Sultry

by Mary Lynn Baxter

  Lindsay caught her breath in wonder, as she always did when she thought about the twins moving around inside her twenty-four hours a day.

  “You’re still not sorry we’re having two babies?”

  “How many times do I have to tell you, I’m ecstatic? Hey, look how much fun we had making them.”

  “That we did,” she whispered, staring at him through eyes filled with love and devotion.

  “I love you,” he said in a husky tone. “And I know I’ll love our children. Yet I can’t imagine ever loving them more than I do you.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t ever want to live without you again.”

  “Oh, darling, you won’t have to.”

  “Well, I’ll just be glad when the babies are born. Having twins is always a risk.”

  “Now, now, we’ve been over this a hundred times. I’m going to be fine.”

  “Do you think it’ll happen today?”

  Lindsay chuckled. “Not a chance. After all, they’re not due for another two weeks.”

  “I know, but—”

  “Stop it,” she teased. “Just savor the moments to come.”

  “I’m savoring you, that’s for sure.”

  “Oh, Mitch,” she said, laying her head on his chest. “I didn’t think I could ever be so happy or so fulfilled.”

  “It’s because things finally worked out for us. And boy, was it ever time.”

  “After such a rocky start, I guess you’re right.” Lindsay snuggled closer. “We deserve our share of happiness.”

  They fell silent and held each other as if they wouldn’t get another chance. But that was often how Lindsay felt, regardless of the constancy and certainty of Mitch’s love for her.

  She had come so close to losing him that she never stopped being thankful, though their life together was not perfect. The estrangement from her daddy had been difficult to deal with.

  The fallout from Tim’s debacle had been equally difficult, although its outcome hadn’t been all bad. He had been found guilty of consumer fraud. Following a probated sentence, he’d been mandated to do four hundred hours of community service.

  Eve, who had been devastated by the knowledge that she had given Lindsay the drug that killed the baby, divorced Tim. Before leaving Garnet to begin a new life away from all the bad memories, she had apologized and assured Lindsay she’d had no idea the prescription had been mislabeled.

  Lindsay had felt no animosity, and although Eve hadn’t asked, she had given Eve money to get a new start.

  “I can almost see the wheels of your mind turning, my darling,” Mitch said, interrupting the comfortable silence.

  “You’re right,” Lindsay admitted on a soft sigh. “I was just thinking about Tim.”

  “He’s going to make it.”

  “I hope you’re right. I think he’s learned a valuable lesson.”

  “Let us pray.”

  “Now Daddy—well, he’s another story.”

  “What he is is a hardheaded old fart,” Mitch said flatly.

  Lindsay smiled, though fleetingly. When it came to Cooper, smiles were in short supply. Since she and Mitch had begun living together as husband and wife, he’d kept his distance. She had tried to reach out to Cooper, but after being rebuffed too many times to count, she had backed off. Still, the breach between them smarted.

  “Still thinking about your dad?”

  Lindsay forced her mind back on Mitch. She smiled. “Yes, but it’s okay. I’ve managed to find some peace about it.”

  His gaze softened on her. “That’s my girl.”

  Suddenly she disentangled herself and nudged him with a foot. “I just remembered! I’m supposed to be at the Women’s Center in twenty minutes.”

  Mitch leaned over and kissed her on a turgid nipple. “Then you’d best start steppin’ and fetchin’, woman.”

  Lindsay groaned, then gave him a look. “That’s not fair.”

  “I know,” he said in a teasing voice, getting up and walking toward the closet.

  A few minutes later he was dressed in jeans and a shirt and was putting on his boots. “I’m going to the north pasture to work a while.” He patted his beeper clipped on his belt. “If you need me—”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  He crossed to the bed, where he leaned over once again, only this time he kissed her on the lips, then murmured, “I love you, Mrs. Rawlins, et al.”

  Lindsay grinned, then swatted at him. “We love you, too. Now go on and get out of here.”

  Sweat drenched him, though it was not all that hot. In fact, the weather was just about perfect, the same as his life, Mitch thought with a grateful twinge in his heart.

  He wouldn’t trade places with a soul. His gaze traveled as far as possible, and he still couldn’t see all the land that belonged to him and Lindsay.

  The day after Tim was arrested, they’d moved off the Newman estate and into a rental town house, where they stayed until they purchased these twenty acres, using the money his grandmother had left him. They had a home built on it, and had just recently moved into the house, barely making it before the twins were due to be born.

  Twins. He’d been thrilled when Lindsay had told him she was pregnant; finding out she was expecting two had sent him over the top.

  He hadn’t returned to earth yet.

  Mitch threw back his head and laughed out loud. A bird answered with a loud chirp.

  “And good morning to you, too,” he said, his eyes spotting a robin sitting on the nearby fence post.

  Yep, he had the best of both worlds now. He had his own land, where he could dig in the dirt any time he damn well pleased. And he loved his job, even though he was inside a building a lot of the time.

  His FBI badge had been permanently retired, something that drove Ken Avery, his ex-boss, wild, which was too bad. But no way could he leave Lindsay for field duty, even if she weren’t pregnant.

  Despite the fact that he’d never thought he would like practicing law for a living, he found that he did, which was a blessing, especially as it brought him in constant contact with his wife.

  Thinking of his wife brought another smile to his lips. Sweet, sexy, hot Lindsay, with her laughter and penchant for living life to its fullest, was a new delight to him each day, a delight he feasted on.

  He wondered what she was doing about now—and just then his beeper interrupted. His eyes widened after checking the number.

  He swore, then broke into a run.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

  Lindsay was waiting for him at the front door. “My, but you’re getting slow in your old age.”

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded again in a breathless voice.

  She winked at him and rubbed her tummy. “My water just broke.”

  “Oh, my God. Does that mean what I think it means?”

  “Yes, my darling, it does.”

  His face drained of color. “Oh, my God,” he said again. “What do we do?”

  Her smile turned into a wince as another contraction hit her. “We go to the hospital, my love.”

  Several hours later, Lindsay was watching Mitch as he held both babies, a boy and a girl, in his strong arms.

  Suddenly her eyes misted over.

  “What are you thinking about?” Mitch whispered.

  “I’m just a bit sad that my mother isn’t here to see her grandchildren.” What she didn’t voice was her acute pain over her daddy’s absence, as well.

  “He’ll come around, my darling. You wait and see.”

  Lindsay smiled through the mist. “I sometimes forget how adept you are at reading my heart.”

  “That’s because it belongs to me.”

  Those bone-melting words were barely out of Mitch’s mouth when the door opened. Lindsay gasped, her eyes on Cooper, who was peeping around the door, looking older and definitely sheepish.

  For a long moment no one spoke. Then Mitch grinned and motioned for Cooper to come in. “Your daughter’s been a busy
girl.”

  “I see that,” Cooper said in a slightly shaky voice, walking deeper into the room.

  “Hello, Daddy,” Lindsay whispered, the mist in her eyes turning into full-blown tears.

  He nodded, his mouth working as he smiled at Lindsay, then whispered, “What are their names?”

  “Michael and Abigail.”

  Cooper cleared his voice. “Abby looks just like you did as a baby. May I…hold her?”

  His request touched Lindsay deeply, and she accepted in that moment that he was asking with his heart for what he couldn’t ask for with words—forgiveness.

  Her eyes sought Mitch. Over her daddy’s head, he mouthed, “I love you.”

  Lindsay closed her eyes for a moment, certain she’d just gotten a glimpse into heaven.

  ISBN: 978-1-4603-0627-7

  SULTRY

  Copyright © 2000 by Mary Lynn Baxter.

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