“Settle down,” Dottie said. “Believe me, there isn’t a kid alive who doesn’t inhale macaroni and cheese and love every second of it.”
“But what if Ty’s kids are the exception?”
“They’re not. Trust me.”
“Okay.” She wrapped the loaf of barely cooled bread she’d baked herself from her grandmother’s recipe. It smelled heavenly.
Adding the creamed peas to her basket, she said, “These will satisfy the rule some fool made up about needing a veggie with every meal. Personally, I think it’s the stupidest rule ever…and therefore meant to be broken.”
Dottie laughed. “I’d bet the Rawlins kids have more than a few meals without veggies. Still, it doesn’t hurt to train them young.”
“As far as I’m concerned, the kids can have a food fight with them if they want. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”
“I’m leaving now.” Dottie gave her a quick hug and headed out the door. “You have a great time.”
“I will. Thanks for your help.”
Dottie stuck her head back inside. “I didn’t do a thing.”
“You gave me moral support.”
Sophie studied the contents of the basket again to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. All in all, not too bad, she decided. The mac and cheese hadn’t come from a box. She’d actually made it from scratch and had even grated her own cheese. How much that would mean to four-year-olds? Absolutely nothing, she guessed.
For some unknown reason, though, it was important her meal not only be edible, but delicious. She wanted to look competent to Ty, so for good measure, she’d added homemade brownies for dessert.
She checked her hair one last time. The difference in water was playing serious havoc with it.
*
She needn’t have worried. Ty and the Triple Threat devoured the meal with all the gusto of hound dogs. After they’d cleaned up, the boys begged to be allowed to stay up long enough to play one game of Candy Land, and Ty finally relented.
“I’m sure you’re used to a little more mature evening’s entertainment up there in the Windy City. We must be boring you silly,” he said as the boys shot upstairs to find the game.
She sent him a questioning look. “Do you really believe that?”
“What?”
“That I’m bored.”
When he shrugged, she punched him in the arm. “Cut it out, Ty. I’m here because I want to be.”
He shot out a hand and snagged her around the waist. “You here for the kids or for their daddy?”
Laughing, she tried to push him away.
He held tightly.
“Ty, what if they come down and see you hugging me?”
“I’ll tell them it’s my turn. They all got a hug. Now I want one.”
“You’re so bad.”
Trouble shot down the stairs first, followed by Jesse and Jonah.
“Hey, wait for me.” Josh took the corner too fast and hit the wall. His feet slipped out from under him, and he crashed headlong down the flight of stairs. Jonah turned and tried to catch him.
The impact knocked him off his feet, too, and he slid down the last two on his back with his brother.
“Josh! Jonah! Are you okay?”
Ty bounded to the bottom of the stairs. Josh made not a sound, just lay where he was. Jonah started to cry.
“Blood, Daddy.” He held up a hand smeared in red. It covered his shirt.
But when Ty yanked him up, he wasn’t the one bleeding. It was Josh, the crier of the group, who was now strangely quiet.
Sophie took Jonah from Ty, and he knelt beside Josh. Blood covered his face, his clothes. “Son, can you talk to me?”
“Uh-huh. I falled.”
“Yes, you did.” Ty picked him up and rushed him into the downstairs bath, blood dripping in their wake.
Sophie took Jonah to the kitchen sink and started wiping him off. Thank God, he had only a bruise on his arm.
“Sophie?” Ty called. “How’s Jonah?”
“I’m okay, Daddy.”
“Good. Can you come here, Tink?”
“Sure.” She set Jonah down on his feet and walked into the bath. Ty held a washcloth to the side of Josh’s head, putting pressure on it. “I think he’s gonna need some s-t-i-t-c-h-e-s.”
“Oh.” Her stomach went queasy, the mac and cheese roiling.
“Can you call Haley? See if she can come watch the other two? I don’t want to take them to the ER.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can handle things here.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.” She threw him a phony smile, one that trembled a little on the edges. “We’ll do fine.”
“I’d argue with you about this, but—” He gestured at the little boy sitting on the sink, sobbing now.
“It hurts.” His lips quivered. Big fat tears rolled down his cheeks, mixing with the blood there.
“I know it does, champ, but we’ll get you all fixed up in no time.”
“How? When Humpty Dumpty falled and broke his head, nobody could fix him.”
“You’re different. You’re one of the Rawlins triplets. You have magic powers.” Ty picked him up. “You’re sure?” he asked Sophie again.
“Positive.”
“We’ll be good, Daddy,” Jesse said.
Behind him, Jonah, still a little shaken, nodded.
Ty grabbed his keys and wallet, then turned to Sophie. “Your last shot at escape.”
“We’re fine,” she said. “Go.”
“Okay.” He and Josh were out the door.
She and the two boys stood at the window and watched Ty speed away with their brother. Sophie wrestled with a bout of panic. She’d never babysat in her life. Had never been alone with one child, let alone two.
She peeked at the faces glued to the window. They wouldn’t cry, would they? On a scale of one to ten, right now her fear level ran around a fifteen. She was more frightened than when she’d been stuck on an elevator—alone—afraid no one would ever find her. Or that she’d use up all the oxygen in the car and die before they did.
“Daddy’s gonna get Josh fixed.” Jesse hugged his brother.
“He’ll make him all better,” Jonah agreed.
Such absolute trust, she thought. How hard it must be to live up to that, day after day after day.
“Want to play Candy Land, Sophie?” Jesse ran to the game he’d carried downstairs, the one that had started it all.
Relief rushed over her. No tears.
“You bet.”
An hour and a half later, exhausted, the boys in their pajamas, the three settled on the sofa, the TV on low, a Spider-Man DVD playing. Jesse curled up beside her, and she put her arm around him. He leaned into her, then looked up at her and smiled tiredly. Jonah sprawled, his head in her lap, and sent her a shy smile. Inside five minutes, both were fast asleep.
She brushed dark strands of hair off their faces. In sleep, they looked angelic. All that massive energy on idle. A feeling she couldn’t identify, didn’t want to probe too deeply, crept inside her, filled her. Scared her.
Leaning her head back, she let sleep come.
*
Ty gently lifted Josh from his car seat. Poor little guy had been brave and even thanked the doctor after he’d finished the last of the stitches.
What a night.
What a frigging disaster.
He kept striking out with Sophie. Red soda on white silk. Burned meat loaf. Blood and stitches. He couldn’t win.
With Josh asleep on his shoulder, he quietly turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The lights were dimmed; all was quiet. And there on his couch was Sophie, his two boys curled into her. All three fast asleep.
And he knew.
In that moment, he lost his heart.
Shit!
Very carefully, he climbed the stairs and tucked Josh into bed. Moonlight came in through the window, highlighting the stark white bandage on the pale little fa
ce. They’d given him some Tylenol at the hospital, and Ty figured he’d sleep through the night, the worst of the trauma over. By tomorrow he’d be showing off his bandaged head and telling his hospital story to anyone standing still.
He headed back downstairs and carefully slid his hands beneath Jonah. The boy turned into him when Ty lifted him to his shoulder.
“It’s okay, bud. I’ve got you. Go back to sleep.”
“’Kay.”
Once he had Jonah safely in bed, he returned to the living room. Sophie hadn’t stirred. Ty smiled and wished he had the right to kiss her, to carry her to bed. But he didn’t.
And he never would. It wasn’t in the cards. And, all in all, that was probably a good thing. Wasn’t it?
Extracting Jesse turned out to be a little more difficult, but Ty managed it without waking him. One more trip upstairs, one more tucking in, one more kiss good night.
He stood in the boys’ bedroom studying his sons. Julia should be here with him. But she wasn’t and never would be.
She hadn’t played fair with him.
That was in the past. Couldn’t be changed.
Still, he took another minute before going downstairs to Sophie.
In the living room, he switched on a small table lamp and turned off the overhead light. Ferreting out the remote, he clicked off the TV and DVD player. The house was absolutely still. No refrigerator hum, no furnace. The fire in the fireplace had burned to embers.
Hands in the pockets of his jeans, he moved closer to the sofa to stand over Sophie. He knew he shouldn’t, but his body refused to listen to his brain, and he sat down beside her. One look at those red lips, parted in sleep, and he captured them with his own.
She made a sleepy little noise and brought her hand to his neck, drawing him closer still. Finally drawing back into the couch cushion, she said, “Nice wake-up.”
Then her expression became one of panic. “The boys.”
“Are in bed, Sleeping Beauty.”
“All of them?”
He nodded. “I found you all asleep here, cuddled up nice and cozy in front of the fireplace.”
“Your boys are wonderful, Ty.” She yawned and combed her fingers through her hair. “How’s Josh?”
“He’ll probably have a whopper of a headache in the morning, and, no doubt, will have a fit when the stitches have to come out, but he’s sound asleep, too. He did well at the hospital. I was proud of him.”
He moved in for another kiss, but she put a hand on his chest.
“I need to go home.” Her voice was sleep-husky.
“Why?”
“It’s late.”
“Stay with me tonight. Sleep with me.” He ached for her.
“The boys—”
“Are fine. I told you before, once they go to sleep, a semi driving through the house wouldn’t wake them.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“Sophie, they’re sound asleep. My door has a lock on it.”
“Still…”
“How do you think kids end up with brothers and sisters?”
Sophie blushed.
“Their parents sleep together, darlin’. While they’re in the house.”
“But that’s just it. I’m not their parent.”
“No, you’re not.”
“So…”
He rubbed his hands over his face. “Here’s the thing. Most parents fall into all this naturally, without really thinking about it. The kids are always there. No big deal.”
Then he broke off, rubbing the back of his neck. “Actually, I’ve never made love with them in the house, either.”
“But you have had sex since they were born.”
He shook his head. “Pathetic, huh?”
“Maggie said you hadn’t dated, but I thought maybe she was mistaken. Or you’d dated but kept it quiet.” She ran a finger down his arm. “Really? Four years?”
He swiped at the stubble on his jaw. “It’s been longer, actually. Pregnant with triplets, well, we had to be careful. The doctor issued a no-fly zone early on.”
“Oh, my gosh.”
He shrugged, conflicting emotions battering him. “It really hasn’t been a big deal. At first, it was grief. Then, well, I was flat-out too busy. Guilt and apathy played in it, too, I suppose.”
“I’m sorry.” She laid a hand on his cheek.
“How sorry?” He nuzzled her neck.
She lifted a brow. “Not that sorry.”
He dropped his forehead to hers. “You sure?”
“I can’t, Ty.”
“Can’t or don’t want to? There’s a huge difference, Sophie, and I don’t want to pressure you if this…if I’m not what you want.” He stared into her big brown eyes.
On a half laugh, she said, “Oh, you’re making this difficult. No wonder the boys are so good at wheedling.” She ran a hand through his hair. “The thing is I do want you, Ty. Too much. That’s part of the problem.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“That works for tonight, but what about tomorrow?”
He groaned. “I don’t remember this being so hard.”
Laughing, she dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Night, Ty.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
After she left, he turned off all the lights. Staring into the darkness, he told himself it was for the best. Hadn’t he promised himself no more heartache?
As he rubbed his chest, though, he wondered if it wasn’t already too late.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sophie woke the next morning to a winter wonderland. Inside, the temperature in her apartment had plummeted, and she pulled the covers up over her head. Maybe she’d stay in bed. Dottie had warned her a change was coming, but darn, it was cold!
A quick check of the bedside alarm assured her she’d officially turned into a sloth. It was a little after nine. She guessed she could forgive herself since she’d rattled around till almost dawn, unable to sleep.
Why hadn’t she stayed with Ty? The kids were there, yes, but he’d been right. They could have handled it.
Cold feet?
Yes. Literally and figuratively!
She hopped out of bed, jammed her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers, then hurried into her robe. If it got any colder, she’d have to do something about warmer pajamas. Or snuggle up with Ty.
That thought had heat racing through her.
Still, she stumbled into the living room and turned up the thermostat. While she waited for the room to warm up, she grabbed an afghan tossed over the back of the sofa and wrapped up in it.
The phone rang, and she answered it after checking caller ID. “Good morning, Ty. How’s Josh?”
“He’s good and telling everybody who’ll listen about his ER trip.”
“I’m glad.”
“Did you bring any mittens?”
She frowned. “Sure. I wore a pair to the airport in Chicago.”
“A heavy coat? Hat?”
“Yes to both.”
“Great. How about the boys and I pick you up in, say, fifteen minutes? We’re finishing breakfast here at Sally’s. I thought with the snow and all, it might be a great day to find our Christmas tree.”
She hugged herself. Oh, my gosh! Christmas trees and Ty all rolled up in one! “I’d love that.”
The minute she ended the call, she flew off the couch and into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth, she decided a good combing was the best she could do with her hair. A flick of mascara, a touch of lip gloss, and she hurried into the bedroom.
Plowing through the closet, she pulled out her old sweatshirt and jeans, her long-sleeve shirt and heavy jacket. In her suitcase she found a pair of warm socks along with her mittens, cap, and scarf. She hadn’t expected to need these till her return flight.
Although, all this might be overkill. How long could it take to choose a tree?
A long time, she discovered. For the Rawlins crew, it wasn’t simply a matter of walking down to the lit
tle shop on the corner.
Once she was settled in the truck, Jonah said, “Daddy brought the truck ’cause it’s snowing.”
“I see that.”
Jesse asked, “Are you gonna ride Molly again?”
“When?”
“Today,” Jonah said.
“To help us get our tree,” Josh added. Then he patted his head. “Did you see my boo-boo?”
“I did. Your daddy said you were really brave.”
“I was. The doctor said I was a big boy.”
“Good for you.” She blew him a kiss in the back seat.
Sophie turned to Ty, who was easy behind the wheel of the big truck even though the roads were snowy. The wipers ran, clearing the big flakes as they began to fall again. He’d cranked the heater to high.
“Where exactly are we getting your tree?” she asked.
“At the edge of the north pasture. There’s a nice stand of pines there, and I think we should be able to find what we want.”
“You’re cutting your own?”
“Sure. What did you think?”
Feeling like an idiot, she shrugged.
He laughed. “You thought we’d planned to buy one, city girl?”
She settled farther down in her coat. “That is what most people do.”
“Not us,” Jonah said.
The other two boys shook their heads.
“We have our own, don’t we, Daddy?” Josh asked.
“Yes, we do.” He raised his eyes to the rearview mirror and winked at the boy. Then he tugged at Sophie’s scarf. “You’re in Texas now, darlin’. We do things a tad differently here than you do up north.”
“I’m sure some people there harvest their own trees.”
“I’m sure they do.” He ran his finger down the tip of her nose. “Now get that nose out of the air and just enjoy today.”
“My nose isn’t—” She leaned back against the truck seat. “Fine.”
“Turn on the song, Daddy,” Jesse pleaded.
Sophie shot Ty a questioning look. He smiled and shrugged, then hit a button. Dr. Elmo’s “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” started.
All three of the boys started singing along, the lyrics haphazard, melody close, and volume deafening.
“What can I say?” Ty asked. “Bloodthirsty little devils.”
“Wouldn’t something like Alvin and the Chipmunks be better?”
Nearest Thing to Heaven (Maverick Junction) Page 21
