The Marine's Babies

by Laura Marie Altom

  “Want to go get flowers tonight?”

  “Sure, but I didn’t mean to add extra work to your schedule. I can handle it.”

  “Oh,” he said with a snort, “I’m fully aware of the fact that you can handle just about anything, but that does nothing to soothe my battered male ego. Mission Spruce Up the Yard will commence sharply at five-fifteen.” Snatching his keys and wallet from the kitchen counter, he added, “Kindly have yourself and the girls ready to roll.”

  “HOW ABOUT THESE?” Emma suggested at a nearby garden center that afternoon, holding up a flat of hot-pink impatiens.

  Wrinkling his nose, Jace said, “Woman, don’t you think your pink chair in my den has been damaging enough to my bachelor pad?”

  “Your bachelor pad is now a family home, but in the spirit of everyone feeling comfortable—even lugheads like you—we’ll get red.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Jace said. “I think.”

  In their stroller—piloted by Jace—the girls napped in golden late-afternoon sun.

  “You’re welcome.” She winked.

  “Actually, let’s pick up a couple of flags, too. The base is having its annual air show in a couple weeks, and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to spruce up the place.”

  “That’s the spirit,” she patted his back, but regretted it when now-familiar tingles of attraction swept through her. “Let’s grab a couple of hanging ferns, too.”

  Back home, while Jace mowed the backyard, and the twins stared at each other in their playpen that had been moved to the front porch, Emma planted flowers. Most women she’d known in her former life had worn gloves to perform such a task, or had asked their lawn service company to do the planting. Emma had always preferred touching her hands to the cool soil, smelling the rich earth and flowers’ perfume.

  How idyllic the scene was, with fireflies floating amongst lacy Spanish moss. What Emma would give for even a fraction of the fairy tale to be real. Though Jace hadn’t mentioned it lately, she knew from her daily gathering of the mail that he was still working with a PI to track Vicki. What would happen when he found her? Would he demand she take back their children? Or, by then would he have fallen so deeply under their spell that he’d refuse to let them go?

  The mower went off, and along with the sudden silence came a shiver of excitement. Soon, Jace would be with her again. Their bantering had become a kind of sport, one she very much looked forward to playing.

  The mower wheels clacked across the gravel drive. Closing her eyes, Emma envisioned Jace pushing it up the small ramp leading into the shed, his biceps and forearms and face sweat-sheened. Funny how on their initial meeting she hadn’t found Jace all that attractive. Now, however…

  Heat rose up her neck, flushing her face to the point that she used her hands as fans.

  Whistling around the corner of the house, Jace stopped at the foot of the porch chairs, smiling at the hanging ferns and row of freshly planted pots. “Damn. This looks nice. Why didn’t we do this a while ago?”

  “Maybe because you don’t like yard work?” she teased.

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot.” Nodding toward the weed-choked flower bed, he asked, “Think we can hammer this out before dark?”

  “Sure, but what’s got you so ambitious?”

  “This’ll probably sound lame, but honestly, you look so happy, I just want to keep you smiling.”

  Her throat instantly tightened.

  “Hey,” he complained, “what’s with the sudden frown?”

  Shaking her head, Emma had no words for the gratitude flowing through her. She barely knew this man, yet a part of her credited him and his babies with bringing her back to life. It’d been years since she’d played in the dirt, feeling the cool texture against her skin, inhaling the rich scent. And the flowers…the sweet, sweet flowers.

  “You okay?”

  “Fine,” she lied. “It’s just been a while since anyone has cared whether I smile. It means a lot.”

  “Your help with the girls means a lot.”

  “Then we’re even.” To squelch the urge to hug him, she picked up a spade. Forcing a smile, she asked, “Ready?”

  He half laughed, but it wasn’t a particularly happy sound. “I seriously want to know what the last man in your life did to make you so sad.”

  Chapter Nine

  “I—I don’t know what you mean.” Emma couldn’t fathom why Jace would say such a thing. Yes, in the time they’d known each other, he’d made some outrageous comments, but this one topped them all.

  “Guess it’s none of my business,” he said, squatting alongside the flower bed to pluck a handful of weeds. “But, seriously, Em, sometimes I get the feeling that you’re somehow bruised. You know, like, inside.”

  “I’m not. I’m fine. If I weren’t, would you even trust me with your girls?”

  “Oh, now, don’t go getting your panties in a wad. Hell, I’ve got my own skeletons banging around my closets.” He pulled another handful of weeds. “Do you honestly think you’re alone in having a past?”

  “No, I just don’t want to talk about it. I think it’d be best if we kept our relationship purely professional.”

  She pulled especially hard on a rogue plant that turned out to be covered in thorns. “Ouch!”

  “You all right?”

  “Fine,” she snapped, nursing her throbbing wounds.

  He captured her right hand, turning it to inspect her palm. “You’re bleeding. Let’s table this mission for tonight, and get the girls inside and you bandaged up.”

  “I already told you,” she said, “I’m fine.”

  Grinning, he teased, “Yes, you are, but that kind of fine has nothing to do with your wounds.”

  “YOU’VE ALREADY done too much,” Emma complained from her cozy nest on Jace’s sofa while he popped in a DVD. Her many cuts had been deep, warranting a good cleaning. Jace had then bandaged her, putting her in no shape to cook. He’d made chili dogs, cutting them into bite-sized chunks for the girls—who were now covered head-to-toe in chili and cheese.

  “Considering all you do for us, relax. Let me wait on you for a little while.”

  “But the girls need a bath.”

  “I’m sure this will shock you, but I think I can handle it.”

  Emma stuck out her tongue.

  She didn’t doubt for a second that Jace was perfectly capable of bathing the girls, but it irked her to no end that because of her own stupidity, she was missing out on one of her most favorite parts of the day.

  “You’re pouting,” Jace said, leaving the kitchen with both filthy girls in his arms. “Wanna at least supervise?”

  All smiles, Emma said, “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “THIS IS so sweet of you,” Emma said Friday afternoon to her unexpected company, accepting a gift basket. The woman had introduced herself as Pam, wife of Jace’s friend, Granola. Otherwise known as Will. Why none of Jace’s friends went by their real names was beyond her. Emma chalked it up to being a Marine thing. “I love cranberries in anything, but muffins are my favorite. These look delicious.”

  “My pleasure,” Pam said, scooping Bea from her playpen. “Sorry it’s taken me so long to stop by. I’ve been meaning to for the longest, but you know how time slips away.”

  Emma, holding Bronwyn, smiled and nodded.

  “These guys have grown since the last time I saw them.”

  Laughing, Emma said, “I swear they change overnight and look different each morning when I report for work.”

  “Judging by your glow,” Pam said, easing onto the sofa, “caring for the twins is more of a labor of love than work.”

  “Guilty,” Emma said, grinning while setting the muffin basket on the coffee table, and then joining Pam on the sofa. “This position is a dream come true.”

  “I’m glad.” Pam jiggled Bea on her lap. “When Jace first suggested hiring a nanny, I hoped he’d find someone like you.”

  Pam’s praise sank Emma’s stomach. As much as she loved the girls,
could she in all honesty claim she’d taken the job only for their benefit?

  “How’d you hurt your hand?” Pam asked, nodding toward Emma’s bandage.

  Emma relayed the story.

  “Good thing Jace was here. I’d have hated for you to have to care for yourself and the babies.”

  “I’d have managed.”

  “I’m sure.” Pam’s tone was kindly, making Emma feel guilty for her short answer. “But it’s always nice to have help.”

  “True.” Anxious to change the subject before Pam somehow needled out of her just how much Emma had enjoyed Jace’s company the previous night, she said, “It’s such a pretty day, how about we sit on the porch?” What she didn’t say was that under Pam’s inquisitive stare, Jace’s living room had grown uncomfortably close.

  “Sure.”

  Once the girls were settled on a blanket beneath the magnolia’s shade, Emma and Pam shared the porch swing, each with lemonade and a muffin. As usual, the neighbor’s sprinkler swished and a light breeze stirred the air just enough to make the sunny day bearable.

  “According to my husband, Jace talks about you all the time.”

  “He does?” Emma’s pulse skipped.

  “Jace is like a brother to me, so I wanted to meet you for myself. You know—” she winked “—see if the sparks are mutual.”

  “Um…” Emma cleared her throat. “I, ah, haven’t—”

  “I’m sorry,” Pam said, leaning forward to pat Emma’s knee. “I’m on my own so much with Will out on missions, that I’ve turned into a closet romantic. I blame it on too many romance novels and Lifetime TV.”

  “That’s okay,” Emma said, tracing one of the daisies on her summery capris.

  “No. I really need to mind my own business—especially where Jace is concerned. It’s just that he’s had such a tough time of it when it comes to love.”

  “We’re friends. Nothing more.”

  Just thinking of Jace’s smile flamed Emma’s cheeks. Okay, so she was attracted to the man. But it wasn’t a big deal. She was perfectly capable of remaining professional.

  Pam sighed. “That’s probably just as well. After what Jace’s last steady put him through, I’ve gotten the impression he’s damaged goods.”

  “Really?” Eyebrows raised, Emma said, “I find him amazing. Kind and caring and patient.”

  “No doubt because you aren’t romantically involved. You look at what happened with Vicki, and that pretty much tells you his thoughts on commitment.”

  On the street, a trio of boys on bikes passed. They carried Star Wars–style plastic light sabers and shouted at each other while stabbing.

  The curious babies poked their heads up like turtles, searching for the source of the noise.

  “They’re so adorable,” Pam said. “They make me want a pair of my own.”

  “I know what you mean,” Emma murmured. After a few minutes of companionable silence, she said, “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to Jace to make him commitment-leery?”

  Pam opened her mouth as if about to speak, but then clamped it shut.

  “It’s all right if you don’t feel comfortable discussing it,” Emma said. “I respect you honoring Jace’s privacy.”

  “It’s not that,” Pam said with a funny grin as Jace pulled his Mustang into the now open garage. “I’m thinking you should let him answer for himself.”

  “Hey, ladies,” Jace called on his trek across the yard. “What’s up?”

  “Not much,” Pam said. “Is Will off early, too?”

  Emma glanced at her watch to find it was only a little after four.

  “No.” Shoving his hands in the pockets of his desert-camo pants, he flashed a sheepish grin. “My nanny here said she wanted to go paint shopping, so I figure if we get an early enough start, we might also get a bite to eat.”

  “Sounds fun,” Pam said. “Want me to take the girls?”

  “Thanks, but no,” Emma said.

  “That’d be great,” Jace called over her.

  “No problem.” Pam rose from the swing. “Want me to just stay here? I’ll text Will to join me.”

  “Perfect,” Jace said.

  Emma wasn’t so sure.

  “NO.” At a neighboring town’s home-improvement store, Jace folded his arms across his chest and scowled. Emma supposed he meant to look fierce, but all he’d really accomplished with the stern pose was raising his cute factor through the roof.

  “What do you mean, no?” Emma asked from in front of the paint-sample display. “This pink is a gorgeous color. It’s warm and soothing and will make the girls feel secure.”

  “And make me even more henpecked than I currently am.”

  Scowling at him, Emma asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Think about it. In hardly any time, I’ve gone from being a self-contained bachelor to being totally dependent on you.”

  “That’s such a lie.” Emma stormed off toward the paint-brushes and rollers.

  “Is it?” Too bad for her that Jace caught up in about three seconds, lightly grabbing her upper arm to stop her. “Let’s break it down. You cook for me, clean for me, do my laundry, dote on my girls. It’s embarrassing. I’m supposed to be in charge.”

  “Who says you aren’t?”

  “If I were, would we really be standing here, debating paint colors? Wouldn’t I just tell you what color the den was going to be?”

  “If you were a tyrant.” Sweetly smiling at him, she said, “Since you’re kind and gentle and caring and completely one-hundred-percent secure in your manliness, it doesn’t matter to you if I paint your den pink, yellow or purple. Because you’re an amazing guy, all that truly matters to you is making the women in your life happy.”

  “And are you, Em? Happy?”

  “I will be if we paint the den pink.”

  When he stepped closer, cupping his large hands to her shoulders, he whispered, “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know,” she whispered back. His proximity had her trembling. Then there was his heat. She wasn’t attracted to him. She wasn’t, wasn’t, wasn’t. So why, when he touched his forehead to hers, mingling their breaths, did she want with everything in her to kiss him?

  “So?”

  Unable to speak, she nodded.

  “Good. Me, too.” When he released her, slowly backing away, she felt as if a part of her had been lost.

  With everything in her, she wanted to ask him what had just happened. Had the moment even been significant, beyond the fluttering of excitement in her heart?

  He asked, “You really want pink?”

  “Not if you’re really opposed.”

  His white-toothed grin was mesmerizing. “My ego can take it.”

  “DO YOU THINK the girls are okay?” Emma slid into the corner booth the seafood restaurant’s hostess had just shown them to. “Maybe we should grab some fast food and eat at home?”

  “You do whatever you want, but after the ordeal you just put me through, I need a real meal.”

  “I’ll call,” she said, whipping out her cell.

  Clearly Pam had managed to reassure her that the girls were all right, because Em hung up and then consulted the menu.

  “What looks good?” Jace asked.

  “I haven’t had crab in forever. How about you?”

  “Want to share a Couple’s Bucket?”

  Her cheeks brightened.

  He loved it when that happened. Which was probably why he went out of his way to fluster her as much as possible.

  “Sure. That sounds good.”

  Once Jace had placed their order, and the waitress had delivered two sweet teas, he found himself at a loss for what to say next. He hadn’t meant to touch her at the home-improvement store, and he sure as hell hadn’t meant to ask her such an intimate question, but it had just popped out.

  Em said, “I think the girls are going to love their redecorated room.”

  He snorted. “I think the girls couldn’t care
less if they live in a cardboard box. You, on the other hand, are going to look good smiling in the girls’ room.”

  “Stop. There have been lots of studies about the effects of color on infants.”

  “Relax.” He reached across the table, brazenly taking her left hand. “I’m teasing.”

  “Don’t.”

  “Why?” he probed.

  “B-because I don’t know what to do with myself when you’re like this. I—I hardly know you. You hardly know me. You’re my boss for heaven’s sake. We have no business canoodling.”

  “Canoodling?” Nose wrinkled, he said, “I’m not even sure what that is, but hey, I’m an adventurous guy, willing to give anything a try.”

  “You’re incorrigible—worse yet, you don’t care.”

  “I know.” With the pad of his thumb, he brushed her tender palm. “What I do care about is my growing fear that I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

  Chapter Ten

  “You’re being silly,” Emma said, quick to brush off Jace’s admission. Why? Because essentially, she felt the same about him, and the notion scared her to her core. “You’d be just fine without me.” She, on the other hand, without him, would be devastated to the point that she wasn’t sure if she’d ever regain her sanity. “Just hire someone else.”

  “Luckily for me, you’re not going anywhere. I hope.”

  Yanking her hand free, she asked, “Is that what this is about? Your sudden show of affection? You fearing I might be leaving, and you’re coming on to me to make me stay?”

  His dark expression was lethal. “You owe me an apology.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “but you have to know that this job isn’t just work to me. I can’t get into it now, but trust me when I say that you and the girls mean the world to me. This job has been a blessing in more ways than I can possibly say. To even think you may just be toying with my emotions…” She looked down at her hands to see that she’d gripped them together so tightly that some blood had seeped onto her bandage’s outer layer.

  “You don’t think there’s as much at stake for me? I haven’t been involved with anyone for years. Then, all of a sudden you and the girls pop into my life and I’m smitten. For the first time in I can’t remember when, I actually want to come home at night. Do you have any idea how amazing that feels?”