Amanda shivered. If Desiree had taken him that last time...
“But he had an ear infection, and at the last minute she decided she didn’t want to be bothered.” Chase saw her lower lip tremble, and steadied it with his fingertip. “It’s over, sweetheart. And because of Nicky, we have each other, too.”
She gave herself up to the joy of touching him, the sheer delight of allowing her fingers to toy with his hair, of stroking the soft skin at the corners of his eyes, of kissing him with every ounce of passion he had roused in her...
The doorknob turned, very quietly. A detached little corner of Amanda’s brain heard the slight creak and told her that she ought to pay attention. But before she had managed to pull herself together, a small voice asked, “What are you doing, Daddy?”
Amanda turned to look. Nicky’s head was all that showed around the corner of the door; the rest of him was still in the hall.
Chase didn’t move. “I’m kissing Amanda.” He sounded as if he was having trouble getting his breath. “What are you doing, Nicky?”
Nicky pushed the door wide and stopped just inside the room, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “You said I could see Mandy later.”
“Yes, I did.”
Amanda said quietly, “You were that sure of yourself?”
“I wish I had been,” Chase whispered against her lips. “But in any case, you wouldn’t have refused to see him, would you?”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t.”
“Well, that was a long, long time ago,” Nicky pointed out.
“Half an hour at least,” Chase agreed. “Almost an eternity, in fact. So you slipped away from the babysitter and came down on your own?”
Nicky nodded. “You said I could see Mandy,” he repeated hopefully.
“I know I did. Close the door and come here, Nick.”
Nicky’s hug was almost the sweetest sensation Amanda had ever felt. His curls tickled her face, and she closed her eyes and rocked him a little, and savored the scent of him.
Far too soon for her liking, he wriggled away. “I have to say hello to Floyd, too,” he said, and bounded across the room. “Say Nicky, Floyd!”
The parakeet looked at him slightly cross-eyed and observed, “Home run.”
Nicky came back in disgust. “He’ll probably never learn my name.”
Amanda smiled. She wouldn’t tell him, she decided. She’d let him have the thrill of discovery.
“Daddy’s going to teach me to whistle,” he announced. “Do you still have my bunny?”
“Of course I do.” Amanda opened the trunk and lifted out the quilt and the scrapbooks. She hesitated a moment, feeling silly, and darted a look at Chase before she pried loose the false bottom and handed Nicky the stuffed rabbit. He tucked it under his arm and cuddled close to Amanda’s side.
Chase leaned forward and studied the items in the bottom of the trunk. When he turned to look at Amanda once more, the warmth in his eyes was so intense it was disturbing.
“You’d better call the sitter before she has the whole hotel out searching for Nicky,” she said finally.
He nodded, and reached for the telephone. “I was wrong, you know.”
“About what?”
“You. I’ve loved you much longer than the last few weeks.”
“How could you? You didn’t know me.”
“Yes, I did.” He reached into the bottom of the trunk and picked up the tiny ball of yellow yarn. “I knew the very special woman who knit a sweater from this, and dressed a baby in it, and gave him up because she cared for him so much. I think I’ve loved you since the day I first held Nicky in my arms.”
Nicky sat up straight. “Are you going to marry Mandy, Daddy?”
“Yes, Nick.”
“And that means we can always keep her?”
“Forever and ever.” Chase was looking at Amanda as he said it. He was smiling a little, but the steady light in his eyes was like a solemn vow.
“That’s good.” Nicky put his head down on Amanda’s shoulder again. “Does that make me your chosen child, too, Mandy?”
Chase told the babysitter to take the remainder of the day off, and put the telephone down. “Do you want to hear the rest of that story, Nicky?”
“Will I like it?” the child asked practically.
“I think you will,” his father said. He slipped an arm around Amanda and settled her comfortably against his side, with Nicky in her lap. “In fact, I’ll just about guarantee it.”
This book is copyrighted by the author and may not be reproduced without written permission.
Leigh Michaels is the author of more than 90 books, including 80 contemporary romance novels and non-fiction books including On Writing Romance. She also writes single-title historical romance set in Regency England. Six of her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America RITA contest for best traditional romance of the year, and she has received two Reviewers’ Choice awards from Romantic Times magazine. More than 30 million copies of her books have been published in 25 languages and 120 countries around the world. Her website is www.leighmichaels.com
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