A sliver of moon peeked out from behind clouds in the dark sky. When he slowed their stride near a trellis of ivy, Val couldn’t stand another moment. Happiness humming through her, she flung her arms around his neck.
Her pleasure seeping into him, Luke tugged her so close to him that they had to breathe as one. “We need to celebrate.”
A firm believer in celebrating even the smallest joys, Val deepened the kiss. What was a better reason than becoming a family? “What do you suggest?” she murmured beneath his lips.
Luke smiled against her cheek now. “A glass of wine, candlelight-you,” he answered softly. Never did he want to see the smile in her eyes fade again. “Did I tell you that you look beautiful?”
“Yes.” She laughed, pleased, and framed his face with her hands to bring his mouth close once more.
Capturing her lips beneath his, Luke wondered if he’d ever get enough of her. An urgency swept through him that he knew couldn’t be satiated. Yet he kissed her until he ached, until he was certain all that he felt caressed every fiber of her.
Feeling limp, Val clung to his shoulders. “That was-”
“Great,” he said on an uneven breath, and buried his face in her hair.
“Unexpected.”
“You started it.”
Val toyed with a button on his shirt. “How did I do that?”
“You touched me.”
“You’re easy,” she teased, kissing a corner of the mouth that had just given her so much pleasure.
“With you. Always.”
As his fingers caressed the back of her neck, igniting another small fire inside her, she released a long breath. “Luke, what are we doing?”
“Falling in love,” he whispered.
She felt her insides soften. Meeting the eyes searching hers for confirmation, she knew now that she never wanted them to break up. “We could make this work, couldn’t we?”
Luke realized he desperately needed all the words from her. “You’ve changed your mind?”
He couldn’t be resisting. Unsure, she strove for a tease. “Are you trying to confuse me?”
The blue eyes remained deadly serious. “Trying to make sure.”
One of them had to take the first step. As his hand shifted to the sharp angle of her hip, she touched his cheek. “I love you. I never stopped loving you.”
Time seemed to stop. He kissed her brow, then her temple. She loved him again. He’d make sure nothing changed that this time. No more mistakes. “And I love you,” he said on a whisper.
With those words echoing in her head, her lips sought his for a long, endless moment. There would be a lot of moments for them now, Val thought, clinging to him. Even though his mouth lifted from hers, she felt his body heating beneath her hands at his chest. He was as caught up in the moment as she was. “We’d better stop.” The sound of the music and the buzz of conversation from the party reached her again and she arched away from the moist heat of his lips trailing down the side of her neck.
Desire darkening his eyes, he ran a fingertip slowly down her cheek. “Only for now.”
“Excuse me.” Those words and a distinct clearing of the throat forced them apart. Standing in the shadows, Neil peered over the rim of his glasses at them. “You’re going to have to tell everyone your secret,” he said, sounding amused.
Luke turned Val with him to return to the party. “What secret?”
“How you keep the fire going after all these years?”
A laugh flowed up from Val’s throat. “Fan it.”
Chapter Eleven
The faint light of dawn streamed into the room between the slats of the venetian blinds on the bedroom window. Her eyes half closed, Val scooted closer to Luke and bent her head to kiss his chest.
“That’s some good morning,” he murmured in a husky morning voice. It amazed him, but he burned for her. Despite a loving night, he wanted her again, yearned to see the sensuous softness in her eyes. As she nestled closer, her scent filled him. She was all he remembered and more. Last night, she’d enticed him to the point where he’d trembled with sensations.
“I wish we could stay here all day,” she whispered in a lazy manner in his ear.
“Fat chance with the dynamic duo running around.” His eyes closing again, he set his jaw against the top of her head as she rested it on his chest.
“They did learn to climb out of their cribs fast, didn’t they?”
Luke skimmed the roundness of her hip. “Do you hear anything right now?”
Angling her face toward him, she kissed the base of his throat. “Nothing.”
The scent of her was so much a part of him. With an easy roll, he trapped her beneath him..
A soft giggle slipped from Val’s throat. “Is this going to be one of those quickies that old married couples with kids whisper about?”
“Not too quick,” he answered, lowering his mouth to her breast.
The girls tramped from their bedroom to the bathroom to watch Luke as he finished shaving. With a few minutes to herself before breakfast, Val dumped clothes in the washing machine, then started filling the sink with water for the breakfast dishes. The sound of Brooke’s yelling drifted to her. Val pushed down the faucet handle to stop the water. Before whatever was happening escalated into a war, she followed the sound of Brooke’s voice.
Standing on a ladder to change a light bulb in the foyer, Luke looked amused.
With her teddy bear dangling in her hand, Brooke stood at the bottom of the ladder and was pointing a scolding finger at him. “Get down.”
“Hey. You’re two. I’m thirty-six,” he reminded her.
Her bow-shaped mouth puckered with disapproval. “Tell, Vali.” She whirled around, yelling, “Vali! Vali!”
“I’m right here.” Val barely veiled her amusement. She wondered if he remembered that he’d said the exact same words to Brooke when she’d been on the counter. “He’s big. He can do that.”
“Me, too?”
Val rolled her eyes. She should have known she’d be pulled in to such a discussion. “No, you’re too small.”
Descending the ladder, Luke spotted the glow-inthe-dark bandage slapped on the teddy bear’s leg. “What happened to Bear?” he asked to sidetrack her.
Little arms lifted the teddy bear to him to be kissed. “Ow-ee.” Luke did as was expected and planted one on the fuzzy leg.
Val turned away quickly. “Coffee’s made.”
He’d have sworn he heard her snort of laughter. He handed the teddy bear back to Brooke and smiled. Being the brunt of Val’s amusement seemed like a small price to pay to see her so happy again. With the rich aroma of coffee beckoning him, he ushered the girls into the kitchen.
Standing at the sink with her back to him, Val held the telephone receiver and assured the caller, “Yes, I’ll meet you there around that time.”
Luke ambled to the coffee brewer. By her easy tone, he assumed the caller was Jenny or Wendy or one of her other friends. “Where are you headed?”
“The Baby Boutique.”
She said it with a casualness that made Luke breathe easier. For a few months after Kelly had died, they couldn’t drive past Faith’s store without tears swimming in Val’s eyes. Healing. They were both healing now. “Have you seen my new tie?”
“Nope.” She noticed he’d left his collar open, and an old tie, a favorite of his, stuck out of his pants’ pocket. Though Brooke was concentrating on cornering the last of the doughnut-shaped cereal with her spoon, in the nearby high chair, Traci stared down at her spoon floating in the milk. “That was Jenny on the phone. She said there’s a carnival in town.” Val waited until Brooke finished, then took the cereal bowl from her. “She noticed a lot of rides for little ones and…”
“We could go after I come home.” Luke noted her eyes smiled almost all the time now.
“That would be fun.”
“Down. Luke, down,” Traci insisted from behind him.
He swung toward her to lift her
from her high chair, but stilled, letting her stand in the chair while he fingered his new tie draped around her waist. “Where did you get this?”
“Pretty.”
“Yeah, I thought so.” Despite his deadpan look, Val saw laughter in his eyes.
Gently he lowered her to the floor, then accommodated Brooke’s request to get out of her high chair. When he turned away from them, Val blocked his path.
“About tonight,” he said when she placed her hands on the strong planes of his face.
A teasing spirit swept over her. “Early tonight? Or late tonight?”
“Early tonight. We already know what we’re doing late tonight.”
Damp from his shower, his dark hair shone with faint red highlights. “Do you want to have dinner first before we go to the carnival?” she asked, touching the strands at the nape of his neck.
Luke gave her credit. Tomorrow was the big daythe court hearing. He didn’t doubt her thoughts had strayed with a mound of what-ifs, but she was keeping her spirit light. “I’d rather go out.”
Val leaned back against his arm to give him a thoughtful look. “Where?”
He kissed her nose. “You look adorable.”
“Definitely,” she said on a laugh, because she hadn’t taken time to do more than run her fingers through her hair. “What do you want to eat?”
“Hamburgers, hot dogs,” he said, aware of what her reaction would be.
She was predictable. “You’re an incorrigible influence.”
Releasing her, he bent and put his face in front of Traci who was chatting on her play phone to an imaginary caller. “Do you like hot dogs?”
“Hot dog.” Her face lit with a smile.
“Brooke?” Luke waited until she eased her attention from spinning a dial on an activity table. “Hot dog?”
She grinned. “Yum.”
Laughter danced in his eyes. “There you are. They approve. It’s unanimous.”
Of course the girls had agreed. And that was what he’d wanted-to please them.
“I’ll see you later.” He kissed Traci, then Brooke.
Despite the two-year-olds staring up at them, he moved toward Val with a tease sparkling in his eyes. and backed her up toward the counter.
Coiling her arms around his neck, she laughed. “I like your style, Doc.”
Wanting to surprise the girls with new clothes, Val dropped them off at Irene’s, then drove to the Baby Boutique, eager to see Faith.
In the window of the store, the softly tinted lights overhead shone on a new display, this time of holiday dresses. Val inched toward the second window, which Faith had devoted to the display of toys.
Skimming several famous Disney character squeezies, a Sesame Street tape recorder, a few stuffed animals and an easel desk, she thought the desk might be perfect for the twins since it could be drawn on from both sides.
Through the window, she saw Faith behind the counter, manning the cash register. Though almost eight months pregnant, she seemed so slender everywhere else. Faith’s long brown hair shone. Val remembered during her own pregnancy that her hair had been dull and wondered what her friend’s secret was. The only customer inside was Wendy Wilcox, the postmistress, looking smug about something and chatting with Faith.
Noting that Faith’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, Val couldn’t recall when a sadness had begun to dull them. She remembered the February engagement party for Michael and Michelle at Faith’s house. Faith had seemed all right. Val sighed. What did she know? She’d barely been functioning. An obligation to share hostess duties with Wendy and Faith had forced her to go.
It had been a difficult time for her. She’d lost Kelly in February, only weeks before the party, but she’d braved the crowd, plastering a smile on her face at appropriate moments, not wanting to spoil Michael and Michelle’s happiness. By the time she’d driven home that night, she’d felt like collapsing from the strain of looking happy when all she’d wanted to do was weep.
That time seemed long ago suddenly. Shifting her thoughts to turtlenecks and jumpers, she stepped in. Above her, a soft bell rang.
Wendy whirled around and immediately grinned. “Valerie, hi. I can’t believe you’re alone. Where are the twins?”
“With Irene.” Val crossed the ceramic tile and the plush, pale gray carpet to bridge the distance to the counter. “I came the other day, but the store was closed.”
Faith stacked several receipts. “I let Beth have the day off, so she could do some extra studying. And I had to drive in to Dallas to see a doctor.”
All of her worry about Faith with her again, Val inched closer. “Faith, there’s nothing wrong, is there?” she asked.
“No.” A slip of a smile curved Faith’s lips. “Dr. Austin suggested I go, though, for another ultrasound because my blood pressure went up a little. But everything was normal. He said so this morning.”
Val nodded with relief.
As Faith turned away to hang a dress on a rack, Wendy sidled closer. “Valerie, would Dr. Austin tell Lucas if something was wrong?” she whispered.
“He might tell Luke, but Luke wouldn’t tell me because of doctor-patient confidentiality,” Valerie answered, then shook her head. “But I don’t think anything is wrong.”
“Except…” Wendy said in a low voice.
Before reaching for two jumpers, Val exchanged a quick, concerned look with her. All of Faith’s friends wished they could help her. But she was reticent to talk about the baby’s father-to anyone.
“Valerie, what did you want to see?” Faith asked, skirting the counter.
Val pointed to the jumpers on the nearby rack. “Those.” She laughed at herself. “I came for play clothes,” she said while choosing several turtlenecks and slip-on pants for the twins. “But those dresses in the window are so adorable.”
“Faith, you’re going to have a big sale today,” Wendy gibed while fingering one yellow turtleneck.
Val took her tease good-naturedly. “Traci will love that pink one.” She’d chosen the yellow for Brooke, remembering how often she chose a yellow crayon when coloring. “What’s in the bag?” Val asked, gesturing toward the one Wendy’s hand was tightly gripping. “Weight-lifting equipment?”
“Books.” Wendy set the bag down and retrieved the top book. Val tipped her head to read the title before Wendy announced, “This is How To Hook A Husband. I’m on a husband hunt.”
Amused, Val draped a friendly arm around her shoulder. “Tell me. Who are you hunting? Is Travis Donovan on your list of potential husbands?”
Turning her face away, Wendy fingered a toddlersize cranberry velvet dress. “This one is pretty.”
Val nodded agreeably. “I thought so. Are you avoiding answering me?”
Wendy swung a smile back at her. “No. He’s gorgeous, and he sure has a sweet son,” she said with warm affection for the five-year-old boy. “But my neighbor is antimarriage. Did you forget that?”
Everyone who knew Travis was aware of his views about marriage. “Your charm might change his mind.”
“Forget it,” Wendy answered. “There are plenty of other men.”
“So,” Val said, truly interested, “how do you go about husband hunting?”
Wendy picked up her bag again. “I plan to find out. That’s why I have these-self-help books and magazines with articles about how to be sexier. I’m going to study them.”
“Happy hunting,” Val said with encouragement, and set the clothes that had caught her eye on the counter by Faith.
“Let me see the book,” Faith requested, showing the same inquisitiveness as Val had. “Are you really going to do all this, Wendy?”
“That’s my plan. November is my deadline,” Wendy said with steely determination.
Val looked up from retrieving her wallet out of her shoulder bag. “For what?”
“I plan to be engaged before Michael and Michelle’s wedding in November. Now, I’ve gotta run.” And with a quick wave goodbye she headed out of the store.
Faith stared after Wendy’s departing figure. Looking down, she began to bag Val’s purchases.
Val waited for Faith to say how much she owed, but she was silent, keeping her head bowed-too long. Quickly Val rounded the counter to reach her. “Faith?” As she raised her head, Val saw the tears in Faith’s blue eyes. “Oh, Faith, what’s wrong?”
With a shake of her head, she started to step around Val. “I’ll get Beth to finish this, Valerie.”
Val cast a quick glance around for Beth then reached forward and touched Faith’s arm. “Faith, please tell me what’s wrong.”
Val noticed Faith’s hand went protectively to her swollen belly but reminded herself that Faith had said the baby was okay.
Taking a tissue from the pocket of her maternity smock, Faith dabbed the wetness from her cheeks. “The man-he…”
Val didn’t want to pry but how could she walk away with Faith so upset? “Are you talking about the man who fathered your baby?”
Faith nodded, shoving the tissue back into her pocket.
Val scurried to the chair near the counter that Faith had brought into the shop for days when standing too long on her feet made them ache. “Do you want to sit?”
“No.” Faith straightened her shoulders and raised her chin a notch. “He’s married.”
Val’s voice raised. “Married? You didn’t tell me he was a married man.”
“He wasn’t. When…when we were together, he wasn’t.”
Val zeroed in on what Faith was having so much, trouble saying. “He got married?”
“Yes,” Faith said softly. “I learned he got married soon after our night-our night together.”
“Honey, who is he?” Val touched her arm. “He should know about you-about the baby.”
Shaking her head, Faith took a step back. “No.” She whirled away from Val before she could say more and rushed into the back room.
Seconds later, Beth emerged from the back room to bag Val’s purchases. Her loyalty to Faith made her pretend nothing was wrong. She smiled at Val before she left the store.
Married...With Twins! Page 15