Lulu woke slowly, aware of three things. She was incredibly exhausted, curiously weighed down, at least in the region of her midriff, and was that Sam...in all his early-morning glory...sleeping next to her? With two toddlers in his arms?
She blinked. And blinked again.
Yes, it was Sam, clad in a pair of pajama pants and a V-necked T-shirt. With his hair adorably rumpled and a morning beard rimming his chiseled jaw, he looked incredibly masculine and sexy. He was also sound asleep, his breathing as deep and even as that of the two little boys curled up on his chest, their heads nestled between his neck and shoulders.
Better yet, she had a tyke in her arms, too, snuggled up close, his head tucked between her head and shoulder. And all five of them were cozied up in Sam’s king-size bed.
Without warning, he stirred slightly. Drew a deep, bolstering breath and opened his eyes.
He turned to look at her, his lips curving up in that sleepy-sexy, good-morning way she recalled so well.
Contentment roared through her, making her feel all warm and cozy inside.
His glance roved her slowly. It seemed like he might be feeling some of that contentment, too. “Some night, huh?” he murmured huskily.
It had been. The boys had cried off and on for hours. Every time they thought they had one asleep, another woke him.
The only thing that had soothed any of them was being walked. And so they’d roamed the master bedroom, crooning softly, Lulu with one toddler in her arms, Sam with two in his.
Until finally, around four in the morning, the boys had drifted off, and wary of disturbing them yet again, Sam and Lulu had eased onto the center of his big bed, children still in their arms. They lay there gently, daring to relax fully and close their eyes. And then, finally, slept.
Admiration shone in Sam’s eyes. “You were great with them last night,” he said.
She knew the memory of the boys’ first night would stick with her. “So were you...”
Theo snuggled close, yawned sleepily, squirmed again and then lifted his head. Andrew and Ethan swiftly followed suit. All looked expectantly in the direction of the open bedroom door. “Mommy?” Theo said.
“Daddy?” Andrew asked.
“Go home?” Ethan demanded.
The plaintive requests, along with the confusion and lack of comprehension in the boys’ eyes, tugged on Lulu’s heartstrings and filled her with sorrow. She mourned Peter and Theresa, too. She could only imagine how poignant the loss was for the boys. No wonder they were out of control. They didn’t understand where their parents were. And at their young age, there was no way to explain.
Her vision blurred.
Sam cleared his throat. “Mommy and Daddy are in heaven,” he said gently. “But you know who we do have?” He indicated the stuffed animals scattered around them. “Tiger and Elephant and Giraffe!”
Grinning, the boys picked up their stuffed animals and clutched them to their chests.
“And blankets, too!” Sam declared.
They grabbed those, as well.
Her heart aching with an emotion that was almost primal in its intensity, Lulu did her best to smile, too, and affect an air of normalcy. Her grieving would have to come later, privately. “How about we all go downstairs and I’ll rustle up some breakfast?” she suggested.
Sam reached over and squeezed her shoulder. Although the boys’ hurt and confusion had affected him, too, he had regained his composure swiftly. “Sounds like a plan to me...”
Sam had to hand it to Lulu. Even though he could see her heart was breaking for the boys, as was his, she pulled it together with feminine grace. Helped with the three diaper changes and, along with Beauty who’d been sleeping on the floor of his bedroom as per usual, escorted the boys downstairs.
While the triplets played with their toys in the living room, she went into the kitchen to start breakfast. He let Beauty outside and put on a pot of coffee. She was still dressed in blue-and-white-striped pajama pants and a white scoop-necked T-shirt that nicely outlined her slender body. Her dark hair was tousled, her cheeks pink with sleep, her turquoise eyes red-rimmed with fatigue.
He cupped a hand over her shoulder as she passed, temporarily stilling her. “Hey. If you want to go back to bed for a while...”
She pivoted another quarter turn, so she was looking up at him directly. Acting as if that were the most ridiculous suggestion she had ever heard, she wrinkled her nose at him. “Ah, no.”
“Sure?” he pressed. Aware he was still holding onto her, dropped his hand. Filled with the surprising urge to protect her, too, he said, “You only got two or three hours of sleep.”
Propping one hand on her hip, she looked him over, head to toe. “Which, as it turns out, was exactly what you and the boys got,” she retorted. “Seriously.” Her gaze gentled. “I’m fine. I want to be available to the kids whenever, however they need me.”
Before he could respond, the doorbell rang.
“Expecting someone?” she asked.
“No.” Sam went to get the door while Lulu remained in the kitchen.
A uniformed Laramie County sheriff’s deputy was on his doorstep. And not just any deputy, but Lulu’s brother, Dan.
He touched the brim of his hat in an official manner, the grim look in his eyes indicating that although they were longtime acquaintances, this was not a social call. “Sam,” Dan said.
Sam nodded back, just as officiously. “Dan.”
“My sister here?” Dan asked, looking anything but pleased.
Her brother had to figure that she was, Sam thought, since Lulu’s SUV was parked in his driveway. “Yes.”
“Can I speak with her?”
Sam wasn’t sure how to answer that. Generally, Lulu didn’t want her family interfering in her personal business. And this definitely looked personal.
Before he could say anything further, Lulu strode across the living room and into the foyer. She regarded her brother with a mixture of annoyance and concern. “What’s going on?” she asked.
Her older brother gave her a look that was strictly family-drama. He compressed his lips, looking over her pajamas. “I could ask you the same thing,” he groused.
It didn’t help, Sam thought, that with her flushed face and guilty eyes, it appeared as though Lulu had tumbled straight out of bed. Sam’s bed.
She folded her arms, stubborn as ever. “I asked first.”
Dan squinted at her. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you since last evening.”
“I was busy.”
“Yeah, well, that’s no reason not to answer your phone,” he chastised.
“Actually,” Lulu shot back, “it kind of is.”
The siblings stared each other down.
Sam cleared his throat. He was all for gallantly coming to Lulu’s aid, even if they were no longer a couple. On the other hand, he had no wish to insert himself into another family’s drama. Plus, the boys, who were still busily building a block tower, didn’t need to witness any quarreling. He cleared his throat and looked back at Lulu, who was still blocking the doorway. “If you’d like, I can step in so you can step out and talk in private,” Sam offered mildly.
“Nope.” Lulu lounged against the door frame, one ankle crossed over the other. She stared at Dan, nonchalant. “Whatever you have to say to me, big brother, can be said in front of Sam. And how did you know I was here, anyway?”
Dan shrugged. “Simple deduction. Sam was at your place yesterday, helping out and watching over you. Neither of you have been answering your phones. I figured something was going on.”
Taken aback, Lulu paused. “That’s no reason to spy on me.”
“I wasn’t spying,” Dan continued quietly. “I just wanted to make sure you’re safe.”
Sam couldn’t blame him for that.
And neither, as much as she wanted to, could Lulu. “Well,” she said finally, “as you can see, I am.”
“Uh-huh. It still doesn’t explain why you’re here now,” Dan said.
“I would think that would be obvious.” She pointed to Theo, Andrew and Ethan who were all still playing happily with their toys.
Dan turned to Sam. “So the word in town is true? You’ve just become legal guardian to three little ones?”
“Yes.”
He turned back to his sister. “What do you have to do with this?”
She tensed. “I’m here, helping out.”
Dan lifted a curious brow.
“By...um...nannying,” she concluded reluctantly.
Her brother eyed her pajamas, which were quite chaste compared to some of the things Sam had once seen Lulu in. And would like to see again.
“Do Mom and Dad know you’re now working for Sam?”
It felt more like working with, but whatever, Sam thought. It was clear they were going to have to renegotiate their deal, anyway.
Meanwhile, Lulu wasn’t about to quibble over semantics. “What do you think?”
Dan squinted. “That you were probably afraid to tell them about any of this, never mind your sleeping over, for fear of what they’d say.”
Lulu turned to Sam, clearly feeling that was out of line, even if Dan was family. “Would you deck him for me?”
“No.” Although he wouldn’t mind taking her in his arms again.
Her eyes lit up like firecrackers on the Fourth of July. “Why not?” she demanded, looking both confused and incensed. “You’ve never had trouble defending my honor before!”
True, Sam thought, but this was different. They weren’t a couple now, although for parts of the previous night and this morning it almost felt as if they could be again. And because, as the primary caregiving adults in three vulnerable little boys’ lives, they had to be adult about all this. She especially had to not care about what others thought, as long as the two of them knew what they were doing was right. “Because there are better ways to resolve conflict,” he said wearily.
Lulu flushed again, for an entirely different reason this time, it seemed. Temper dissipating, she turned back to her brother, contrite. “Okay, sorry for overreacting.”
He lifted a hand, understanding. “It’s okay, sis. I know you have a lot going on.”
Lulu regarded her brother intently. “Why did you want to talk to me, anyway?”
Dan relaxed as peace returned. “I wanted to tell you there was some news about your hives. The driver of the tractor trailer hauling the off-road forklifts was apprehended last night in Missouri.”
Lulu bit her lip. “And the bees?”
“We don’t know where they are yet. The two vehicles apparently split up. The guy who loaded the beehives into the refrigeration truck said he thought it was a legal transport.”
Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. “What about all the honey that was stolen?”
“The jars are in crates, on the same truck as the beehives. He thought those were authorized to be removed, too.”
Appearing distraught, Lulu moved closer to Sam. It was all he could do not to put his arm around her and hug her close. Figuring that was the last thing she would want him to do in front of her protective older brother, he remained where he was.
“Did the officers believe him?” she asked in a low, quavering voice.
Dan’s brow furrowed. “Not sure, but the guy is cooperating, so there’s a chance we might recover your bees yet.”
“Thank heavens.” Looking like she needed a moment to compose herself, Lulu went back into the ranch house without another word.
Dan declined to stay for breakfast. Intuiting Lulu’s brother had a few more things he wanted to say, man-to-man, Sam walked him to his squad car.
“You and Lulu an item again?” Dan asked casually.
Sam shook his head. “No.” But after last night, I wish we were, Sam thought. And how crazy was that?
The lawman slanted him a warning glance. “You know in addition to her usual impulsiveness, Lulu has baby fever...”
“She’s also the next and last guardian on the list for the kids. She wants to be involved in this.”
“You break her heart again,” Dan warned, “friend of the family or not, you’re going to be dealing with all five of her brothers. You get that?”
Sam nodded.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
“So how is it going with the kids?” Dan asked.
Sam gave him the recap of the first eighteen hours.
Dan blinked, then offered empathetically, “I’m off at eleven. If you’d like, Kelly and I could round up our kids and come over this afternoon to lend a hand.”
His wife was not only a preschool teacher, but mother to triplets, too. Sam spread his hands, for once open to any assistance offered. “Actually,” he said sincerely, “if Kelly would like to visit, whatever tips she can give us would be great.”
For the first time since he had arrived, Dan smiled. “I know she’d be glad to help,” he said. “As would I.”
Kelly, Dan and their triplets arrived shortly after noon, with a picnic lunch and a large box of toys their children had outgrown. Two-year-olds Theo, Andrew and Ethan were immediately taken with four-year-olds Michelle, Michael and Matthew.
Who had lots of questions.
“Are these your babies, Aunt Lulu?” Matthew asked.
“No.” Looking gorgeous in a pair of coral shorts and a sleeveless white linen blouse, her hair swept up in a clip on the back of her head, Lulu knelt and lined up toy cars and trucks on the floor next to a play garage. Briefly, regret flashed in her long-lashed eyes. “I’m helping to take care of them,” she explained, “but they’re staying with Sam.”
“So you’re their daddy,” Michael concluded with furrowed brow.
“Guardian,” Sam corrected gently. Although I’m beginning to think I’d like to be more than just that...
Oblivious to the overemotional nature of his thoughts, Michelle sized up her aunt Lulu, then Sam. “Are you having a romance? ’Cause if you are,” she added helpfully, “then you could get married.”
Sam watched Lulu tense, the way she always did when the subject of her and marriage came up.
Kelly blushed. “Sorry.” The lively preschool teacher lifted a hand. “She’s been obsessed with love and weddings and marriage since...”
“Forever,” Dan chuckled.
Michelle beamed. “Our mommy married Dan so he could be our daddy. They could show you how to fall in love. Then you could become a mommy like you want, Aunt Lulu,” she finished sincerely.
So it was true, Sam thought. Dan hadn’t been wrong in his analysis. And Lulu hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said she had wanted this forever. She did have baby fever. Enough to skew her judgment? Cause her to behave as recklessly as she had before they’d broken up? Only to regret her overly impulsive actions later? He sure as hell hoped not. Their first breakup had been excruciating enough. And now Theo, Andrew and Ethan were involved.
Seemingly aware of the delicate nature of the circumstances, Kelly took charge. “I think Sam and Aunt Lulu can figure out their own situation, honey.”
“Let’s show the boys the rest of the stuff we brought for them to play with,” Dan said, digging into the big box of toys.
The kids immediately became enthralled, as everything old became new again.
Which was good, because it was only a few minutes later that the small moving van from Houston arrived.
“Where do y’all want this?” the workers asked. The crew boss opened up the back to reveal about twenty cardboard moving boxes, various toddler riding toys, a trio of toddler beds, a bureau, an oversize rocker-glider and a matching footstool.
Sam looked at Lulu, once again very glad she was there. “What do you think?” He had no idea where to put all this stuff.
“If it were me, I’d put the boxes containing Peter and Theresa’s belongings in a storage area like...”
“The attic?”
“Yes. And then clear the large bedroom next to yours and set up a nursery for all three boys in there. Maybe figure out where to put the playroom stuff later.”
Sam considered the suggestion. “Downstairs, off the kitchen, where my home office is now?”
“That would certainly be practical. You could toddler-proof the space and keep an eye on them while you prepare their meals. Maybe move your home office upstairs to one of the spare guest rooms you aren’t really using. Where it’ll be quieter.”
Sam nodded gratefully. “Sounds good.” He offered to pay the movers a little extra to lend a hand with the reorganization efforts. Two hours later, with Dan and Kelly still downstairs supervising both sets of triplets, he and Lulu remained upstairs, unpacking the nursery linens.
“You really don’t have to help me with this,” Lulu said. “Now that the beds are assembled and put in place, I can get it all set up from here. So, if you want to hook up the stuff in your new office space—” which was at the far end of the hall “—or go downstairs and work on the new playroom area...”
Why was she suddenly in such a hurry to get rid of him, now that the movers had left? Sam could only come up with one reason.
“Afraid what Kelly and Dan will think if you’re alone with me for too long?”
“No.” Her cheeks lit with embarrassment, she swooped down to pull pillows, mattress pads and sheets out of boxes.
Aware that everything but the possibility of making love to her again had temporarily left his brain, he lifted his brow. “Uh-huh.” He watched her deposit the appropriate stack of linens on the end of each toddler bed with more than necessary care. “Then why didn’t you tell anyone in your family that you were going to be the boys’ nanny, at least temporarily?”
“Maybe I didn’t have time.”
He let their glances collide, then linger. “And maybe things haven’t really changed since we were together before.”
Looking adorably flustered, she whirled away from him and went back to the bed against the far wall. “I know what you thought back then. And apparently now, too,” she said, her emotions suddenly as fired up as his. “But I was never ashamed to be with you.”
“But you were reluctant to tell them just how serious we were about each other. Isn’t that right, darlin’?” He paused to let his words sink in.
Her upright posture emphasized the soft swell of her breasts. His body hardened in response. “You may have been twenty-one,” she mused, “but I had just turned nineteen...”
“Which was old enough to go to Tennessee with me for spring break.”
“Yes, but my parents didn’t know that.” She bent to put on the first mattress pad and gestured for him to do the same. “All they knew, or know even to this day, was that I was going to go with Theresa to visit Graceland and Dollywood and Gatlinburg, and then enjoy the music scene in Nashville...”
He tore his eyes from her sensational legs and the sweet curve of her hips, recalling, “They had no idea that you were going to be maid of honor and I was going to be best man at Peter and Theresa’s elopement.”
Cheeks turning pink, Lulu moved around to the other side of the bed to snap the elastic hem into place. “They wouldn’t have approved.”
He imagined they would have approved even less if they’d known she was deliberately keeping them in the dark. He finished putting the mattress cover on the second bed, then stood. “Are they going to approve of you nannying here?”
Lulu drew a deep breath. “If you want the truth...”
He did.
She put on the top sheet, then the quilt. “Probably not.”
Finished, they both headed for the remaining toddler bed. Her head bent—to avoid his gaze, he imagined—she worked swiftly and methodically. He would have helped had she not edged him out with her hips.
Folding his arms, he moved around so he could see her expression. “You know you can’t keep being here a secret from them, don’t you?” Laramie County was a close-knit community, where families watched out for other families. Which meant that word would spread quickly.
Finished, Lulu punched the pillow into place. “I wasn’t planning to.”
“What’s going to happen if they do express their displeasure?” he said, goading her. “Will just the thought of disappointing them make you run away again?”
She marched toward him, unafraid. “I never ran away.” She poked a finger in his chest. “You were the one who threw down the gauntlet, forcing us to call it all off.”
He went toe-to-toe with her and lowered his face until they were nose to nose. “For good reason, Lulu. I wasn’t going to hide how I felt!”
“But you did,” Lulu whispered, tears gleaming in her eyes. “We both did,” she admitted in a choked voice, filled with the kind of heartache he, too, had experienced. “For a long time after that...”
Suddenly, Sam knew, he wasn’t the only one who had been carrying a torch for the last ten years.
The next thing he knew, she was all the way in his arms. Her face turned up to his, and in that instant, all the pain of the last decade melted away. Their lips fused. A helpless sound escaped her throat and she pressed herself against him, yielding to him in a way she never had before.
And damn it if he wasn’t giving his all to her, too. He gathered her even closer, let the kiss deepen, all the while savoring the sweet womanly taste of her, her fiery temperament, her warmth and her tenderness. Whether or not they’d be able to work it all out in the long haul was still questionable, but there’d never been anyone else for him. Never would be, he knew...
Lulu hadn’t meant to let her feelings slip out. It wasn’t surprising they had. She’d never been able to be around Sam and keep her guard up for long. He had a way of seeing past her defenses, of giving what was needed, even when she didn’t exactly ask for it.
And what she needed right now, she thought as she sank even deeper into his tantalizing embrace, was his strength and his tenderness, his kindness and perceptiveness. She needed to know if there was still something really special between them, or if their all-consuming feelings for each other had faded.
True, they hadn’t made things work when they’d had a chance. And there was no way they could go back and undo any of those mistakes, much as she might wish.
They could, however, find a way to forge a new path, one that gave them both what they needed and wanted, she thought as his tongue swept her mouth and mated ever so evocatively with hers. What she wanted right now, she realized, pressing even closer, was a second chance.
For him. For her. Maybe even for the three kids that were legally in his charge and emotionally in hers.
Who knew what would have happened if not for the sounds of a delicately clearing throat? The sight of her sister-in-law in the doorway?
“Sorry to interrupt,” Kelly said, her cheeks flushing. “But the kids are all getting hungry. Would you all be up for taking them into town for pizza?”