She rolled her eyes. “Highlight of my week.”
“Suppose Jimmy and I take care of it for you, what would you do instead?”
She shrugged. “Clean the house, run some laundry.”
“Important tasks,” he agreed, although he had hoped she would make time for herself. “I thought that we could check out my parents’ cottage later, maybe throw some steaks on their grill for lunch. How does that sound?”
“Will they be there?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m going to show you their place in hopes you’ll agree to leave this atmospheric joint for the comforts of six bedrooms and a sofa that doesn’t sag in the middle.”
“Did you sleep badly?” she asked.
Ryan ignored her question, because how could he explain that her scent had kept him too aroused for deep sleep, even if his thigh would have permitted it. “Finish your breakfast, son,” he said instead. He forked up the last of his toast and eggs and picked up his empty mug. “Is there another cup in the carafe?” he asked.
“Sorry, I didn’t think,” Claudia said. “It’s empty.”
“Hey. No problem. I am capable of making another pot of coffee.”
“I’m finished,” piped up Jimmy. “Thank you, Mommy, for making breakfast.” He paused and looked between them. “Daddy didn’t say thank you,” he said righteously.
“You’ll get used to it,” Claudia said.
Ryan winked at her. “Thank you, Claudia, for making a delicious breakfast. You go brush your teeth, Jimbo, while Mommy and I clear the table.”
“Jimbo.” Jimmy laughed delightedly. He ran off to the bathroom chuckling and repeating, “Jimbo,” at intervals.
“I know this place is a dump, but it’s home,” she said defensively.
“Sure. And if after you see my folks’ spread you want to stay here, I’ll suck it up. Promise.”
“Okay. But you can’t take Jimmy to the store without a car seat,” she said.
“I’ll order one today.” He whipped out his cell and jotted it down. “Do you have a grocery list?”
“I do. Do you want to take my car?”
“Nope. I’m going to scan your list and get Sandy Mulcaster to pick up the groceries and deliver them to my parents’ place.”
“Must be nice.”
“To have other people do the boring stuff? Sure. Sometimes.” He began to clear the table.
Claudia stood up too. “Won’t Sandy think it’s weird that you want mac and cheese and Cheerios?”
“Nah. She’ll assume I’m stocking up because Mom is coming up with some of her grandkids.” He filled the coffee maker. “You want another cup too?”
“No, thank you. What grandkids?”
“My mom and dad have twelve grandchildren. Mom is what you might call an involved grandmother.” Which was an understatement. Susan Rutherford adored being a grandmother.
“Oh.”
“I promised you a clan. A clan is what you get. Jimmy is going to have a Nana and a Poppy as well as twelve cousins.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Claudia~
They had compromised by having their groceries delivered to the lighthouse. Sandy had brought them over before Claudia had finished dusting and mopping. The older woman had been curious, but she and her family had been helping out at Cat’s Head for decades. She asked no questions, even when Ryan told her that he and Claudia were married, just congratulated him.
“She’ll tell half of Mystic Bay by lunchtime,” Claudia prophesied gloomily. The Mulcasters were a large clan of psychics with gifts all over the spectrum. Sandy herself was fairly discreet. But by the time her relatives had spread the news that Claudia was married to a hunter, there would be no stuffing the story back in the bag.
Ryan smiled with pure masculine satisfaction. “Yup. And a real romantic story she’ll make of it too. Better turn your phone off.”
“What did you tell Sandy?” she demanded.
“The truth.” Butter wouldn’t have melted in his mouth.
“Which is?”
“That I came to visit Jimmy, and immediately realized that the pair of you are well worth hanging on to.”
“Huh?”
Ryan kissed her swiftly. “Any cat who would let you go would have to be no better than a jackass.”
Her senses reeled, but she better remember this was all make-believe. No matter how thrilling her stupid body found his kisses. “Right. I’m going to call my sister, before she hears about us at the supermarket.” Daphne would call as soon as she heard. If Claudia didn’t head her off, her sister would also immediately call Mom and Dad.
“Fair enough. We’ll head out to the cottage afterward.” Ryan went back to vacuuming.
Claudia called Daphne, who was indeed astounded, but promised not to pass on the news to Madeline or Mom and Dad. “I always thought there was something unfinished between you and Jimmy’s dad,” Daphne said. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“We’re going to take this weekend to reconnect,” Claudia told her older sister. “We’ll get together when Mom and Dad get back.”
“Reconnect.” Daphne chuckled. “Is that what you call it? Want me to take Jimmy off your hands so you can reconnect in private?”
“No thanks. Jimmy and his dad are bonding. Ryan and I are parents first, second and last. We need to work on being a family.”
“True enough.” After a few more pointed questions, Daphne hung up.
Ryan and Jimmy had finished up the housekeeping. They were folding laundry on the kitchen table when she came out of her bedroom. The little cottage sparkled. It was long before lunchtime, yet the chores were done. This business of having two adults around could become addictive fast.
“Wow,” she said. “Thanks, guys.”
“Many hands make light work.” Ryan sneaked another lightning kiss. He tucked the last things into the laundry basket. “Let’s go.”
“I foldeded the towels,” Jimmy shouted.
“Good job.” She laid a quieting hand on her son’s head. “We should give Jimmy his lunch first.”
“He had cheese and fruit an hour ago.” Ryan squeezed her free hand. “You hungry, champ?”
“I will be,” Jimmy said.
Ryan chuckled. “You get your coat, Claudia. Jimmy and I’ll pack the lunch and some extra provisions just in case.”
His parents’ cottage was bigger than her parents’ house. And that was from the outside. When she went inside, she discovered that the exterior had been cleverly designed to conceal its true extent. It was huge. Far more house than she wanted to live in, or to clean.
The three living rooms were spacious and yet casually cozy. The bedrooms looked lived in. The huge dormitory held three rows of bunk beds. The bathrooms were lavish. But it was not where she wanted to live.
“This is the boys’ dorm,” Ryan said. “Girls’ is next door.” Jimmy was riding on his shoulders. Ryan kept a grip on his legs to keep his cub in place.
The kitchen was frankly cavernous with three ovens and four stovetops and four fridges. The granite countertops gleamed and the sinks shone. She couldn’t stop staring. “There are duplicates of everything,” she gasped.
“Yup,” Ryan said proudly. “My brother Peter was in charge of the renovation. It’s set up so that there are three workstations. That way everyone can help out without bumping heads. We’ll use this one.” He indicated the one set into a small island.
He set Jimmy down and opened a mostly empty fridge and stuffed his grocery bag inside. “That way we will only have this area to clean up afterward.”
“How many people are in your family, anyway?” she asked. Jimmy tugged at her hand.
He thought. “Including kids? Twenty-five. Nope. I forgot to add you and Jimbo. Twenty-seven. Twenty-nine if my grandparents join us.”
The idea of all those people in one place made her claustrophobic. The kitchen overlooked a wide deck and a fenced backyard. Jimmy had noticed, for he tugged harder on her han
d. “Can we go outside? I think Jimmy would enjoy that.” He had been cooped up all morning.
“Sure.” Ryan unlatched the French doors and opened them up. The screened porch held a barbecue the size of a small airliner and three seating areas as well as four rectangular tables with benches. “We eat out here whenever the weather permits.
“What’s that?” Jimmy pointed to the fence. His eyes were saucers in his face.
“Let’s check it out,” Ryan said. He unlocked the door to the backyard which was secured by a deadbolt and two old-fashioned sliding locks. “It’s to keep the kids in or out when necessary,” he murmured in Claudia’s ear. He kissed her just behind her earlobe.
The fence had to be twelve feet tall in places. It ran around three sides of the huge backyard. An octagonal gazebo surrounded by huge trees sat dead center of the lawn. Two of the trees supported an enormous and shabby treehouse. But it was the fence that was most astonishing.
“It’s a jungle gym, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yup. Peter designed it for our little climbers. There are gates to the property beyond, but the kids can’t get out that way without help.” Ramps and walkways connected platforms and activity centers. Chutes and ladders allowed entry from many places.
“I like those clear bubbles,” she said. “You can see the kids inside.” The transparent domes were spaced out at irregular intervals and varied from face-sized to large enough for two or three Ryan-sized men.
“You sure can. And they all have latches so that they can be opened in case the kids get into trouble.”
“Trouble?”
He shrugged. “They’re kids. They live to think up trouble. Want to try it out, sport?”
“Yeah!” shrieked Jimmy. He darted to the nearest section and swarmed up the uneven ladder.
Claudia watched as Jimmy crawled up a ramp and continued through a translucent red cylinder before sliding down a curved plastic slide. “Doesn’t it get hot in there?” she worried.
Ryan scooped up Jimmy, who was excitedly running across the grass. “Nope. See that little roof that runs along the back?”
She did. It was shiny and black. “I thought that was to keep animals and people out of the yard.”
He beamed. “That too. But it’s made of solar panels. Produces enough electricity to run exhaust fans and open and close ventilation louvers.”
He and Jimmy touched noses. Jimmy whispered. “Of course I’ll watch you, son.” He set Jimmy down. “We’ll play for a bit, and then I’ll start the barbecue.”
He showed Jimmy a broad ramp with an opening above it large enough for a man. They scooted up it together. Soon Claudia could see Ryan spotting Jimmy on some hanging bars. Ryan was limping a bit and every now and then Jimmy would cannon into him and he would grimace. He was obviously in pain, but enjoying himself. Men.
She sat down on one of the benches circling a huge oak. The scruffy treehouse above her head was out of place in this sleek and perfect landscaping. It looked like a bunch of kids had constructed it out of scrap lumber and hope. She absolutely did not want Jimmy up there by himself.
There were boards nailed to the tree trunks, but they were too far apart for his legs and arms. And there was no sign of a rope ladder. She made a note to speak to Ryan about it.
Jimmy’s happy squeal interrupted her musing. “Mom, did you see me?” He raced across the grass and hugged her knees.
Ryan was following more slowly, leaning hard on his cane.
“I did. You looked like you were having fun.” She lifted Jimmy onto her lap. “Are you ready for lunch?”
Jimmy cocked his head to one side. “Not ‘zactly. Daddy’s hot,” he said.
Ryan lowered himself to the bench. “Kid’s right.” His face was beaded with sweat and tinged with gray.
Claudia put out a hand and touched his hand. He was burning up. “You have a fever!”
“Probably.” His voice was slurred.
Jimmy crawled onto his lap. He cupped Ryan’s face with his hands and touched his nose to Ryan’s. “Daddy has a temperature,” he announced. His little face contorted with concentration and he squeezed Ryan’s cheeks so hard his hands turned white.
Claudia was about to remove him, when Ryan pulled him closer. “What are you up to, son?” he asked.
Jimmy didn’t answer. He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face. And then his game was over. He blinked at Ryan and patted his cheeks before snuggling into Ryan’s damp chest. Ryan held him just as fiercely. His own eyes closed. Claudia wondered if he had fallen asleep. His chest rose and fell as he panted.
They sat like that for perhaps ten minutes before Jimmy squirmed down and ran back to the fence to explore. The jungle gym had many levels and lots of different configurations. It was kid paradise. Jimmy climbed into a different section and found a rock climbing wall. He seemed to figure it out without instruction, for he climbed up and then down before going to a bubble and blowing kisses at her.
Ryan’s hand at her waist made her jump. Lightning flashed through her body and made her pussy throb. “I didn’t hear you,” she explained, pulling away in embarrassment.
He smiled but he didn’t mention her arousal. “I would hope not. Think we can get him out of there?”
“Not without a fuss. It’s brilliant.”
“I’ll tell Peter you said so. We think it’s the bomb ourselves. Keeps the kids exercised and safe and happy for hours. And leaves plenty of grass for running and jumping.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah. The fever comes and goes. I’m fine now. I’ll start the barbecue. When you want to come in, I’ll open the porch door.”
“You’re going to lock it?”
“Lit barbecues and cubs don’t mix. We always lock the porch door before we light it. It won’t take long. And I will boil the green beans outside. We won’t even make a mess in the kitchen.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ryan~
Much as he enjoyed Jimmy, the cub sucked up all the attention. Not because he was obnoxious, but because he was smart and busy. Take your eyes off a kid like that, and he would be up to something you hadn’t thought possible. Like the speed with which he had figured out how to get into the treehouse while they were finishing up their lunches.
Claudia was having kitten fits before Ryan found a ladder to fetch Jimmy down. She looked skeptical when he explained that the fort was structurally sound, despite having been built by a series of kids. He and his brothers and sisters had started it. His nephews and nieces were still working on it.
“Peter isn’t just an architect. He has a degree in engineering too.” He informed Claudia as he mounted the ladder. “He checks out the fort whenever the kids add or subtract anything.”
She clenched her fists and blinked like she was trying not to cry. “It’s too dangerous for a three-year-old.”
“Agreed. I didn’t think he was big enough to climb up there.”
“I am too,” cried Jimmy indignantly.
Ryan ignored his throbbing thigh and carried Jimmy down and set him on the grass. He knelt to look directly into the small, stubborn face. “If you fell out of the treehouse, you would hurt yourself. You may not go up there without a grownup.” He ignored the pout that followed his decree. “Promise.”
Jimmy kicked the grass. “I pwomise.”
“How did he get up there?” Claudia demanded as soon as the boy ran off to the jungle gym.
“Didn’t you see?”
She shook her head. Honey-colored curls bounced.
“We’ll keep an eye on him in future. I guess this means that you don’t want to swap the lighthouse cottage for this place?”
She squared her shoulders and met his eyes with a frown in hers. “It’s too big. It doesn’t feel homey to me. Although it’s beautiful and the climbing apparatus is awesome.”
He was disappointed but he had sworn to let her choose. “Fair enough. But can we at least order some bigger furniture and a couch that isn�
��t worn out?”
“The furniture belongs to Robin, or maybe to your brother and his wife if they bought it with the lighthouse.”
“Either way, the couch is well past its best before date.” He took her hand in his. “I’m not criticizing. I think you’ve done an amazing job without much money, but I like to be comfortable.”
“Okay. But there’s nowhere around here to buy furniture. And I’m not dragging Jimmy to Seattle or Portland.”
“Perish the thought. That’s what the internet is for. We’ll pick something out tonight.”
“Just like that?” she sounded resentful.
He kissed her hand just above her rings, enjoying her scent until she slammed her guard into place. “What use is money if you don’t spend it to make life easier?” He glanced over at Jimmy, who was hanging from his knees. “I better get over there. He shouldn’t be able to do that yet.”
“Tell me about it!”
“He’s precocious,” Ryan called over his shoulder.
“Duh!”
He opened the nearest hatch and watched while Jimmy performed acrobatics well beyond the range of most three-year-olds. The kid was solid muscle. Now he was crawling upside down along the pole, straining a bit, but moving steadily. It was a relief when he could catch his son and remove him.
“Did you see me, Daddy?” Jimmy crowed.
“I did. You hung from your knees and climbed sideways. Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. Can I go back inside?”
“Let’s ask Mommy.”
***
Their first day together had gone well. At least Ryan thought it had. He was getting used to the low-level simmer his senses were on whenever he was near Claudia. She probably felt it too, if the frequency with which she erected her psychic shield was any indication.
It was a pity she was fighting their mutual attraction. As far as he was concerned it was one of the better things about this forced marriage. But he had promised to let her set the pace. And she was certainly entitled to a little romance and courtship. Hard to be romantic with the kid around.
He also felt it was too soon to take Claudia anywhere. Even if they had had a sitter for Jimmy. And a meal out after the excitement and steady activity of the afternoon was a non-flier for him as well as the kid. He needed a nap more than the boy did.
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