Chapter Fifteen

The sky was streaked with pink when Gina reached the frosty walkway leading to Will’s house. Her breath made puffs of steam in the chill morning air, so different from the hot summer day she’d first walked this path. Clad in loose thrift-store wear and armed with internet kid-smarts, she had come to prove Will Sinclair was a thief. Instead, she’d lost her heart to him and his boys and discovered her deeply flawed brother’s guilt.

Today she wore snug jeans, a lavender turtleneck, and a purple ski jacket and carried a large cloth bag stuffed with kid books and games. Her insides churned with excitement at seeing Will and his boys again, but she paused at the top of the steps for a reality check.

It was tempting to view her return as a second chance, but she had to remember this was strictly a one-time thing. Will was in a bind and desperate to find a capable childcare provider. Desperate enough to hire a woman he’d sworn never again to believe.

Those words had cut deep, and he probably still meant them. Her temporary employment didn’t mean he’d forgiven her or wanted her back. Not as his nanny and certainly not as his lover. She was here to tend the boys while Will was on vacation. End of story.

Her eagerness reined in, she knocked on the door. It opened immediately, and she stood face-to-face with Will, as ruggedly handsome as ever in jeans and a purple Husky T-shirt. She caught her breath at his nearness. His eyes seemed a deeper blue than she remembered, and his hair was slightly mussed, as though he’d recently raked his fingers through it. Is he nervous, too?

Meeting his intent gaze and inhaling his familiar scent stirred jarring images of tangled sheets and hoarse whispers and the press of warm flesh. Don’t think about that night.

She searched his eyes for a trace of warmth but found none. Switching the cloth bag to her other hand, she strove for a casual, “Hello, Will.”

“Gina.” He nodded then opened the door wider. “Come inside.”

She stepped past him then turned and hefted the games bag. “I brought a few playthings.”

He nodded. “The boys will be glad to see you.”

“I’ve missed them.” And you, too. Did you miss me? She’d give anything for even a hint of their former camaraderie, but his manner seemed that of a wary stranger.

He looked away. “Come with me.”

She followed him to his den, where he handed her a printout of his travel information—his flight itinerary, the hotel where he was staying, his cell phone number. “Be sure to call if there’s a problem. Anytime, day or night.”

He handed her a second sheet. “The boys made a list of things they want to eat.”

She read it aloud. “Hamburgers, pizza, hot dogs, mac and cheese.” She grinned wryly. “No vegetables or fruit.”

“No. You’ll have to smuggle them onto the menu.”

“I’m good at that.”

He paused. “Yes, you are.”

At the change in his tone, she glanced up to find him eyeing her closely. For an instant, she thought his expression softened. But the look disappeared so quickly, she couldn’t be sure. He was solemn, once again, and so distant it hurt.

“Just so you know, I told the boys you had to leave us to take care of your brother.” His mouth tightened. “I guess that’s true, in a sense.”

She wished she could tell him her brother was sorry for all the trouble he’d caused. But Kyle still saw himself as a victim. She shrugged off her backpack and set it on the floor. It would be so easy to make no response. Her chances of gaining Will’s forgiveness seemed microscopic, yet her feelings for her brother were a part of who she was.

“You told the boys right. Kyle is very troubled and self-absorbed. But he’s my brother, and I love him—I always will. I just won’t be stupid about it anymore.”

Will was silent a long moment. “I see.”

Braced for his disapproval, she heard the patter of quick footsteps on the stairs. Her hand on her heart, she turned to see a sleep-rumpled Ian and Harry appear in the doorway. Pajama-clad, their hair poking out, they eyed her solemnly.

Her heart danced joyfully at the sight of them. “Hello, Harry. Hello, Ian.”

They inched toward her, cautious and uncertain, the way they’d been when she’d first met them. Her heart ached at the possibility she’d lost their trust. Had her leaving them felt like another abandonment?

Harry burst into a run toward her, quickly followed by Ian, and she knelt to catch them as they leaped into her arms. Their momentum bowled her over backward, and the three of them tumbled onto the carpet, laughing. She sat up and was met by two fierce hugs.

“Careful, guys,” Will warned.

The boys loosened their hold but stayed perched on her lap. “Gina, you’re here.”

“We want to make cookies.”

“And have a water fight.”

Grinning, she put an arm around each of them. Here was the heartfelt welcome she’d hoped for. Spending five days with the boys was a gift she would treasure. She glanced up to see Will frowning down at them. The stern headmaster again.

Swallowing her disappointment, she eased her charges off her lap and stood. Couldn’t Will lighten up just a bit? He should know by now how much she loved his children.

Ian and Harry, on either side of her, took her hands in theirs. Their delight in seeing her helped ease the hurt inflicted by their dad. She smiled. “We’re going to have lots of fun.”

“We are?” They stared up at her, wide-eyed and hopeful.

“Oh yes.” Swinging their hands playfully, she watched Will cross the room to look outside. She had probably offended him by saying she would always love Kyle.

She sighed. As much as she’d warned herself not to expect a warm welcome, a small seed of hope had apparently sprouted in her heart. In her head, she ground it into dust with her heel.

…

Will stared out the front window at the grass, white with frost. The runway at SeaTac was probably icy, but that wasn’t why he felt so uneasy. Gina and the boys talked softly behind him, as though they sensed the turmoil brewing within him.

From the moment he’d opened his front door and their eyes had met, his insides had tightened like stretched wire. Her sun-streaked hair was swept into a ponytail, and she had never looked lovelier. He’d clenched his hands to fight the urge to pull her into his arms. She was the only woman he wanted and loved, and he longed to reclaim the brief intimacy they’d shared.

Swiping his fingertips on the cool glass, he hardened his heart. Gina didn’t deserve his forgiveness. She’d betrayed him with her lies and shamelessly used his sons to get at him. For the boys’ sake and his own, he couldn’t risk letting that happen again.

When he turned from the window, her wistful expression tugged at his heart, urging him to relent. But he fought it. Stone-faced, he moved toward Ian and Harry, who stood watching him closely. “The shuttle from the airport should be here any minute.”

They rushed toward him, and he knelt to give them hugs. Harry locked his arms around his neck and refused to let go. Ian swiped tears from his eyes. “You said you were going to take us.”

Will closed his eyes, his heart torn by their distress. The boys had been traumatized by their mother’s plane crash, and now he—their newly found dad who’d won their love—planned to board a plane, too. Small wonder they feared he would never come back.

He gently pried free of Harry’s tight grip and held the two of them loosely in his arms. “I’m sorry guys. It didn’t work out this time. But we’ll go on a trip together soon. I promise.”

Gina moved nearer and knelt to rub the boys’ backs, the anguish in her eyes reflecting his own. He was grateful she understood, but now more than ever, she needed to be the child expert she’d once claimed to be. C’mon, Gina. Help me reassure these scared little guys.

Her hands stilled on the boys’ backs, as though she’d heard his silent plea. “Will, is there something you want the boys to keep for you? Something they’ll need to watch carefully until you come back.”

Her suggestion was a lifeline he quickly grasped. “Yes, there is.”

He stood and strode quickly to the desk to pull open a drawer and reach inside. The objects he retrieved jangled in his hand as he walked back to her and the boys. Kneeling once more, he held out a walnut-sized ring with three silver keys.

“Ian, these are the keys to the house. Will you take good care of them for me?”

Ian stared openmouthed at the keys then wrapped his small hands around them. “Yeah.”

He held out another set to Harry. “These are the keys to my car. I’ll need them on Monday, the day I get back. Okay?”

Harry straightened to stand taller and nodded. “Okay.”

He rose to his feet, and Gina did, too. “Take good care of my boys,” he said.

“Absolutely. Give us a call when you land.”

He nodded. “Will do. Thanks, Gina.”

A strong bond surged between them, just like before when they’d partnered in parenting and been united by their concern for Ian and Harry. The tension within him eased. Gina would take loving care of his sons.

A white airport van pulled into the driveway. He hugged each boy one last time. “I love you guys, and I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

Facing Gina, he was hit by warring emotions. He missed her and wanted her, but couldn’t forget what she’d done. Which left him nothing to say. He gave her a curt nod, picked up his suitcase, and walked out the front door.

He sensed the three of them watching him from the doorway as he greeted the shuttle driver and climbed aboard to stow his suitcase and take a seat. As the van drove off, he waved through the window at the threesome on his porch, struck by how comfortable and right they all looked together. Long after they were out of sight, the image stayed with him.

…

Gina and the boys decided the safest place for Will’s keys would be under their bedroom pillows.

“I’ll wait here,” she called after them as they bounded upstairs. The keys were a welcome distraction from the gloom threatening to follow Will’s departure, and she planned to keep her little guys busy.

When they came back downstairs, she said, “Let’s make pancakes.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Yeah. With chocolate chips.”

“And peanut butter on top,” Ian added.

An acquired taste? “Why not?”

The chocolate chip pancakes were a hit—crunchy in spots, gooey in others. The boys ate several. After breakfast, they made Play-Doh for cookie-cutter animals and then played Gina’s new Animal Sounds Lotto game. Hide-and-seek came next, followed by lunch, then Gina’s storybooks and finally a nap. It surprised her how quickly they fell into the old routine.

While the boys slept, she flopped into a comfy recliner to work a Sudoku and tried not to think about Will. He’d called earlier from his hotel to let the boys know his plane had landed safely. She wondered what he was doing now. Chatting up old friends? Flirting with a new woman? Maybe he and Bree were back together. Sharing a room. Having sex.

Quit, already. She threw down the Sudoku she’d botched through inattention. Will’s love life was none of her business. She was only here for the boys.

An hour later, they sat by her side on the couch. “We want you to come be our nanny again,” Ian said.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “Dad’s going to fire Kristy.”

She gasped. “Why?”

Harry picked at a scab on his elbow until she took his hand away. “She’s no fun.”

Ian placed his hand on her knee. “We don’t mind her.”

“We make her cry.”

Guilt swept through her. Will hadn’t had much time to replace her. Was Kristy mean to the boys, or unfair? It didn’t seem likely. He’d be careful never to hire a bad nanny. She winced at the irony. He’d hired her.

Even careful men could be fooled; still, she had to assume Kristy was kind, but inept. Which meant she had to try to make things right. “Did you guys give Kristy a chance?”

They looked up at her mutely.

“Remember the talk we had about Bree?” she prompted.

“No.”

“Uh-uh.”

“Before you met Bree, you had already decided you weren’t going to like her. So we talked about being fair and giving her a chance. Do you remember what happened?”

“Yeah.” Harry spoke grudgingly. “She was nice.”

“That’s right.” She nodded. “You liked Bree a lot. And Kristy deserves a chance like that, too.”

Harry crossed his arms. “This is different.”

Ian crossed his arms, too. “Yeah.”

She shook her head. “You’re supposed to treat other people the way you want them to treat you.”

“You are?”

“Yes, it’s a rule. It’s so important, they call it the Golden Rule.”

“Wow,” Ian said.

Harry scowled. She finger-combed the hair off his brow, seeing herself in this tough little boy who viewed new people and ideas with instinctive distrust. The same way she’d done as a child, until a caring adult—her stepdad, Jim—had opened her eyes to a different world filled with hope and possibilities.

She wouldn’t be around to show Harry a brighter world, so Will must be the one to lead his skeptical young son to a better path. She hoped he was up to the task. A new and caring woman at his side might help. She’d give anything to be that woman, but since she couldn’t be, she prayed Will would make a wise choice.

…

Gina’s second day with the boys was busy with games and crafts, but on the following day Harry seemed listless and ate little. He had a slight temperature, and when she suggested he lie down, he went willingly. Familiar with his pediatrician’s office, she called for advice then tapped in Will’s cell number. His hello was nearly drowned out by loud voices and the strident wails of a rock band. Party time. Her grip tightened on the receiver. “Harry has—”

“Hang on, while I find a quieter spot.” The music gradually faded. “What’s up?”

She told him about Harry’s fever and the doctor’s instructions. “I’m giving him acetaminophen and plenty of water. If his fever goes up, I’ll wipe him down with a cool cloth.”

“Let me talk to him,” Will said.

“He’s asleep.”

“How’s Ian?”

“He seems fine.”

“Good.” He paused. “Maybe I should come home.”

His words warmed her heart. Harry was lucky to have such a caring dad. “The doctor said we’ll know more by morning. I’ll watch him closely tonight and let you know if things get worse.”

“All right. Call me back in a couple of hours.”

Harry slept through dinner and into the night. Gina called Will with an update and promised to call again in the morning. Once Ian was tucked in for the night, she transferred a drowsing Harry into Will’s king-sized bed then stretched out beside him to keep watch.

Hours later in the dark, she was startled awake by the touch of a hand on her arm and warm breath on her cheek. Harry.

She switched on the bedside lamp.

“Call my dad.” Harry’s face was scrunched up, his cheeks flushed pink.

She glanced at the digital bedside clock. 2:14 a.m. “Your dad’s sleeping. Can we wait just a bit?”

“No. I want him now.” Harry’s eyes filled with tears, and she felt his brow. Still too warm. He crawled into her arms.

“I want Daddy.” His voice wavered, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

She’d never seen him cry, and it alarmed her. She reached for her cell. Hearing his dad’s voice might soothe Harry enough to go back to sleep.

Will’s cell rang several times before a woman’s throaty voice said, “Hello.”

She paused, thinking she’d dialed the wrong number. “I’m calling for Will.”

“Oh, hi. Is this Gina? This is Bree.”

Bree? What was she doing with Will’s phone? “I…didn’t know you were part of the reunion, too.”

Bree’s laugh seemed overly perky, considering the late hour. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Most of the cheerleaders are here. Always loyal to our guys.”

“Right.” Harry shifted in her arms, reminding her of why she’d called. “Is Will there?”

“He stepped out for more ice. Should be back any minute.”

More ice. Will and Bree were having drinks at 2:14 in the morning. Apparently sharing a room, the way lovers do. Pain sliced through her, and she closed her eyes for an instant then spoke briskly. “Harry’s not feeling well and wants to talk to Will. Please have him call.”

“You bet. Poor little guy.” Bree’s sympathy sounded genuine.

She hung up and began singing The Muffin Man, Harry’s favorite song since the day they’d baked muffins. He lay listlessly in her lap. Wiping his brow with a damp cloth, she pushed aside thoughts of Will and Bree together.

He called soon after. “How’s Harry?”

“He still feels too warm, and he wants you.”

“Put him on.”

“When are you coming home?” Harry’s tone was plaintive.

He and Will spoke briefly, then Harry said, “Bye” and handed the phone to Gina. “He’ll be here tomorrow.”

“Good.” Will was cutting his vacation short, like the good dad he was.

Harry seemed comforted by his talk with Will. He lay down and quickly went to sleep.

She turned out the light. Staring up into the darkness, she gave in to the hurt from moments ago when Bree had answered Will’s cell. He’d replaced her so quickly and easily, it bruised her inside. She’d never stood a chance of winning him back.

She closed her eyes and braced herself for his return tomorrow. She must never let him see how much she still cared. With a smile for the boys and a handshake for him she would exit their lives with her head held high. Then deal with her broken heart in private.

…

Harry woke up hungry the following morning. His temperature was normal, and he and Ian helped her make waffles. Will called during breakfast to say he’d be home shortly after noon. The boys were so excited about his return, they bounded upstairs to dress quickly and even cleaned their room without being told.

Gina cleared the breakfast dishes, hoping Bree would not come home with Will. Seeing the two of them together, knowing they’d been intimate, would magnify the hurt. She wanted to hate Bree but couldn’t. Bree was kindhearted and would be good to the boys, as would any woman Will brought into his life.

When Harry and Ian came downstairs, she suggested they make a Welcome Home, Dad book and fill it with drawings of things they liked to do with Will. She got out crayons and blank papers, and the boys drew stick-figure scenes of tent camping and kite flying.

They had just finished their lunch of tuna sandwiches and orange wedges when Will walked through the family room door. “Hello. Anybody home?”

Ian and Harry shot toward him like twin torpedoes and jumped into his arms for hugs and smiles all around. After a moment, he set them down, fished two small stuffed dogs from his duffel bag, and handed one to each boy. “This makes you official members of the Husky fan club.”

“Cool.”

“Yaaay.”

The boys wiggled with excitement, and she watched the tender scene with a smile. She loved this family and would miss them terribly.

Will turned from the boys to look her way. “Hi, Gina.”

The solemn man of days ago now stood grinning from ear to ear, like a man who’s spent the last three nights sharing a bed with his hottie girlfriend.

“Welcome home. Did you have a good time?”

Aaargg. Stupid question. She could cut out her tongue. Will’s good time was written all over his face.

“Fantastic,” he replied.

Harry retrieved the Welcome Home, Dad book and held it out to Will. “For you.”

“Wow.” Will flipped carefully through the pages. “Let’s look at this together on the couch, as soon as I talk to Gina.”

As the boys dashed for the couch, he crossed the room, still wearing that grin that would not die. Gina found his happiness infectious, even as it grated her soul. His high spirits sprang from another woman, yet she loved him too much to begrudge the gleam in his eyes. If Bree could put that carefree bounce in his step, then she wished the two of them all the best. But she would not stick around to watch.

Will stopped directly in front of her, looking so vibrant and joyful, she couldn’t help smiling.

“Thanks for agreeing to stay with the boys,” he said.

“Thanks for asking me. We had fun.”

“Finding someone you can trust is a priceless thing.”

Trust? She caught her breath. Did he mean what she thought? She searched his eyes, no longer guarded, and there it was—the forgiveness she wanted so desperately. Relief swept through her, weakening her knees. Regaining Will’s trust meant everything, but when she tried to tell him, the words stuck in her throat.

He laughed softly and touched her arm. “I want to spend a few minutes with Ian and Harry, but you and I need to talk. Promise me you’ll stay.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Will sat down between his sons to examine their drawings in greater detail, and she watched the threesome in awe. Here was the family she’d never had, the family she loved most. She wanted to always remember them just this way. Sitting close, laughing and talking, their eyes lit with love.

A real family now, they no longer needed her. Sticking around as Will asked would be awkward for them all. The boys didn’t need that, and neither did she. Wishing each of them a silent and heartfelt goodbye, she moved quietly to the door and slipped outside.

…

Her phone rang early the following morning.

“You left.” Will sounded annoyed.

“I had things to do.” Mostly lying awake and crying.

“So come over now.”

Repeat yesterday’s wrenching goodbye? No thanks. “Can we do this over the phone?”

“No.” His tone was emphatic. “It’s important. Come now.”

Her hand tightened on the receiver.

“Please,” he urged.

She sighed. Only a fool would subject herself to further heartache, but apparently that was her. “All right.”

She pressed a cold washcloth to her tear-puffed eyes, pulled on jeans and a red sweatshirt with snowflakes, and an hour later knocked on Will’s door. He answered immediately. Also dressed in jeans and a rumpled gray sweatshirt, he apparently hadn’t had time to shave.

“Did I wake you?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Thanks for coming.”

“No problem.” Just tell me why I’m here. “Are the boys awake?”

“No. They were up late. We went shopping.”

“Oh.” She nodded, waiting for him to say something.

He lifted his hand as if he were about to speak, then let it fall.

She shifted her weight. This was getting awkward. “What’s up, Will?”

His mouth hitched. “It’s complicated.”

She sighed. “Then I’ll need coffee.”

“Gotcha.”

She followed him to the kitchen, where he motioned her to a chair. “You like it black and really hot, right?”

“Right.”

He set two steaming mugs of coffee on the table and sat across from her. She took a cautious sip.

He eyed her a moment before he spoke. “You may have gotten the wrong idea the night you called my cell and Bree answered.”

She quickly put up her hand to stop him. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I have no say in your life.”

“It does matter, Gina, and I need to explain.”

The steely look in his eyes said he meant to have his say. She nodded. “Okay.”

He fingered the handle of his coffee mug. “Bree and I had a long talk about our lives.”

“Um-hmm.” She so did not want to hear this.

“She’s worried she’ll never find Mr. Right.”

Gina frowned. “I thought you were her Mr. Right.”

“We’re friends, and we care about each other. But the chemistry’s not there.” Arms braced on the table, he leaned toward her. “I’m actually in love with someone else.”

Gina choked on her coffee. She couldn’t have heard that right. She plunked her mug down on the table, and hot liquid sloshed onto her thumb. “Ow! Damn.”

Shaking her hand, she jumped up and hurried to the sink. Will was at her side to turn on the cold water. She eased her hand under it.

He moved close beside her and slipped his palm under hers beneath the cooling stream. Staring down at their joined hands, she tried to ignore the heat of his body, pressed close to hers, and the sensual tug of his scent. His free hand caressed her shoulders and set her hormones ablaze. His voice rumbled soothingly in her ear. “I’ve got ointment upstairs that will take away the pain.”

“No, I’ll be okay.” His caring touch worked way better than any pain reliever. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”

His hand swept down to the small of her back. “You’re never clumsy. It’s my fault for startling you.”

“I wasn’t startled.” Thunderstruck was a better word. “I was just…surprised. I thought you and Bree were madly in love.”

“No. She broke up with her longtime fiancé, and she’s worried she’ll never find Mr. Right.”

“I see.” But she didn’t. “So, why was she dating you?”

“The breakup hit her hard, and she needed a friend. Someone to talk to.”

She turned in his arms. “So you and Bree are just friends?”

He nodded. “Good friends, but not a couple. Well…not since college.” He paused. “Does that count?”

She thought about that. “Yes. I think it does.”

“It was long before I met you.”

She stilled at the sudden intensity in his eyes. “What has that got to do with it?”

“Everything.”

Scarcely breathing, she watched him turn off the water and reach for a kitchen towel to gently pat her hand dry. Finished, he tossed the towel on the counter and faced her, his thumbs hooked in his pockets. “I don’t hold Roderick and The Hanky Panky against you.”

She tensed. “That was strictly a science outing.”

“I know that now. But I struggled mightily with it at the time.”

They were circling around something yet to be said. “Let’s cut to the chase. Why am I here?”

He moved closer, his eyes darkening. “You’re here so I can tell you how I feel.”

She placed her hand on the cool counter and tried to slow her galloping pulse. “Okay.”

“When you told me who you were, I was shocked and angry.” He paused. “I’d been lied to before, but it hurt worse this time because I care about you so much more.”

She lowered her gaze, awash with guilt.

“I needed time to think,” he went on.

She nodded. “Right.”

“But now, I understand the reason behind what you did. You’re incredibly loyal.”

Surprised, she looked up into his eyes.

“Though sometimes misguided.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be kind. I was foolish and naive. Blind to the truth.”

“Yeah, you were. But when you did learn the truth, you tried to make things right.”

“Well, of course.” She shrugged. “What else could I do?”

“You could have walked away. You could have gone on with your life and given no further thought to me or the boys.”

He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Instead, you searched for the diamonds and turned them over to the police. You called the Vandenburgs to smooth things over, and you cared enough about Ian and Harry to call and see how they were doing.”

Her pulse throbbed at his nearness. “It felt right.”

“It was right. You’re a woman who would do anything to help someone you love. A man would be lucky to have a woman like you.”

Overcome with relief, she pressed her fingers to her mouth. Since her firing, she’d been cut off from everyone she loved, as though she’d been left outside in the bitter cold. Will’s words brought her back inside by the fire and wrapped her in a warm blanket of inclusion. “Thank you for saying that. I hated the way it ended between us.”

His hand closed on her arm, turning her to face him. “I hated it, too, and I’m hoping you’ll give me another chance.”

She stilled, scarcely breathing. Careful now. Don’t jump to conclusions. “Another chance at what?”

Loud, thumping sounds came from overhead. The boys were awake and might appear soon.

He caught her other arm and pulled her near. “I want another chance to be the man in your life.” She gasped softly.

“Hearing Bree talk about finding her soul mate—she called him ‘the one’—I realized how lucky I’d been to find mine.” He traced his fingers down her cheek. “And how foolish I’d been to let her go.”

She stared at him in disbelief. The man she loved was asking to come back into her life. She’d been so sure she’d lost him, so doomed to a life filled with regrets. Amazement and relief swirled in her chest but were quickly washed away by a raging river of joy. This wasn’t a dream. This was real.

“You don’t have to decide right away,” he said.

She laughed shakily. “Just give me a minute.”

“Come again?”

“I don’t need more time to know I’m crazy about you.”

He moved closer and cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Gina.”

“I love you, too.” She tipped her head back. “You’re my soul mate, Will. My Mr. Right and ‘the one’ for me.”

Warmed by the love shining in his eyes, she burrowed into his warmth. He held her close a long moment, then pulled back to look down at her. “I want you for my wife and the mother of my sons.”

“I want that, too.” A lifetime of wonderful days lay ahead of them, and happiness enveloped her in a blissful haze. With Will she would never feel unloved again. And he could always trust her to have his back. Love blossomed inside her like a garden of wildflowers she was eager to share with him.

He kissed her lightly, and she stepped into his arms with a sense of coming home. Starved for his touch, she slid her hands up his back and into his hair. She could never get enough of this man. His kiss grew urgent, and long delicious moments passed. Lost in his arms and a sensual world all their own, she lost track of time and place. Until a cool draft brushed her neck, followed by a sense of being watched. Uh-oh.

She turned to see two pajama-clad boys in the doorway, their mouths two perfect O’s of surprise. Ian clutched his teddy bear, and Harry gripped what looked like a new fishing pole.

She and Will broke apart and spoke at the same time. “Hi, guys—”

“We were just—”

Harry frowned. “Is Gina your girlfriend?”

Ian scratched his tummy. “Are you gonna get married?”

Will moved to a chair and drew his sons close. “Is it okay with you guys if Gina is my girlfriend? And we get married?”

She held her breath, afraid they might say no.

Ian clapped a hand over his mouth and giggled.

Harry shrugged. “I guess. Can we give ’er the fishing pole now?”

Will glanced back at her and smiled. “Yes, Harry. I think now would be an excellent time.”

Puzzled, she watched him approach and hand her the fishing pole. A red one.

Her chest tightened as the significance hit. Will had remembered what she’d said that day at the beach about Jim’s Christmas gift and how much it had meant. Tears blurred her eyes.

“This means we want you to be in our family,” Harry said.

Ian appeared at her side, blushing slightly. “And we luv you.”

She felt a happy crying jag coming on and fought to hold it back. “Thank you, guys. I love you, too. Will you go fishing with me?”

“Sure.”

“Yeah.”

Swiping at her eyes, she knelt to give them hugs. Over their shoulders, she returned Will’s wide grin and loved him even more for making her childhood longing come true. She was part of a loving family at last. She would share a real home with a husband and children she adored.

She stood, ready to sing and dance and take on the world.

“I’m hungry,” Harry said. “What’s for breakfast?”

Recalled to earth, she laughed and called out their favorite. “French toast. I’ll need two helpers.”

Harry and Ian scrambled for the counter stools, ready to crack eggs and stir batter. Will moved to her side and slid a bold hand down her back to cup her rear. Startled, she gasped, and the fishing pole in her hands clattered to the floor. Yikes. Were the boys watching?

Her gaze flew to Harry and Ian, both intent on clearing space on the counter. Relieved, she grasped Will’s straying fingers and returned them to her waist. Smiling up into his eyes, she whispered a promise. “Later.”

He dipped his head for a quick kiss and corrected her. “Soon.”

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