She reached her hand down and touched his arousal. As she'd hoped, that shut him up.
They moved together in a dance of desire, taking what they'd already learned about each other and applying it to make the sensations more intense, the pleasure more incredible. When he moved to shift her on top of him, she shook her head.
"I want you on top," she said.
"I'm afraid I'll hurt you."
"I'll be fine," she said. "I trust you."
As he knelt between her thighs and slowly entered her, she wondered how long it had been since she'd trusted anyone, let alone a man. Then he withdrew, only to thrust inside her again; and the question was forgotten in the magic of the moment.
* * *
Craig was gone when she woke up. She vaguely remembered a quick goodbye kiss before he left for the station. She rolled over and stared at the clock. It was going to ring in ten minutes, then she would go wake up the boys. Ben was probably already up. He'd told her that he was walking without her. She was proud of him. He'd lost most of the weight and he looked terrific.
She sat up and turned off the alarm, then reached for her robe. Before she could stagger into the bathroom, the phone rang. She had an extension in her room. She reached for it, smiling in anticipation, knowing Craig had called to say good-morning.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hi, uh, it's Jill, right?" The unfamiliar voice sounded panicked.
"Yes, this is Jill Bradford."
"Great. I'm Kyle. Craig's youngest brother. Is he there?"
"No, he's left for the station."
"Oh, God. Okay. Damn. Um, could you tell him—" Kyle drew in an audible breath. "Oh, God. It's Sandy. She's having the baby. Now. Soon. We're leaving for the hospital now and if you could tell him." He swore again. "She's had three, so this is no big deal for her, but I don't think I can go through this. Anyway, tell Craig to hurry."
He hung up without saying goodbye.
She stared at the phone for a moment, then dialed the station. She was put through to Craig immediately.
"I already know," he said. "Travis called. Look, I don't want to take the boys out of school. They missed too many days being sick. Pack enough for everyone for the weekend, then after you pick them up, swing by the station and get me. I'm glad we've nearly wrapped up that case with the elderly drivers so I can take the weekend off."
"Weekend off? I'm confused. What's going on?"
He chuckled. "Sorry, Jill. This is all new to you, isn't it? Sandy's having her baby. We all have to be there. It's a Haynes brothers tradition. We're always there for each other."
"Which means?"
"We're going to Glenwood."
* * *
Chapter 12
« ^ »
Tiny babies slept on, unaware of the fuss being made over them by the group of people staring at them from the other side of the glass. Craig had done this three times with Krystal, and also with Travis and Austin. He supposed he should be jaded by now, but he wasn't. The sight of the infants' innocent, scrunched-up faces always got him right in the center of his chest.
Jill pointed to one baby in a little pink stocking cap. "That's her."
He stared, amazed. "It must be true."
"What?"
"The Haynes family curse is really broken. After four generations of only boys, Kyle just had the second girl."
Jill frowned, as if in thought. "Now who had the first one?"
"Travis."
"Okay, Travis is married to Sandy?"
He smiled and dropped his arm over her shoulder. "No. Travis is married to Elizabeth."
"I'll never get this straight."
He led her to a bench on the other side of the wide corridor. This might be a hospital, but close to the nursery it didn't feel too antiseptic. When they were seated, he shifted so he was facing her.
"It's very simple," he said.
"For you. I'm an only child, and I'm not even married. Keeping track of my family is a snap."
The color had returned to Jill's face after her illness. She still tired easily – she'd slept the whole way in the car – but the fever was gone and she claimed to have most of her energy back. She wore a simple shirt tucked into black jeans. The shirt was the exact color of her eyes. Makeup emphasized their shape. Her mouth was kissably pink. Delicate gold earrings glittered in the overhead lights.
She was beautiful, and not just because of how she looked. They hadn't had a moment to talk about what had happened yesterday and last night. They'd become lovers, then their world had been turned upside down by the birth of Kyle's daughter. Most women would have been clinging, or whining, wanting to know where things stood. Not that he had an answer for that. They'd gone from friendly to intimate without much in the way of a warning. For all he knew, Jill would want to back off for a while to catch her breath. He didn't know what he wanted, yet. There hadn't been time to think. Whatever their decision, Jill wasn't pressuring him right now and he was grateful.
Their lovemaking had been more than he'd imagined, and he'd imagined a lot. But the thought of committing to anyone, even her, gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. The risk was too great. He only wanted a sure thing. Even Jill couldn't guarantee that.
While they couldn't talk about themselves in this public setting, he could explain the intricacies of his family.
"I'm one of four brothers," he said. "I'm the oldest. I have three boys."
She smiled. "That part I knew."
"Next comes Travis. He's the sheriff here in Glenwood. He's married to Elizabeth. They have two children, both girls. The oldest, Mandy, is Elizabeth's by a previous marriage."
Jill nodded. "Travis and Elizabeth, two girls. Got it."
"Next is Jordan. He's the black sheep of the family. A fire fighter instead of a cop. He's not married."
"Thank goodness! Less for me to keep track of."
"Then Kyle. He's the youngest and a deputy here in Glenwood. He married Sandy, who had three children from a previous marriage. Two girls, one boy. She's the one who just had the baby. Finally, our friend Austin is married to Rebecca. They adopted a boy and had a boy together. He owns the company we all invested in."
He leaned back. "See, very simple."
She stared at him for a moment and then started laughing. "Oh, yeah. Really simple. Why did I ever think it was a problem?"
"Once you meet everyone, you'll be able to put faces with the names."
She shook her head. "Now I know why that house looked like a day-care center when we dropped off the boys."
"Between us, we do have a lot of kids." He started to say more, then heard someone call his name. He glanced up and saw his brothers approaching. Austin was with them.
Craig rose to his feet. Kyle reached him first and gave him a hug that about cracked his ribs. Travis and Jordan joined the pair and added their strength to the embrace. Soon all four brothers were slapping each other on the back. As always, Austin hung just a little outside the circle. Kyle and Jordan parted for him and he stepped inside.
"Who's the redhead?" Jordan asked.
"Who wants to know?" Craig countered, grinning with pride.
The men laughed and separated. Craig held out his hand to Jill. She accepted it and rose slowly to her feet. Her mouth was hanging open slightly. She closed it, looking a little shell-shocked.
"These are my brothers," he said proudly. "And this is Jill. She's the boys' nanny."
Travis and Jordan glanced significantly at his and Jill's clasped hands, then at each other. Eyebrows rose. He knew what they were thinking. Let 'em, he told himself. Maybe he would get lucky and it would be true.
He moved behind Jill and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Starting from left to right. Kyle, Austin, Jordan and Travis."
She shook hands with each of them in turn. "I'm never going to keep you straight."
"It's easy," Kyle told her. "I'm the best looking and the smartest. Austin's wearing an earring. Travis is maybe an inch taller than me
, and Jordan doesn't talk much."
Travis leaned behind the other two men and cuffed Kyle. "I'm better looking."
"I'm smarter," Jordan said.
"I won't argue with the earring," Austin said.
"Oh, my." Jill sounded uncertain.
"You okay?" Craig asked.
"It's a little overwhelming." She craned her neck. "You didn't tell me everyone was so tall. This is some gene pool."
Austin looked down at her. "The Haynes brothers are short, but we put up with them."
"Short?" Jill laughed. "Maybe to you and your friends." She rotated her shoulders. "My neck already hurts from looking up."
Travis elbowed his way between Craig and Jill. "Don't monopolize the lady, brother." Travis took Jill's arm and led her down the corridor. "I'm sure my brother hasn't told you everything about the family. There are a couple of things I'd like to clarify and maybe one or two stories you'd like to hear."
Jill gave Craig a helpless look over her shoulder, but Travis insisted.
"You'll be fine," Craig told her, watching them go. He wasn't concerned. Travis might tease him, but he would never do anything mean-spirited. He turned his attention to the youngest of the Haynes brothers. "How are you feeling?"
Kyle shrugged. "I keep telling myself Sandy did all the hard work, but jeez, Craig, I'm still shaking."
Craig patted his brother on the back. "It gets worse for a while, but then it gets better. At least Sandy's had babies in the house. She'll know what to do."
"What if—" Kyle cleared his throat. "What if I'm not a good father?"
Craig glanced at him, then at Jordan. They all had the famous Haynes good looks. Dark hair and eyes, muscular bodies. They were intelligent, funny and caring. And they were all scared to death of screwing up the way their father had.
Travis had been through a divorce before he found Elizabeth. Before falling for Sandy, Kyle had made a practice of dumping women before they could dump him. Jordan seemed to go through his life avoiding emotional commitments of any kind, and no one knew why. He, Craig, had married Krystal. Enough said.
"You can do your best," he told his brother. "That's the only advice I can give you. Every day, try to do your best. Anyway, you already know how to be a dad. You're father to Sandy's three kids."
Kyle hunched his shoulders. Like Jordan and Austin, he was wearing jeans and a shirt. Only Craig and Travis were in uniform. "This is different. Sandy's kids were already grown-up enough to have personalities. I didn't think there was much I could do wrong. But this is a baby."
"A girl," Craig said. "Two miracles."
"The curse is broken," Jordan said.
Craig didn't want to think about that. "Speaking of Sandy's kids, Jill and I can take them for a few days if you'd like. We talked about it on the way down."
"Thanks." Kyle punched him in the arm. "Austin and Rebecca have already offered. They've got the most room, and we won't have to take anyone out of school. It'll be easier staying local."
"They want to stay with us because of the upstairs playroom," Austin said.
"No problem," Craig said. "Just thought I'd offer."
Kyle nodded. "I appreciate it. Everyone is pitching in. That's one of the things I like best about this family. Even Louise is going to come stay with Sandy and me for the first month."
"She's a big help," Craig said. At the mention of Louise, Jordan got the oddest look on his face. Anger and something else. Betrayal maybe? From Louise? That didn't make sense. The older woman had been working for Travis for several years. Since the brothers had started marrying and having children, she'd been helping out. Everyone liked her.
Kyle stared at the tight circle of friends. "You guys ever think it would turn out like this?"
"No," Craig said easily. "I didn't think we'd get this lucky." He was talking about them all staying friends, but Kyle meant something else.
"I never thought I would be this happy," he said, then shrugged. "I know that sounds lame."
"No, it doesn't," Jordan said. "Not after what we went through."
"I never thought I'd get this lucky," Austin said quietly.
Craig remembered his friend's past. Austin had been abandoned by his mother when he was just a kid. It was during his time at the Glenwood orphanage that he'd met and made friends with the Haynes brothers. He'd grown from a skinny, hostile kid into a successful entrepreneur. After years of holding himself apart, he'd finally found his way into a circle of love. All because of a woman named Rebecca and her unwillingness to give up on the man she loved.
Thinking about the past kept Craig from dealing with the present. He had to fight down feelings of envy as he stared at his brothers and Austin. They'd found something wonderful with someone special. They'd found love.
He glanced at Jordan and saw the same conflicting emotions reflected in his brother's gaze. What had the two of them done wrong? Krystal had been mistake number one for him. What was the name of Jordan's mistake?
Damn it, nothing was easy. He wanted what Travis, Kyle and Austin had. He wanted to believe in someone again, but it was hard. Krystal had scarred him and he wasn't sure he would ever recover. What about Jill? Was he already involved with her and just fooling himself that he wasn't? She was so different from his ex-wife. His feelings were different, too. There was less lightning and a lot more caring.
Krystal had been very high maintenance, but Jill was more concerned about taking care of others. That made him want to take care of her. He admired her, appreciated the way she looked after the boys. She was a dynamo in bed and just thinking about it made his body throb. Was that … love?
Even as he asked the question, a voice in his head reminded him that he wasn't going to do this again. Not unless there were guarantees. Besides, more than once Jill had made it clear that she wasn't interested in anything permanent. When her time was up, she would be gone.
* * *
The huge table sat twenty, and nearly every chair had been used. Jill stood up with the other two women and helped clear the table. The men made a halfhearted attempt to offer assistance. Elizabeth brushed them off with a good-natured, "Oh, please, we know you're lying!"
The sound of laughter accompanied Jill into the kitchen. Once there, she paused to admire the spacious room. A huge greenhouse window offered a view of the rolling grass and the forest beyond. At least that's what she'd been told. It had been dusk when they'd arrived at Rebecca and Austin's house.
Bleached cabinets hugged the walls. The tile was white, the appliances black, and the floor was the same bleached wood as the cabinets. Blue-and-white wallpaper added color to the large room.
"Impressive," Jill said softly as she put the dishes down on the counter.
"I like it."
She spun toward the sound and saw Rebecca walking toward her carrying an armful of plates and silverware. Austin's wife was taller than Jill, but most people were. She had long, curly dark hair and the kind of face that would make a perfect cameo. She wore a flowing dress that stopped midway between her knees and ankles, and Jill had the impression that Rebecca Lucas belonged in a gentler time. She wondered what this delicate-looking woman was doing with a husband who looked like a dark pirate and even had the earring.
Rebecca approached and put down the plates. "I'm sure you're still feeling overwhelmed."
"A little."
"You'll get used to everyone. I had the advantage of getting to know Travis first, then his brothers. By the time Austin and I—" She paused and a faint blush stained her cheeks.
"Dated?" Jill offered helpfully.
The blush deepened. "Austin and I never really dated. We just sort of got married. I had a crush on him for years, then one night…" She waved her hand. "It's a long story. I'll tell it to you sometime. Anyway, I already knew everyone. Elizabeth also met the brothers a few at a time. And Sandy had known them from when she lived here in Glenwood and had gone to school with them. I can't imagine what it must be like for you, coming in cold like this."
"Sandy's easy," Jill said and grinned. "She's still in the hospital, so I don't have to worry about her. Everyone else is confusing. It's not just the adults, it's the kids."
Rebecca tilted her head toward the noise coming from the living room. "There are a bunch." Rebecca lifted the cover off a large chocolate cake. "Could you get the plates, please? We'll need…" She counted on her fingers. "Kyle left for the hospital so that's seven adults and ten kids. Is that right?"
Jill laughed. "You're asking the wrong person. You'd better cut up the whole cake. I'm sure there won't be leftovers."
"Good idea."
As Rebecca filled the plates, Jill carried them into the dining room. The children returned to their seats. She put a piece in front of Ben. He looked at her questioningly. She bent close to his ear.
"It's up to you," she murmured. "If you want to eat it, then go ahead. You're doing great. If you think it's going to make you feel bad, then don't."
He nodded. "I'll just have half," he said, reaching for a knife and carefully cutting the cake into two pieces.
She dropped a quick kiss on the top of his head before returning to the kitchen. By the time everyone had been served, Elizabeth announced that the coffee was done. Cups were poured and passed around the table. There was a lull in the conversation. Elizabeth raised her cup.
"I'd like to propose a toast. To the infamous Haynes brothers and their friends."
Jill took a sip of coffee, then leaned toward Craig. "Why are you infamous?"
Austin heard the question. "You haven't told her?" the dark-eyed pirate asked.
Craig groaned. "Don't start on this. It was a long time ago. We've all grown up and matured."
"What was a long time ago?" Jill wanted to know.
Elizabeth leaned forward and grinned. "Honey, the stories we could tell you about these boys. They would make your hair curl."
"Like what?"
"Can I please be excused?" a girl about C.J.'s age asked.
"Me, too," Danny said. "You guys are just gonna talk about the olden days."
Craig looked at Travis, then shrugged. "All children are excused. Go to the playroom and try to get along."
PART-TIME WIFE Page 15
