Callie bent to offer a finger, and the newly christened Simon Marcus Crossan obligingly curled his tiny hand about it, cooing.
Enchanted, Callie looked up at her husband. “I want one of these.”
Dean grinned at her. “I’m sure it could be arranged. We’d better decide if it’s going to be an American or a Kiwi.”
Callie wrinkled her nose. “I guess a Kiwi would be okay.” She and Dean had been married in the States, but agreed that he shouldn’t quit his New Zealand job in less than a year. After that, he had promised, if Callie was still pining for her home he’d try for work in America.
Katie joined the group, the hand hooked into Jason’s arm sporting a brand-new engagement ring. “How’s my godson?” She unconsciously parroted her twin.
Jenna laughed. Simon opened his mouth in a yawn, and then let out a fretful squawk. “Ready for bed,” Jenna said, rising. “I’ll just put him down.”
“I’ll come too.” Marcus put his arm about her and accompanied her into the house.
Upstairs, she tucked the baby into the portable crib and soothed his sleepy protest with hushed words and a gentle hand, until his eyes closed.
Marcus looped his arms around her from behind, and they both gazed down at the small miracle they’d created. He said, “I never thought I could love you more than I did on our wedding night, but when you gave birth to our baby, I realized I’d been wrong. I never imagined one man could be so lucky.”
“You were wonderful that night,” she told him.
“Which?” He turned her in his arms, looking down at her quizzically.
She laughed up at him. “Both. Both times you were strong when you needed to be, tender when it mattered. Caring. I love the way you’ve always cared for me. And I want to care for you too. You and our children.”
“Children…plural?” he teased. “Isn’t one enough of a handful for now?”
“For now. But we have plenty of love left over for more, don’t we?”
“Of course we do. We have so much we can’t contain it all. More than enough for a family.”
She slid her arms about his neck. “I love you!” She knew she couldn’t say it too often for him. She liked saying it, watching the light that kindled in his eyes every time.
“And I love you,” he replied, but she hardly heard the words because they were uttered against her mouth, just before he kissed her, putting his heart and soul into a wordless pledge, a promise for the future, while their son slept peacefully beside them, secure in his parents’ spilled-over love.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5310-3
MARRYING MARCUS
Copyright © 2001 by Daphne Claire de Jong
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Marrying Marcus Page 15
