The morning glory that hung over the front-porch roof swung back and forth in the easy breeze like small blue bells with no sound. Sunshine dappled the yard between the spaces of shade where children ran, shrieking with excitement as they searched out the brightly colored eggs hidden earlier. Baskets already overflowing with chocolate bunnies and yellow marshmallow chicks had to make room for the Easter eggs that were being found.
It was Easter at the Monday homestead, and the Hatfields had come to dinner. But no one was eating. Those who weren’t watching the frivolity in action were busy snapping pictures of the event, trying desperately to capture the expression of joy on each child’s face when a new egg was discovered.
And Toni was right in the middle of it all with her baby on one hip and a basket full of eggs on the other, while the persistent breeze molded the skirt of her white cotton dress to her body.
“Smile for Daddy,” she said, and jiggled Joy into a wide, toothless smile while Lane aimed the camcorder in their direction.
Lane watched it all through the camera’s eye, and he knew that if he lived to be a hundred, he would never see a more beautiful sight than what was before his eyes.
Marriage and motherhood had made a beautiful woman out of a pretty lady. Her face creased constantly in smiles, and she was never still. She wouldn’t have changed a thing in her world if given the chance and he knew it. The knowledge that he held the hearts of two beautiful females in the palms of his hands was staggering. The baby adored him, and Toni’s love bound them all. He was a man twice blessed.
“Uncle Lane, watch this.”
In response to the shout, he turned, taking the eye of the camera with him, and found Bobby Hatfield centered within the frame, attempting to juggle three eggs.
Bright pink, brilliant blue and grass green eggs went up, then down, then fell at the boy’s feet with a splat as he made a frantic grab for the last one and missed. Lane aimed the camera at the mess, then back up at the look of disgust on Bobby’s face.
“You've got to have faster hands than that, boy,” Lane teased, then laughed when a couple of barn cats headed for the disaster, already licking their whiskers at the unexpected feast.
While they were watching, the sheriff pulled his car into the driveway and parked.
Lane aimed the camera and caught the look of surprise on Dan Holley’s face when he accidentally stepped on an egg hidden in the grass.
“Oh, shoot,” Dan said, stopping to clean off his shoe. “These are my new boots.”
“What do you suppose he wants?” Justin muttered as he limped up beside Lane.
“Here, you do the honors and I'll go find out,” Lane said, handing Justin the camera.
“You're supposed to put them in a basket, not on the sides of your feet,” Lane said, and grinned when the sheriff rolled his eyes and lightly cursed beneath his breath.
“Fine thanks I get for coming out on a holiday,” Dan said, handing Lane an envelope. “I found a Western Union man lost as hell on the other side of town. He was looking for your place. It was easier to bring this myself than to try and explain how to get here.”
“Thanks,” Lane said, then opened up the telegram.
HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE. STOP. KISS MY NEWEST NIECE FOR ME AND HUG MY SISTER. STOP. THANKS FOR PROVING ME RIGHT, LAWMAN. STOP. IF I CAN FIX MY WORLD THAT WELL, MAYBE I WILL COME HOME. STOP. LOVE, WYATT
“Well, I'll be damned,” Lane said. “The prodigal son might actually return one of these days.”
“Must be from Wyatt,” Dan said.
Lane nodded, then looked up at Toni in the middle of it all, and smiled. He had a lot to thank Wyatt Hatfield for. He hoped he did come back.
“You're just in time to eat,” Lane said, and gave the squashed egg on Dan’s boots another glance. “I think the egg hunt is nearly over.”
Dan grinned. “No, thanks, but that’s my cue to exit. You have a good day, now, you hear?”
Lane waved him off and then turned to see Toni coming toward him across the yard.
“Lane, you have a phone call. It’s your boss. He called me darling and praised the latest picture of Joy that he’d seen and told me you never looked better.” She made a face. “It sounds to me like it’s a good thing I did the laundry yesterday. You'll be needing clean clothes for the trip.”
Lane sighed and hugged her. “Maybe not. Here, Dan brought a telegram from Wyatt. You can share it with the clan while I get the phone.” Then he held out his hands to the baby who was wearing a miniature bunny suit, complete with long pink ears and a tiny, white powder-puff tail. “Want to come with Daddy to talk to the bad man?”
Toni laughed, and watched with a happy heart as Joy willingly went from her arms to his with a drool and a smile and pink ears flopping. Father and daughter disappeared into the house as Justin walked up.
“What did Dan want?”
Toni handed him the telegram. “It was from Wyatt. You can read it. He said to tell everyone hello.”
Justin quickly scanned the page, and handed it back with a rueful smile.
“He’s right, you know. He read Lane Monday’s intentions better than any of us. Thank God that he interfered. If it wasn’t for Lane, you wouldn’t be this happy, and I would be less of a man today.”
Toni hugged her brother, then whispered softly in his ear. “I don’t care what you look like, Justin, or how you walk. You will never be less of a man. You're just about the best brother a girl could have.”
Justin grinned to hide how moved he was by Toni’s praise.
“Well, hell yes, I'm the best. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Judy.”
Toni grinned and hit him on the arm. “You're awful,” she said. “I've got to go see what that darned man wanted with Lane. I suspect duty is about to call.”
She hurried across the yard, her long legs moving gracefully beneath the full skirt of her dress, and entered the house on the run. Lane met her at the door empty-handed.
“Where’s Joy?” Toni asked.
“Laura took her. The kids wanted to have their picture taken with the Easter bunny. Joy seems to be it.”
Toni grinned. The suit had been an inspiration. “When do you have to leave?” she asked, knowing Lane’s assistance was needed on another assignment. His duties had been lessened, but her husband’s expertise was still essential to some cases.
“Tonight.”
Lane slid his hands around her waist and then lowered them until her hips were perfectly cupped in the palms of his hands. She moaned softly in his ear when he pulled her close against the thrust of his manhood.
“When will you be back?” she gasped, wishing that they were alone.
“Day after tomorrow.”
She tried not to let her dismay show, but she hated to sleep alone and he knew it.
“I will miss you like hell,” he whispered. “Can’t you tell everyone to go home now? I want to make love to my wife.”
Toni made a face, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t think so,” she whispered, and sighed when his mouth descended.
He tasted of baby powder and soap, and she knew that the last place his mouth must have been was on their baby’s face.
“I love you, Lane,” she said when his mouth had moved from her lips to her throat.
He stilled, and his arms tightened around her waist, crushing her to him until she found it difficult to breathe, but she did not protest. Being loved this much, by this much man, was something special. She would take all that he had to give her and still want more.
“I love you, too, Antonette,” he whispered, and then he grinned. “I'll bet I'm the only man who can claim the luckiest day of his life was the day he nearly died.”
Toni smiled, and leaned back in his arms, well aware that it placed their lower bodies in perfect but painful alignment.
“I might know where there’s an empty hayloft,” she said.
Delight was rich in his voice as he swept her off of her feet and twirled her around the room while the party went on outside without them.
“Are you asking me to take you to the barn and make love to you?”
Toni pursed her lips and cocked her head thoughtfully, giving him a cool, assessing look.
“I might be...but only just this once.”
He laughed. “And just for fun?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and blew lightly in his ear.
“Darling Lane, is there any other way?”
* * * * *