The Texas Millionaire's Runaway Wife (21 page)
He shook his head.
“And I want you to tell me what’s going on. I would never have left if you’d just told me the truth about Tatiana.”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
She held her hands up. “I don’t need protecting.”
He grinned. “I can see that, now.”
She met his smile. “So what does this mean?”
Charles piped up from behind them, “It means he kisses the girl and you live happily ever after as man and wife.”
Grinning, Stephen said, “What do you think?”
“I think that sounds perfect.”
With that, he leaned down and drew her into a kiss. Their lips met and he pulled her into a tight embrace. Letting go, he said, “So do we tell him about the baby now, or make him wait?”
Cassie smiled into his shoulder. “Let’s make him wait.”
Epilogue
With only about a month to go in her pregnancy, Cassie couldn’t get the babies’ room together fast enough. Babies. Two. She patted her belly as one of them kicked and hung a name placard above where one of the cribs would go. Christopher and Cara. She smiled as she stroked a finger over the names.
It had taken her a while to get to it, but she’d finally told her sister the truth about everything. It felt cathartic, like for the first time since their parents died, they actually got to be sisters. And Liz took it all well, at least after she finally stopped wanting to hurt Stephen.
“Mrs. Sands, they’re here.”
Cassie turned to Abigail and waddled toward the nursery door. “How do the names look?”
“Perfect,” the housekeeper said.
Taking her hand, they walked down the stairs together. Already Cassie could hear the house groan under the weight of running toddlers and their overworked mommies. “Thanks for setting this up, Stephen,” she said as he took her hand at the base of the stairs.
“You know how much I like this.”
She grinned. He did, too. He and Handley had a special bond that made Cassie proud. Of course, he hadn’t had to agree to the second part of today, but he’d stood beside her all the same. “Are they here yet?” she asked.
“William just rang in from the end of the driveway. They came together.”
“You didn’t tell them?”
He grinned. “And miss the looks on their faces?”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Cassie opened it to find all three of the Sands brothers waiting. “Boys, come in.”
Daniel, Andrew and William looked around cautiously as toddlers raced through the main foyer. “What’s going on here?” William stepped through, barely missing one of the children with his oversized foot.
“We’re having lunch,” she said.
All three pair of eyes swung toward Stephen. “You knew about this?” Andrew asked.
Stephen smiled. “Lunch time!” he called.
The children raced toward the dining room. They knew the drill. They’d been coming to the house once a month for nine months now. It started with Cassie trying to annoy Stephen, and turned into a fun tradition for everyone involved.
Today was different, though. Today, Cassie would sit the rest of the Sands brothers down and tell them the facts of life.
She’d had a similar talk with Graciella, though not about the facts of life. More, the reality of her new life. She wanted Graciella as her partner in the bakery, fully. With a husband and planning for children, Cassie didn’t have time to run everything the way she once had. She knew she could trust her long-time friend, and it seemed only right.
Looking around the room, Cassie felt very blessed. Things might have started out rocky between her and Stephen, but she couldn’t ask for a more attentive husband or a more wonderful life.
With everyone settling into their seats, Cassie made sure the brothers got sandwiches packed full of extra peanut butter. Once they had their mouths full, Cassie started. “So, boys. The babies will be here in just about a month and I think some changes need to be made.”
William tried to talk, but he couldn’t past his mouthful of sandwich. Andrew and Daniel found themselves equally incapacitated.
Perfect.
“First,” she said as she set her own cheese sandwich down, “you will find respectable girlfriends. If you cannot find them, I will find them for you.”
William shook his head. “I fund pfenty of gills.”
“No,” Cassie shook her head. “You find floozies. All three of you. I won’t stand for that. I think it’s high time we get you all married off to good women so I can enjoy my mommyhood in peace.”
Daniel held up his finger and tried to clear his mouth. Unable to, he said, “We downt wand wifths.”
“I don’t care what you want,” Cassie said. “Look around this room. These are they type of women you are to date from now on. These are respectable, good women. These are the type of women you deserve. You’ve been cutting yourselves short with the blondes—not that all blondes are bad.” She turned to Krista Donovan. “No offence, Krista.”
“None taken.” The woman smiled at William, who scowled in return.
“Stephen and I are happy,” Cassie continued, “And it’s my goal to make sure the three of you find happiness. Whether you like it or not. I’m a Sands, and we look after our own.”
Andrew turned toward Stephen, who had been uncharacteristically quiet through the whole exchange. “Wat do do tink?”
Stephen held up his hands. “I think she’s right. But I’m not getting into the middle of this.” At that point, Handley got out of her chair and walked over to Stephen. He lifted the child effortlessly into his lap. “She has a point, though. I didn’t know what it meant to be happy before Cassie came along. So, if I were you, I wouldn’t fight it.”
All three brothers grumbled as they took drinks from their apple juice boxes.
Cassie turned to Stephen and took his hand. “Do I really make you happy?”
“More than I ever thought I deserved.”
They leaned in to kiss. Cassie sat back up in her chair and rubbed her stomach as another kick came. Later that afternoon she was going to see Liz and Annie. She couldn’t believe how much different her niece was now. Not things most people from the outside would notice, but definitely major improvement.
Everything was changing so quickly. In a month, the two newest Sands would make their grand entrance. It seemed like she’d gotten everything she wanted and never realized she was missing. Leaning in, she kissed her husband and tussled Handley’s hair.
All she needed now were some wonderful sister-in-laws to share this all with.
But that would come soon enough...
A word about the author...
Mary Malcolm lives in a small town in Texas with her two dogs, a cat, two fish, two roommates, and absolutely no peace or quiet. She loves writing books about family, heart, and home with wonderful men and strong women. If you are ever at Central Market, there is a good chance you will find her wandering around with a happy, drooly, foodie look on her face. Do not judge. It is her Mecca.
Find her online at
www.marymalcolm.com
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