Secrets of Paternity (16 page)

She did. But to act so quickly?

“I want to sleep with you again,” he said. “I don't want Kevin to know we didn't wait until the wedding. And I can't wait long, Caryn.”

“He's going to wonder why we're in such a hurry. Why we can't at least wait until you're out of your cast.”

“So he wonders. So what?” He waited a second. “If you don't kiss me pretty soon—”

She lunged toward him, merged her lips with his, opened her mouth to his, felt the love flow from him, the caring, the ever-after promise in just that one kiss.

“I'll marry you,” she said a moment later, her forehead pressed to his. “Do you want children?”

“If it happens, absolutely. I have a story to tell you about that, actually. Later.” He grabbed his crutches. “Help me move to the couch so I can hold you.”

When she was settled in his arms, she closed her eyes and cherished the moment. “This has to be the strangest connection of all time,” she said.

“Yeah. But fated, I think.”

“I never would've guess you were a believer in fate.”

“There's a lot about me you don't know yet. And vice versa, I figure.”

“It'll keep life interesting for a long time.”

“Caryn?”

“Hmm?”

“There's room in our love for Paul, too. Always.”

Her heart did a slow roll. No wonder she'd fallen in love with him. She thanked him, kissed him and said she loved him again, the first night of countless nights she would tell him that. The first night of the second part of her life. It couldn't get much better than that.

“P
op!”

James angled away from his smoking barbecue grill. The warm October day was as bright and clear as he'd seen. “What, Kev?”

“Look at Emmy.”

He shifted his gaze to his just-turned-one-year-old daughter. She'd pulled a tomato from a vine and had taken a huge bite with the six teeth she had. Seeds and juice dripped down her brand-new pink shirt.

James laughed. “Do you want to take charge of the barbecue or your sister?” he asked.

“Barbecue, definitely. Because her diaper needs changing, too.” He nudged James out of the way with his hip, grabbing the spatula at the same time.

It was nice having him there for the day. Kevin had
stayed on at the duplex, keeping his independence. It was a good situation.

In the two years since Caryn and James had married, they had become a family, as closely tied as any family that had been together since the beginning, maybe more so because of how they got there.

James wrapped an arm around Kevin's neck and wrestled with him for a second, keeping an eye on the toddler at the same time.

“Emmy!” Caryn exclaimed, coming into the yard.

“Mama,” she said, grinning, batting her big turquoise eyes, taking herself out of trouble with the newly learned word. She held out the tomato for Caryn to take a bite.

“Mmm. Warm and sweet, like you, precious,” Caryn said, giving her a kiss.

James joined them and took a bite when offered, too.

If this wasn't heaven, he didn't know what was.

“Hey, Pop, I think these burgers are done.”

James swallowed. Sometimes moments like this got to him. He was lucky. Damn lucky. He had it all.

He kissed his wife and daughter, picked up the platter of hamburger buns and came up beside his son. Yeah. He had it all.