Covert Cowboy
Page 22
Propped up against a sea of lace and satin pillows, Marilyn raised incredulous eyebrows at her husband sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. Unabashed, Con grinned and squeezed her hand before continuing his phone conversation with his old friend Wiley.
“She and the babies came home yesterday. Yeah, Cap, all here in the room with us. You want to say hi?”
“You wake these little ones up after they both finally dropped off to sleep, Mr. Burke, and you’ll have to answer to Ingrid and me. Not to mention you’re going to have to buy your wife another diamond necklace like the one she’s wearing, just to get out of the doghouse.”
The plump, coffee-colored woman folding tiny blankets by the two bassinets set against one sun-dappled wall of the spacious bedroom of Con and Marilyn’s Garden District mansion exchanged smiles with her companion, a Nordic blond version of herself who was gathering up a rainbow of pastel-hued tissue paper and ribbons from a nearby dresser.
“Yah, that’s right, Mr. Burke,” Ingrid grinned, her apple cheeks creasing good naturedly. “And I t’ink dose pink diamonds, they are getting pretty expensive if the husband goes in the doghouse too many times.”
“You tell him, ladies.” Marilyn dimpled up at the two women. “Or maybe let him get in dutch with me one more time,” she laughed softly. “I’m holding out for the matching earrings.”
It hadn’t been quite as effortless as her handsome husband told it, she admitted to herself as Con brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers while continuing to talk to Wiley. But he’d been beside her in the delivery room for the whole thing, and the love in those emerald eyes watching her as she gave birth to their newborn son and daughter had given her all the strength she’d needed.
She’d fallen in love with a gambler. Who would have bet at the time that she would have ended up with two babies and an adoring husband who just happened to be the head of the recently formed New Orleans Confidential?
Across the room Ingrid was setting out more of the dozens of baby gifts that had arrived over the past few days. The motherly Minnesota Swede turned to her, her blue eyes puzzled.
“These two, Mrs. Burke—they came together. It seems a strange present for the little ones, yes? The toy rabbits I think are good, but this heavy silver rattle—why would someone give that to babies?”
“Those are from my sister, Holly.” Marilyn smiled, her gaze misting. Beside her she was aware of Con hanging up the phone, and he snugged his arm around her as she held out her hands for the odd pairing of gifts.
“But why these two things?” Ingrid asked. Her brow cleared as she looked at Marilyn. “I think there is a story behind this, yes?”
“A very long story,” Marilyn said softly, meeting the tender gaze of the man she loved as her babies gave contented gurgles in their bassinets a few feet away.
“And I’ll tell you all about it one of these days,” she promised happily as Con’s mouth came down on hers in a kiss.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Harper Allen for her contribution to the COLORADO CONFIDENTIAL series
ISBN: 978-1-4592-3735-3
COVERT COWBOY
Copyright © 2003 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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