PATSY SET A SMALL BOX on the desk and beamed like a proud parent. “It’s taken a while, but finally, here are your new business cards to go along with your new office.”
Kate lifted the lid of the box and withdrew one of the crisp white cards.
Kate Randall
President and Chief Executive Officer
Handley Toys
Birmingham, AL
Handley Toys—Fun for life.
Her first undertaking as CEO had been to change the company slogan to one she thought reflected the ageless appeal of their products.
“Thank you, Patsy.”
“Oh, and Mr. McDaniels—I mean, Eric—is waiting outside.”
Kate bit back a smile at her assistant’s formality. “Did he say if this was a business matter or personal?”
“Considering his arms are full of baby paraphernalia,” Patsy said with a wry smile, “I’d say it’s personal.”
Kate unconsciously touched her growing stomach and grinned. “Send him in.”
Suddenly her door burst open and all she could see was Eric’s legs—a mountain of toys obscured him from the waist up. “Sorry,” he mumbled from behind the armload. “My arms were getting ready to give out.” He walked unsteadily over to the table in the corner of Kate’s office and dumped the goods there, a mind-boggling array of stuffed animals, mobiles, balls, rattles and who knew what else. Eric grinned, dimples deep, eyes flashing, so obviously proud of himself he could scarcely stand it. He held up a fuzzy pink giraffe. “What do you think?”
Patsy scooted out and Kate stood and came around her desk, shaking her head. “I think we’re going to have to buy a bigger house if you keep buying toys.” She was also thinking, for the hundredth time, that she was glad they were having a girl because she wasn’t sure she could survive two male McDaniels in one house.
He looked over his shoulder to make sure her office door was closed, then asked, “Can we break our ‘no kissing at the office’ rule just this once?”
She smiled and nodded, then went into his arms for a long, sensual kiss. When his kiss began to stir her senses to life, she pulled away, wagging her finger. “Don’t you think I’m pregnant enough for now?”
Eric laughed and touched her stomach. “I can’t wait, Kate—I can’t wait until our baby is here.”
She nodded and smiled up at him. “Me, too.”
“I love you,” he murmured, then squeezed her.
Her heart welled. “I love you, too.”
Then his eyes widened, and he turned back to the jumble of toys on the table. “I almost forgot. I was told explicitly by one of your former coworkers in production that you were to have the first one of these to roll off the assembly line.” He rummaged, then came up with a box and extended it to her.
Kate took the cardboard and cellophane box, and bit into her lip to keep her hormonal tears at bay. “Bernadette.” Same cropped red hair and freckles, but with a spiffy new teen ensemble, complete with baggy jeans and graffiti’d skateboard. She looked up. “What’s your expert opinion on our new product, Mr. VP of Sales?”
His dark eyebrows went up. “Well, considering you were able to secure licensing for Bernadette books and there’s a TV series in the works, I’d say you’ve struck gold, Kate…again.”
She smiled, thinking she and Bernadette had come full circle together, and how wonderful that her own daughter would be able to enjoy the next generation of Bernadette dolls.
She set the box aside and looped her arms around her husband’s neck. “How did life get so perfect?”
He pulled her against him. “I don’t know. All I know is that in a couple of months, I’m going to be an absolute fool for two women.”
Kate tilted her face up. “Would you mind if we broke our ‘no kissing at the office’ rule again?”
“Would I mind?” Eric grinned, then lowered his mouth to hers, and murmured, “Are you joking?”