by Tina Leonard
He sighed. “As much as it sounds like sex, it’s not. You’re determined to give me rug burn the only way I don’t want to get it.” But he pulled, tugging her forward, and then she seesawed back, pulling him.
Slowly, they tested the feel of the motion, enjoying the sense of working together. After he’d pulled her forward about ten times, he said, “I change my mind. This is fun.”
“You’re looking down my nightgown,” she said, huffing. “But if it keeps you working, help yourself.”
“You’re only saying that because you know I got an erection the instant you leaned over.”
She started giggling, and he kept her pulled forward so he could stare down the gaping material. “I’ve got an even better idea for our physical fitness. Let’s do this nude,” he suggested.
“I give up,” she said, releasing his hands. “You have no focus.”
“I have intense focus. What do you want me to say after nine months, Maddie? Gee, what lovely breasts you have, and you look like a fabulous Reubens painting I saw in the Louvre, but you don’t turn me on?”
She looked at him suspiciously. “You don’t think I’m fat?”
He pulled hard, a slow tug that brought her close enough to him that he could grab her waist and jerk her forward onto him. “Nah, I can still manhandle you.”
Snorting, she said, “Shall you be punished for that remark now or later?”
A shrill baby cry suddenly filtered through the speaker. They both got to their knees and looked at the TV monitor. Two little heads were moving against the sheets, tiny fingers beginning to flex in agitation.
“I guess it’ll have to be later,” Sam said.
“Wonder why these little dickens can’t sleep?” Maddie asked as Sam helped her to her feet.
“They miss the warm, comforting bosoms of grandmothers. You’ll miss them, too, if this keeps up.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him as they hurried up the stairs. “Do you wish our moms were here?”
“Nope. But I’ve got the bosom I love nearby.” He tweaked her bottom playfully, making her hurry faster up the stairs to get away from him. “See, and I’ve even shown you a better way to become fit more quickly. Stair leaping.”
Maddie shook her head at him as she picked up Hayden, who was close to working himself into a full lather. “I think some chauvinism crept into you while you were in France. Obviously you were away much too long,” she told him, her eyes snapping with heightened passion at his teasing.
“I know,” he said simply. “It’s clear as anything that you missed me.”
“What makes you say that, especially as I was just running away from you?”
“Sometimes running away is just wanting to be caught.”
They looked at each other. “Maybe one day I’ll let you catch me,” she said softly.
“I’ll make it worth your while,” he promised.
THAT AFTERNOON they had a photo shoot scheduled with the founder of Maitland Maternity. Henry and Hayden were a miracle Maitland wanted to showcase. But it was clear to Sam that his wife was nervous and edgy. Neither of them had slept much last night, and the infants were fussy.
He thought about suggesting to Maddie that they reschedule the session. She needed rest more than she needed to be carting irritable babies around. But this was important to her because of what Maitland had given her, and so it was important to him.
Yawning, he packed diapers and wipes into a baby bag. “I must be getting old,” he said to his sons, who were listening to the sound of his voice from their places on the king-size bed. “Funny, I really didn’t feel old until I started getting up every hour or so with you guys.”
Henry and Hayden lay between pillows on their backs, waving their tiny arms every once in a while. They were dressed like little princes in matching blue sailor onesies, with white booties on their feet. Sam smiled. “Maybe an outing will wear you little guys out so you can rest better,” he said. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he rubbed the back of his neck and then massaged across his chest. “I know you’re wearing me out,” he told them.
Henry let out an indignant wail.
“Oh, no, it’s all right. I didn’t mean to begrudge you your right to keep me hopping,” he told him, lying down between his sons. “It’s hard to believe that two six-pound fellas with toes no bigger than…” He inspected his sons’ tiny booties. “Well, let’s just say I’ve seen baby peas that are bigger than your toes. How such minute little men can throw my entire world into utter chaos is something I can’t figure out.”
They turned toward his low, soothing murmuring so he rolled them onto their stomachs. First he watched Henry, and then he turned his head to look at Hayden. Being on their stomachs settled them, and after a moment, they began sucking their fists. Sam glanced back and forth between them a second longer, feeling his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. He could hear Maddie splashing in the bathroom, or maybe it was that spitting statue she liked so much.
Whatever it was, the sound was mesmerizing. He let his tired eyes close, just for a moment. I won’t really fall asleep, I have to get dressed so I can play the proud papa—which won’t be terribly difficult.
If he snoozed for just a second, the indigestion he’d been feeling for the past couple of hours would subside. And then he’d make Maddie sleep tonight while he slept upstairs with the boys. They’d all have frozen dinners for supper. He’d have a Hungry Man because the indigestion would be gone by then, and his sons could have a baggie of breast milk, nicely warmed to a temperature comparable to Mom’s.
The thought brought a smile to his face as he drifted off.
Chapter Thirteen
Maddie came out of the bathroom and smiled at her boys nestled beside their father. Her insides shivered. Two months ago, she would never have dreamed that Sam would return to her, and be such a loving father and husband.
Nine months ago, she wouldn’t have dared to dream that she’d be pregnant. “I’m so blessed,” she whispered, tracing gentle fingers through Sam’s dark hair. It lay at his nape as he snored rhythmically, the side of his face pressed into the white lace comforter. Henry and Hayden were sleeping deeply, their tiny bodies adorable in their sailor outfits.
It was probably unfortunate that they’d fallen into a restful sleep just when they needed to leave the house. She hated to wake them, or Sam, for that matter. He hadn’t seemed as energetic this morning as he had in the past few weeks. Of course, they were both running on lack of sleep. But Sam was used to jet lag and international time differences. It surprised her that he seemed so run-down. Usually she was the one who had energy leaking out of her like an old battery.
“Sam, wake up,” she murmured softly. “We need to get to the hospital for the photo shoot.”
He opened one eye and groaned.
“I’m sorry.” She stroked her fingers along the side of his face, somehow still amazed that he was here with her and that she could touch him to her heart’s content. “Why don’t I go by myself so you can catch up on some sleep?”
“No. I’m fine.” His eye closed.
When he didn’t move, Maddie frowned. Sam had never been as lethargic as this. He definitely needed rest. Quietly, she gathered the babies’ things and carried them out to the car. Then she lifted Henry and took him to his carrier, next securing Hayden. Putting her purse over her shoulder, she lifted the babies out onto the porch stoop and closed the door ever so stealthily.
She was just transferring the last baby carrier into the car when Sam came hopping out the front door, fastening his khaki trousers as he hurried to juggle shoes, socks and his keys to lock the door. “Maddie! Wait!”
“I can do this by myself. I’d rather you stay here and get some rest, Sam.”
“No way. You shouldn’t be carrying heavy things, and I can’t miss my boys’ first modeling session.”
Maddie shook her head at him wryly. “Henry and Hayden can hardly be classified as tonnage. And it’s just Megan Maitland we�
�re seeing, not a Hollywood talent scout.”
“All the more reason I need to be with you, then.” He jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door. “The picture of a happy family isn’t complete without Dad.”
“They’re not interested in our pictures, Sam, just the babies’.” But Maddie shook her head again, smiling. She finished making certain the car seats were appropriately situated. The carriers faced backward, and the seat belts were snugly in place. Satisfied, she opened the drivers’ door and slid behind the wheel.
“Can you drive?” Sam asked.
“Yes.” She gave him a curious look.
“But did Dr. Abby okay it?”
“Yes, Sam.” She switched on the ignition.
“Do you mind driving? I need to finish dressing, but if you give me five seconds, I’ll have my shoes on—”
“Sam. You’re overdoing the protective routine. Please.” She pulled away from the curb, driving slowly. “I do wish you’d stay and rest.”
“If anybody needs sleep, it’s you. You’re the open-all-night diner.” He took a deep breath, running both hands through his hair in an attempt to tame it, but the brown strands pretty much defied the attempt.
“You look fine. It’s the boys who are the stars.”
“Yes, but I want to talk to these Maitland people.”
She glanced at him. “What about?”
He shrugged. “It’s time for me to express my thanks for what they gave me.”
She blinked and was about to reply when he continued, “And I’m going to tell them that my wife and I will probably be interested in utilizing their services again in the near future.”
Her lips parted. Unnerved, she pulled over to the curb in front of a neighbor’s house. She turned to stare at her husband. “You told me you weren’t going to—”
He held up a palm. “I know what I said.” Scrubbing at the back of his neck for a second, he grimaced. “Those little guys back there, and you, mean the world to me. I can’t imagine a time when I didn’t have you, all of you.” Shaking his head, he said, “Well, I don’t want to remember when it was just me, living by myself, putting everything I had into a business that isn’t going to matter in the long run as much as this family does.”
“Oh, Sam.” Maddie glanced away from his gaze for just a moment, her heart too full to speak.
He covered her shoulder with his palm, before sliding it up to cup her neck. “All I know is that despite sleep deprivation, despite the fact we stay in that house most of the time and somehow manage to run what I know must be a marathon of miles chasing diapers and bottles and wipes and pacifiers, I’m happy. I’m exhausted, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
She smiled at him. “They have rearranged our world.”
“That they have.” He looked at her for a long moment. “And I guess all I’m trying to say is that if you decide you need another Maitland miracle, I’m not going to let my pride stand in the way. If nature didn’t give me everything I needed to hit the target properly, then I don’t mind a little assistance with my aim.”
She reached over to hug him, and they held each other for a long time. Maddie closed her eyes and told herself there was more than one miracle Maitland had performed.
SAM FOUND HIMSELF respectfully impressed as he met the Maitland clan. Megan Maitland, the Maitland Maternity founder, was there, as well as Mitchell. Dr. Abby was on hand for the photo shoot. All of these people cared about his wife and his children.
Somehow, that took the last sting out of his pride. They were genuinely caring people who didn’t seem to think less of him for being away when his children were born.
Rubbing a palm over his chest surreptitiously, Sam enjoyed watching his babies being adored by a group of nurses. Maddie was complimented for how well she looked. He liked hearing that. It made him feel as if they thought he was taking good care of her, which he’d certainly tried to do. His stubborn little wife was pretty certain she could do everything on her own, but he planned to remind her often that it took two of them to tango, and it would take two of them to raise their family. Nothing had been said as yet of them staying together for good. He hadn’t wanted to push the issue. But it was almost time for him to convince Maddie that she’d be a lot happier with him than without him.
Maybe he should ask her to marry him again. Technically, they were still married, but somehow, it didn’t seem the same to him, and he knew it didn’t seem the same to her. They had been separated too long. Watching his wife as she walked across the room, he admired the way the red pantsuit fit her. Her gleaming, mahogany chin-length hair swinging, she moved with confidence, gesturing as she talked.
His jaw dropped. She wasn’t wearing her wedding band! The strange pain that had been in his chest suddenly intensified. Why had he not noticed that before? He still wore his.
He’d been thinking all week about his surprise for her—the moment he was going to tell her that he’d been wrong, that they most definitely should have more children. When he had done so, she hadn’t said anything. She’d only hugged him.
He sat heavily in one of the chairs situated around the big room. The breath seemed to roll out of him as if pressed. Then he couldn’t draw any back into his body. Sweat broke out on his forehead. His hands suddenly felt clammy, cool.
Maddie turned around and smiled at him, a bright sexy smile meant only for him, and the pain lifted so that he could breathe. He leaned back in the chair, telling himself he was simply tired.
“Fine boys you’ve got there,” Mitchell Maitland said, taking the seat next to Sam.
“I’ve got you to thank for them,” Sam said. “Maddie and I may one day go this route again.”
Mitchell frowned. “What route, Sam?”
“You know.” Sam shifted uncomfortably, not certain of his words. “Whatever it was you did that made us able to conceive.”
The doctor looked at him steadily for a few seconds. “Did Maddie tell you she wanted to have another procedure?”
Now Sam frowned. “We discussed it.”
Mitchell wrinkled up his eyes, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I’ll have to talk to her about this, then. It hadn’t occurred to me that Maddie would want more children, since she had twins.”
“I think she wants to get on the fast track because she’s getting closer to forty. She’d like one more baby.”
“I see.”
Sam swallowed, his throat pinching. “For some reason, you don’t sound enthusiastic about her desire for another procedure.”
Mitchell slowly shook his head. “I need to talk to her about it, Sam. But as her husband, you might be the best one to encourage her to be happy with the two wonderful babies she has.”
The pain crept into his chest again, maddening in its refusal to subside completely. Sam ignored it. “What are you saying, Dr. Maitland? Bottom line?”
Mitchell sighed. “I couldn’t advise you to risk it again. It wouldn’t be fair to the children she has.”
“Are you saying Maddie put herself in a high-risk situation before?” The agony inside his rib cage intensified until it felt like a hot stone he couldn’t dislodge.
“It was risky,” Mitchell said, “but Maddie was determined. At her age, it wasn’t something I ringingly endorsed. I knew how much it meant to her. I also knew that her inability to conceive had virtually ruined your marriage,” he said, lowering his voice confidentially. “The truth was, at that time, Maddie had a lot more to gain than to lose. Now that simply isn’t the case.”
No, it wasn’t. Not for Sam, either. He was a happy man, a deeply satisfied man.
Across the room, Maddie laughed, the sound rich and yet heartbreakingly feminine. He would give anything he could to make her happy.
She wasn’t wearing her wedding band. Their marriage had deteriorated over their inability to become pregnant. Now a renowned physician was telling him that the procedure that had probably saved his marriage and given him back his wife wasn’t available
to them anymore.
The painful thought hit him that she’d been right; their reborn relationship hadn’t really been tested, hadn’t been welded into one undividable bond.
The air around him grew hot. Maddie glanced his way, her large green eyes laughing, her face beautiful with its natural complexion and the girlish appeal Martin described as little sisterish, but which had always been erotically womanly to Sam—and the next thing he knew, his chest erupted in fiery anguish.
“REST. Plenty of it. And relaxation,” Maddie told Sam as he lay in a hospital bed. “Doctor’s orders.”
He groaned, having been through a series of tests ranging from a simple electrocardiogram to more complicated ones he couldn’t pronounce. All to tell him he needed rest. “You need sleep more than I do,” he rasped.
She smiled. “You’re suffering angina brought on by…the babies and me.”
“Uh-uh.” He shook his head against the pillow. “Without you three, I’m nothing.”
“With us, you’re going to have a heart attack.” She leaned over to kiss his forehead.
He caught her hand, pulling her into the bed beside him so that he could hold her. “Now, I’m healed.”
She laughed. “Sam, you’re supposed to be taking it easy!”
“I can’t. Where are my sons?”
“With nurses who fawn upon their every baby command.” Frowning up at him, she said, “Sam, your mother left a message at the house.”
“Oh, no.”
Maddie didn’t meet his gaze immediately. “Yes. And so I returned her call.”
“You didn’t tell her, did you? She’ll be over here on the next plane to take care of me.” He shook his head, perplexed. “She does have some maternal prescience, just as we thought. Only hers is so strong that she even picks up vibes across an ocean.” He mused for a moment. “There is the possibility that my mom’s prescience is fusing with yours, combining for a max-powerful ESP force not seen before on planet earth. We’ll never be out of their reach!”
He was going to have a colossal fit when she told him what Sara had called about. “Well…”
