by Jill Shalvis
She ensconced herself and Toto in the elevator, whisking past the floors of shagging-to-get-their-butts-noticed associates fresh out of law school, to the senior floor. She could care less whether Andrew was a partner, but she knew it meant everything to him. She’d jump through hoops if that’s what it took to help him get what he wanted.
She stopped outside the door bearing his name. Not so very different from her father’s offices. Was there a code for lawyers specifying two inches of gray carpet and no less than three inches of mahogany millwork? Oops, you’re out of business-not enough crown molding? Sucking in a fortifying breath, she forged ahead.
Gloria greeted her from a desk positioned next to a single office door. “What a nice surprise, Mrs. Winthrop! Are you fully recovered from the party?”
Had that only been a little over a week ago? “Yes, thank you. You did a beautiful job organizing everything. Sorry about the spectacle.”
Gloria dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Happens to the best of us.” She reached down to scratch behind one of Toto’s ears. “You’re a cutie.”
Kat beamed with something akin to maternal pride. “Is Andrew in?”
“Sorry, dear. He just went into a meeting with Mr. Winthrop. Want to wait here?” She indicated a plump armchair. “I believe he’ll be through in half an hour.”
It had to be The Meeting concerning his partnership. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Or was that the breakfast sandwich she’d scarfed on the way over?
“I’ll just wait outside A.W’s office.”
As if on cue, Bitsy and Eddie waltzed in.
“Hi, Kat. We weren’t expecting to find you here.”
“I came by to see Andrew.”
The couple exchanged smug looks.
“It must be wives’ day at the office.” Bitsy said, fishing for information.
Kat babbled to cover up her lack of an explanation for being there. “He’s in a meeting with your father, so I thought I’d wait in A.W.’s office.”
“Come on. We’ll take you down there.”
As they escorted her down the hall, Eddie questioned, “Was Andrew, um, expecting you this morning?”
What had seemed like a good plan last night and early this morning suddenly lost its appeal. “No. I haven’t talked to him since he was…since Saturday night.”
Kat couldn’t interpret the look passing between Eddie and Bitsy.
“Is something going on that I should know about?” Kat demanded, her suspicions on red alert from all the covert looks.
Bitsy practically shoved her into an elegant waiting room. “Well, here we are.”
The secretary seated outside the door peered over half glasses at her in unspoken inquiry.
From behind the closed double doors, a shriek of fury rent the air, followed by a shrill cry. “Andrew, you can’t do this to me.”
The hair rose on the nape of Kat’s neck. She recognized that shriek and that shrill. What the hell was Claudine doing in A.W.’s office with her husband?
She lit out for the door, intent on gaining entry.
The secretary jumped to her feet. “Mr. Winthrop’s in a meeting, madam. And he’s not to be disturbed.”
Kat paused with her hand on the door handle. “Watch me.”
She wrenched open the door just as Andrew’s words rang loud and clear.
“I have no intention of divorcing my wife to gain a partnership.”
ANDREW TURNED, annoyed at the interruption. He watched in amazement as Kat and Toto barged forward, shrugging off his father’s secretary, with Bitsy and Eddie in tow.
All hell broke loose as everyone spoke at once.
“Kat, you’re here. And Toto, too. I’ve missed you.” God, but she was beautiful.
“What the hell are all of you doing here? Why is there a dog in my office?” A.W. appeared apoplectic.
“I tried to stop her, sir.” The secretary wailed.
“Hi, Dad.” Bitsy smiled cheekily.
“We found her in your office,” Eddie offered to Andrew.
“I wish I could say it was nice to see you again, Claudette.”
“Claudia.” The entire room chorused the correction.
Mayhem threatened to escalate. Andrew executed an ear-splitting whistle, effectively silencing the roar.
“Kat, I wanted to clear this up before I talked to you, but I’m glad you’re here now.”
“What do you mean you’re not divorcing me for the partnership? You were supposed to marry me for the partnership!”
“This is a damn fool decision, Andrew. The door won’t be open when you come crawling back,” A.W. threatened with a heavy scowl.
“And I won’t wait forever,” Claudia chimed in.
“Count your blessings,” Kat muttered in A.W. and Claudia’s general direction.
“You go, girl,” Bitsy cheered Kat from the doorway.
Kat turned her piercing azure eyes to him. The hurt he’d read in her gaze the last time he’d faced her had been replaced with tenderness and something he dared not name. The rest of the room faded to nothingness.
“What’s going on, Andrew?”
She befuddled his senses. He couldn’t think clearly. He ran the fingers of one hand over her shoulder. “You wore my favorite shirt.”
Kat plucked at the lime green T-shirt. “Just for you.”
“My God, that thing is hideous,” Claudia opined.
Kat and Andrew turned to her with amused smiles. “We know,” they acknowledged in sync.
“A.W. gave me a choice-you or the partnership.”
“But…”
“You’re a mistake, girl. I wanted to help him figure it out sooner than later.” A.W. sneered.
“Let me remind you, you’re speaking to my wife.” Andrew’s jaw ached with the effort to remain civil.
“You conniving old poop,” Kat sputtered at A.W.
Lucky for “the old poop” there was no glassware handy. Kat looked mad enough to exercise her pitching arm. Andrew shifted slightly, putting himself between his outraged wife and the brandy decanter.
Ignoring Kat, A.W. looked at his son and scoffed, “Might I remind you, you’re unemployed?”
“Correction. Self-employed. As of my resignation, I’m in partnership with Eddie. We’re having lunch with a realtor to finalize an office location.”
In the periphery of his mind he registered Bitsy, Eddie and A.W., all talking at once. Although he answered A.W.’s assertion, his gaze never shifted from Kat. He watched the delight chase incredulity across her face.
“You gave up your partnership for me?”
He hadn’t exactly planned on an audience, but what the heck. He felt like shouting it from the rooftop. Cupping her face in his hands, his thumbs caressed the freckles gracing her cheekbones. “I love you, Kat. Nothing else in my life compares to what I feel for you.”
His heart thundered in slow motion as he awaited her response.
A smile lit her face like a bright sun peering through a dark cloud. “You know I’m a woman of excess,” she warned. “I either eat the entire pan of brownies or I don’t touch them.” Her gaze devoured him.
“I’m counting on it.”
“I love you. To distraction.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Claudia snapped.
Bitsy, Eddie and the secretary played the part of the Greek chorus. “Shut up, Claudia.”
“Speaking of sick…” Kat began.
Once upon a time, following her train of thought had been scary. Now he just enjoyed the ride.
“Have you been? Are you?” Was he on his way to being a dad, as well as a husband?
“I took a test this morning. But I wanted to wait until I was with you to check the result.” She shifted Toto to one side and turned her purse toward him. “It’s in there. Looks sort of like a thermometer.”
Andrew rummaged through what amounted to a small suitcase with an unsteady hand. “That’s it.”
He slowly pulled ou
t the cylindrical stick and took the cap off. His hand shook like a leaf in a storm as he showed the window to Kat. “What does that mean?” He could barely speak as the blood thundered through his head.
“I don’t remember. Pull out the instruction box.”
He snatched the box and matched the stick to the back. A roaring filled his ears. “We’re going to have a baby! I’m going to be a daaaad…”
Stunned, Kat stared at her stuffy attorney husband stretched out in a dead faint.
Claudia sprang from the couch. “I know CPR.”
“Touch him and you die,” Kat challenged.
Toto took advantage of her lax hold to leap from Kat’s arms. Barking like a maniacal bundle of fur, he charged at Claudia.
Kat dropped to her knees and put her ear next to Andrew’s mouth to check for breathing-just in time to catch a faceful of ice water tossed by the efficient secretary.
Revived by the cold water, Andrew jackknifed up, catching Kat in the eye with his head. Kat clutched at her eye. “I think you just paid me back for that black eye,” she moaned, half laughing, as she clutched at the injury.
With her one good eye, Kat watched Claudia jump up onto the sofa to escape the marauding Toto. “Get this mutt away from me!”
With exquisite timing, Toto performed his well-rehearsed trick. Outrage distorted Claudia’s perfect features as she climbed down from the couch. “I hope I never lay eyes on any of you again.” Claudia stamped out with damp indignity.
A.W. growled from his leather chair. “She’s going to make your life a three-ring circus.”
Kat basked in Andrew’s boyish grin. “I’m counting on it. For a lifetime.”
She pulled a moderation tape out of her purse, tossing it over her shoulder. “Andrew in excess.” She’d never known such complete joy. “Now that has a nice ring to it.”
Epilogue
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
“Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Okay, baby, relax. Catch your breath.” Andrew coached Kat as she labored in the birthing room.
A jumble of emotions assaulted him. Excitement. Tension. Delight. Awe. Nausea.
They were about to become parents! Kat knew the sex. He’d opted for the surprise element.
He stroked Kat’s hand, desperately trying to remember the pointers from their birthing class. Encouragement. Yeah, that was it. “You’re doing great, baby. Just great. And you look beautiful right now.” Huge. Extremely huge, but beautiful.
“Did I tell you yet today just how much I love you?” Kat wiped the sweat off her face with her free hand.
“Yes, love, when they were wheeling you into the hospital earlier.”
“I lieeed,” she wailed as another contraction hit. She threatened every bone in his hand with a death grip. “This hurts,” she panted through clenched teeth.
Damn right it did. His hand would never be the same.
“Is she coming?”
Dear God! He didn’t know anything about babies. Birthing class flew out of his head as panic crowded in. “The baby? I don’t know. It’s a girl? How can I tell?”
“Not the baby. The doctor.”
The door opened and Liv Bertwick breezed in, followed by a nurse. The sound of rubber gloves snapping into place echoed in the room. “So, I understand you’re ready to have a baby.”
Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. Everything would be okay now that Dr. Bertwick had arrived.
Kat’s grip relaxed marginally. “I think it’s time.”
Dr. Bertwick examined his wife. “I believe it’s time, indeed. Take a deep breath and really push for me when the next one hits.”
Andrew and the doctor coached while Kat pushed and what seemed like hours but was really only minutes later, their efforts were rewarded by a squalling, bloody, beautiful black-haired boy.
In a moment of exquisite joy unrivaled by any other in his life, Andrew cried and laughed as he hugged his wife and his son. They’d done it. Kat had done it. They had a son!
“Okay, Kat. You did great. That wasn’t so bad, now was it? You ready for round two?” Dr. Bertwick’s words penetrated his euphoria.
“Round two? Two? As in more than one? As in another?”
Andrew didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until he caught the look that passed between doctor and patient.
Kat smiled at him over their son’s head. “You said you wanted to be surprised. Surprise, darling! We’re having twins.”
“Twins? Twins!” He dropped into a chair. Light-headed. He definitely felt light-headed.
The nurse shoved his head between his knees. “Now, none of that, Dad.”
After a few breaths, he straightened in the chair and caught up Kat’s hand in his.
Her sapphire eyes sparkled with mischief. “Did you expect anything else? You know I’ve got that excess thing going on. But don’t worry, it’ll be okay.”
“Okay? No. This is great.” He felt a stupid grin cover his face.
With that, the pushing resumed until the other twin made her appearance. And the volume of noise made by the tiny redhead could only be described as excessive.
Jill Shalvis
*
Jennifer Labrecque
***
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