One Mother Wanted
Page 19
Allie turned her head and surveyed the dark head on the next pillow. The best part of her marriage. She wanted to slide her hands over Zane’s warm back and whisper word of love into his ear until he wakened to love her. She resisted the urge, gifting him with another hour of sleep. Their loving echoed everything good about their union.
She slid carefully out of bed before temptation overcame her good intentions. Wrapping her robe around her, she pad ded on bare feet to the open window and breathed in the cool June air. A few stars dawdled overhead and high above the Elk Mountains.
The ranch light in the yard illuminated Greeley’s sculpture. Allie smiled and lightly touched her stomach.
Zane knew the second she left the bed. He flipped back the blanket and joined her at the window, covering her hand where it rested on her abdomen. “How’s little Harmony?”
“I didn’t mean to waken you.” Allie leaned against him, her body warm and soft. “Harmony could be a boy.”
“Nope.” He chuckled softly. “I like the idea of a whole troop of females running around taking care of me.”
“Chauvinist.” After a second she asked, “Do you care whether the baby’s a boy or a girl?”
“I want a healthy baby and a healthy mom,” he said firmly, wrapping his arms around her. “When are you going to announce the news?”
“I want to let Cheyenne have the spotlight for a while longer.”
“That’s not the real reason you’re keeping it a secret. She’ll be thrilled you’re pregnant, too.” He wanted to shout the news from the top of Aspen Mountain.
“You know me too well. All right. I like it being our private secret for now.”
“Better not let it go too long.” He rested his chin on her head. “Greeley’ll get so busy she won’t have time to add to our sculpture.” He felt her body tense. “You’re worried about her.”
“Don’t be silly. She’s perfectly capable of handling her own affairs.”
“Un-huh. That’s why we and the Steeles had to rush to Aspen this evening to dine at St. Chris’s and, not so incidentally, inspect this Quint Damian fellow.”
“You don’t know how it is with Greeley.”
“You told me we were going to dinner to keep Cheyenne from interfering.”
“Sometimes Cheyenne is right, you know.”
“And this is one of those times,” Zane said in resignation.
“Did you see what Greeley wore to meet him?”
“I’m married, not dead,” he teased. “I never realized what a hot little number she is.”
“Poor Zane. Married to someone who wants to sleep half the day, has a craving for root beer floats and will no doubt grow to be the size of St Chris’s.”
“I’ll love every minute of it.” He caressed her stomach. “Having my baby growing inside you is the sexiest thing I can think of.” It suddenly occurred to him his teasing might have upset her. “I certainly don’t find you any less desirable because you’re pregnant. I was joking about Greeley being hot.”
“She only dresses like that when she’s trying to prove how independent and tough she is. That nothing scares her. Worth calls it her whistling-in-the-dark disguise.” Allie sighed. “I never really appreciated what Mom went through raising four of us. Now, with Hannah and the baby... I want them to be safe and happy, but I know I won’t be able to protect them always from hurt.” She hesitated. “I think Mom’s worried about Greeley.”
His knowledge of the Lassiter women warned him what was coming next. “You’re going to mess in Greeley’s business.”
“Do you mind?”
He thought about Greeley bringing him the pictures. “No. Do what you have to do. If you need my help, I’m here.”
“I know.”
The trust in her voice almost unmanned him. He loved this woman so much. The sun still lay below the eastern horizon. They had time. He nibbled her nape. “Can we go back to bed? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m stark naked and shaking with the cold.”
Allie laughed quietly. “Is that what’s going on?”
He loved her laugh. “I’ll be glad to show you exactly what’s going on, Mrs. Peters.” Scooping her carefully into his arms, he carried her to the bed and gently laid her down.
“You don’t think you can talk about how hot my sister is one minute and make love to me the next, do you?” she asked in mock indignation.
He lay down beside her. “I didn’t know how much love and laughter and tenderness and goodness and joy could be in a man’s life until you married me.”
The love in her eyes ruined the scowl she tried to put on her face. “Do you really think all those pretty words will soften you up so you can have your way with me?”
“No.” He slipped his hand inside her robe. “I think this will persuade you to let me have my way with you.”
She needed very little persuasion.
Later, watching Allie’s face as their daughter skipped into their bedroom, trailed by a dog and two cats, Zane did what he did every morning. He fell in love with his wife all over again.
Look for Greeley’s story. Coming soon in Harlequin Romance.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-5290-5
ONE MOTHER WANTED
First North American Publication 1999.
Copyright © 1999 by Barbara Blackman.
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