by Tina Susedik
“You know, someday we’ll learn to do slow and sensual,” he commented.
“So you’ve said before, but I’m not complaining,” Cassie yawned. “We have years and years to practice.”
“Cassie?”
“Mmm?” she managed to murmur.
“I need to ask you something.”
Cassie wrapped her arms tighter around his waist and kissed his chest. Her eyes were growing heavier by the second. “Mmm. Is this where you ask me to marry you?”
Hogan didn’t say anything, but nodded against her hair.
“Well?” she asked.
His fingers trembled as he rubbed her shoulder. “I don’t want to rush you or anything. And if you’d rather wait longer to get to know each other better, fine. But we’re meant for each other. Soul mates and stuff like that. I don’t want you to . . .”
Cassie turned and pressed a finger to his lips. “Hogan Wynnters, you’re babbling again.” She replaced her finger with her mouth and tongue until the room heated and the windows steamed.
Epilogue
Cassie ran up the steps of her sister’s large colonial-style home and rang the doorbell. She sighed with pleasure. So much had happened in the two years since her sister, Bess, had swept into Cassie’s house and unexpectedly dropped off her kids.
Within three months of their reconciliation, she and Hogan married.
It took that long to refinish the antique bed she’d bought. Then they had to find the perfect mattress and curtains to fit the unusual size. Cassie slept on her couch until their big day. The wait had been worth it. It was all and more than she had hoped for.
On their wedding night, they came back to her house—now theirs. Hogan’s wedding gift of a silver bottle of steak sauce and her gift to him of a large jar of strained carrots were prominently displayed on the side table. Curtains were drawn to muffle the sounds of their passion, as they broke the bed in, well and truly. They still hadn’t learned the art of slow and sensual, but the practice was fun.
Nine months later, twins, Sally and Dominic, arrived. Hogan didn’t stop smiling for weeks. They didn’t get any sleep for months. Cassie smiled at the memory.
Bit by bit, their house was being refinished, Hogan doing most of the work on weekends. After selling his part of the company to one of his brothers and resigning from the FBI, he was free to form a new business. It was small, but allowed him to make his own decisions and gave him time to spend with his family.
On the one-year anniversary of Hogan’s new company, Cassie presented him with a porch swing. The tears she saw in his eyes at her gift made her heart swell with joy. She truly believed that one of these days her heart would just plain burst with all the happiness playing around in there.
Instead of getting a full-time job, Cassie started a home-based business designing websites, brochures, letters, and promotional items for businesses. Her first client had been Hogan.
Cassie pressed her sister’s doorbell again, and the door finally swung open.
“Cassie. What are you doing here?” Bess asked. Three-year-old Billy came up behind her and squealed his delight at seeing his aunt.
She reached down and swung him into her arms. “How ya doing, champ?”
“Where’s Sally and Dommy?” he asked.
“Uncle Hogan’s getting them.”
“Can I play with them?”
Cassie swung him back to the floor after giving him a kiss. “You sure can, sweetie.”
“Why are you here, Cassie?” Bess asked again.
“Payback time, sis. Payback time.”
Hogan came up behind her holding the twins; a redheaded boy in one arm and dark-haired, double dimpled girl in the other. “Did you tell her yet?” he asked.
“Tell me what?” Bess demanded.
Hogan and Cassie stepped around her sister and stood in the foyer.
“Remember a few years back when you showed up at my door, unannounced, dropping off three youngsters on me? Now it’s your turn.” It was so much fun seeing sister’s discomfort.
Bess frowned. “You’re not still angry at me for that, are you?”
Cassie took Sally from her husband and removed her jacket while Hogan did the same with Dominic. Seven-year-old Emily and her younger sister, Jaz, bounded into the room, gave their aunt and uncle kisses, and quickly took their young cousins away.
Without answering her, Cassie and Hogan went back to the car and hauled in bags. Two matching car seats were set down in the foyer. Finally they were done, giving Bess a chance to question her sister again.
“Are you still angry with me?”
“Are you kidding? If it hadn’t been for your three darlings, I never would have met Hogan the way I did.” Bess frowned as if she didn’t believe her. “Truly, Bess. I’m not angry, but it’s time you took care of my two. Hogan has a conference in Chicago, and it’s a chance for the two of us to get away for a weekend. We haven’t been away since the twins were born. You know how it is, don’t you?
Bess didn’t answer, only continued to frown.
“You know, Bess. It’s called babysitting for your sister. Helping her out. Taking your turn.” Cassie took her sister’s hand. “At least you know what you’re doing. If you have trouble, Rob can help you. Better yet, call Annie.”
“Hon, we need to get going,” Hogan reminded her.
“Now, here’s a list of what they eat, what time they go to bed, and so on.”
As they walked out the door, Cassie placed a kiss on Bess’s cheek. “Thanks, sis. You’re a pal.” Hand-in-hand, the couple raced down the stairs. “Have fun,” she called back over her shoulder. “I know we will.”
As Hogan and Cassie walked down the sidewalk, arms wrapped around each other’s waists, Cassie heard her sister murmur, “Pal, schmal.”
Also from Soul Mate Publishing and Tina Susedik:
RIDING FOR LOVE
Eve Dayton, owner of a riding ranch, rose above her childhood past and overcame the emotional damage her boyfriend caused when he married another woman. When someone starts sabotaging her ranch, Eve is desperate to find the culprit before she loses everything. Is it a coincidence or is the return of Denton Johansen tied into the mystery?
Divorced Denton Johanson returns to his hometown to help convict the embezzling controller of the family business. When he runs into Eve, he realizes his feelings for her are still strong to try and win her back. His fear of horses won’t get in the way of his goal and decides the only way to be near Eve is to take riding lessons from her. Can he convince her that his love is real and he is not behind the mystery surrounding the ranch?
Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hky57va
“Operation Santa”
(Part of the SIZZLE IN THE SNOW anthology)
When Marci Hofer becomes fed up with the lack of attention from her husband, David, she decides to leave him. Devastated, he begins a campaign to bring her home. Calling it Operation Santa, he learns what he thought would be as simple as sending her gifts can backfire in the most embarrassing ways.
Will he survive the battle to get her back?
Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/gnx6qh3
“The Valentine’s Proposal”
(Part of the MY SEXY VALENTINE anthology)
When a Valentine's Day proposal doesn't go the way she expected, librarian Janetta Simonson's life changes in ways she’s never dreamed.
Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/jl4cmev
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