Josh held his breath as he waited for Marti’s answer. He wanted her to accept badly, because he needed her to stay for as long as she possibly could.
Marti nodded, a slight smile on her lips. “I’d like that a lot.”
Heather smiled. “Oh, good! Then I’ll go back to work Monday . . .”
Marti laughed. “Sure you will. Maybe a year from Monday.”
“That would work as well!” Heather grinned at her sister. “We’ll talk salary later. I’m just glad you’re willing to stay and work with us.”
“For as long as I’m needed.”
“I’m staying, too,” Josh said. “For supper. Maybe I should run and tell Mom.” He hurried from the room, letting the sisters have a moment alone.
“It’s a good thing Amy always makes triple what she needs to make. That boy can eat!”
Marti frowned at her sister for a moment, thinking of her power. “What do you know about us?”
“I know you’re my sister, and he’s Michael’s brother . . .” Heather grinned at Marti.
“And our auras? Or hues? Or whatever you want to call them?”
Heather shrugged. “I’m not letting you use my power to make your decisions for you. The two of you will not kill each other.”
Marti rolled her eyes. “What about the other brother. Amos?”
“You two would kill each other.” Heather wasn’t going to let her sister be with the wrong man, just as she wouldn’t confirm Josh was the right man.
“You’re so helpful.” Marti grinned at her sister, understanding her reluctance to use her power. Their sisters had started to use her as their own private Magic Eight Ball, and she wasn’t necessarily a fan of that either.
“I aim to please.” Heather yawned widely. “It must be about time for Michael to come home. I’m waking up a little.”
“Are you as happy as you seem?” Marti asked softly. “I mean, the two of you look like you’re the perfect couple, and your face lights up when he walked into a room, but . . . is it really worth it?”
Heather nodded emphatically. “I don’t think I’d have ever been truly complete without marrying Michael. Some women don’t need a man to be happy, but . . . I need Michael in my life. There’s no doubt about it.”
“I had a vision of Josh wearing a powder-blue tux and standing in front of a preacher.”
“Well, then you know you’ll go to his wedding. That’s something, right?”
Marti laughed. “You’re not giving me anything.”
“No, I’m not. Find a man the old-fashioned way.”
Michael walked into the room then, immediately drawn to his wife. “Did you talk to her?”
Heather nodded. “She’s staying on as our nanny.”
“Thank God!”
Marti grinned. “And I even did your laundry.”
“Didn’t your fingers fall off?” Michael asked, knowing the family joke about Marti and doing laundry.
“Not yet. They might, though.” She got to her feet, deciding to leave the couple alone. “I’m going to go wash my face and brush my teeth before supper. I feel like I’ve been awake for a week.”
Heather grinned. “Thanks for sacrificing sleep for your nieces.”
“No problem. I love them already.” Marti left the room and headed to the bathroom, wondering if she’d ever be able to tell the girls apart. She sure hoped so.
When she arrived back downstairs, supper was already on the table, and they were obviously just waiting for her. She moved to sit beside Josh—not because she wanted to, but because it was the only empty spot—and took a sip of her water. The Muir family was definitely different than the McClains, but there were as many McClains at the table as there were Muirs. And they all meshed well.
She glanced over at Josh to see him watching her, and she felt a flutter in her belly. Was he the one for her? She didn’t know, but she did know she wanted to get to know him better. She was glad she had the opportunity.
* * *
Marti had a full eight hours of sleep Saturday, and she woke feeling refreshed for a change. She showered and dressed for her date with Josh, choosing a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater. She had very few clothes that were meant for the kind of cold weather they were experiencing in Idaho, but she wouldn’t even complain. Heather had offered to share her wardrobe until Marti had her own.
She had a lunch of leftovers, sitting alone at the table. Heather was passed out in her chair, and the moms were talking quietly in the living room, resting up for the next onslaught of crying.
She had just put her dishes into the dishwasher when Josh appeared in the kitchen. “You ready?”
Marti nodded. “Thanks for being willing to see a later movie. You’ll find me a lot more alert and more pleasant to be around.”
Josh grinned at her. “I don’t mind you when you’re sleep deprived. I think you’re wonderful no matter what.”
“Just keep telling yourself that.” She popped her head into the living room. “I’m leaving.”
“Have a good time!” Barbara smiled at her. “Remember your manners.”
Marti rolled her eyes. “I’ve been on a date before.”
“Never with my baby,” Amy said with a grin. “Have fun.”
Marti sighed as she walked over to Josh. “I’ve been reminded to remember my manners. I think Mom has forgotten that I’m twenty-two and not twelve.”
“Let’s get out of here before they offer more advice!” Josh took her hand and tugged her outside. “Finally!”
“Finally?” Marti had no idea what he was talking about.
“I finally have you alone with no members of either of our family watching us. I felt like we were their amusement. Like a favorite TV show.”
“We were better than Love Boat!”
He laughed, leading her to an old Ford truck. “Let’s go see that movie!”
“What are we seeing anyway?”
“Jagged Edge. I know nothing about it, but it’s number one at the box office right now, so I figured it was worth trying.”
“Works for me. If it’s scary, I’ll have to borrow your shoulder to bury my face in.”
He laughed. “You can bury your face in my shoulder whether it’s scary or not. In fact, I’d prefer it.” He drove toward the tiny town of Muir, Idaho, wondering what she’d think of it. “You’re about to be in the heart of town.”
She looked out the window and saw . . . very little. “Wow. There’s a restaurant there!”
“That’s where I’m taking you for supper!”
She grinned. “Well, at least I know my future now . . .” She wondered how much he knew about the powers her family had.
“I wish I knew my future. Since you’re in the business of fortune telling, can you tell me whether I get a goodnight kiss or not?”
“I can see that going both ways. . . . If you behave yourself and buy me popcorn and a Coke, I can see you getting a nice kiss. If you belch loudly at the movie and make everyone look at us and point at me like I did it, then I see you getting a kick in the shins instead.”
He laughed. “Well, that answers that for me.” He parallel parked the truck in front of the movie theater. “Let’s go movie.”
“I hope you’re not one of those people who feels the need to sit in the front row. I always feel like the people on screen will eat me alive when I sit that close.” The last date she’d had did that, and she hated it.
“Nah, I’m more one to take you to the back row and hope I can talk you into making out . . .”
She laughed. “Maybe we should sit in the middle. It sounds like the better option for both of us.”
“Maybe that would be the wisest thing. Have I claimed to be intelligent?” Josh bought their tickets and took her hand, leading her into the building.
Chapter Four
Josh and Marti stopped to get popcorn and soft drinks for the show before heading into the dark theater. They were already showing the previews, and though Marti knew a lot of
people lived for previews of movies, she was not one of them.
When he led her to the back row, she frowned at him. “I’m not making out with you in the back row,” she whispered before realizing they were the only people in the entire theater.
“I’m not asking you to make out. The theater is small, and those are the best seats. Trust me.”
“I’m not sure you’re someone I can trust. I’ve barely met you.”
“Yes, but you trust your sister and her husband . . . and then you have to trust me, because I’m his brother. We’re practically family.”
Marti laughed. “Then no kisses for you at all. I can’t kiss my . . . would that make you my brother?”
“Okay, forget the family connections. I’ll just be your date for the night. I guess the middle, but you’re going to feel like the people onscreen are trying to eat your face.”
She turned to the screen and realized he was right. The back row did have the best seats in the house. “Fine, I’ll sit in back with you, but you can keep your groping hands to yourself.”
He grinned. “I’ll do my very best.”
As the movie started, Marti settled back in her chair with her hand in the popcorn tub. They kept bumping hands, and when they reached the bottom of the tub, he put it on the floor and slipped his arm around her. “Okay?” he whispered.
“Sure.” She wasn’t really certain if she wanted his arm around her, but for the moment, it felt good, and that’s all she was asking for. Snuggling close to him was her idea of a fun Saturday afternoon, whether she was going to admit that to her parents or not.
She didn’t really notice the movie, instead concentrating on his breathing and feeling him against her. Why did it feel so right with him when every other boy who had put his arm around her had made her want to shrug it off? He was special. There was no doubt about that.
After the movie—during which he hadn’t tried to kiss her once—they walked back out to his truck. “Did you like the movie?”
“Was there a movie?” she asked, a grin on her face.
Josh wasn’t sure how to take that question, so he changed the subject. “Let’s head to the diner. I hope you like the food there.”
“Will we run into your old girlfriend? The girl you took to prom?” She knew how small towns were, and she looked forward to meeting people who had always known him. How they reacted to him would tell her a lot about his personality.
“There’s a good chance of it. Small town life and all that.” He pulled up in front of the diner, and they went inside, finding a table. When the waitress brought their menus, she looked between the two of them.
“Introduce me to your girl, Josh!”
Josh smiled. “Tell her I didn’t take you to prom!” he insisted.
The waitress looked a little confused, but she shrugged. “His brother Amos took me to prom.”
Marti laughed. “I knew it!” She smiled at the waitress. “I’m Marti. I don’t know if you’ve met my sister, Heather . . .”
“Oh yeah! Heather’s a local celebrity. She started a dance school here, and then she put the town on the map by having quadruplets! Who has quadruplets?”
“Heather.” Marti leaned back and smiled. “I’m going to nanny for her and Michael for a while. Four babies are too much for any six women to handle.”
The waitress laughed. “I’m Susie. What are you drinking?”
“Coke,” Marti said automatically.
“Sprite,” Josh responded.
When Susie had left them alone, Marti grinned at Josh. “Your brother took her to the prom instead of you. Did you ask first?”
He smiled and nodded. “Here’s the deal. Amos and I are eleven months apart. All through school, he wanted whatever I wanted, and I wanted whatever he wanted. I took his girl to homecoming. He took my girl to prom. We terrorized one another every chance we got.”
Marti shook her head. “My sisters and I had what we called the ‘sister code.’ If one of us had a crush on a boy, then he was off limits to all the others. I think you and your brother should adopt our code.”
“But we couldn’t call it the sister code!” He grinned, picking up her hand and squeezing it. “Besides, I don’t think I’ll be dating anyone new ever again. It’s just you forever.”
She made a face at him. “You’re moving just a little bit too fast for me. Today we’re concentrating on dinner and a movie. Tomorrow it’s movies and snacks. Next week we’ll talk about forever.”
“Don’t think I’ll forget you said that!” He took a sip of the Sprite that had magically appeared before him. “I’m glad you decided to stay on as a nanny for the babies. It’s going to be good having you around.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I wasn’t really planning on coming here, but something told me I had to, so I dropped everything and packed my things.” She shrugged. “I really thought I’d have a management job by now.”
“And instead you’re going to be doing laundry and changing diapers. Do you have any idea how many diapers four babies are going to go through?” He shook his head. “I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Neither do I!” Marti sighed. “I’ve never thought of myself as a baby person, but maybe this is what I need right now.”
“When the babies are old enough for you to stop being a full-time nanny, I really do need some managerial help with the ranch. There are a few things that always slip away from me.”
“I think that after the first few months of absolute exhaustion, I’ll have some time to help you with your ranch. Just let me get settled in first.”
“Works for me,” he said, before turning his attention to Susie, who was back, and they placed their order.
“This menu really is all about the potato. I figured other states just made fun of Idaho for potatoes, but no . . . you guys embrace it!”
“Of course we do. How could we not? Texas embraces its reputation for being the oil state, right?’
“I don’t think of Texas as the oil state.”
“Okay, as the Lone-star state.”
“Well, sure. Why wouldn’t we?’
“So why wouldn’t we embrace being the potato state?” he asked, frowning at her.
“No idea. Moving on.”
After dinner, he drove her up into the mountains as far as he could. “Once you have winter gear, I’m taking you snowmobiling.”
“Don’t I have to go with Amos because he asked me first?” she asked with a grin.
“You don’t ever have to do anything with Amos unless you really want to. Do you want to?”
“Not necessarily. But he did seem to be the one who asked me first.”
“Just to get my goat. He got it, and now we’re on a date, and you never even have to think of him as anything but a brother again.”
She laughed softly. “Is that so?”
He pulled the truck over to the side of the road and shut off the engine. “All I’ve thought about all night is kissing you. May I?”
Marti felt her heartrate speed up. “I’ve never had a guy ask for permission to kiss me. Well, except you the night we met.”
“And? May I?”
She nodded, unbuckling her seat belt and sliding toward the center of the seat. “Yeah.”
He cupped her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers, barely touching her lips with the first kiss. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. “You’re really special, Marti.”
She moved her hands up to his shoulders and pulled him down toward her. She needed a real kiss, not a little touch of the lips. There was something special about him, too. Something that made her heart beat faster and her breath come quickly. Maybe that was the altitude, but it didn’t feel like it. She was sure it was him.
When their lips met again, all she could think about was getting closer to him. She wanted to be inside his coat, snuggled up against him. She could see herself sitting in his arms in front of a fire, a book in her hands. And that’s when she realized it was a v
ision. She pulled away. She was having visions about this man all the time. Was she relying too heavily on her gifts?
“Mom’s going to be worried about me.”
He sighed. “I’d better get you home then.” He didn’t want to let her go, but he didn’t have to say that. He was sure it was written all over his face. Starting the truck, he turned it around and headed back down the mountain. “When are you going to shop for cold weather clothes?”
She shrugged. “No idea. It’s supposed to snow tonight, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, we’re supposed to get four or five inches.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Four or five inches? How can you say that so casually?”
He shrugged. “We get that much several times a year.”
“If we got that much in Texas, a state of emergency would be declared!”
He laughed. “Well, we Idahoans are made of sturdier stuff than that. We’ll manage a little storm like that with no problem.”
“Are we still watching movies tomorrow?” she asked.
“I thought you could come to my place. I’ll start a soup in the Crock-Pot, and we’ll eat whenever we get hungry. We’ll watch movies all day, and maybe talk . . . kiss a little.”
“It’s the kissing I’m worried about!”
“Why would you be worried about kissing? Do you think I’ll take advantage of you or something?”
“No, but . . . I don’t know. I’m a little afraid things will get out of hand. I’ve never . . . well, I’ve never enjoyed kissing quite as much as I do with you.”
He grinned. “I’m afraid I like hearing that. I like kissing you, too.”
“Maybe we should have Amos there to play chaperone.”
“Maybe I should shove Amos into a lake.”
“It’s a little cold for that . . .”
He laughed. “Daisy will play chaperone. I’ll tell her to stick her nose between us anytime we kiss.”
“Who’s Daisy?”
“My Collie. She’ll do it, too. She’s very much an in-your-face kind of dog.”
Marti grinned. “I think I’m going to like Daisy.”
Marti: Seven Sisters Book Page 3
