The One-Week Baby (Yours Truly)
Page 15
“The cards, West,” Annie reminded him, half grinning as she guessed where his thoughts were. When he was paying attention, she started. “We got a package with a card for the baby from your parents. They send you their love.”
West could truly smile about that—thanks to Annie. The worry he’d felt about marriage had melted away under Annie’s never-wavering love, and he’d come to realize that Matt had been right—they weren’t their parents. “We’ll have to call them tomorrow after Zach opens their present.”
“They’ll like that.” Annie pulled the next card free from its envelope and scanned it. “Whoa, this one’s from Jord and Marcia in Germany. Marcia’s working part-time on the base and she and Jord are doing fine. Can you believe Teddy just turned three?” She handed him a snapshot. “Her letter says they’ve decided to wait another year so they can really afford to give Teddy a sister or brother and not have to scrimp.”
West gazed at the child in the picture, remembering the square face and the huge eyes. Nothing had changed. But then Zach tried to snatch the photo to chew on, and handing it back to Annie, West laughed. He was wrong. Everything had changed. “Cute kid,” he said. “I’m glad they’re waiting, though. That way Teddy will get the best of everything, and they’re still young.”
Bending down, West kissed the top of his son’s head and then grinned up at his wife. “But we, on the other hand, are not so young. What do you think about giving Zach a brother or sister? Or is one enough? I don’t want you to take on more than you can handle.”
Annie dropped the next card she was opening in surprise as she gazed at him. They had waited a whole year before she’d conceived Zachery, just so she could prove to West how they belonged together. This time, everything was falling right into place—like a dream come true.
“Not so young?” she asked. “I might have climbed the hill, but I don’t think I’ve fallen down the other side yet. My new partner is working out just fine. Gina is a wonderful baby-sitter. And one is only enough when you’re talking about husbands.”
“This sounds promising,” West said, grinning. “I remember all the negligees we went through working toward Zachery.”
“This time we won’t have to work at it,” she said softly. “This time, we can just plain have fun until June.”
“That’s when you want to start?” he asked, confused.
“You want to start what?” Matt asked, walking into the kitchen. Gina followed, carrying Wyatt.
“Start taking care of our second baby,” Annie said nonchalantly, but her hands had stilled and her eyes were glued to West’s face.
His mouth had dropped open, but then Zachery put his whole hand in it, and everyone started laughing.
“At this rate,” Gina said, putting her son on his feet, “I’m going to have to call my house a day-care center and get it licensed by the state.” She took Zachery out of West’s hands. “Hug her, West, before you burst with joy.”
West rose and pulled Annie into his arms.
“Merry Christmas, darling,” she said. “I should have told you first, but I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
West slipped his arms around her as little Wyatt spotted what they were doing and pushed their legs closer together, hugging them. Right after him came the spaniel they’d been forced to let Gina adopt from the start when the dog took to her but tried to nip everyone else. West hadn’t really minded. He’d had Annie.
The two of them grinned down at their nephew. Turning back to Annie, West found that she was gazing at him with all the love in her eyes he could possibly ever hope for. He returned her look, and he knew he’d been right all along.
Dreams do come true.
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eISBN 978-14592-7403-7
THE ONE-WEEK BABY
Copyright © 1997 by Florence Moyer
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