Love to Believe: Fireflies ~ Book 2 (37 page)

“And then you happened.” His eyes darted to the timer and then back to Rebecca. “I knew if we ever started anything, that’d be it. The night of the storm, everything changed. The balance shifted and we flew way past neutral, started talking about the future. You said the one thing you wanted more than anything was to be a mother.” His gaze, filled with infinite sadness, held hers, pleaded for understanding. “The most important thing you wanted, Rebecca, was the only thing I believed I could never give you.”

The timer blared when it hit zero and Rebecca jumped. Annoyed, she tapped the display to stop the obnoxious beeping.

Sean watched her, tense, waiting for her command that he stay or go.

“I’m still listening,” she said.

He let out the breath he’d been holding. His gaze captured hers and held on. “I have no right to request this of you, and I would never argue your right to choose, but with all my heart I’m asking you to keep this baby. You don’t have to do this alone. I’ll be as involved as you’ll allow. Please.”

“You said you never wanted kids.”

Sean shook his head, kept his gaze fused to hers. “I never said that. What I said was a wife and kids weren’t in the cards for me, because that’s what I believed. That isn’t the same as not wanting them.”

Rebecca’s heart broke open with love and understanding. The Little Booger, conceived against the odds, was more than just a happy miracle. For Sean, this baby was proof of absolution.

“I’m keeping the baby,” she said, and the joyous relief in his eyes washed through her like a cleansing flood.

She stepped to the counter to dig into her purse and started pulling things out, ended up dumping the contents while she dug through to find what she sought.

“This was in the envelope with your house key the day I returned it. I took it out when the Nordic goddess pranced into the kitchen wearing nothing but a postage stamp and a smile. I’d like you to read it.”

Sean stepped closer and took the paper from her fingers. “Just for the record, I didn’t have anything to do with her smile.”

“Blonde, big boobs, and brilliant. Just your type.”

“Rebecca, I swear, I never--”

“I know.” She gifted him with a smile. “Just read it.”

Sean opened the crumpled paper and read the letter she had written so many weeks before, her heart poured out in words and ink.
Sean, I’ll love you until the day I die, and I’ll never be sorry for the time we spent together. Whatever you’re looking for, I hope you find it. Yours always, Rebecca

He raised his gaze to hers. “Please say this is still true.”

“I love you, Sean. It will always be true.”

He cleared his throat. “When is our baby due?”

“Early October. If it’s a boy, I’d like to name him after your brother Jack. I feel like I owe him.”

Sean’s eyes shimmered and his voice rolled out like sandpaper. “That would be amazing. But why do you owe Jack? You never even knew him.”

Rebecca picked up the fliers she had neglected to throw away and handed one to Sean. “I walked to the cemetery and came across Jack’s headstone. I asked him for advice. A second later a big wind blew that bulletin across my foot. It was like a message from Jack, telling me to give you the news about our little miracle.” She laid a hand over her flat belly. “It made sense at the time.”

Sean reached into his pocket, removed the item he’d taken from the drawer, and opened his hand for her to see. “I found this stuck behind my desk drawer today.” He laid it in the palm of her hand. “Jack’s advice to me.”

A shiver of awareness raced up Rebecca’s spine and her skin pebbled with goose bumps. “The worry stone you told me about. You said Jack gave one to you and Brenna.” Her finger traced over the letters etched into the stone. “Believe.” The word came through her lips in an awed whisper.

“I do, Rebecca. I believe you.”

“And you love me.” She met his gaze with her own unwavering one. “You said so, and it’s too late to take it back now.”

“I love you, yes. And I won’t ever take it back.”

“What about Cassidy Marsh?”

Sean’s brows drew together. “She’s the DA.”

“She invited you to dinner.”

“Just dinner. We talked about the case. Not every woman wants to sleep with me, you know.”

The man was so adorably clueless. Good.

Rebecca’s lips curved, and Sean returned the smile. Their fire sparked to life, crackling between them, growing, shimmering, until it burned away all doubt.

“Jack really is the best matchmaker ever. He took care of Maddie, and now you. Brenna better watch out.” Rebecca’s gaze never wavered from Sean’s. “So can this be the part where you sweep me off my feet?”

“You made it clear I’m not to touch you. I saw what you did to Artie Brewster, and if I hold any hope at all of providing you with more children than just the one you’re carrying, I need to avoid having my manhood rearranged.”

Rebecca stepped closer, but stopped just short of touching him. A smile played on her lips. “Permission to touch granted and insisted upon, Counselor, but it comes with a price.”

“Anything.”

“Promise you won’t be stupid enough to leave me again.”

Sean’s eyes lit from within and crinkled at the corners. He slid his arms around her and hugged her in tight, his body heating her at every point of contact. The familiar sensation of liquid fire pumping through her veins rendered her helpless. She held tight to him to steady her wobbling knees.

“I promise,” he said, “but as your attorney, I have to advise you that a legal arrangement should be made to ensure compliance of both parties.”

“Is that so? Exactly what is it you’re proposing?”

“Nice choice of words,” he said. “I recommend a certificate of marriage.”

Happiness flooded her. She couldn’t have stopped her smile if she tried, and was glad she didn’t because he looked relieved by her response, as if he had been concerned she might say no. “The terms, Counselor?”

“Forever.”

They stared at each other for a heartbeat before he lowered his mouth to hers. Rebecca melted against him like warm wax. She welcomed Sean’s deepening kiss, throbbing in places she’d been doing her best to ignore for weeks. Since she laid the fault for their breakup at his feet for being a ridiculous man, she thought she deserved to earn a game point for all her trouble. “There is one more thing.” Her brows drew into a worried frown. “This is serious, Sean. The doctor said it’s a condition that affects some pregnant women, and, well,” she bit her lip and lowered her lashes. “I’m one of them.”

Sean took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and lifted her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together, okay?”

She nodded, her eyes wide and focused on his. “It’s pretty serious.”

Sean’s face paled. He looked so concerned Rebecca couldn’t bring herself to play out the verbal game. She’d have to give him an easy pass on this one. She leaned in to kiss his neck and breathe him in, nipped his earlobe, and whispered in a voice dripping with sexual intent, “Due to an increase in hormones, I’m in a constant--state--of arousal.” She grinned, satisfied when subdued laughter rumbled in his chest. “Think you can help ease my pain, Chocolate Man?”

He drew her closer. “As it happens, Xena, a solution has already popped up.”

“Ah. So it has. What shall we do about this?” Rebecca asked, and squealed in protest when Sean scooped her into his arms and tossed her over his shoulder, caveman style. Belle barked and trotted down the hallway after them, nipping at Sean’s heels.

Rebecca laughed as they bounced along. “This isn’t very romantic.”

He tossed her onto the mattress. She held her arms out for him, and he followed her onto the bed. She wrapped herself around him, and his eyes darkened to midnight blue.

“I earned a point out there, Counselor, and I aim to collect.”

“That,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers, “can be arranged.”

Epilogue

Rebecca snuggled deeper into the pillow and struggled to hold onto sleep, but the pink blush of morning peeking through the blinds eased her from dreamland. She laid still, her muscles languid from sleep when Sean’s arm slid around her to snuggle her against him. She settled her hand over his, touched his wedding ring, and smiled.

She stretched, turned onto her back so their joined hands met over the mound of her belly, and cracked her eyes open to peek at him.

Eyes closed, his rhythmic breathing told her he still slept. She took a moment to admire his handsome face with its superior Kinkaid bone structure, firm lips, and an abundance of sexy stubble. Hard to believe he was really hers.

She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the fact that she had to pee, but with all the extra poundage taking up room inside, her bladder sat in a near-constant state of protest. She slid out from under Sean’s arm, tiptoed to the bathroom, and returned to bed a few minutes later without disturbing him. She closed her eyes and wriggled her fingers and toes in an attempt to relax, but her brain whirled and her heart beat with excitement.

Today, Maddie and Caleb would be married, and as if that weren’t enough to keep her awake, she still reeled from yesterday’s news.

She replayed the moments in her mind, unable to contain her smile...

***

One day earlier
:

“I can’t see a damn thing!” Grampa Boone’s voice had reverberated through the room.

“Stand in front of me, Gramps,” Caleb suggested. “I can see over your shoulder.”

“What about me, Dad?” TJ asked. “If Grampa Boone stands here then I can’t see.”

“Climb on my back,” Cal told his son. “Then you can look over my shoulder.”

“Who invited the Neanderthal?” Brenna looked to her right and made eye contact with Dante. “I thought this was family only.”

“I am family.” Dante slid his arm around Sada’s shoulders. “Tell her, Mom.”

Sada grinned and patted Dante’s chest. “You’re the extra son I always wanted.”

“Can we get this show on the road?” Big Will sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “The new signage for Walker Family Construction is going up and I want to be there when the old Walker & Son sign comes down.”

“You need to retire,” Papa Ron said, looking comfy in his Bermuda shorts and loud Hawaiian shirt. “Screw the meetings. Right honey?”

Edie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You need a hobby, Ron.”

Maddie leaned against Caleb and said to Edie, “You’re his hobby!”

Edie emitted a longsuffering sigh. “Don’t I know it. Bless his heart.”

“What the hell am I looking at?” Grampa Boone peered at the monitor. “Doesn’t look like a baby to me.”

The OB doctor gave Rebecca a pointed look and shook her head.

“When you asked if someone besides your husband could be here for the ultrasound, I didn’t think you meant everyone on the family tree.”

“It just sort of snowballed,” Rebecca said, aiming to sound contrite. “So, what’s the deal? How’s the Little Booger doing in there?”

She looked up at Sean. He smiled and squeezed her hand.

“Great, actually,” the doctor said. “I’ll point out some important things in a moment, but first, do you want to know the sex?”

The question ignited a robust debate, with some of the family arguing it was best to know in order to be prepared, and the other faction complaining that finding out early was like opening up a Christmas present in June. Sean and Rebecca exchanged bemused smiles.

“Excuse me.” The doctor waved her hand. “Hello! I wasn’t actually talking to any of you. I was asking the parents.” She waited for silence. “Thank you. Sean and Rebecca, what do you say?”

Rebecca raised her brows and looked at Sean, and, when he shrugged, she said, “Let’s take a vote. All in favor raise your hands.” Hands flew up and Rebecca counted. “That’s a majority. So? What do we have in there?”

“It’s a boy,” the doctor said and waited for the clapping and conversation to diminish before she added, “and a girl.” She made eye contact first with Sean and then with Rebecca. “Congratulations. You’re having twins!”

A moment of silence ensued during which Sean and Rebecca stared at each other first in shock, then joyous surprise, and then the room erupted again with everyone talking at once and hugging each other. Brenna catapulted herself into Dante’s arms and Dante, laughing, had lifted her off her feet in the exuberance of the moment.

***

“What are you giggling about?” Sean’s sleepy sandpaper voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Just thinking of the look on Brenna’s face yesterday when she hugged Dante. She looked horrified when she realized what she was doing.”

“Mm.” Sean’s noncommittal grunt earned him a pinch. “Ow.” He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes dusky with sleep and his hair sticking up. She drew her finger over the pale freckles across the bridge of his nose and thought he looked adorable.

“Pay attention.”

“I’m sleeping.” He settled back down and nuzzled his face against Rebecca’s neck.

“Babies on the move.” She knew that would wake him up.

Sean rested his palm against her belly, his expression expectant. The babies obliged, and Sean’s smile bloomed. He rubbed her belly and scooted down to press a kiss against her tummy where his hand had been, and made her laugh when his deep voice rumbled, “Good morning, Jack. Good morning, Kathryn. Daddy loves you.” He lifted his dark head to look at her, his eyes alight first with pleasure, and then with something else that warmed her skin and made her insides quicken.

“Xena. I have a special good morning surprise for you.” He inched his way up her body and used his mouth along the way until her breath sped up and she reached for him with eager hands. “Your baby belly is starting to impede our action,” he said, and they laughed together when the babies moved between them as if to prove his point.

“We’ll just have to keep being creative until we hit on the perfect thing,” Rebecca said, combing her fingers through his messy hair.

Sean smiled down at her. “You’re always thinking. That’s just one of the reasons I love you.” He rubbed her nose with his.