“Yeah, I’m just about to leave.”
“Well, fancy that. If you don’t have plans for tonight, could you do me a teeny-tiny favor?”
“Andrea, I haven’t been able to say no to you from the day you were born, and you know it. What do you need?”
“You’re such a sweetheart. John has a business dinner to attend, and Deedee suggested that she and I go out for a quick hamburger. You have no idea how wonderful it sounds, especially if that gourmet meal can’t be interrupted by Matt or Noel. Would you come over and stay with the twins?”
“Me? Andrea, I don’t know the first thing about taking care of babies.”
“There won’t be anything for you to do. They’ll be fed, diapered, and sound asleep. Guaranteed.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said dryly.
“Hey, these little guys were the means by which you won The Baby Bet, remember? Would they do something rotten to their favorite uncle?”
Forrest sighed. “Oh, man, I’ve got to be nuts, but I’ll do it. You’re lucky I’m even speaking to you, or to Deedee, for that matter, considering the fact your stint as Cupids was a disaster. Your double dose of Angels and Elves assignments failed miserably.”
“We’re so sorry, Forrest. Deedee and I feel just terrible about what happened between you and Jillian, or what didn’t happen, or whatever.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll be at your place within the hour.”
“Wonderful. I’ll leave the front door unlocked, so just come on in. I’m going to be putting the finishing touches on my makeup. I’m going to be gorgeous.”
“To go eat a hamburger?”
“Mothers of twins do not take the gift of time off lightly. A hamburger calls for ‘gorgeous.’”
“If you say so.”
“I say so. See you soon. Bye, Forrest.”
Andrea replaced the receiver and beamed at Deedee. “Phase two of The Plan,” Andrea said, “is a mission accomplished.”
“Fantastic,” Deedee said.
A circle of warmth tiptoed about Deedee’s heart and showed itself as a soft smile as she recalled the long talk she’d shared with Jillian as they sat on the floor in front of the roaring fire at Jillian’s house.
Jillian had poured out the sad tale of her marriage and her desire to put those ghosts to rest for all time. She’d talked about her career, and with love shining in her eyes, had spoken of Forrest MacAllister.
Her friendship with Jillian, Deedee knew, had deepened that night, bonded them as sisters.
“The Plan will work, Andrea. It just has to.”
* * *
The drive to Andrea’s was slowgoing due to heavy traffic. Forrest’s frustration grew as he was forced to stop at yet another red light, and he drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel.
The light changed and he pressed on the gas pedal.
He’d caught Michael’s not-very-subtle reference to his lousy frame of mind. His brother was letting him know by asking him if he remembered what smiles were, that Mr. Forrest MacAllister had not exactly been sunshine itself over the past two weeks.
So, okay, he’d work on his attitude.
It wasn’t his family’s fault he was a jerk, had lousy taste in women and had misread Jillian Jones-Jenkins from day one.
It wasn’t their fault he wasn’t sleeping well, had no appetite and was one very miserable man.
It wasn’t their fault that he still loved Jillian with every breath in his rapidly depleting body.
No, that wasn’t exactly true. He loved the Jillian he’d believed her to be, not the one who had eventually shown her true colors. But the image of Jillian, the fantasy, was in his mind’s eye every waking hour of the day and night.
Time, he hoped, would ease his pain, his sense of being betrayed, played for a fool, his chilling loneliness. In the interim, he really had to make more of an effort to smile.
He’d start by smiling at the they’d-better-be-sleeping twins. Those babies were really cute. Matt was easygoing, a laid-back little guy, and Noel was on a short fuse. She wanted a dry diaper right now, and something to eat right now, no excuses, thank you very much. Noel definitely took after Andrea.
What would a baby created by Jillian and him have looked like?
“Shut up, MacAllister,” he said. “Quit pouring salt in your own wounds.”
At last arriving at Andrea and John’s, Forrest parked in front and glanced around as he got out of the car. There were no other vehicles in the circular driveway, and he absently deduced that Andrea’s car was still in the double garage.
When he came to the front door, he automatically reached out to ring the bell, then halted, remembering Andrea’s instructions to enter the house.
“She’s getting gorgeous for a hamburger,” he muttered. “Women are weird biscuits.”
In the entry hall, he stopped, sniffed the air, then frowned.
He’d swear he was savoring the enticing aroma of baking chicken, but that didn’t make sense. Why would someone who was about to engage in the thrilling experience of going out for a fast-food hamburger have a chicken cooking in her oven?
No, he wasn’t really smelling chicken. He was simply a hungry man ready for his dinner who wished there was a chicken turning crispy brown and juicy in the oven.
As Forrest went on into the living room, he pulled off his tie and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. Next he removed the jacket and draped it over the back of a chair.
“Yo, Andrea,” he called. “Your nanny is here to watch over sleeping babies. Catch the word sleeping, little sister. Are you gorgeous enough for a hamburger yet?” He paused. “Hey, where are you, brat?”
“Hello, Forrest,” a soft voice said.
He spun around and his eyes widened in surprise. Opening his mouth to speak, he instantly realized he’d stopped breathing and had to take a gulp of air.
“Jillian?” he finally managed to say, more in the form of a croak.
“Yes, Forrest, it’s me...Jillian.”
He swallowed heavily and the sound of his racing heart echoed in his ears as he scrutinized Jillian from head to toe, drinking in the sight of her like a thirsty man.
She was wearing jeans, a purple sweatshirt with a pink elephant on the front, and purple socks. She was the most sensational woman he’d ever seen, an absolute vision of beauty. And, oh, God, how he loved her.
He took one step toward her, then stopped, a frown replacing his shocked expression.
Hold it, MacAllister, he ordered himself. Think, idiot. He had no idea why she was there, what she was up to, but he wasn’t having any, by damn. He’d do well to remember that Jillian Jones-Jenkins had used him, toyed with him, made a complete fool of him. He was older and painfully wiser, in regard to Miss Jones-Jenkins.
“So what’s the deal?” he said, striving for an I-really-don’t-give-a-damn tone of voice. “Are you joining Andrea and Deedee for a hamburger and fries?”
“No. Andrea isn’t home, Forrest. She was at Deedee’s store when she telephoned and asked you to baby-sit the twins. I’m the only one here with the babies. For all practical purposes, you and I are alone.”
Warning bells went off in Forrest’s head, and he narrowed his eyes.
Ho-ho, he thought, the light was dawning. There was a conspiracy afoot. First there had been Michael’s crazy demand that Forrest not leave the office as scheduled because the phone might ring. It had rung, and there was Andrea with her plea to stay with the twins. Now here was Jillian—alone, obviously having intended to see him while no one else was around.
What were they all up to?
What did Jillian want?
He intended to find out.
But this time he was one step ahead of Jillian’s games. He now realized that he’d been duped into coming to Andrea’s house. Jillian had rallied the troops for heaven only knew what reason, but he would stay on red alert, follow the dictates of his logical mind, not his love-torn heart.
“Okay.” He
nodded slowly. “It’s your ball, Miss Jones-Jenkins.”
Oh, thank goodness, Jillian thought, with a rush of relief. Forrest wasn’t going to turn around and walk out of the house in a fit of temper. He wasn’t smiling—oh, how she yearned to see that gorgeous smile—but he was cooperating. The Plan had to work; it just had to. She loved him so much, so very much.
“Could we sit down?” she said.
Forrest swept one arm through the air. “Whatever you say.”
He went to a chair, while Jillian sank onto the sofa facing him, grateful that her trembling legs had carried her that far.
“Forrest,” she said, wishing her voice was steadier, “I’ve been coming here to Andrea and John’s in the middle of the afternoon for the past week.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Why?”
Jillian gazed at him for a long moment. Forrest’s masculinity was again weaving over her and through her, causing the heat of desire to stir within her.
Her breath caught as she saw the well-remembered strength of his beautifully muscled arms. She vividly recalled how she’d felt when she’d been held tightly in his embrace.
And his lips... Oh, dear heaven, it was suddenly so warm in the room. Hot. His hands. How exquisite was the feel of his hands on her breasts, on her entire body.
She’d missed him so much, she wanted to fling herself across the short space separating them and nestle close to his rugged body.
Stop it, Jillian, she admonished herself. She was in the midst of The Plan, and needed all her wits about her.
“Jillian,” Forrest said, snapping her back to attention, “I asked you why you’ve been coming here every day.” His frown deepened. “Wait a minute. Your vacation is long since over. How is it that you have time to be here and do whatever it is you’ve been doing? There’s no room in your life for anything but your writing when you’re working on a book, remember? You do remember saying that, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what I said and it was true—then.”
This was it, she thought. This was the final stage of The Plan. What happened now would determine her entire future happiness.
She took a steadying breath, squared her shoulders, then lifted her chin.
“Forrest, I know you feel that I betrayed you, used you, viewed you as nothing more than The Project—an Angels and Elves assignment, as you and Andrea call it—to occupy my time during my vacation.”
Forrest’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak as he looked directly at Jillian.
“You were my Angels and Elves assignment, just as I was yours. Andrea and Deedee were trying to bring us together out of a sense of love.”
“I realize that,” he said, a slight edge in his voice. “I’m not angry at them. The fact remains that you’re intelligent and—I thought—also sensitive and caring enough to realize that something special and extremely important was happening between us. I believe that you knew it, but didn’t give a damn. You kept up your phony charade because you still had time to fill before your vacation was over.”
“No! That’s not true. Oh, Forrest, I know how it seems to you. I can still hear those horrible things I said to you that last time we were together.”
Forrest dragged one hand through his hair, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and making a steeple of his fingers.
“I remember everything that was said, too,” he murmured. “I wish to hell I could forget.”
Tears stung Jillian’s eyes as she heard the pain in Forrest’s voice, saw it etched on his face.
“Oh, Forrest, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said, willing herself not to cry. “I was terrified, so frightened. My past held me like a cold, iron fist, and I didn’t know how to break free. I was behaving like a child, running from ghosts that existed only in my mind. Forrest, are you really hearing me as you’re listening? I’m speaking in the past tense. I’ve conquered those ghosts, Forrest. I truly have.”
“I’m glad...for you,” he said, straightening again in the chair. “There was a time when I thought those ghosts were the only thing standing in our way.” He shook his head. “What a joke. The dragon I could never slay is your career. It’s all you want or need.”
“You accused me,” she went on, her voice trembling, “of escaping from reality into a fantasy world because I was too much of a coward to run the risks of embracing life, even to the point of transporting myself back in time as an extra layer of protection. You said I was living through my characters because it was safer and I was in control.”
“I shouldn’t have said all that,” he said, sounding suddenly weary. “I was hurt, angry, and I lashed out at you.”
“Forrest,” she said, tears echoing in her voice, “everything you said was true.”
“What?”
“I’ve learned a great deal about myself since that painful scene we had. What I’ve discovered is not flattering, nor am I proud of myself. I was hiding from life, Forrest. I escaped into my writing where it was safe and I couldn’t be hurt again. It all became very clear to me while we’ve been apart.”
“And?” he prompted, feeling the increased tempo of his heartbeat. Easy, MacAllister. Jillian wasn’t finished talking yet; he hadn’t heard everything she had to say. He mustn’t hope too much, set himself up for another painful fall. But, oh, damn, how he loved her. “Go on, Jillian.”
“There’s something I want to be certain you know and believe. Forrest, I knew that I loved you before we parted. That’s one of the reasons I was so frightened. Despite my resolve to never love again, I had fallen deeply, irrevocably in love with you. Oh, God, Forrest, I was so scared.”
“Jillian?” He got slowly to his feet.
“No, wait,” she said, raising one hand. “Please let me finish. A successful author has to be disciplined, write every day, but I now know that I had stretched out my work to fill the hours so I could remain in my protective cocoon. I do have space in my life for more than my work and I want more. I want you. I love you, Forrest MacAllister. I want to be your wife and the mother of our babies, our miracles.”
She swept one arm in the air.
“This plan to get you here, which Deedee, Andrea, and Michael helped me put together, is to prove to you that I’m speaking the truth, from my heart, my soul. You have just cause to distrust me, but I hope and pray that I’ll be able to convince you that I love you more than I can even say.
“I’ve been coming here at the end of my workday to have Andrea teach me how to tend to babies. I want to be the best mother I possibly can, and Andrea’s been so patient. I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it is to hold Noel and Matt, give them baths, rock them to sleep.
“I’ve finally put to rest the pain of losing my baby so many years ago. I’m looking to the future with the fervent prayer that someday I’ll nestle our baby—yours and mine, our miracle—to my breast.”
Two tears slid down her cheeks.
“I tried to learn to cook, too, but Andrea finally admitted defeat. I was going to have a delicious dinner waiting for you here, but I forgot to turn the oven on again, and the chicken has only just begun to bake.” She threw up her hands. “I’m a complete disaster in the kitchen.”
“Jillian...”
“I love you, Forrest MacAllister,” she said, nearly choking on a sob. “Please forgive me for hurting you, for causing you pain produced by my own cowardice. I love you, Forrest. I do.”
“God, you’ve worked so hard, put yourself through the painful process of dealing with your ghosts. You’ve torn down your protective walls, rendered yourself vulnerable out of love for me, trust in me. I will never—” Forrest stopped speaking for a moment as his emotions overcame him “—never forget this night and the precious treasures, the gifts you’ve given me.”
No longer fighting against the tears that glistened in his eyes, Forrest smiled.
“Lady Jillian,” he said, his voice husky, “if you will grant me the honor of your hand in m
arriage, I will be the happiest knave in the country, or kingdom, or whatever. Ah, Jillian, marry me. Please.
“No, wait. Before you answer, I want to tell you something. I’ve grown and changed, too, Jillian. I truly believe that a two-career marriage can be fantastic, rich and deep and real. Compromise. It calls for compromise. Therefore, I’m going on record as saying that I’m a helluva cook and I’ll be the chef of this outfit.
“Ah, Jillian, there’s nothing we can’t handle if we do it together, loving each other for the remainder of our days. Will you marry me? Please, Jillian? Will you be my wife and the mother of my children?”
“Oh, Forrest, yes!”
She flung herself into his arms, and the kiss they shared was long and searing, igniting their passion into hot, consuming flames.
Suddenly Forrest snapped his head up and frowned.
“What’s that noise?” he said. “It sounds almost like squeaking kittens.”
Jillian laughed. “That’s the twins waking up. They’ll need a dry diaper and a bottle. Then they’ll have to be burped, diapered again, played with a bit, rocked to sleep, and—”
“Got it,” he said, matching her smile. “You’re the baby expert. I want you to teach me everything you’ve learned so far about tending to munchkins. I think, though, for the well-being of our family, I’m going to ban you from the kitchen.”
“Good plan. Oh, Forrest, I love you.”
“I love you too, Lady Jillian.”
They walked out of the room with their arms encircling each other, knowing that in their hearts, minds and souls, they were taking the first steps toward a glorious future—together.
* * *
“Deedee?” Andrea said into the receiver of the telephone. “I found the most beautiful gown today for Jillian and Forrest’s wedding. Oh, and guess what? I’m having the cutest outfits made for the twins to wear to the big event. Noel will be an angel, and Matt an elf.
“The guests will probably think I’m crazy dressing the babies that way for a wedding, but everyone that matters will know how appropriate it is. An angel and an elf—perfect.
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