next door." He turned to Charity and gestured toward her brother. "We've practically got a live-in baby-sitter already."

"Oh, no you don't." Mason started toward the door. "I draw the line at changing diapers."

"We'll be taking this baby everywhere we go," Charity reassured him. "And, Ross, one more thing. When we make that first trip to Australia, do you think we could stop off in Hawaii? I... I want my mother to meet you."

Ross and Mason exchanged glances. "Of course," Ross said, waving to Mason as he left the room. "But right now we need to get back to thinking about names." He put his hand on the protruding roundness that signaled their baby's growth.

"Ross if it's a boy," she said weakly.

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"Charity if it's a girl," he added.

She shook her head, making a face. "No, one Charity is enough."

He grinned. "Then how about Hope? To round out the set."

She caught his smile and held it. "As in Faith, Hope and Charity?" She lay back, warmth flooding her. More evi dence of just how easily he could accept her crazy family. How could she ever have doubted it? "I love you, Ross."

"Just you wait, Charity," he said with emotion filling his eyes. "As far as we're concerned, the loving has only just begun."




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