Chapter 61
"Do you and Papa have any special plans for Valentine's Day?" Theresa questioned her mother with sparkling dark eyes as she shrugged her winter coat off her shoulders and draped it across the back of her chair. "Your papa and I promised Luis we'd watch Cristian and Ali," Pilar smiled, pulling her arms out of her own jacket and glancing around the Book Café out of habit. It was fairly busy but she didn't see any particularly familiar faces. Except for Beth. "Can I get you anything?" Beth asked, giving them both a pleasant smile as she waited for an answer, pen poised over the notepad in her palm. "I'm in the mood for some hot chocolate," Theresa answered her quickly, "What about you, Mama?" "Hot chocolate will be fine. Thank you, Beth," Pilar offered gratefully. "No problem. Two hot chocolates coming up," Beth told them, leaving them again. "Mama," Theresa's fingers played with the pink sugar packets in the tray in front of her as she talked, her dark eyes not meeting her mother's gaze. "You and Papa don't have to watch Cristian and Ali if you have plans. I'm sure Chad wouldn't mind." "No, Mija," Pilar cut her daughter off, frowning at the abruptness of her own tone. "Your father and I don't mind," she began again, more gently this time as she realized her daughter had no suspicions about Chad's plans for the day. At least not before she reacted so strangely to her request. "I'm sure Chad has something special planned," she told her, praying Theresa didn't figure what out just by looking at her pained expression. She was tiptoeing on really thin ice, and she prayed to be rescued from her own loose mouth soon. Obviously, her years of keeping Crane secrets hadn't prepared her for THIS. The minute Beth returned with their steaming mugs of hot chocolate, she saw her chance and seized it, wishing she could take her words back the moment they left her mouth. ""What are yours and Ethan's plans for Valentine's Day, Beth?" "Mama," Theresa's brown eyes were wide as they flashed to Beth's surprised face and back to her mother's slightly embarrassed face. Pilar frowned when she felt Theresa's kick beneath the table. "Forgive me. Your plans with Ethan are none of my business, Beth. I'm sorry." "Pilar," Beth smiled, trying not to laugh, "It's okay. Really. We've all known each other for a long time. It seems like forever. I don't mean that in a bad way," Beth hurried to explain. "In a good way. The best possible way. I just.I wasn't expecting you to say that," Beth said, grimacing when her nervous hand movements nearly toppled Pilar's mug of hot chocolate over. Beth and Pilar looked at each other in astonishment when Theresa burst into a fit of girlish laughter. "Look at us," Theresa giggled. "This is silly. You.me.Mama. Being so awkward around each other. Things are only going to get MORE awkward if we let them." "You know what?" Beth said, tucking her dark hair behind her ear with a smile. "You're right. This IS ridiculous. Just because I'm dating your.the man you used to.Ethan," Beth groaned softly at her own stumbling tongue, "doesn't mean we can't be adults." "So you finally admit it," Theresa teased. "I'm happy for you. For both of you," she said softly. "Why don't you join me and Mama for some hot chocolate?" "I think I will. I just have to.I'll be right back," Beth told her. "Mama? What?" Theresa's dark eyes sparkled happily at her mother's secretive little smile. Pilar said nothing, but her smile grew even wider. She'd never been prouder. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ivy slid one leather-gloved hand into her purse, pulling out a compact and opening it to study her reflection. It DID cross her mind that Ethan never noticed her makeup anyway, but she was still doing a fairly good job convincing herself she actually HAD made the unnecessary trip to the offices to invite him to lunch. Never mind the voice mail he'd left on her cell telling her he had cleared his schedule for a meeting with Chad that could last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. She patted her white-blond hair into place with one hand, digging through her purse with it a second later to locate her tube of lipstick. She smiled predatorily when she finished applying the fresh coat, snapping her compact shut then spending the short walk from the elevators toward the main offices listing reasons why territorial simply wasn't accurate to describe the almost feline smile on her face at all. She was here to take Ethan out to lunch, after all. It merely made no sense. Ivy smirked as she searched the name plates on the closed office doors and the occupants inside the opened ones out of the corner of her eye and found just the man she was(n't) looking for with an expression of complete boredom on his open face. That expression of boredom morphed into a smile, and Ivy waited just outside his office for him to catch up to her. "Busy day at the office?" she asked, the flirtatious tone in her own voice nearly making her cringe. "Actually," Shane revealed, loosening the confining tie around his neck slightly as they walked down the hall, "not busy at all. Nobody trusts the new kid on the block," he stated with a shrug of his shoulders. Ivy blanched slightly at the 'kid' reference but regained color to her cheeks. Admittedly, the man beside her was a few years younger than her. Okay. Several years younger than her. She stopped mentally counting off the years after a decade. But.but.he was still a grown man, and it wasn't a crime to be attracted to him. She wasn't Mrs. Robinson. "What about you?" Shane smiled as they came to a standstill in front of Ethan's secretary's desk. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Crane," Jill greeted her pleasantly. "Mr.Shane," Jill laughed girlishly as she corrected herself. "Mr. Stone sounds too old," Shane explained with a whisper in Ivy's ear. Ivy grimaced at the word 'old.' "Jill," Ivy began, not liking the rapt attention Jill was giving the man at her side. "Is Ethan in? I was hoping he'd like to join me for lunch." Jill tore her gaze from Shane's smiling face reluctantly to inform Ivy that no. Ethan wasn't in at all, and she didn't expect him in anytime soon. Ivy sighed with feigned disappointment, thanking the girl and turning to leave. "Ivy, wait!" Shane hurried to catch up with her, and Ivy's Cheshire grin was back when she felt his hand on her arm. "I think we've already established that I'm not busy. Would you mind terribly if I took Ethan's place?" "I wouldn't mind," Ivy answered coyly. "In fact, I wouldn't mind at all," her blue-green eyes sparkled as they shared a smile. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Uncle Sam," Jake grumbled as he finished sweeping the hundred-year-old layer of dust the attic had collected into the dustpan MJ grudgingly held. "I thought you said you weren't mad at us." MJ sneezed as a plume of dust tickled his nostrils. "I wasn't," Sam's voice was muffled as he answered them across the cramped distance. "I'm not," he reassured them, stepping out from behind a particularly tall stack of boxes and walking toward them. "But that doesn't mean you don't deserve some type of punishment." Jake and MJ groaned as one, their dark eyes rolling in synchronized movements that made Sam chuckle. "This place is a disaster area. Dangerous," Jake muttered. "The space under Sara's bed is cleaner than this, and that's saying a lot, Uncle Sam. How many years have you and Grandma lived here?" MJ asked. "Two hundred?" Sam's blue eyes twinkled humorously at the two young boys as he set the box down on the floor at their feet and took a seat in the abandoned gliding rocking chair Grace used to rock the girls to sleep in. Jake tucked the broom he was holding onto behind Noah's old crib and joined MJ on the floor at Sam's feet. Jake's brown eyes watered and itched as he pulled at the untaped flaps of the brown box, withdrawing the biggest photo album he'd ever seen. "Wow! Are there pictures in here from the Great Depression when you were a teenager?" Jake snickered as Sam knuckled his spikes in mock anger. "No, but there are pictures of your dad playing dress-up." MJ giggled loudly when Sam flipped quickly through the album to find the embarrassing photos. "Grandpa! That's." "Oh man!" Jake exclaimed gleefully, tucking the photo of his dad and Luis dressed up like girly girls inside his shirt. "Dad won't ever ground me again." Sam groaned as he realized the blackmail possibilities his young nephew saw in the photographs. "Give me that," he requested, holding out his hand. "Kay asked about these pictures for Sheridan." And I never made the time to find them for her, he thought regretfully, pulling his somber looking little grandson to his feet and perching him on his knee. "Can I make posters of them first?" Jake inquired, refusing to give over the pictures until Sam snatched them from his hand. "No fair, Uncle Sam," he muttered, tugging the album from Sam's lap and resuming flipping through its pages.
Sam rest a comforting hand on MJ's shoulder, peering over Jake's shoulder at the reminders of the past. "Why does Dad always look so guilty?" Jake wondered aloud. "Because he was always into trouble, and some of those pictures were used as proof," Sam chuckled, glancing at Mj and noticing his dark eyes weren't laughing. They were staring straight ahead at something in the album. Jake started to turn the page again, intent on finding more pictures of his dad when MJ startled him by yelling "NO!" and darting his small hand out to stop him. Jake readily surrendered his loot, confused as all heck over his cousin's reaction. He scrambled to his feet, leaning over Sam's shoulder to see what had MJ acting so weird and looked to Sam's blue eyes for confirmation of what he thought he saw. MJ's hands shook as he held the picture up for closer inspection, and Uncle Sam's voice was almost as shaky when he spoke. That's your mom and dad," Sam pointed out Kay and Miguel's smiling young faces unnecessarily. "They were about your age, Jake. They played on the same ball team. They always were the best of friends." "Can I keep it?" MJ's voice was small and quiet as he clutched the photo in his hands to his chest. "The picture.can I keep it, Grandpa?" Sam cleared his throat as he stood up, lifting MJ from his knee and setting him down carefully. "Sure. Sure, you can. As a matter of fact, I think Grace has the perfect frame to put it in. Come on, boys. No more attic cleaning for today." Jake sighed and followed them down the stairs disappointedly. He could have used those pictures of his dad to get out of some pretty serious trouble. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gwen's bleary brown eyes didn't stray from the computer screen when she heard the door to her office open with a soft snick. She just kept on typing, wondering again why the hell she worked so hard when she was the boss's daughter. Because she still felt she had to prove something, that she hadn't been handed her job, that she deserved her position in the company, she answered herself silently. That's why she was still as tenacious as ever, she decided. That's also why she would always work hard to prove her worth. That could also explain the heated glare she looked up from her computer screen with when a throat cleared several times, demanding her attention. She groaned and rolled her brown eyes when she met Hank's brown eyes, filled with little boy mischief. "Bennett," she couldn't help laughing as he winked at her, nodding his disheveled dark head at her and nearly making the large white chef's hat atop his head fall off. "Your afternoon feast, Madame," he grinned, setting the silver platter down in the exact middle of her desk, disregarding the mountain of paperwork there. Gwen saved her work on her computer and shut it off with an irritated but amused smile, propping her chin on her palm as she watched her husband whip two candlesticks from the ridiculous 'KISS THE CHEF' apron he wore. "More of the month of lluuurrvvee?" she cracked, raising dancing brown eyes to his boyish face. "But, of course," Hank smiled. She shook with silent laughter, watching his fumbling movements as he tried to be smooth and set up the perfect candlelight dinner. One of the candles broke in half after falling off the edge of her desk, and she jokingly told him that he was shorter than her. The candle was his. He knocked her favorite picture of the five of them Sheridan had taken over trying to make room on her desk for the sparkling bottles of. "Beer, Bennett? My husband.the incurable romantic. I'm almost afraid to ask what's for lunch." When Hank removed the silver lid with a flourish to reveal hot dogs heaped with sauer kraut and everything else, Gwen snorted with helpless laughter. "Sorry, Babe. Sara told us we were doing it all wrong, but Emmy and me still ruined the fancy chicken. Your hot dog, Madame," he grinned, picking up the other one for himself. "We did okay on the desert though," he told her with twinkling brown eyes as he lifted the lid of a second, smaller silver platter she hadn't noticed earlier and revealed two huge pieces of gooey chocolate cake. Gwen's smile stretched so wide her cheeks hurt, and she leaned across her desk, beckoning him closer with "C'mere you." Gwen smiled all through the kiss, laughing against his lips when he hurried around her desk, lips still attached to hers and collapsed into her leather chair, pulling her into his lap. She didn't pull out of the kiss until the acrid smell of smoke filled her nostrils, and she jumped from his arms screaming then. "HOLY golly !" Hank panicked as he tried to beat the growing flame out with his chef hat. In his frantic attempts at firefighting, he knocked several items from Gwen's desk into the fire, and the flame flared up when he accidentally 'added' their beers to the mix. Gwen snatched her prized picture and purse from the desk and stood back in horror as the fire alarm started going off in the building. "God help me, Bennett. You're going to burn Daddy's entire building down." "Me, Babe?" Hank shouted incredulously. "You kissed me! That makes this your fault." "My fault? My fault! Dammit, Hank!" she shrieked when the sprinkler system was triggered, dousing them both with cold jets of water. "I treat you to a romantic lunch, and this is the thanks I get," Hank muttered, not daring to laugh at her, her blond hair framing her face in wet ribbons with her ruined mascara running down her cheeks in little black rivers. He gave up, tossing his charred hat into the hissing fire and grabbing her hand at the first sound of the fire truck's horn. "Time to get out of Dodge!" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Simone smiled at the little boy in her arms while the doctor talked with Grace and Miguel across the room. She heard snippets of their conversation every now and then, but she kept her focus on Joshua, smoothing his dark hair back from his forehead and pressing her lips on the warm skin there. The boy had Kay's eyes, and for a moment, she pretended she was smiling into her friend's eyes again, telling her without words how good it was to see her. She sighed, wrapping her arms around Joshua's waist and giving him a gentle squeeze as she was hit by a wave of longing to see Kay again so she could TELL her once more how much their friendship had meant to her. Grace and Miguel glanced across the room at them, and Simone pointed them out to Joshua, smiling when he flapped his little brown hand at them. She stood up, resting him on her hip when the doctor took his leave and Grace approached them with tears in her blue eyes and a trembling smile on her face. "Valentine's Day," she announced, and Simone looked to Miguel for confirmation. "He'll hear our voices for the first time," Grace whispered emotionally, taking her grandson in her arms and hugging him fiercely. Miguel's face transformed with one of his forgotten smiles, and Simone found herself laughing happily. Valentine's Day was going to be a day they NEVER forgot.
Chapter 62 Luis held a finger to his smiling lips as he eased the door to his and Sheridan's bedroom open slowly. Ali's blue eyes twinkled back at him happily from beneath her purple baseball cap, and Cristian made a silent zipping motion across his lips with his own small fingers. Luis left the door open a crack, obscuring their beloved little faces but still enabling him to hear their soft giggles as their anticipation slowly built. The mattress shifted subtly under his added weight, and he almost couldn't contain the tenderness he felt for the woman still sleeping like an angel. He brought the red rose in his grasp to his nose, inhaling its sweet scent before trailing it across the exposed skin of her arm like a whisper. Sheridan's lashes fluttered against her cheeks, and her lips turned up in a ghost of a sleepy smile as she felt the tickling brush of the rose's petals against her shoulder followed by Luis's warm breath as he slipped his fingers beneath the thin blue strap of her nightgown and lowered it to press his lips to the freckled skin there. "I know that look," Sheridan whispered, her voice still husky with sleep, and Luis felt his heart swell inside his chest when he was met with the brilliance of her adoring, amused blue gaze. "What look is that?" he wondered, presenting the rose to her and delighting in her smile at his gift. "The one that.," she paused, feathering her fingers lovingly through the dark hair sprinkled with a few rogue gray strands that Ali's illness had brought on prematurely at his temple. "Jake told Ali we were the corniest grown-ups he'd ever met," she revealed with sparkling eyes. "Romance IS corny to kids," Luis shrugged with a grin. "Oh," Sheridan teased. "So you're Mr. Romantic now?" "I try," Luis answered in a voice just as teasing as his arm slid around her back, pulling her into a sitting position flush against him. Sheridan hummed appreciatively as his thorough kiss good morning brought her body and mind to full awareness, looping her arms around his neck and smiling into his rich, dark eyes as she nodded toward their bedroom door and Ali's bashfully grinning little face sneaking a peek inside. Luis pressed one last kiss to the palm that cupped his jaw, presenting her the delicate red rose as he beckoned Ali and Cristian inside with "Mommy's finally awake." Sheridan's blue eyes danced humorously at him, her smile hidden behind the petals of the flower she held to her nose. Ali walked through the bedroom door, Cristian at her side, carefully crossing the distance between them with a breakfast tray in her hands. "Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy," Ali and Cristian chorused as Luis took the tray from them and placed it in the middle of the unmade bed. "Blueberry muffins!" Sheridan cried, scooting back against the pillows at the bed's headboard and making room for Ali and Cristian. Luis grinned. Two words, and she had them beaming with proud pleasure. "And one." "The strawberry muffin's mine," Cristian volunteered. "Drink your milk, Mommy," Ali advised. "Nana said it's good for the baby." "Ali!" Cristian hissed, nudging Ali with his elbow before she had a chance to crawl into bed beside their mother, "You forgot!" Sheridan bit her lip to keep from laughing at the adorable scolding expression on her son's face as he pulled Ali aside and spoke to her in hushed whispers while Luis watched her face expectantly when Ali returned, a pale pink rose clasped between her small hands. "For you, Mommy," Ali whispered. "For the baby," Cristian said, presenting the pure white rose to her solemnly. Sheridan raised a trembling hand to wipe away the sudden tears threatening to spill from her eyes from their utterly sweet gesture as Ali climbed into the bed on her opposite side, taking the purple cap she wore from her head and handing it to Luis before she rest her cheek against the swell of Sheridan's rounded belly, listening for the baby's heartbeat. Luis took the roses from Sheridan and arranged them in the slender crystal vase looking oddly out of place on the breakfast tray until now. "You don't like it," Cristian said, crestfallen that he had made her cry. "I love it," Sheridan whispered tearfully, tipping Cristian's tiny chin up so he'd meet her eyes with one hand while the other stroked Ali's head gently. "I still have room for one more," she told him, patting the empty space beside her. Cristian nestled against her, tucking his dark head beneath her chin and reaching down a hand to Ali's almost bare head with its sparse wisps of golden hair. Luis chuckled at the twinkle in his daughter's blue eyes as she rubbed her cheek against Sheridan's belly and started purring like a cat, sounding more like Miss Priss than Miss Priss did until she burst into helpless giggles. "Oh you," Sheridan tapped her index finger against Ali's nose affectionately, laughter bubbling up within her as Cristian tried to stifle his own giggles against her shoulder. Her smile was radiant as she looked at Luis, and he couldn't wipe the ridiculously big smile off his own face as he stared into her sparkling blue eyes, thankful for such a perfect moment amidst all the turmoil barely kept at bay. "Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy," he murmured.
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"I don't understand," Jake muttered, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants and pacing the hospital halls beside his dad. "I thought Aunt Grace said." "Aunt Grace was excited," Hank explained, smirking as his son mirrored his every movement. "That sucks," Jake commiserated with Joshua's situation. "Exactly how I'd want to spend my Valentine's Day. In the hospital having surgery when I still won't be able to hear for a while." "Don't worry, Little Buddy," Hank gripped Jake's shoulder firmly. "Joshua WILL hear soon. The doctors just have to make sure his stitches heal and that everything's a go before they activate his implants." "Gee, Dad," Jake answered with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "You're such an expert. Maybe YOU should be Joshua's doctor." Hank chuckled as he steered his wisecracking young son back toward the waiting area where Gwen and the girls kept two sets of restless grandparents company. Abby and MJ sat in a secluded corner having one of their heart to heart sessions. Hank knew Tink was trying to convince MJ to leave the hospital and come to the Valentine's party at the Youth Center with them, but he also knew prying MJ away from Miguel and Joshua's side lately and getting him to actually have fun was like fighting an uphill battle. "MJ, you just HAVE to go," Abby mock-whined. "Everybody that's anybody is going to be there, and I don't have a date." Noah and Jessica watched the tug of war of wills going on between the nutcase and her demon seed with amusement. If neither had known better, they'd think the blow to the head Abby suffered had knocked her a little wacky. But that just wasn't the case. Abby's wackiness was definitely a preexisting condition. "I hear it's going to be a great party," Jessica smiled, kneeling before her nephew. Myles slid off the stiff waiting room chair beside Simone and marched over to Jessica's side, wrapping his arms around her neck. "Uncle Noah's taking Myles," Jessica told MJ as she rubbed her son's back in absent circles, and MJ's dark eyes lifted to study his uncle's face. "I can't leave them," he muttered, giving Abby and Jessica apologetic looks. "How 'bout if we wait until he's out of surgery so you can make sure he's okay? We'll be fashionably late," Abby told MJ with a wink. A smile so tiny and so quick to disappear was almost undetectable on MJ's lips, but Jessica knew without a doubt she'd seen it. "You promise to wait?" MJ questioned Abby. "Scout's honor," Abby vowed solemnly. Well, as solemnly as she could manage, Jessica realized with a laugh at the merry twinkle in those hazel eyes, amazed at the other woman's resiliency as she found her own eyes drawn once again to the slight discoloration surrounding Abby's left eye. Before, she hadn't understood Kay's friendship with Abby, but she was slowly becoming aware of how well they had fit each other. "You should go, MJ," Miguel gave his blessing as he strode by. "You really promise?" MJ looked up at Abby again. "Am I going to have to sign my name in blood?" Abby huffed. MJ, Jake, and Sara giggled while Emily and Myles just looked horrified. "Geez," Abby grumbled good-naturedly. "I promise." "Okay," MJ relented. "I'll go. You don't have to hug me," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at Abby's response. "Yuck!" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I've missed you so much, Ms. Sheridan!" Lissy cried, tightening her arms around Sheridan's waist and staring up at her with the chocolate eyes that only seemed to get bigger the older she grew. Sheridan stroked an affectionate hand through Lissy's tawny hair with a smile. "I've missed you too, Lissy. Tell me about your grandpa, Sweetie. Is he doing better?" Sheridan inquired, leading the little girl to a vacant row of chairs in one corner of the Youth Center. Sheridan held Lissy's Kool-Aid and plate of Valentine's goodies while she waited for the little girl to seat herself. "Daddy says he's too stubborn to die," Lissy told her with the unrestrained honesty only a child possessed. "You want a cookie, Ms. Sheridan?" Lissy politely offered before munching on her own heart-shaped treat with red sugar sprinkles. "No thank you," Sheridan refused, settling in the chair beside the little girl. "Daddy said Grandpa's been a real crab apple lately," Lissy divulged, chewing on her cookie thoughtfully. "Really?" Sheridan's blue eyes twinkled with amusement at Lissy's animated retelling of what her father had most likely said in passing. "Really," Lissy nodded her head vigorously. "Daddy says Grandpa's been upset because his lady doctor went on vacation. My grandpa really likes her, you know. Daddy says he forgets sometimes and calls her my mommy's name 'cause she looks kind of like her, but Daddy says she's nothing like her and he doesn't like her that much at all. I don't think he means it, Ms. Sheridan. I think my daddy likes her too. He's just afraid of what Mommy would think. It'd be nice to have a mommy again," Lissy sighed. "Sometimes I wish you weren't married to Mr. Luis so you could be my mommy, Ms. Sheridan. Does that make me a bad girl?" "I don't think so," Sheridan said, giving the little girl a gentle smile. "I used to wish Mr. Luis's Mama was MY mommy with all my heart." "Now she kinda is," Lissy positively beamed at her. "If Cristian was older, I'd marry him, and you could be my mommy too," the little girl said excitedly. "Ms. Sheridan, I'll be right back. I have to go tell Ali something." Sheridan was still laughing quietly when Theresa joined her. "What's so funny?" Theresa giggled with her, only because her lighthearted laughter was infectious. "I'm still a little young to be a mother-in-law, don't you think?" Sheridan continued to laugh, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Definitely," Theresa agreed. "But if that isn't a glimpse into the future," she said, nodding her head across the Youth Center where Jake and Ali stood, "I don't know what is."
"I made you something, Jake," Ali smiled at Jake sweetly, slipping a hand into the pouch of the pale pink fleece pullover she wore and withdrawing a medium-sized red rectangular envelope. "She made you something, Jakey-poo," Dylan sneered behind Jake's back, both eyes still not completely recovered from meeting Jake's and MJ's fists. Obviously, the jerk hadn't learned his lesson, Jake thought with a scowl as he closed his ears best he could against Dylan's annoying jeering. If he said something to hurt Ali's feelings, Jake wasn't going to bother hitting him again. He was going to march across the Youth Center and steal Uncle Luis from his dad and see how nasty Dylan really was. "I made you something too, Dylan," Ali said softly, holding out a smaller white envelope. Jake's jaw fell in disbelief. "Ali! Dylan's.he said." he trailed off as Dylan reluctantly took the card from Ali, like he thought it was going to explode or something. Whatever was in the card sure threw Dylan for a loop. He got really pale and guilty-looking and walked away, looking like a kicked puppy. Not that Jake had ever seen a kicked puppy. Dad and Gus didn't get along that good, but Dad would never. "Aren't you going to open it?" Ali asked quietly, her blue eyes sparkling at him expectantly. Jake felt his cheeks burning and was surprised they weren't bursting into flames when he opened the card and his and Ali's picture from her mom and dad's second wedding popped out at him. The one where Ali was kissing him. At the same time Jake was thinking the whole pop- up thing was totally cool, he was mortified at the thought of anyone that hadn't already seen the picture seeing it. "Um.Ali." he stammered uncomfortably, feeling his blush spread all the way to his ears. "See, Jake?" Ali stepped closer to him, and Jake blinked, unable to say a word in response when she smiled at him like she was doing with her eyes so pretty and blue and happy. "It says to my best friend. You're my best friend, Jake," Ali said, smiling that magical smile at him again. It also said "Love, Ali," at the bottom, but Jake wasn't about to say anything about THAT. "Um, Ali.I didn't get you anything," Jake blurted out the lie as he stared at the little gold heart earrings on Ali's ear lobes, the goofy card he'd stolen from Sara and Emily's card packet burning a hole in his own pants pocket. It wasn't.special enough for Ali anymore. "I'm sorry," he muttered, staring at his feet. "That's okay," Ali told him sincerely, giggling as Lissy arrived at her side out of breath and excited. Jake watched Lissy drag Ali toward the refreshment table with a guilty frown on his lips. He HAD to get her something but WHAT? Chad bounced the orange globe back to Sara, a tickled grin on his face at her attempts to dribble the ball. The red ribbon in her chin-length brown hair was a distant memory, trashed the very minute Gwen had taken her eyes off of her obstinately tom-boyish young daughter and wandered across the Youth Center to visit with Sheridan and Theresa (that was something Chad still wasn't used to). Sara shoved her tangled hair out of her face, bouncing the basketball with dogged determination. "So.what'd your dad get your moms for Valentine's Day?" "Hair dye to cover up all the gray hairs he gives her," Sara said nonchalantly. Chad chuckled, stealing the ball from the little girl easily. "Hey!" Sara cried, flailing her arms out to steal the ball back. Chad passed the ball from hand to hand, grinning at the look of intense concentration on Sara's face as she watched its movement. "He gave her some aspirin for all the headaches he gives her too," Sara remembered, squealing when her efforts finally paid off and the ball was back in her possession. "Is that it?" Chad questioned, going easy on her for the time being so he could recapture his breath, not from overexerting himself but from trying to keep his laughter silent and hidden from the little girl in front of him. "He gave her some pretty earrings. They're 14 karats something," Sara shrugged. "Dad got a new car." "For your moms?" Chad asked, impressed. "DAD got a new car," Sara repeated, slightly annoyed that Chad was asking her such a silly question when she'd told him."Don't you mean your dad got your moms a new car?" Sara huffed in frustration and bounced the ball at him. Hard. "No, Silly. MOM bought Dad a car, and she was going to take it back after Dad set Grandpa's building on fire. But it was too late 'cause Jake already knew about it and tattled, and Mom didn't have anything else for Dad." "Sara," Chad held up his hands in surrender. "I get you, Girl. Where is this new car?" "At home in the garage," Sara muttered, picking the basketball back up and wrapping her arms around it. "Mom told Dad he had to be on his best behavior before he could get rid of his old clunker and use the new car. She hid the key from him." Chad grinned after her as she left in search of Emily and Cristian. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick smiled to himself as he heard Abby's key turn in the lock, and he removed the skillet from the stove eye, turning the gas off and reaching into the cupboards to withdraw a couple of wine glasses. He filled one glass generously before realizing Abby had yet to announce her homecoming like usual. "Abby?!" "In here," Abby called, and Nick followed the sound of her voice to the back of the apartment. Nick's gray eyes shied away modestly when he discovered her half-dressed in her bedroom, pulling her jeans over her hips and leaving them unbuttoned as she rifled through the near-endless selection of clothes in her wildly cluttered closet. Nick cleared his throat awkwardly when Abby whipped the stained cinnamon sweater over her head unself-consciously. Abby smirked when she saw his reaction to her state of undress in the reflection of her bedroom mirror. Let him sweat, she thought with a sly grin, deciding to take her own sweet time finding a replacement to wear to the Valentine's party she and MJ were due at.an hour ago. "What do you think?" she asked, whirling around and holding up two different sweaters. Nick swallowed slowly and tried to keep his eyes on the clothes she was holding up and not think about the clothes she wasn't wearing. Abby's hazel eyes twinkled as she felt Gray Eyes's gaze land somewhere not her face and definitely not the long-sleeved, form- fitting ruby blouse she held in one hand and the casual plum sweatshirt she held in the other. "Nick?" Nick shook his head, forcing himself to remove his eyes from the crimson lace covering her. "Wear the red one. It matches with your linge.it's more festive. You're going out?" Nick practically choked. Abby bit the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting into laughter at his dazed expression. "More festive?" she teased as she eased the zipper up her hips. "I thought so too. Thanks for the input. Yeah," she said, turning around and laying the vetoed sweatshirt across her bed. Nick didn't have time to hide the fact that he'd been staring at the brilliantly colored tattoo across her lower back when she turned around suddenly, slipping the ruby shirt over her tawny head and hurriedly tucking it into her jeans as she slid her feet into the high-heeled black boots at the foot of her bed. "Noah's waiting outside with the boys." Noah? What the hell was."The boys?" Nick asked instead, discounting the possibility that he could be jealous and trying to pretend the nagging feeling he was experiencing was only heightened curiosity. "Myles and MJ," Abby explained, grabbing her suede jacket from her closet and smiling at Nick as she brushed past. "The party at the Youth Center," she reminded him, slipping her arms inside the jacket and taking time to tuck her tawny hair beneath the dark brown, nearly black beret atop her head. "Why don't you come with us? "I can't," Nick couldn't stop the lie from escaping his lips. "I have other plans," he elaborated, remembering the wine and meal he'd cooked growing colder as time passed. Other plans? What other plans, Abby wondered as she struggled to hide her disappointment. "Too bad," she replied with a small, faltering smile. "You're missing out on a great party. I mean, it's for the kids, but.Nevermind," Abby sighed. "Be sure to tell me all the juicy details," she teased half-heartedly as she let herself out of the apartment without another glance in Nick's direction. What details? What plans, Nick asked himself as he downed the glass of wine he'd poured earlier and put the bottle back into the refrigerator. There was nothing to tell. Chapter 63 "Well, if it isn't Harmony's resident SAPS," Abby teased, hazel eyes rolling in exaggerated disgust as she crossed her arms across her chest and planted herself right in front of Sheridan and Luis. Sheridan laughed softly, leaning back further into Luis's embrace when his arms wrapped around her waist. "A word of advice," Abby dropped her voice to an intimate whisper as she stepped closer to them. "I know Mr. Hunk here probably has something REALLY romantic planned for tonight, and I wouldn't expect anything less," Abby said, smirking at the amused expressions Sheridan and Luis both sported. "Besides.Pilar and Martin already filled me in about keeping Ali and Cristian at the hospital earlier. Can't have the kiddies around for what you got planned, huh Luis?" Abby plowed ahead, delighting in teasing the hell out of them both. "Just remember.I know they can be mighty powerful, but pregnancy hormones be damned.you don't want to, how should I put his? OverDO things. None of that kinky golly I know you secretly love." A small brown hand reached in between them, and Sheridan and Luis gasped in slightly embarrassed surprise, wondering just how much of the conversation MJ had heard. "That's two dollars," MJ grinned, holding out his hand for the cash. "Why you little." Abby grumbled, pulling a wadded five-dollar bill out of her jeans pocket. "I don' t have change. Dammit," she swore. "Three dollars plus two dollars makes five dollars," MJ's dark eyes laughed at her as he snatched the bill out of her hand before she could protest any more. "Aren't you just a mathematical genius?" Abby sneered as MJ stuffed the crumpled money into his pocket. "Did you see that?" Abby turned back to Sheridan and Luis with a proud smile. "Our Demon Seed is slowly coming back to us." "Jake, I don' t see why you don't just give Ali the card. She'll love it no matter what because it's from you. You know you don't have to give her a present. Ali won't care," Gwen sighed, trying to talk some sense into her panicking son. "But Mom," Jake whined. "But Jake," Gwen whined back. "What do you think, Bennett?" she nudged Hank with her elbow, making him splash cherry Kool-Aid all over his white Henley and all over the front of his pants. "Babe! What the hell?!" Hank let out an humiliatingly girly squeal. Gwen's brown eyes sparkled with barely suppressed humor, and when Emily scrambled up the bleachers, her little face contorted with panic as she started giving Hank 'CPR' (Kool-Aid- sticky kisses to whatever part of Hank's body she could reach), mother and son forgot all about their little disagreement and saw eye to eye on one thing.only them. This would only happen to them, and only Emily would mistake cherry Kool-Aid for blood and try to 'love' her daddy back to life. Jake snickered and hopped off the bleachers, deciding to go benefit Sara from his expertise on basketball and teach her how to REALLY play the game. "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll make it all better," Emily vowed, clinging to Hank like a trembling vine. "Emmy.Emmy, Daddy's not hurt. It's Kool-Aid," Hank told his daughter. Emily's brown eyes sparkled and her voice was sweet and cheerful as she slid out of Hank's arms with a smile. "Oh! Can I have some?" Hank looked to Gwen in dumbfounded amazement. Grace's eggs couldn't have been secretly implanted in Gwen's womb when they weren't looking, could they? His Emmy was his brother's wife's mini-clone. "Ali," Lissy's chocolate eyes were earnest and tearful as she hugged Ali's neck tightly and pulled back to run her little girl fingers across the pink and white-checked bandana covering Ali's head. "I wish you could come back to school. I miss you awful much." "Me too," Ali said softly, her blue eyes just as solemn but without the tears. Hope shone in Ali's blue eyes brightly as she combed Lissy's tawny hair back off her shoulders, and she spoke in a gentle whisper. "Dr. Nick says he's going to get me ALL better so I can come back to school AND play with my brand-new baby sister when she's born, and everything's going to be like it was before. Only better." "But Ali," Lissy protested, "you haven't been to school since." she paused to try to mentally count off the exact number of days Ali had missed but couldn't do it. "You've missed too many days Ali. You won't be in my class anymore. It won't be the same," Lissy pouted. "My mommy's been helping me with my school work," Ali told Lissy with a smile. "She has?" Lissy asked hopefully, "Is she smarter than Ms. Kinsay?" "Uh huh," Ali giggled, "but don't tell Ms. Kinsay I said so." "I won't," Lissy promised, crossing her heart then pinkie-swearing with Ali for added measure. "Oh Ali!" Lissy cried, flinging her arms back around Ali's neck. "I'm egg-static." Ali giggled as Lissy let go of her neck, and the two little girls started walking across the Youth Center hand in hand. "I think I see my daddy, Ali," Lissy announced as they neared the refreshment table. "So Noah," Abby grinned as she indulged herself in a little open admiration of the dark blond god's rock-hard physique. "You're young, very attractive, and single. Why is that exactly?" Noah's silver-blue eyes danced at her as he lifted Myles up so the little boy could reach the tray of pink-iced and white-iced cupcakes Beth had brought with her arrival. "Maybe I haven't met the right woman yet. I could say the same for you, you know," he remarked, watching her as she leaned down to wipe the glob of pink icing from the corner of Myles's mouth with the pad of her thumb. "Young?" Abby scoffed. "I was probably born in a different decade than you so hell no. I'm not what YOU'd consider young. Single? An eternal curse or blessing-depending on a person's point of view. You, I think, would fall into the latter category," Abby surmised, handing Myles another glass of Kool-Aid with the distracted thought that the kid was going to be bouncing off the walls at 3 a.m. with all the sugar pumped into his system in the last hour alone. "You forgot attractive," Noah offered her a charming smile. Abby rolled her hazel eyes at him. "Noah Bennett, are you flirting with me?" "She's not available, Uncle Noah," MJ interjected with a little smirk as his arm darted out in search of a cupcake. "She's in love with Ali's Dr. Nick," he mumbled around a mouthful of cupcake, wisely leaving them before Abby found the strength to pick her jaw back up off the ground and regained the rest of her mental and physical capabilities. "He.he's wrong. I'm not.there's nothing.there's some.feelings.of some sort involved," Abby stammered in awkward explanation. "I'm weak from too many sex-less years.uh, I have someone I want you to meet," she quickly changed the subject. "How do you feel about blind dates?" "Auntie," Chad leaned over Sheridan's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "I need a favor." The smile on Sheridan's face grew as Chad detailed his request to the letter, and she promised to do everything he asked. Even if it DID cut into her evening plans just a wee bit. "You're the best auntie in the entire world," Chad teased her as he started to back away and make himself scarce. "Abby and Noah already agreed to chaperone the dance tonight. Are you sure you can find." "Chad," Sheridan laughed, shooing him out the door, "it wasn't too long ago that **I** ran this place. Luis before me. It won't be a problem. Go. This is a big night for you." "What was THAT all about?" Beth asked as she sat down in the empty seat beside Sheridan. "I'm sworn to secrecy," Sheridan said, biting her lip, "but it looks like Ethan might be able to clue you in. I really don't mean to be rude, Beth, but it looks like I'm being paged," Sheridan gave Beth an apologetic smile as she answered Cristian's unspoken plea to save him from a circle of squabbling little girls. "So Ethan," Beth turned her curious brown eyes to her.friend? Boyfriend? More? "What's Chad got up his sleeve? And why is it making YOU so uncomfortable?" "I used to wonder how different my life would be if I'd made my decision sooner and not hurt either of them as badly as I did." Beth stayed silent, knowing without asking who the 'them' Ethan was talking about was-Gwen and Theresa. "It's in the past, Ethan," she reminded him gently. "I thought about marrying her once." Ethan cleared his throat. So Chad was going to propose, Beth made the educated guess easily. "I thought about marrying Luis once too, and I was convinced Sheridan couldn't make him happy the way I would have," she murmured. "But I was only kidding myself. He adores her, Ethan. She's his LIFE. I've never been someone's life. Not with Luis, not with Hank, not even with you. We're only a part of each other's lives, but I'm happy, and that's enough for me. Is it enough for you, Ethan?" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "You didn't have to come in with me," Ivy told Shane as they walked down the long white halls of the hospital in search of Joshua Lopez-Fitzgerald's hospital room. Shane was able to hide the smirk on his lips from her, but Ivy most definitely saw the twinkle in his hazel eyes as he retorted, "You didn't have to bring a present to the B & B. I think you knew Grace would be HERE. Admit it. Since our lunch, you've been finding excuses to see me," Shane teased. "You and your sister are more alike than I realized," Ivy stated, looking straight ahead and not meeting his eyes. Shane chuckled. "Abby would LOVE hearing you say THAT," he muttered under his breath. "Is it a crime to admit you enjoy spending time in my presence?" "You wouldn't take NO for an answer," Ivy frowned, pausing at the nurses' station to question the nurse on duty about the location of Joshua's room. "I asked once," Shane reminded her, leaning down to whisper softly in her ear, "You said YES." It took everything Ivy had inside NOT to react to his proximity. What the hell was she thinking anyway? She set this whole tease into motion, and now she was having trouble going through with it. Something about the man intrigued her, attracted her to him, but something was holding her back from acting on her most tempting impulses. Or rather, SOMEONE, she realized as they rounded a corner, and Grace and Sam came into view. Ivy looked at them, holding each other so carefully, and she couldn't help the residual pang she felt in her heart at the sight. She'd already reconciled herself to the fact that Sam's love for her was in the past, but a small part of her, the part that still ached when she looked into their son's eyes, would ALWAYS love him. Try as she might, she couldn't change that fact. "Ivy? Ivy, is something wrong?" Shane inquired quietly, taking the teddy bear from her numb fingers and leading her back around the corner and away from Sam and Grace. "Nothing," Ivy shook her head to clear it of the cobwebs. "Nothing, it's just.visiting hours should be enjoyed by his family, and I don't really think we should intrude. He's probably sleeping anyway. We should just.leave this," she grabbed the floppy teddy bear back from him, "at the nurses' station." "Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Shane asked again, searching her blue-green eyes. "No, nothing's wrong," she finally answered him, her lips stretching into a wide Cheshire grin. "I don't need anymore excuses, strangely, I like spending time with you, and I'm not going to take no for an answer. I have two tickets to the Valentine's Ball at the Seascape. Come with me?" "Wow," Shane grinned. "No more hiding behind excuses. I like that. What time should you pick me up?" he teased a chuckle out of her. Ivy was still laughing as they left the nurses' station. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Abby held the mirror in front of her, turning sideways and checking to make sure every strand of tawny hair in her French twist was in place. The deep red dress clung to her body in all the right places, she thought with a wry grin, creating the illusion that she had curves that just didn't exist. Not certain beautiful, buxom, blue-eyed blond curves anyway. Ordinary, reasonably attractive, small-chested, hazel-eyed Abby curves. The dress had a long slit in one side that exposed nearly her entire thigh, but what did that matter, she frowned, when you didn't have killer legs to show off, and your audience for the night was going to be a bunch of hormonal teenagers? At least the strappy, so NOT appropriate for the dead of winter heels she was wearing put her over the five feet five mark. Barely. She wondered if she could look directly into Gray Eyes's eyes without getting a crick in her neck with the sexy heels. Where the hell was Gray Eyes? The whole other plans bit was pissing her off more than she would have liked to admit. Damn, but she wished the man would stop doing the two-step around her! And she was inclined to tell him just that when she heard the front door open and the approaching sound of footsteps. "I think it's time to torture the good doctor a little," she told her reflection, earning a indignant meow from the black kitten lounging on the edge of the bathroom sink. "Oh, blow it out your old wazoo," she stuck her tongue out at the creature, flipping off the light and stepping outside.
"Abby, you're ba.you just got back. Are you going somewhere?" Nick said, finally able to get his mind and tongue to cooperate with one another. Abby pretended not to notice the intense way he was looking at her or the slight hitch of protest in his voice when he realized she wasn't sticking around. "Noah and I promised Chad we'd chaperone the Dance tonight for the teens. I thought you had other plans," she murmured, slipping her sparkling earrings into each ear. "Other plans? Yeah.right. Other plans. After you left.they got postponed 'til later. I'm meeting her later." HER?! What's the big deal, Abby, the nagging voice inside her head jeered. What were you expecting? A HIM? It'd be just up your alley to lust after a gay man. "Oh. Well.I hope you have a great time" Brilliant performance, Meryl. "Thanks," Nick said quietly, watching her fumble with the clasp of the solitaire diamond necklace in her hands. "Nick?" she implored him for his help with hazel eyes, holding out the necklace. Abby tried to ignore the unwelcome flutter that rose within her stomach when his long, masculine fingers brushed against her palm, making her nerve endings tingle. And she fought like hell to stay upright as he moved in close behind her, his body barely touching hers as he leaned forward, draping the necklace across her neck. Such a serious miscalculation on her part. Gray Eyes was never the tortured soul. SHE was, she thought with a trembling breath, trying to ignore the soft puff of his hot breath against her skin and the way it made her stomach engage in the most awe-inspiring acrobatics. She held her breath as Nick slowly turned her around, holding the necklace up in the palm of his hand and admiring it. "It's fake," Abby blurted before he even had a chance to ask, easing some of the tension in the air and coaxing a lazy smile from Nick. "But you're real," he pointed out. "Of course, I'm real," Abby scoffed. "Even **I** think I'm too strange to be fake," she cracked, enjoying the laugh that bubbled up within him. "Strange? I don't have a problem with strange things. Or people. I LIKE strange." Was he.did he just.oh dear God, she was going to fall flat on her face from the shock. She felt so damned wobbly in her kick-ass heels. She had the strangest sensation that he wanted to kiss her, and then.let's just say Noah had no clue about the HELL he was in for the entire night after shattering the 'moment'. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Theresita? Is that you? Did you forget.Gwen. Jake," Pilar smiled warmly, stepping aside and inviting the unexpected arrivals inside. "I'm sorry. I thought you were Theresa. She forgot her gloves. "I'm sorry for dropping by without warning," Gwen smiled humorously at the woman that knew her young son well, "but Jake refused to wait. He HAD to give Ali her Valentine's Day present," she sighed, nodding her blond head at Jake as he approached the sofa where Ali reclined with Cristian and MJ, watching television. Cristian and MJ giggled when Jake handed Ali the prettily wrapped package. "He's dragged me across the entire mall looking for the PERFECT gift," she laughed, falling silent as they watched Ali pull the pink ribbon of the package free slowly. Mothers weren't the only ones prone to sticking their noses into their children's 'love' lives. Grandmothers did too. Whenever they got the chance. And Pilar and Gwen hung on every word exchanged between Jake and Ali. The heart-covered wrapping paper fell away, and Ali lifted the lid of the box carefully, her sweet mouth falling open in delighted surprise when she withdrew a beautiful little box with a tiny blond angel resting on a cloud on its front. "She looked kind of like you," Jake mumbled. "It plays music. Listen," he instructed. Ali's smile was almost too big, too radiant for the small living room when the tinkling tune played, and Jake, regrettably, found himself blushing for the second time that day-it was all Ali's fault! "Happy Valentine's Day, Ali. No more kissing," Jake warned, holding his hands up in front of himself like a shield. "You are a "Tuesday's Child,' aren't you? Mom said you were born on Tuesday, but I said it didn't matter 'cause she looked like you, and it was perfect even though it's not really a Valentine's present.you do like your present, don't you Ali? I told you no more kissing," Jake grumbled, wiping his cheek roughly with the sleeve of his sweater when he felt the soft press of Ali's lips against his cheek. Ali just giggled and tucked her music box close to her heart with a softly whispered "Thank you."
Chapter 64 "Chad! Where are you taking me?" Theresa giggled as Chad walked her forward, keeping his gloved hands over her eyes the entire time. Snow crunched beneath her chunky-heeled black boots, and she nearly tripped when her foot came into contact with an elevated surface she assumed was a sidewalk. "Chad, you know I'm not the most graceful person," Theresa grinned, certain she looked completely silly with her arms outstretched in front of her, ready to brace herself if she started to fall flat on her face. "Theresa, girl," Chad chuckled as he carefully steered her toward the front door of his newly acquired property. "You're a klutz. Keep your eyes closed while I open the door." "Oh, we're going inside. Where? Chad?" Theresa couldn't help but ask. "Chill, alright?" Chad told her, a smile in his voice as she answered him back with "Not a problem." "You'll find out soon enough. Watch your step," Chad instructed her, placing a guiding hand at the small of her back as they stepped inside. Theresa breathed a sigh of relief when she no longer felt the cold bite of the February night air against her cheeks and reached up a hand to pull the red scarf looped around her neck off. "Chad? Can I open my eyes now?" she giggled again, tucking one long, curling strand of mahogany hair behind her ear. "Chad?" "Over here," Chad's voice echoed as it reached her ears, and Theresa's dark eyes snapped open, widening in surprise when they took in her surroundings. Behind her and at each side was open space, so much open space it made her jaw drop. And in front of her.twinkling white lights. Everywhere. And a table set for two. "Chad," Theresa approached him with sparkling brown eyes. "This is.this is beautiful. But why this place?" she asked, turning around slowly. "Have some patience, girl. You'll find out soon enough," he responded simply, offering her his hand. Theresa took it and let him lead her to the small table and pull out her chair for her. "Chad!" she laughed, when he disappeared from her side for several seconds. Soft music started playing, and she gasped in slight surprise when Chad reappeared in front of her, holding a chilled bottle of champagne. "What are we toasting to?" she asked, beaming at him in the soft flicker of candlelight and twinkling white lights as he carefully poured them each a glass. Chad shrugged, his dark eyes sparkling teasingly at her across the table, "Valentine's Day. Us. Your new place." he grinned as he clinked his glass against hers. "To us," Theresa whispered softly, lifting her own glass to her lips. "Wait a minute.My new place? Chad, what are you talking ab.oh my goodness! Chad?" Theresa practically squealed as she sprang from her seat, nearly knocking over the candles and bottle of champagne in the process. "This is mine. This is really mine?" "All yours," Chad grinned, barely having time to prepare for her fierce hug of thanks. He chuckled as she kissed him on the lips quickly and started tugging him along with her as she took in her surroundings with new eyes, their candlelit dinner long forgotten with the excitement of her new discovery. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Dammit!" Abby swore as she stumbled inside the darkened apartment. Kick- ass heels, huh? More like flat on her ass heels. "Good for nothing garbage," she muttered, glaring at the broken shoe dangling from her fingertips. She pulled the other heel off and tossed both shoes onto the sofa as she leaned forward to turn the lamp on the end table on. " golly !" she screamed when her hand came in contact with something warm, fuzzy, and breathing. "You little beast," she glared at the purring black furball accusingly once the lamp was turned on, "don't scare the one who feeds you and cloth.uh, feeds you and scoops your litterbox like that. You don't want to be an outside cat, do you?" Lucky rolled over onto his back, presenting his stomach to her to be scratched. "All right, you little monster," she grumbled as she complied with the kitten's demand for affection, "but don't expect me to be at your beck and call. Where's Gray Eyes, huh?" Abby sighed as she slid the spaghetti straps of her dress off her shoulders as best she could manage with one free hand. "Peeping Tom," she rolled her twinkling hazel eyes at the animal as it proceeded to watch her peel the dress from her body and stroll toward her bedroom in just her lingerie. Did she WANT Gray Eyes to come home from his 'other plans' early and find her in nothing but a pair of crimson lace undies? She wasn't afraid to tempt fate sometimes, she reasoned as she picked Nick's gray sweatshirt-strike that- HER gray sweatshirt up from its customary place across the armchair beside her bed and slipped it over her tawny head as she padded into the kitchen in her bare feet. This Valentine's Day, from a romantic entanglement standpoint, was going down in the history books as one of the biggest, no.THE biggest disappointment she'd suffered since junior high. Contrary to what she'd said at the party to Noah earlier in the day, she was enjoying the hell out of being flirted with.even more so tonight. Until she'd introduced the guy to a certain green-eyed nurse just crazy enough to agree to chaperone the Dance too. You asked for it, Abby, the nagging voice inside her head reminded her. "Some kind of something going on there," she muttered, opening the freezer and taking out the tried and true salve for her heart problems since her first major break-up. Eric Marguiles in the 7th grade dumping her for Meghan Nixon-the twelve-year-old with big boobs and perfect, straight, pearly-white teeth-without the aid of braces. "Slut," Abby growled in memory, foregoing a bowl and deciding to eat the ice cream from the container. It always tasted better that way anyway. Midway through her self-thrown pity party, anger welled up within her and she slammed the carton of ice cream down on the kitchen counter. "Other plans, and he almost kisses ME?" she huffed, stalking toward the punching bag hanging from the ceiling in one corner of the apartment. "Other plans?" Translation.I don't want YOU. I don't want to spend time with YOU. The bag was unyielding beneath her fists, and she grunted in frustration as she pounded it harder, imagining it was Gray Eyes's torso after another round of 'I want you.no, I'm sorry.I don't want you.' The sleeves of the gray sweatshirt swallowed her fists and arms whenever she struck out, irritating her more, and she'd be hard-pressed to identify a time when she was more pissed off than the moment she heard his footsteps behind her, his voice so close to her ear, his hand on her shoulder. Which might explain what happened next. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Are you sure you're okay with this?" Luis murmured against Sheridan's brow as they gently swayed to the music filling their living room. "Leaving the Seascape and coming home?" Sheridan answered back softly, her lips brushing his ear as she spoke. "Luis.I'm fine with this," she pulled back to look at his face. "You don't have to take me to fancy balls and go through so much trouble to make me happy. I'm happiest right here. In this living room. Dancing in my bare feet. Alone with the man that I'll love until the day I die," she whispered sincerely. "But you knew all these things. Didn't you?" she breathed, resting her forehead against his as they nuzzled noses and moved lips tenderly against each other. "You wanted me out of the house. Why?" Luis trailed his knuckles across Sheridan's silky cheek, smiling into her blue eyes as his other hand pressed at the small of her back and the slight swell of her pregnant belly met his abdomen. "You don't miss anything, do you? I needed a little bit of help with my surprise for you. Only it wouldn't have been a surprise.if we hadn't made an appearance at the Valentine's Ball," he told her. "Luis," Sheridan laughed, "are you implying that you can't trust me?" "To keep a surprise a surprise? Of course not," he teased, rubbing his thumb against the peek-a-boo patch of warm skin the red dress revealed at the base of her spine. "That's why I asked Mama and Papa for help," he grinned as he entwined their hands and gently pulled her in the direction of their bedroom. "Luis," Sheridan balked right outside their bedroom door, "You asked Pilar and Martin to." "Sheridan," Luis chuckled at her stricken expression at the thought of his mother or father even stepping foot inside their bedroom. "Mama and Papa were just here to supervise when the delivery guy came," he reassured her. "We're adults, we love each other, and we're married.Mama and Papa KNOW they're not keeping Ali and Cristian so we can play Scrabble," Luis teased, oddly pleased he could still make his wife blush. He captured her wrist before she could bring her hand in contact with his chest in a playful shove and pulled her body close to his own as his free hand twisted the doorknob and pushed their bedroom door open. "Deliveryman." Luis watched her expressive face, her blue eyes begin to sparkle with happiness and tears as looked inside their bedroom. Flowers. Flowers of every kind and color imaginable filled every crook and cranny of their bedroom. Roses of the deepest red hues, roses of every shade of pink, most vivid yellows and oranges, and purest white filled the bedroom with their fragrant scent. Sheridan's mouth hung open in amazement as she discovered more flowers-tulips, forget-me-nots, and carnations. "Are you trying to tell me something, Luis?" Sheridan laughed softly as she fingered the tiny blue forget-me-nots. "Luis, this must have cost." Luis shook his head and quieted her with a finger to her lips. Sheridan pressed a kiss to that finger, letting him seat her on their bed. She watched him with shimmering blue eyes as he crossed the bedroom to their armoire and retrieved an old, wooden box. Luis smiled at the question in her eyes as she took the box from him and carefully lifted the lid. Sheridan's hands trembled as she held a small, white card with tattered edges. "The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you.," she read, pausing when her voice got thick with tears, ".lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." Luis cupped her jaw with one big brown hand and smiled into her eyes. "I wish I could take credit, but the words aren't mine. Only the feelings behind them. There's more," he told her, leaving her side once more as she removed another card from the box. She raised a hand to her mouth, girlish giggles escaping her lips as she read the 'Snoopy' Valentine. "Snoopy, Luis? Somehow I can't picture you or Hank with Snoopy Valentines." Luis grinned, approaching her with a hand behind his back. "I tried to find a card I would have given you as a five-year- old, but there weren't any 'GI Joe' cards anywhere." Her blue eyes lit up with mirth as he knelt at her feet and presented her with a tiny bouquet of daisies. "I didn't have any problem finding these though." "You were such a romantic five-year-old," she teased, taking the cheerful flowers between her fingers and lifting them to her nose. "What else is in there, Luis? That box is full." "Valentines for you," he answered, picking through the box until he found what he wanted.a card with hearts and flowers, bordering on true sappiness. A Valentine chosen quickly because of the embarrassment of actually giving a girl a gift and grudgingly given from one 8th grader to another. Her smile lit up the room, far outshining the softly flickering candles' light when Luis handed her the accompanying teddy bear, and she hugged it to her chest, leaning down brush her mouth against his. Valentines for each year were in the box, and he wanted her to see and read every one. Later. But there was one in particular he needed to give her. THIS year's Valentine. He handed her the love letter and watched her read it with his heart in his throat as the soft music from the living room reached his ears-a woman singing of her own Valentine. When she lifted her glistening azure eyes to his face, he could see straight through to her heart. "Oh, Luis." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "The baby clothes can go here," Theresa waved her arm in the general direction of the right side of the building as he pulled out her chair for her for the second time that evening, and Chad could no longer hide his smile. For the last hour or so, she'd chattered on and on about her plans. He took that as a definite appreciation for his gift. "Chad, this is the best Valentine's Day gift," she beamed at him. "Thank you." "You're welcome," he told her as he handed her a plate full of food, fixing his own plate and setting it down. "But it's not a Valentine's gift." Brown eyes full of confusion stared at him as he grinned nervously at her and felt around in his jacket pocket. "It's a different kind of present. One I hope you'll still accept when I." he paused, searching the area around the table when his search of both jacket pockets revealed no ring box. "Chad, are you okay? What's going on? Did you lose something? I can help you find it," Theresa offered helpfully, pushing her chair back and standing up. "Just tell me what I'm looking for." Chad stifled his groan as he met her sparkling brown eyes. He'd been so busy making sure everything else was perfect that he'd forgotten the most important item of all. "Sheridan," he breathed. The ring was probably still in her purse, and at that moment she and Luis were probably.There went his proposal. He couldn't exactly call her up when he was sure she'd be.busy. "Theresa, girl. Don't worry about it. It's nothing." That wasn't true. "I had something I wanted to give you, and I thought I had it with me in my jacket, but." Theresa took his leather jacket from his arms and slipped her hands in each pocket. "If it's another present for me, we HAVE to find it," she said, giggling at the amused expression on his face. "It might help if you told me what IT is." Chad chuckled and shook his head. "These lips are sealed. You'll just have to wait," he told her, taking a few steps away the table to scan the area around them in the off-chance it'd fallen out of his pocket. It was then he remembered. "Chad, did you check the little inside pocket. It might be." Theresa's voice trailed off as an object fell to the ground, and she knelt to pick it up, her brown eyes impossibly wide as her trembling fingers pried the lid of the tiny velvet box open to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "Chad?" she whispered as she stood up slowly, and he gently took the box from her hands. "Theresa," he sighed as he took the ring from the box and held it between his fingers. "This isn't the romantic proposal I wanted to give you, the one that you deserve.but it IS me asking you the most important question of my life. What do you say? Theresa.will you marry me?" "Are you crazy, Chad?" Theresa whispered, her dark eyes sparkling with suspicious moisture as she stared up at him unblinkingly. And Chad held his breath as he witnessed the small beginnings of a radiant smile blossom on her lips and transform her entire face. "Yes. Yes!" she squealed happily, throwing her arms around his neck and nearly knocking him off-balance. He breathed a sigh of relief then smirked. He knew she was going to say 'YES' all along. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nick rubbed his aching jaw in surprise. He still couldn't believe she'd hit him. And from the look in her hazel eyes, she couldn't believe she'd hit him either. But that didn't stop her from trying to do it again. "Abby, what.what was that for?" he asked, holding up a defensive hand. "Other plans," she growled, focusing her anger back on the punching bag behind her. Nick made no move to touch her as she struck the bag repeatedly, slightly afraid of a repeat performance of a few minutes ago, despite the diminuative size of the woman in front of him. She packed a powerful punch. George was proof of that, and so was the dull throbbing in his lower jaw. "I can't tell which way is up with you. One minute you're kissing me back," she paused to land a vicious punch on the bag, and Nick winced. "The next you're pushing me away again and pretending that it didn't happen. Which is it, Nick?" she grunted as she landed a kick against the bag. Behind her, Nick's hands fell to the hem of his black sweater, sweeping it up and over his head and tossing it somewhere behind him. "Do you want me or not? 'Cause if you don't, I'd like to know so I can stop wasting my time on a man that is nothing but a sorry sack of sh." Abby's words died in her throat, and her vocal cords stopped working all together when Nick stepped around her, and she was met with a sight she'd drooled over many times.his sleek, muscled bare chest right before her eyes. The air held hostage in her lungs escaped her throat in a sob as she raised her hands to his chest and shoved him as hard as she could, sending them both tumbling to the exercise mat on the floor. "Please.please, don't." she pleaded weakly, bracing her hands on his shoulders as she pushed herself upright, her legs straddling his waist on either side. Something inside Nick broke at the echo of defeat so unusual in her voice, and his hand traveled up her arm, past her shoulder to rest a finger at her lips. Hazel eyes were locked in on his gray eyes as he slid his hand to the base of her skull and urged her mouth down to his. He could still feel her fighting him, resisting him as he planted feather-light kisses against her closed mouth, and he shifted beneath her, his left hand hooking behind her knee and gripping it tightly as the sensation of her lower body coming into direct contact with his groin threatened to overwhelm him. Abby gasped against his mouth, and he took that opportunity to plunder her open mouth. He had no doubt denial would never work in keeping her at arm's length again. He kissed her. Over and over again. From the mere whisper of lips brushing experimentally against each other to deep, wet kisses that couldn't bring him close enough to her as his hand cupped her head and pulled her into him. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his blood rushed through his veins as his hands touched everywhere they could reach. Her skin was hot against his fingertips as his hand swept beneath the sweatshirt she wore and rest on the tattoo he knew was there. He could almost see the sunburst design bursting in a brilliance of color behind his closed eyelids as she moaned into his mouth and broke away panting. Nick's labored breathing nearly spun out of control when she sat up astride him and tore the sweatshirt over her tawny head. His hands left her thighs, and he wrapped one arm around her slender waist, pulling her down to him so that he could taste the mole on the full underside of her right breast. Abby's breath rasped in her throat as Nick shifted beneath her again, and her knees pressed into the exercise mat as he sat up and his arms went around her back, cupping her shoulders as his mouth lavished kisses on her skin, from her chin to her sternum. Her arms cradled him close as he lingered at the valley between her breasts, just nuzzling her and breathing her in. He tightened his arms around her in a brief hug before releasing her just long enough to climb to his feet and gather her against him again. Abby's arms went around his neck and her heels hooked behind his back, and the gold in her hazel eyes almost took Nick's breath away as he tucked a loose strand of tawny hair behind her ear and carried her toward his bedroom. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "For all the Valentine's Days that come before," Sheridan murmured, smiling softly as she fingered the edges of another card. She dropped it back into the little wooden box and rest her palm against Luis's abdomen, tucking her golden head beneath his chin. "How did I ever get so lucky?" "Sometimes I wonder if Theresa's Fate actually exists," Luis answered her, making her smile grow even wider. "You.Mr. By the Book believing in fate and destiny and all that good stuff?" "You've taught me anything is possible," Luis laughed softly at her teasing tone. "Coming back to me that first Christmas. And after.when you came back to me and Ali the second time," he said, trailing his fingertips up and down her bare arm and clasping their hands together when their fingers met and entwined. His life was divided into two parts: before he knew her love and after he knew her love and loved her. Before he loved her, his life WAS by the book, and he didn't open his eyes long enough or wide enough to see all the beauty there was to see. He kept his life safe, bland, living on his duty instead of his dreams and love. Now, the after, his eyes were wide open, and he was living in a world filled with so much color, so many intense highs and lows, it overwhelmed him sometimes. But he wouldn't trade this life with all its uncertainties for a paint-by-number substitute. "Maybe it is." Sheridan hesitated to actually use the word 'fate,' "I don't know for sure if fate and destiny exist, Luis. But I do know," she paused, raising up and searching his beloved face with her blue eyes, "that whatever curve ball life throws at us, we're going to confront it together. I'll always come back to you, Luis, no matter who or what I have to fight to do it. If that's fate, count yourself a lucky man." Sheridan's hand raised to cup his jaw, and he pressed his cheek against her palm, smiling against her lips as they descended on his lips and his face. "Do you remember that first Valentine's Day?" he asked her as she stood between the open vee of his legs at the edge of their bed, and he slipped his fingers beneath the thin, silky ties at the back of her dress, pulling them free. "Like yesterday," she whispered, lifting her hands to her shoulders and sliding the straps down. Her hands rested against the muscular planes of his chest as he dropped kisses across the revealed golden skin of the swell of her breasts. "Luis.I want to touch you," she protested weakly as he removed her hands from his chest and lowered them to her sides. Her blue eyes glittered at him in the dark light as his big dark hands peeled the bodice of the dress down, over the gently swell of her stomach, and let the dress fall to pool around her feet. Happy tears slipped down her cheeks as his arms went around her waist, and he pressed his mouth against her belly, whispering to their baby. Her lips quirked up at the corners, and she smiled through her tears as she listened and heard what amounted to gibberish. Loving gibberish, but gibberish all the same. "Luis," she laughed, combing her fingers through his dark hair. "What are you telling her?" "Secrets between father and daughter," he answered back with a cute little grin, "but you were mentioned. She wanted me to tell you how beautiful she thought you looked tonight, all glowing and happy, and she wanted to say hi." "She told you all that?" Sheridan smirked as she traced his familiar features with her fingertips. "Tell her I said hi, too, and to ignore her daddy because he's being a silly dork right now," she teased, running her index finger along the tip of his nose then the tiny indented space above his upper lip. She threw her head back and laughed when Luis nipped playfully at the pad of her finger. "Okay.a sweet dork," she amended, smiling against his lips as he kissed her. "Or maybe," she gasped as she felt his hand move between her legs, touching her in teasing strokes as she clung to him for support, "not a dork at all. Damn you, Luis," she pouted with her kiss-swollen red lips. "You never did fight fair," she sighed as he lay her back against the pillows. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Abby's head hit the cold, solid surface of Nick's bedroom door with a thud, and Nick tore his lips from hers, his gray eyes shining with apology. "Abby, I." "I'm fine," Abby told him, moistening her upper lip with her tongue. She grinned as his groan reached her ears, combing her fingers through the dark hair at the nape of his neck and staring at him with hazel eyes that blazed with desire. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Nick's neck, flattening her soft breasts against his chest, and let her lips brush against his ear lobe as she spoke to him in a sultry whisper. "Ready to get bare-assed naked with me, Doctor?" Her mouth opened to release a throaty moan when she felt his hand grip her thigh and lift it higher on his waist and his hips undulated against hers. His voice was a low, sexy drawl as he pressed her body more firmly against the door with his own "Does that answer your question?" "I always did prefer the long, detailed answers of essay questions myself," Abby teased him breathlessly as he backed them toward his bed. Nick's gray eyes laughed at her as he turned them around with the first touch of the mattress against the back of his legs and let her body slide down his length onto the bed. "What does it take to render you speechless?" His laugh morphed into a groan when she rose on her knees, and he felt the heat of her mouth on his skin as she kissed, nibbled, and licked her way up his abdomen and chest. His hands delved into her tawny hair, carefully removing the pins that kept her French twist intact, and her silky hair tumbled to her shoulders, obscuring her face from his view as she responded to his question. "That actually hasn't been discovered yet, but give it your best shot." His gray eyes snapped shut when he felt her small, hot hands unbutton his jeans and struggle with the zipper. Abby shrieked with surprised laughter when he toppled her backwards, bracing himself above her with his forearms and nipping playfully at her chin. "Geez. I'm not your evening entrée. Biting's nice.IF you're a vampire," she teased, sweeping her hands across the corded muscles of his back and even digging her nails in as her hands reached his denim-covered ass, pulling him down and covering her body with his from head to toe. "I bet you can't shut me up," she challenged him with twinkling hazel eyes. "I'll take that bet," Nick grinned down at her, sweeping her hair back from her face before bending down and trailing his lips along her cheek and temple. It crossed his mind as his lips and hands touched and caressed her body that he'd been a stupid man to deny himself this for so long. The warm press of her back against his chest as he draped her arm around his neck and his hands and fingers learned the feel and texture of her skin as they fluttered over her ribcage, careful not to apply too much pressure to a wound that was fading but still visible. The soft weight of her breast in his palm as his lips and teeth found the pulse point at her throat, earning him a typically colorful remark from Abby. And the string of curses that left her throat in a strangled gasp as his hand skirted past the lacy rim of her crimson panties, teasing her, made him smirk in satisfaction. She was boneless and languid beneath his hands as they catalogued each dip and valley of her spine, and she shivered when she felt the wet stroke of his tongue tracing the outline of the sun tattoo on her lower back. Her abdominal muscles fluttered beneath his touch, and she arched beneath him when he flicked his tongue into her navel, her sweat-dampened tawny hair a disheveled halo on his midnight pillow. He discovered what made her squirm beneath his touch-the back of her knees, soles of her feet, and her hipbones were sensitive and ticklish, and she hummed in the back of her throat when his thumbs stroked the baby soft skin of her inner thighs, writhing and opening herself to him, frustration leading her to call him a "Bastard." He learned what made her sigh and cry out with pleasure, touching her in places she hadn't been sure existed before. And when he finally ended her torment, sinker deeper and deeper into her body as he lost himself in her gold-hazel eyes, their hands were clasped tightly, pressing into the down of the pillow on each side of her head. His lingering thought as he kissed the salty wetness away from the fringes of the pale lashes of the woman writhing beneath him in pleasure-pain and babbling nonsense.figuring out how to render Abby speechless was going to be VERY enjoyable. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Well, now I feel like a voyeur," the angel with wise brown eyes told the little blond angel beside her as the picture of two lovers so new sleeping in each others' arms in front of her started to fade and change into something else. Another place. Another set of lovers holding each other as they read through a box of Valentines. She.wearing his pristine dress shirt like so many years ago when they first found love. He.wearing the same adoring smile. The brown-eyed angel smiled, prying the little angel girl's hand from her young eyes. "We're back in the G-rated territory now. PG tops." A young couple basking in the happiness of their newfound commitment to each other. The diamond ring sparkling on her finger as her hands covered his around her waist, and they watched the lighthouse's beam cut across the horizon, the ocean whitecaps gleaming in the darkness. The exhilaration of a first kiss given and taken in the shadows as partygoers passed by, and the shy smiles exchanged between two young people very much in like. The pounding of two hearts as golden bands are exchanged in a ceremony so unexpected the bride's bouquet is a single yellow rose. "Unexpected? Old Man Crane is going to roll over in his grave," the angel muttered under her breath, peeking out of the corner of her brown eyes at her young friend who agreed with her. "Most unexpected." The comic pitfalls of one couple as they loved each other as only they could. The sweetness of young love as one little angel on earth listened to the lullaby tinkle forth from her cherished gift. The gift of a rose between old lovers, still young at heart. A dance shared in a dark hospital room while a little boy slept peacefully just feet away. And a smile sent from earth to Heaven above and bringing a tearful smile to the angel's own face. "We make a good team," she sniffled, wiping her tears away as she lay her arm across the shoulders of her young partner in 'crime.' "I think so," the little blond angel agreed. "But next year's going to be even better."
Chapter 65
Abby groaned, tucking the midnight-blue sheets under her arms as she scooted across the bed and scanned the darkened interior of Nick's bedroom for any article of clothing she could throw on to answer the front door. Instead of ceasing like she'd hoped and prayed for the last ten minutes, the knocking at the door had continued, increasing from light rapping to pounding. She had a fair idea who the culprit was too, and she wasn't opposed to kicking some big brother ass. The sheets trailed behind her like a wedding train as she scampered through the apartment, and she started to laugh somewhat bitterly at the ridiculous thought. Gray Eyes was nowhere to be found the morning after what she'd thought was a helluva night. Obviously, she was mistaken, she told herself as she yanked the front door open and glared at her smirking older brother. "Shane, get your ass in here and stop making that damned racket before I call the cops." "Good morning to you too, Runt," Shane said in reply, giving her appearance a none-too surprised look but wisely keeping his mouth shut. "Shane," Abby huffed as the sheets tangled around her legs, tripping her up and sending her stumbling into his welcoming arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you had to work." Shane's big hands combed Abby's golden tangle of hair back from her face, and he kissed her soundly on the forehead in belated greeting. "There are some advantages to your boss eloping in the middle of the night," Shane grinned. "I have the day off, and since the Book Café is closed, cheating me out of my usual morning cup of coffee." "Ethan and Beth." Abby whispered, a slow smile gradually taking over her face and transforming her earlier grumpy demeanor. "The girl's good. Much better than I'd given her credit for. You mean Ethan actually got married without his mother in attendance? Where the hell was Ivy? Ethan's the biggest Mama's boy." Shane chuckled, and Abby's mouth dropped open with one look at the guilty expression on his face. "Shane!" she gasped. "You and Ivy didn't.oh my God, my brother's sleeping with Ivy Crane." "We're not sleeping together-which is more than I can say for you and a certain doctor," Shane chided with a quick glance around the living room and the clothes strewn everywhere, "but we ARE seeing each other, and Ivy's offered to rent the old cottage to me so I can move out of the B & B." "SO convenient for a quick roll in the hay, don't you think?" Abby rolled her hazel eyes at her brother, stomping toward her bedroom and slamming the door in Shane's face for his earlier comment. "What is this?" Shane questioned, his own hazel eyes not missing the disaster area down the hall that used to be Nick's bedroom. The sheets from the bed were gone but not missing. He'd seen them himself just a few short seconds ago wrapped around Abby's torso. He didn't even want to dwell on what the good doctor and his willful wildcat of a little sister had been doing all night. His imagination was too vivid as it were. "Abby, I thought you were going to be smart and not do this again." "Again?" Abby responded indignantly, throwing her bedroom door open and startling Shane much more than he'd care to admit. "With Vincent I was young and stupid. With Nick.I'm older. And stupid," Abby admitted grudgingly. "I'm an adult, Shane. So is Nick. We can handle.this," she waved her hands around awkwardly, running forward to scoop up the clothes marking a trail to Nick's bedroom door. "You're doing it again, Runt," Shane softened his accusation by stalling her nervous movements with a firm, brotherly hand on her bare shoulder. "Doing what?" Abby played dumb, tugging at the hem of her baby blue tank with her hands before twirling the drawstring of her pajama pants around her index finger. "You're headed for trouble," Shane sighed in resignation, wrapping his arms around his little sister's shoulders and pulling her into him. "I want better for my baby sister than some guy who doesn't know what the hell he wants. You deserve better, Baby Girl, than someone who isn't man enough to face the morning WITH you." "Trouble?" Abby snorted against her brother's chest, her hazel eyes glittering and shining with unabashed affection as she raised her tawny head and looked Shane directly in the eye. There was a slight tremor in her voice as she answered him with unfaltering honesty and a hint of her trademark humor, "Hell. I left the 'Danger, Will Robinson' territory eons ago," she muttered, ignoring Shane's expression of concern. "Don't call me 'Baby Girl'," she told him sternly, standing on tiptoe to kiss his smooth cheek and making him smile. "Well.why the hell are you just standing around like a knot on a log? You know where I keep the coffee. While you're at it," she paused in the doorway to her own bedroom, "a sister so deserving deserves a four-star breakfast, don't you think?" Shane chuckled, shaking his head as the door closed behind her. Was he going to do her bidding? Of course. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Ethan!" Sheridan cried, wrapping her arms around her nephew's neck and squeezing hard. Ethan grinned at her exuberant reaction to seeing him. Sure it'd been a while since he'd stepped foot inside the home his aunt shared with Luis and her children, but it hadn't been THAT long. Sheridan's arms relaxed around him, and she drew back to flash him an affectionate smile. "Thank you for coming. I know it's early, but Luis is only going in to the station for half a day because of my appointment, and I didn't want him to." Sheridan's blue eyes widened in surprise when Beth stepped around Ethan, and the glint of gold on the other woman's finger caught her attention. "Ethan? Oh my God. Ethan!" Sheridan practically squeaked, fumbling for Ethan's hand and lifting it up for inspection. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment when she discovered a matching golden band on his finger. "You.you," she stammered, further broadening the grin on Ethan's face and the half-smile on Beth's lips. "Ethan, you idiot!" Sheridan growled, no longer dumbstruck. "You cheated us out of the wedding. Ivy must be furious." Ethan chuckled, gently pushing his pregnant aunt inside out of the cold, and Beth followed them, shutting the door behind her. "Mother'll get over it. Things were just so." "Sudden?" Sheridan offered, smiling apologetically at Beth to let her know she didn't blame her in the least bit and leading them both to the sofa. "Yes," Ethan tugged at his starched shirt collar uncomfortably. "But that doesn't mean.Aunt Sheridan," he sighed as he joined her on the couch and sent Miss Priss away, hissing in protest. "Ethan, don't be so silly. Just because I'm disappointed I wasn't invited," she pretended to pout, her blue eyes twinkling, "doesn't mean I think you and Beth getting married was a bad idea. I'm surprised but not completely shocked. Something's been going on between you two for months." Beth blushed slightly, and Sheridan almost had to laugh. She didn't know Beth Wallace blushed. "Mother swears there's going to be another wedding," Ethan revealed. "And she wants to plan the entire thing," Beth stated quietly, looking slightly pale at the proposition. 'Ivy's been waiting for this for YEARS," Sheridan gave the brunette a sympathetic smile. "It's always been obvious that Ethan's her favorite, and she spoils him." Ethan groaned at the playful wink Sheridan gave him. "Aunt Sheridan," he changed the subject, hoping to escape total mortification. Because if ever any person wanted to humiliate him within an inch of his life.all they had to do was talk with her or his mother. "Aunt Sheridan, you said you had something you wished for me to handle?" The easy smile left Sheridan's face, and Beth decided at that moment to venture into the kitchen for.something. "Aunt Sheridan?" Ethan's brows creased in worry as he grasped her hand with his own, "is something wrong?" "Wrong?" Sheridan shook her head slightly. "No, Ethan. No. Things are.fine. Nothing's wrong exactly. I just.Ethan, I want you to help me with something," she said softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Anything, Aunt Sheridan. You know I'll help you any way I can," Ethan told her with conviction, causing her to smile anew. "But I'm confused. If everything's okay, why do you seem so.why isn't Luis here for this?" "I didn't want to bother Luis with this, Ethan. You know how adamant he is about being the one to take care of all of us, and he takes the BEST care of Ali and Cristian and me. But Ali's medical bills are adding up, and with me on leave from the Youth Center...things are starting to get a little strained financially, Ethan. I don't want Luis to have any additional worries. Besides, he shouldn't have to leave Ali's side if it's not necessary." Ethan cut Sheridan's breathless explanation off with a reassuring hand to her shoulder. "You want to use money from your trust fund," he surmised with a quick nod of his head. "I'll handle it for you, Aunt Sheridan. But don't you think you should tell Luis? You've had your problems about all the privileges that come with your Crane name and the strings attached before, but this time I really think Luis will understand. It's not that big of a deal," Ethan said, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe not to you, Ethan. This time it could actually be different with Luis, considering the circumstances," Sheridan sighed, offering her nephew a tight smile and pushing herself to her feet. She picked up the family picture of her, Luis, and the kids and traced their much-loved features. "With Luis, it's all about pride," she murmured, meeting Beth's dark eyes across the room and seeing the wholehearted agreement in them. "I'll tell him. But not yet, Ethan. It'll wait. Right now nothing's as important as getting Ali better, not letting Cristian forget how much I love him, and bringing this baby safely into this world," Sheridan told him earnestly. "I can't argue with that," Ethan whispered, standing up to give his aunt another hug. Beth watched them both, finding only one fault with their logic. The best intentions or not.Luis was NOT going to like being kept in the dark.
"Do you and Papa have any special plans for Valentine's Day?" Theresa questioned her mother with sparkling dark eyes as she shrugged her winter coat off her shoulders and draped it across the back of her chair. "Your papa and I promised Luis we'd watch Cristian and Ali," Pilar smiled, pulling her arms out of her own jacket and glancing around the Book Café out of habit. It was fairly busy but she didn't see any particularly familiar faces. Except for Beth. "Can I get you anything?" Beth asked, giving them both a pleasant smile as she waited for an answer, pen poised over the notepad in her palm. "I'm in the mood for some hot chocolate," Theresa answered her quickly, "What about you, Mama?" "Hot chocolate will be fine. Thank you, Beth," Pilar offered gratefully. "No problem. Two hot chocolates coming up," Beth told them, leaving them again. "Mama," Theresa's fingers played with the pink sugar packets in the tray in front of her as she talked, her dark eyes not meeting her mother's gaze. "You and Papa don't have to watch Cristian and Ali if you have plans. I'm sure Chad wouldn't mind." "No, Mija," Pilar cut her daughter off, frowning at the abruptness of her own tone. "Your father and I don't mind," she began again, more gently this time as she realized her daughter had no suspicions about Chad's plans for the day. At least not before she reacted so strangely to her request. "I'm sure Chad has something special planned," she told her, praying Theresa didn't figure what out just by looking at her pained expression. She was tiptoeing on really thin ice, and she prayed to be rescued from her own loose mouth soon. Obviously, her years of keeping Crane secrets hadn't prepared her for THIS. The minute Beth returned with their steaming mugs of hot chocolate, she saw her chance and seized it, wishing she could take her words back the moment they left her mouth. ""What are yours and Ethan's plans for Valentine's Day, Beth?" "Mama," Theresa's brown eyes were wide as they flashed to Beth's surprised face and back to her mother's slightly embarrassed face. Pilar frowned when she felt Theresa's kick beneath the table. "Forgive me. Your plans with Ethan are none of my business, Beth. I'm sorry." "Pilar," Beth smiled, trying not to laugh, "It's okay. Really. We've all known each other for a long time. It seems like forever. I don't mean that in a bad way," Beth hurried to explain. "In a good way. The best possible way. I just.I wasn't expecting you to say that," Beth said, grimacing when her nervous hand movements nearly toppled Pilar's mug of hot chocolate over. Beth and Pilar looked at each other in astonishment when Theresa burst into a fit of girlish laughter. "Look at us," Theresa giggled. "This is silly. You.me.Mama. Being so awkward around each other. Things are only going to get MORE awkward if we let them." "You know what?" Beth said, tucking her dark hair behind her ear with a smile. "You're right. This IS ridiculous. Just because I'm dating your.the man you used to.Ethan," Beth groaned softly at her own stumbling tongue, "doesn't mean we can't be adults." "So you finally admit it," Theresa teased. "I'm happy for you. For both of you," she said softly. "Why don't you join me and Mama for some hot chocolate?" "I think I will. I just have to.I'll be right back," Beth told her. "Mama? What?" Theresa's dark eyes sparkled happily at her mother's secretive little smile. Pilar said nothing, but her smile grew even wider. She'd never been prouder. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ivy slid one leather-gloved hand into her purse, pulling out a compact and opening it to study her reflection. It DID cross her mind that Ethan never noticed her makeup anyway, but she was still doing a fairly good job convincing herself she actually HAD made the unnecessary trip to the offices to invite him to lunch. Never mind the voice mail he'd left on her cell telling her he had cleared his schedule for a meeting with Chad that could last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. She patted her white-blond hair into place with one hand, digging through her purse with it a second later to locate her tube of lipstick. She smiled predatorily when she finished applying the fresh coat, snapping her compact shut then spending the short walk from the elevators toward the main offices listing reasons why territorial simply wasn't accurate to describe the almost feline smile on her face at all. She was here to take Ethan out to lunch, after all. It merely made no sense. Ivy smirked as she searched the name plates on the closed office doors and the occupants inside the opened ones out of the corner of her eye and found just the man she was(n't) looking for with an expression of complete boredom on his open face. That expression of boredom morphed into a smile, and Ivy waited just outside his office for him to catch up to her. "Busy day at the office?" she asked, the flirtatious tone in her own voice nearly making her cringe. "Actually," Shane revealed, loosening the confining tie around his neck slightly as they walked down the hall, "not busy at all. Nobody trusts the new kid on the block," he stated with a shrug of his shoulders. Ivy blanched slightly at the 'kid' reference but regained color to her cheeks. Admittedly, the man beside her was a few years younger than her. Okay. Several years younger than her. She stopped mentally counting off the years after a decade. But.but.he was still a grown man, and it wasn't a crime to be attracted to him. She wasn't Mrs. Robinson. "What about you?" Shane smiled as they came to a standstill in front of Ethan's secretary's desk. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Crane," Jill greeted her pleasantly. "Mr.Shane," Jill laughed girlishly as she corrected herself. "Mr. Stone sounds too old," Shane explained with a whisper in Ivy's ear. Ivy grimaced at the word 'old.' "Jill," Ivy began, not liking the rapt attention Jill was giving the man at her side. "Is Ethan in? I was hoping he'd like to join me for lunch." Jill tore her gaze from Shane's smiling face reluctantly to inform Ivy that no. Ethan wasn't in at all, and she didn't expect him in anytime soon. Ivy sighed with feigned disappointment, thanking the girl and turning to leave. "Ivy, wait!" Shane hurried to catch up with her, and Ivy's Cheshire grin was back when she felt his hand on her arm. "I think we've already established that I'm not busy. Would you mind terribly if I took Ethan's place?" "I wouldn't mind," Ivy answered coyly. "In fact, I wouldn't mind at all," her blue-green eyes sparkled as they shared a smile. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Uncle Sam," Jake grumbled as he finished sweeping the hundred-year-old layer of dust the attic had collected into the dustpan MJ grudgingly held. "I thought you said you weren't mad at us." MJ sneezed as a plume of dust tickled his nostrils. "I wasn't," Sam's voice was muffled as he answered them across the cramped distance. "I'm not," he reassured them, stepping out from behind a particularly tall stack of boxes and walking toward them. "But that doesn't mean you don't deserve some type of punishment." Jake and MJ groaned as one, their dark eyes rolling in synchronized movements that made Sam chuckle. "This place is a disaster area. Dangerous," Jake muttered. "The space under Sara's bed is cleaner than this, and that's saying a lot, Uncle Sam. How many years have you and Grandma lived here?" MJ asked. "Two hundred?" Sam's blue eyes twinkled humorously at the two young boys as he set the box down on the floor at their feet and took a seat in the abandoned gliding rocking chair Grace used to rock the girls to sleep in. Jake tucked the broom he was holding onto behind Noah's old crib and joined MJ on the floor at Sam's feet. Jake's brown eyes watered and itched as he pulled at the untaped flaps of the brown box, withdrawing the biggest photo album he'd ever seen. "Wow! Are there pictures in here from the Great Depression when you were a teenager?" Jake snickered as Sam knuckled his spikes in mock anger. "No, but there are pictures of your dad playing dress-up." MJ giggled loudly when Sam flipped quickly through the album to find the embarrassing photos. "Grandpa! That's." "Oh man!" Jake exclaimed gleefully, tucking the photo of his dad and Luis dressed up like girly girls inside his shirt. "Dad won't ever ground me again." Sam groaned as he realized the blackmail possibilities his young nephew saw in the photographs. "Give me that," he requested, holding out his hand. "Kay asked about these pictures for Sheridan." And I never made the time to find them for her, he thought regretfully, pulling his somber looking little grandson to his feet and perching him on his knee. "Can I make posters of them first?" Jake inquired, refusing to give over the pictures until Sam snatched them from his hand. "No fair, Uncle Sam," he muttered, tugging the album from Sam's lap and resuming flipping through its pages.
Sam rest a comforting hand on MJ's shoulder, peering over Jake's shoulder at the reminders of the past. "Why does Dad always look so guilty?" Jake wondered aloud. "Because he was always into trouble, and some of those pictures were used as proof," Sam chuckled, glancing at Mj and noticing his dark eyes weren't laughing. They were staring straight ahead at something in the album. Jake started to turn the page again, intent on finding more pictures of his dad when MJ startled him by yelling "NO!" and darting his small hand out to stop him. Jake readily surrendered his loot, confused as all heck over his cousin's reaction. He scrambled to his feet, leaning over Sam's shoulder to see what had MJ acting so weird and looked to Sam's blue eyes for confirmation of what he thought he saw. MJ's hands shook as he held the picture up for closer inspection, and Uncle Sam's voice was almost as shaky when he spoke. That's your mom and dad," Sam pointed out Kay and Miguel's smiling young faces unnecessarily. "They were about your age, Jake. They played on the same ball team. They always were the best of friends." "Can I keep it?" MJ's voice was small and quiet as he clutched the photo in his hands to his chest. "The picture.can I keep it, Grandpa?" Sam cleared his throat as he stood up, lifting MJ from his knee and setting him down carefully. "Sure. Sure, you can. As a matter of fact, I think Grace has the perfect frame to put it in. Come on, boys. No more attic cleaning for today." Jake sighed and followed them down the stairs disappointedly. He could have used those pictures of his dad to get out of some pretty serious trouble. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gwen's bleary brown eyes didn't stray from the computer screen when she heard the door to her office open with a soft snick. She just kept on typing, wondering again why the hell she worked so hard when she was the boss's daughter. Because she still felt she had to prove something, that she hadn't been handed her job, that she deserved her position in the company, she answered herself silently. That's why she was still as tenacious as ever, she decided. That's also why she would always work hard to prove her worth. That could also explain the heated glare she looked up from her computer screen with when a throat cleared several times, demanding her attention. She groaned and rolled her brown eyes when she met Hank's brown eyes, filled with little boy mischief. "Bennett," she couldn't help laughing as he winked at her, nodding his disheveled dark head at her and nearly making the large white chef's hat atop his head fall off. "Your afternoon feast, Madame," he grinned, setting the silver platter down in the exact middle of her desk, disregarding the mountain of paperwork there. Gwen saved her work on her computer and shut it off with an irritated but amused smile, propping her chin on her palm as she watched her husband whip two candlesticks from the ridiculous 'KISS THE CHEF' apron he wore. "More of the month of lluuurrvvee?" she cracked, raising dancing brown eyes to his boyish face. "But, of course," Hank smiled. She shook with silent laughter, watching his fumbling movements as he tried to be smooth and set up the perfect candlelight dinner. One of the candles broke in half after falling off the edge of her desk, and she jokingly told him that he was shorter than her. The candle was his. He knocked her favorite picture of the five of them Sheridan had taken over trying to make room on her desk for the sparkling bottles of. "Beer, Bennett? My husband.the incurable romantic. I'm almost afraid to ask what's for lunch." When Hank removed the silver lid with a flourish to reveal hot dogs heaped with sauer kraut and everything else, Gwen snorted with helpless laughter. "Sorry, Babe. Sara told us we were doing it all wrong, but Emmy and me still ruined the fancy chicken. Your hot dog, Madame," he grinned, picking up the other one for himself. "We did okay on the desert though," he told her with twinkling brown eyes as he lifted the lid of a second, smaller silver platter she hadn't noticed earlier and revealed two huge pieces of gooey chocolate cake. Gwen's smile stretched so wide her cheeks hurt, and she leaned across her desk, beckoning him closer with "C'mere you." Gwen smiled all through the kiss, laughing against his lips when he hurried around her desk, lips still attached to hers and collapsed into her leather chair, pulling her into his lap. She didn't pull out of the kiss until the acrid smell of smoke filled her nostrils, and she jumped from his arms screaming then. "HOLY golly !" Hank panicked as he tried to beat the growing flame out with his chef hat. In his frantic attempts at firefighting, he knocked several items from Gwen's desk into the fire, and the flame flared up when he accidentally 'added' their beers to the mix. Gwen snatched her prized picture and purse from the desk and stood back in horror as the fire alarm started going off in the building. "God help me, Bennett. You're going to burn Daddy's entire building down." "Me, Babe?" Hank shouted incredulously. "You kissed me! That makes this your fault." "My fault? My fault! Dammit, Hank!" she shrieked when the sprinkler system was triggered, dousing them both with cold jets of water. "I treat you to a romantic lunch, and this is the thanks I get," Hank muttered, not daring to laugh at her, her blond hair framing her face in wet ribbons with her ruined mascara running down her cheeks in little black rivers. He gave up, tossing his charred hat into the hissing fire and grabbing her hand at the first sound of the fire truck's horn. "Time to get out of Dodge!" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Simone smiled at the little boy in her arms while the doctor talked with Grace and Miguel across the room. She heard snippets of their conversation every now and then, but she kept her focus on Joshua, smoothing his dark hair back from his forehead and pressing her lips on the warm skin there. The boy had Kay's eyes, and for a moment, she pretended she was smiling into her friend's eyes again, telling her without words how good it was to see her. She sighed, wrapping her arms around Joshua's waist and giving him a gentle squeeze as she was hit by a wave of longing to see Kay again so she could TELL her once more how much their friendship had meant to her. Grace and Miguel glanced across the room at them, and Simone pointed them out to Joshua, smiling when he flapped his little brown hand at them. She stood up, resting him on her hip when the doctor took his leave and Grace approached them with tears in her blue eyes and a trembling smile on her face. "Valentine's Day," she announced, and Simone looked to Miguel for confirmation. "He'll hear our voices for the first time," Grace whispered emotionally, taking her grandson in her arms and hugging him fiercely. Miguel's face transformed with one of his forgotten smiles, and Simone found herself laughing happily. Valentine's Day was going to be a day they NEVER forgot.
Chapter 62 Luis held a finger to his smiling lips as he eased the door to his and Sheridan's bedroom open slowly. Ali's blue eyes twinkled back at him happily from beneath her purple baseball cap, and Cristian made a silent zipping motion across his lips with his own small fingers. Luis left the door open a crack, obscuring their beloved little faces but still enabling him to hear their soft giggles as their anticipation slowly built. The mattress shifted subtly under his added weight, and he almost couldn't contain the tenderness he felt for the woman still sleeping like an angel. He brought the red rose in his grasp to his nose, inhaling its sweet scent before trailing it across the exposed skin of her arm like a whisper. Sheridan's lashes fluttered against her cheeks, and her lips turned up in a ghost of a sleepy smile as she felt the tickling brush of the rose's petals against her shoulder followed by Luis's warm breath as he slipped his fingers beneath the thin blue strap of her nightgown and lowered it to press his lips to the freckled skin there. "I know that look," Sheridan whispered, her voice still husky with sleep, and Luis felt his heart swell inside his chest when he was met with the brilliance of her adoring, amused blue gaze. "What look is that?" he wondered, presenting the rose to her and delighting in her smile at his gift. "The one that.," she paused, feathering her fingers lovingly through the dark hair sprinkled with a few rogue gray strands that Ali's illness had brought on prematurely at his temple. "Jake told Ali we were the corniest grown-ups he'd ever met," she revealed with sparkling eyes. "Romance IS corny to kids," Luis shrugged with a grin. "Oh," Sheridan teased. "So you're Mr. Romantic now?" "I try," Luis answered in a voice just as teasing as his arm slid around her back, pulling her into a sitting position flush against him. Sheridan hummed appreciatively as his thorough kiss good morning brought her body and mind to full awareness, looping her arms around his neck and smiling into his rich, dark eyes as she nodded toward their bedroom door and Ali's bashfully grinning little face sneaking a peek inside. Luis pressed one last kiss to the palm that cupped his jaw, presenting her the delicate red rose as he beckoned Ali and Cristian inside with "Mommy's finally awake." Sheridan's blue eyes danced humorously at him, her smile hidden behind the petals of the flower she held to her nose. Ali walked through the bedroom door, Cristian at her side, carefully crossing the distance between them with a breakfast tray in her hands. "Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy," Ali and Cristian chorused as Luis took the tray from them and placed it in the middle of the unmade bed. "Blueberry muffins!" Sheridan cried, scooting back against the pillows at the bed's headboard and making room for Ali and Cristian. Luis grinned. Two words, and she had them beaming with proud pleasure. "And one." "The strawberry muffin's mine," Cristian volunteered. "Drink your milk, Mommy," Ali advised. "Nana said it's good for the baby." "Ali!" Cristian hissed, nudging Ali with his elbow before she had a chance to crawl into bed beside their mother, "You forgot!" Sheridan bit her lip to keep from laughing at the adorable scolding expression on her son's face as he pulled Ali aside and spoke to her in hushed whispers while Luis watched her face expectantly when Ali returned, a pale pink rose clasped between her small hands. "For you, Mommy," Ali whispered. "For the baby," Cristian said, presenting the pure white rose to her solemnly. Sheridan raised a trembling hand to wipe away the sudden tears threatening to spill from her eyes from their utterly sweet gesture as Ali climbed into the bed on her opposite side, taking the purple cap she wore from her head and handing it to Luis before she rest her cheek against the swell of Sheridan's rounded belly, listening for the baby's heartbeat. Luis took the roses from Sheridan and arranged them in the slender crystal vase looking oddly out of place on the breakfast tray until now. "You don't like it," Cristian said, crestfallen that he had made her cry. "I love it," Sheridan whispered tearfully, tipping Cristian's tiny chin up so he'd meet her eyes with one hand while the other stroked Ali's head gently. "I still have room for one more," she told him, patting the empty space beside her. Cristian nestled against her, tucking his dark head beneath her chin and reaching down a hand to Ali's almost bare head with its sparse wisps of golden hair. Luis chuckled at the twinkle in his daughter's blue eyes as she rubbed her cheek against Sheridan's belly and started purring like a cat, sounding more like Miss Priss than Miss Priss did until she burst into helpless giggles. "Oh you," Sheridan tapped her index finger against Ali's nose affectionately, laughter bubbling up within her as Cristian tried to stifle his own giggles against her shoulder. Her smile was radiant as she looked at Luis, and he couldn't wipe the ridiculously big smile off his own face as he stared into her sparkling blue eyes, thankful for such a perfect moment amidst all the turmoil barely kept at bay. "Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy," he murmured.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I don't understand," Jake muttered, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants and pacing the hospital halls beside his dad. "I thought Aunt Grace said." "Aunt Grace was excited," Hank explained, smirking as his son mirrored his every movement. "That sucks," Jake commiserated with Joshua's situation. "Exactly how I'd want to spend my Valentine's Day. In the hospital having surgery when I still won't be able to hear for a while." "Don't worry, Little Buddy," Hank gripped Jake's shoulder firmly. "Joshua WILL hear soon. The doctors just have to make sure his stitches heal and that everything's a go before they activate his implants." "Gee, Dad," Jake answered with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "You're such an expert. Maybe YOU should be Joshua's doctor." Hank chuckled as he steered his wisecracking young son back toward the waiting area where Gwen and the girls kept two sets of restless grandparents company. Abby and MJ sat in a secluded corner having one of their heart to heart sessions. Hank knew Tink was trying to convince MJ to leave the hospital and come to the Valentine's party at the Youth Center with them, but he also knew prying MJ away from Miguel and Joshua's side lately and getting him to actually have fun was like fighting an uphill battle. "MJ, you just HAVE to go," Abby mock-whined. "Everybody that's anybody is going to be there, and I don't have a date." Noah and Jessica watched the tug of war of wills going on between the nutcase and her demon seed with amusement. If neither had known better, they'd think the blow to the head Abby suffered had knocked her a little wacky. But that just wasn't the case. Abby's wackiness was definitely a preexisting condition. "I hear it's going to be a great party," Jessica smiled, kneeling before her nephew. Myles slid off the stiff waiting room chair beside Simone and marched over to Jessica's side, wrapping his arms around her neck. "Uncle Noah's taking Myles," Jessica told MJ as she rubbed her son's back in absent circles, and MJ's dark eyes lifted to study his uncle's face. "I can't leave them," he muttered, giving Abby and Jessica apologetic looks. "How 'bout if we wait until he's out of surgery so you can make sure he's okay? We'll be fashionably late," Abby told MJ with a wink. A smile so tiny and so quick to disappear was almost undetectable on MJ's lips, but Jessica knew without a doubt she'd seen it. "You promise to wait?" MJ questioned Abby. "Scout's honor," Abby vowed solemnly. Well, as solemnly as she could manage, Jessica realized with a laugh at the merry twinkle in those hazel eyes, amazed at the other woman's resiliency as she found her own eyes drawn once again to the slight discoloration surrounding Abby's left eye. Before, she hadn't understood Kay's friendship with Abby, but she was slowly becoming aware of how well they had fit each other. "You should go, MJ," Miguel gave his blessing as he strode by. "You really promise?" MJ looked up at Abby again. "Am I going to have to sign my name in blood?" Abby huffed. MJ, Jake, and Sara giggled while Emily and Myles just looked horrified. "Geez," Abby grumbled good-naturedly. "I promise." "Okay," MJ relented. "I'll go. You don't have to hug me," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at Abby's response. "Yuck!" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I've missed you so much, Ms. Sheridan!" Lissy cried, tightening her arms around Sheridan's waist and staring up at her with the chocolate eyes that only seemed to get bigger the older she grew. Sheridan stroked an affectionate hand through Lissy's tawny hair with a smile. "I've missed you too, Lissy. Tell me about your grandpa, Sweetie. Is he doing better?" Sheridan inquired, leading the little girl to a vacant row of chairs in one corner of the Youth Center. Sheridan held Lissy's Kool-Aid and plate of Valentine's goodies while she waited for the little girl to seat herself. "Daddy says he's too stubborn to die," Lissy told her with the unrestrained honesty only a child possessed. "You want a cookie, Ms. Sheridan?" Lissy politely offered before munching on her own heart-shaped treat with red sugar sprinkles. "No thank you," Sheridan refused, settling in the chair beside the little girl. "Daddy said Grandpa's been a real crab apple lately," Lissy divulged, chewing on her cookie thoughtfully. "Really?" Sheridan's blue eyes twinkled with amusement at Lissy's animated retelling of what her father had most likely said in passing. "Really," Lissy nodded her head vigorously. "Daddy says Grandpa's been upset because his lady doctor went on vacation. My grandpa really likes her, you know. Daddy says he forgets sometimes and calls her my mommy's name 'cause she looks kind of like her, but Daddy says she's nothing like her and he doesn't like her that much at all. I don't think he means it, Ms. Sheridan. I think my daddy likes her too. He's just afraid of what Mommy would think. It'd be nice to have a mommy again," Lissy sighed. "Sometimes I wish you weren't married to Mr. Luis so you could be my mommy, Ms. Sheridan. Does that make me a bad girl?" "I don't think so," Sheridan said, giving the little girl a gentle smile. "I used to wish Mr. Luis's Mama was MY mommy with all my heart." "Now she kinda is," Lissy positively beamed at her. "If Cristian was older, I'd marry him, and you could be my mommy too," the little girl said excitedly. "Ms. Sheridan, I'll be right back. I have to go tell Ali something." Sheridan was still laughing quietly when Theresa joined her. "What's so funny?" Theresa giggled with her, only because her lighthearted laughter was infectious. "I'm still a little young to be a mother-in-law, don't you think?" Sheridan continued to laugh, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Definitely," Theresa agreed. "But if that isn't a glimpse into the future," she said, nodding her head across the Youth Center where Jake and Ali stood, "I don't know what is."
"I made you something, Jake," Ali smiled at Jake sweetly, slipping a hand into the pouch of the pale pink fleece pullover she wore and withdrawing a medium-sized red rectangular envelope. "She made you something, Jakey-poo," Dylan sneered behind Jake's back, both eyes still not completely recovered from meeting Jake's and MJ's fists. Obviously, the jerk hadn't learned his lesson, Jake thought with a scowl as he closed his ears best he could against Dylan's annoying jeering. If he said something to hurt Ali's feelings, Jake wasn't going to bother hitting him again. He was going to march across the Youth Center and steal Uncle Luis from his dad and see how nasty Dylan really was. "I made you something too, Dylan," Ali said softly, holding out a smaller white envelope. Jake's jaw fell in disbelief. "Ali! Dylan's.he said." he trailed off as Dylan reluctantly took the card from Ali, like he thought it was going to explode or something. Whatever was in the card sure threw Dylan for a loop. He got really pale and guilty-looking and walked away, looking like a kicked puppy. Not that Jake had ever seen a kicked puppy. Dad and Gus didn't get along that good, but Dad would never. "Aren't you going to open it?" Ali asked quietly, her blue eyes sparkling at him expectantly. Jake felt his cheeks burning and was surprised they weren't bursting into flames when he opened the card and his and Ali's picture from her mom and dad's second wedding popped out at him. The one where Ali was kissing him. At the same time Jake was thinking the whole pop- up thing was totally cool, he was mortified at the thought of anyone that hadn't already seen the picture seeing it. "Um.Ali." he stammered uncomfortably, feeling his blush spread all the way to his ears. "See, Jake?" Ali stepped closer to him, and Jake blinked, unable to say a word in response when she smiled at him like she was doing with her eyes so pretty and blue and happy. "It says to my best friend. You're my best friend, Jake," Ali said, smiling that magical smile at him again. It also said "Love, Ali," at the bottom, but Jake wasn't about to say anything about THAT. "Um, Ali.I didn't get you anything," Jake blurted out the lie as he stared at the little gold heart earrings on Ali's ear lobes, the goofy card he'd stolen from Sara and Emily's card packet burning a hole in his own pants pocket. It wasn't.special enough for Ali anymore. "I'm sorry," he muttered, staring at his feet. "That's okay," Ali told him sincerely, giggling as Lissy arrived at her side out of breath and excited. Jake watched Lissy drag Ali toward the refreshment table with a guilty frown on his lips. He HAD to get her something but WHAT? Chad bounced the orange globe back to Sara, a tickled grin on his face at her attempts to dribble the ball. The red ribbon in her chin-length brown hair was a distant memory, trashed the very minute Gwen had taken her eyes off of her obstinately tom-boyish young daughter and wandered across the Youth Center to visit with Sheridan and Theresa (that was something Chad still wasn't used to). Sara shoved her tangled hair out of her face, bouncing the basketball with dogged determination. "So.what'd your dad get your moms for Valentine's Day?" "Hair dye to cover up all the gray hairs he gives her," Sara said nonchalantly. Chad chuckled, stealing the ball from the little girl easily. "Hey!" Sara cried, flailing her arms out to steal the ball back. Chad passed the ball from hand to hand, grinning at the look of intense concentration on Sara's face as she watched its movement. "He gave her some aspirin for all the headaches he gives her too," Sara remembered, squealing when her efforts finally paid off and the ball was back in her possession. "Is that it?" Chad questioned, going easy on her for the time being so he could recapture his breath, not from overexerting himself but from trying to keep his laughter silent and hidden from the little girl in front of him. "He gave her some pretty earrings. They're 14 karats something," Sara shrugged. "Dad got a new car." "For your moms?" Chad asked, impressed. "DAD got a new car," Sara repeated, slightly annoyed that Chad was asking her such a silly question when she'd told him."Don't you mean your dad got your moms a new car?" Sara huffed in frustration and bounced the ball at him. Hard. "No, Silly. MOM bought Dad a car, and she was going to take it back after Dad set Grandpa's building on fire. But it was too late 'cause Jake already knew about it and tattled, and Mom didn't have anything else for Dad." "Sara," Chad held up his hands in surrender. "I get you, Girl. Where is this new car?" "At home in the garage," Sara muttered, picking the basketball back up and wrapping her arms around it. "Mom told Dad he had to be on his best behavior before he could get rid of his old clunker and use the new car. She hid the key from him." Chad grinned after her as she left in search of Emily and Cristian. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick smiled to himself as he heard Abby's key turn in the lock, and he removed the skillet from the stove eye, turning the gas off and reaching into the cupboards to withdraw a couple of wine glasses. He filled one glass generously before realizing Abby had yet to announce her homecoming like usual. "Abby?!" "In here," Abby called, and Nick followed the sound of her voice to the back of the apartment. Nick's gray eyes shied away modestly when he discovered her half-dressed in her bedroom, pulling her jeans over her hips and leaving them unbuttoned as she rifled through the near-endless selection of clothes in her wildly cluttered closet. Nick cleared his throat awkwardly when Abby whipped the stained cinnamon sweater over her head unself-consciously. Abby smirked when she saw his reaction to her state of undress in the reflection of her bedroom mirror. Let him sweat, she thought with a sly grin, deciding to take her own sweet time finding a replacement to wear to the Valentine's party she and MJ were due at.an hour ago. "What do you think?" she asked, whirling around and holding up two different sweaters. Nick swallowed slowly and tried to keep his eyes on the clothes she was holding up and not think about the clothes she wasn't wearing. Abby's hazel eyes twinkled as she felt Gray Eyes's gaze land somewhere not her face and definitely not the long-sleeved, form- fitting ruby blouse she held in one hand and the casual plum sweatshirt she held in the other. "Nick?" Nick shook his head, forcing himself to remove his eyes from the crimson lace covering her. "Wear the red one. It matches with your linge.it's more festive. You're going out?" Nick practically choked. Abby bit the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting into laughter at his dazed expression. "More festive?" she teased as she eased the zipper up her hips. "I thought so too. Thanks for the input. Yeah," she said, turning around and laying the vetoed sweatshirt across her bed. Nick didn't have time to hide the fact that he'd been staring at the brilliantly colored tattoo across her lower back when she turned around suddenly, slipping the ruby shirt over her tawny head and hurriedly tucking it into her jeans as she slid her feet into the high-heeled black boots at the foot of her bed. "Noah's waiting outside with the boys." Noah? What the hell was."The boys?" Nick asked instead, discounting the possibility that he could be jealous and trying to pretend the nagging feeling he was experiencing was only heightened curiosity. "Myles and MJ," Abby explained, grabbing her suede jacket from her closet and smiling at Nick as she brushed past. "The party at the Youth Center," she reminded him, slipping her arms inside the jacket and taking time to tuck her tawny hair beneath the dark brown, nearly black beret atop her head. "Why don't you come with us? "I can't," Nick couldn't stop the lie from escaping his lips. "I have other plans," he elaborated, remembering the wine and meal he'd cooked growing colder as time passed. Other plans? What other plans, Abby wondered as she struggled to hide her disappointment. "Too bad," she replied with a small, faltering smile. "You're missing out on a great party. I mean, it's for the kids, but.Nevermind," Abby sighed. "Be sure to tell me all the juicy details," she teased half-heartedly as she let herself out of the apartment without another glance in Nick's direction. What details? What plans, Nick asked himself as he downed the glass of wine he'd poured earlier and put the bottle back into the refrigerator. There was nothing to tell. Chapter 63 "Well, if it isn't Harmony's resident SAPS," Abby teased, hazel eyes rolling in exaggerated disgust as she crossed her arms across her chest and planted herself right in front of Sheridan and Luis. Sheridan laughed softly, leaning back further into Luis's embrace when his arms wrapped around her waist. "A word of advice," Abby dropped her voice to an intimate whisper as she stepped closer to them. "I know Mr. Hunk here probably has something REALLY romantic planned for tonight, and I wouldn't expect anything less," Abby said, smirking at the amused expressions Sheridan and Luis both sported. "Besides.Pilar and Martin already filled me in about keeping Ali and Cristian at the hospital earlier. Can't have the kiddies around for what you got planned, huh Luis?" Abby plowed ahead, delighting in teasing the hell out of them both. "Just remember.I know they can be mighty powerful, but pregnancy hormones be damned.you don't want to, how should I put his? OverDO things. None of that kinky golly I know you secretly love." A small brown hand reached in between them, and Sheridan and Luis gasped in slightly embarrassed surprise, wondering just how much of the conversation MJ had heard. "That's two dollars," MJ grinned, holding out his hand for the cash. "Why you little." Abby grumbled, pulling a wadded five-dollar bill out of her jeans pocket. "I don' t have change. Dammit," she swore. "Three dollars plus two dollars makes five dollars," MJ's dark eyes laughed at her as he snatched the bill out of her hand before she could protest any more. "Aren't you just a mathematical genius?" Abby sneered as MJ stuffed the crumpled money into his pocket. "Did you see that?" Abby turned back to Sheridan and Luis with a proud smile. "Our Demon Seed is slowly coming back to us." "Jake, I don' t see why you don't just give Ali the card. She'll love it no matter what because it's from you. You know you don't have to give her a present. Ali won't care," Gwen sighed, trying to talk some sense into her panicking son. "But Mom," Jake whined. "But Jake," Gwen whined back. "What do you think, Bennett?" she nudged Hank with her elbow, making him splash cherry Kool-Aid all over his white Henley and all over the front of his pants. "Babe! What the hell?!" Hank let out an humiliatingly girly squeal. Gwen's brown eyes sparkled with barely suppressed humor, and when Emily scrambled up the bleachers, her little face contorted with panic as she started giving Hank 'CPR' (Kool-Aid- sticky kisses to whatever part of Hank's body she could reach), mother and son forgot all about their little disagreement and saw eye to eye on one thing.only them. This would only happen to them, and only Emily would mistake cherry Kool-Aid for blood and try to 'love' her daddy back to life. Jake snickered and hopped off the bleachers, deciding to go benefit Sara from his expertise on basketball and teach her how to REALLY play the game. "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll make it all better," Emily vowed, clinging to Hank like a trembling vine. "Emmy.Emmy, Daddy's not hurt. It's Kool-Aid," Hank told his daughter. Emily's brown eyes sparkled and her voice was sweet and cheerful as she slid out of Hank's arms with a smile. "Oh! Can I have some?" Hank looked to Gwen in dumbfounded amazement. Grace's eggs couldn't have been secretly implanted in Gwen's womb when they weren't looking, could they? His Emmy was his brother's wife's mini-clone. "Ali," Lissy's chocolate eyes were earnest and tearful as she hugged Ali's neck tightly and pulled back to run her little girl fingers across the pink and white-checked bandana covering Ali's head. "I wish you could come back to school. I miss you awful much." "Me too," Ali said softly, her blue eyes just as solemn but without the tears. Hope shone in Ali's blue eyes brightly as she combed Lissy's tawny hair back off her shoulders, and she spoke in a gentle whisper. "Dr. Nick says he's going to get me ALL better so I can come back to school AND play with my brand-new baby sister when she's born, and everything's going to be like it was before. Only better." "But Ali," Lissy protested, "you haven't been to school since." she paused to try to mentally count off the exact number of days Ali had missed but couldn't do it. "You've missed too many days Ali. You won't be in my class anymore. It won't be the same," Lissy pouted. "My mommy's been helping me with my school work," Ali told Lissy with a smile. "She has?" Lissy asked hopefully, "Is she smarter than Ms. Kinsay?" "Uh huh," Ali giggled, "but don't tell Ms. Kinsay I said so." "I won't," Lissy promised, crossing her heart then pinkie-swearing with Ali for added measure. "Oh Ali!" Lissy cried, flinging her arms back around Ali's neck. "I'm egg-static." Ali giggled as Lissy let go of her neck, and the two little girls started walking across the Youth Center hand in hand. "I think I see my daddy, Ali," Lissy announced as they neared the refreshment table. "So Noah," Abby grinned as she indulged herself in a little open admiration of the dark blond god's rock-hard physique. "You're young, very attractive, and single. Why is that exactly?" Noah's silver-blue eyes danced at her as he lifted Myles up so the little boy could reach the tray of pink-iced and white-iced cupcakes Beth had brought with her arrival. "Maybe I haven't met the right woman yet. I could say the same for you, you know," he remarked, watching her as she leaned down to wipe the glob of pink icing from the corner of Myles's mouth with the pad of her thumb. "Young?" Abby scoffed. "I was probably born in a different decade than you so hell no. I'm not what YOU'd consider young. Single? An eternal curse or blessing-depending on a person's point of view. You, I think, would fall into the latter category," Abby surmised, handing Myles another glass of Kool-Aid with the distracted thought that the kid was going to be bouncing off the walls at 3 a.m. with all the sugar pumped into his system in the last hour alone. "You forgot attractive," Noah offered her a charming smile. Abby rolled her hazel eyes at him. "Noah Bennett, are you flirting with me?" "She's not available, Uncle Noah," MJ interjected with a little smirk as his arm darted out in search of a cupcake. "She's in love with Ali's Dr. Nick," he mumbled around a mouthful of cupcake, wisely leaving them before Abby found the strength to pick her jaw back up off the ground and regained the rest of her mental and physical capabilities. "He.he's wrong. I'm not.there's nothing.there's some.feelings.of some sort involved," Abby stammered in awkward explanation. "I'm weak from too many sex-less years.uh, I have someone I want you to meet," she quickly changed the subject. "How do you feel about blind dates?" "Auntie," Chad leaned over Sheridan's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "I need a favor." The smile on Sheridan's face grew as Chad detailed his request to the letter, and she promised to do everything he asked. Even if it DID cut into her evening plans just a wee bit. "You're the best auntie in the entire world," Chad teased her as he started to back away and make himself scarce. "Abby and Noah already agreed to chaperone the dance tonight. Are you sure you can find." "Chad," Sheridan laughed, shooing him out the door, "it wasn't too long ago that **I** ran this place. Luis before me. It won't be a problem. Go. This is a big night for you." "What was THAT all about?" Beth asked as she sat down in the empty seat beside Sheridan. "I'm sworn to secrecy," Sheridan said, biting her lip, "but it looks like Ethan might be able to clue you in. I really don't mean to be rude, Beth, but it looks like I'm being paged," Sheridan gave Beth an apologetic smile as she answered Cristian's unspoken plea to save him from a circle of squabbling little girls. "So Ethan," Beth turned her curious brown eyes to her.friend? Boyfriend? More? "What's Chad got up his sleeve? And why is it making YOU so uncomfortable?" "I used to wonder how different my life would be if I'd made my decision sooner and not hurt either of them as badly as I did." Beth stayed silent, knowing without asking who the 'them' Ethan was talking about was-Gwen and Theresa. "It's in the past, Ethan," she reminded him gently. "I thought about marrying her once." Ethan cleared his throat. So Chad was going to propose, Beth made the educated guess easily. "I thought about marrying Luis once too, and I was convinced Sheridan couldn't make him happy the way I would have," she murmured. "But I was only kidding myself. He adores her, Ethan. She's his LIFE. I've never been someone's life. Not with Luis, not with Hank, not even with you. We're only a part of each other's lives, but I'm happy, and that's enough for me. Is it enough for you, Ethan?" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "You didn't have to come in with me," Ivy told Shane as they walked down the long white halls of the hospital in search of Joshua Lopez-Fitzgerald's hospital room. Shane was able to hide the smirk on his lips from her, but Ivy most definitely saw the twinkle in his hazel eyes as he retorted, "You didn't have to bring a present to the B & B. I think you knew Grace would be HERE. Admit it. Since our lunch, you've been finding excuses to see me," Shane teased. "You and your sister are more alike than I realized," Ivy stated, looking straight ahead and not meeting his eyes. Shane chuckled. "Abby would LOVE hearing you say THAT," he muttered under his breath. "Is it a crime to admit you enjoy spending time in my presence?" "You wouldn't take NO for an answer," Ivy frowned, pausing at the nurses' station to question the nurse on duty about the location of Joshua's room. "I asked once," Shane reminded her, leaning down to whisper softly in her ear, "You said YES." It took everything Ivy had inside NOT to react to his proximity. What the hell was she thinking anyway? She set this whole tease into motion, and now she was having trouble going through with it. Something about the man intrigued her, attracted her to him, but something was holding her back from acting on her most tempting impulses. Or rather, SOMEONE, she realized as they rounded a corner, and Grace and Sam came into view. Ivy looked at them, holding each other so carefully, and she couldn't help the residual pang she felt in her heart at the sight. She'd already reconciled herself to the fact that Sam's love for her was in the past, but a small part of her, the part that still ached when she looked into their son's eyes, would ALWAYS love him. Try as she might, she couldn't change that fact. "Ivy? Ivy, is something wrong?" Shane inquired quietly, taking the teddy bear from her numb fingers and leading her back around the corner and away from Sam and Grace. "Nothing," Ivy shook her head to clear it of the cobwebs. "Nothing, it's just.visiting hours should be enjoyed by his family, and I don't really think we should intrude. He's probably sleeping anyway. We should just.leave this," she grabbed the floppy teddy bear back from him, "at the nurses' station." "Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Shane asked again, searching her blue-green eyes. "No, nothing's wrong," she finally answered him, her lips stretching into a wide Cheshire grin. "I don't need anymore excuses, strangely, I like spending time with you, and I'm not going to take no for an answer. I have two tickets to the Valentine's Ball at the Seascape. Come with me?" "Wow," Shane grinned. "No more hiding behind excuses. I like that. What time should you pick me up?" he teased a chuckle out of her. Ivy was still laughing as they left the nurses' station. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Abby held the mirror in front of her, turning sideways and checking to make sure every strand of tawny hair in her French twist was in place. The deep red dress clung to her body in all the right places, she thought with a wry grin, creating the illusion that she had curves that just didn't exist. Not certain beautiful, buxom, blue-eyed blond curves anyway. Ordinary, reasonably attractive, small-chested, hazel-eyed Abby curves. The dress had a long slit in one side that exposed nearly her entire thigh, but what did that matter, she frowned, when you didn't have killer legs to show off, and your audience for the night was going to be a bunch of hormonal teenagers? At least the strappy, so NOT appropriate for the dead of winter heels she was wearing put her over the five feet five mark. Barely. She wondered if she could look directly into Gray Eyes's eyes without getting a crick in her neck with the sexy heels. Where the hell was Gray Eyes? The whole other plans bit was pissing her off more than she would have liked to admit. Damn, but she wished the man would stop doing the two-step around her! And she was inclined to tell him just that when she heard the front door open and the approaching sound of footsteps. "I think it's time to torture the good doctor a little," she told her reflection, earning a indignant meow from the black kitten lounging on the edge of the bathroom sink. "Oh, blow it out your old wazoo," she stuck her tongue out at the creature, flipping off the light and stepping outside.
"Abby, you're ba.you just got back. Are you going somewhere?" Nick said, finally able to get his mind and tongue to cooperate with one another. Abby pretended not to notice the intense way he was looking at her or the slight hitch of protest in his voice when he realized she wasn't sticking around. "Noah and I promised Chad we'd chaperone the Dance tonight for the teens. I thought you had other plans," she murmured, slipping her sparkling earrings into each ear. "Other plans? Yeah.right. Other plans. After you left.they got postponed 'til later. I'm meeting her later." HER?! What's the big deal, Abby, the nagging voice inside her head jeered. What were you expecting? A HIM? It'd be just up your alley to lust after a gay man. "Oh. Well.I hope you have a great time" Brilliant performance, Meryl. "Thanks," Nick said quietly, watching her fumble with the clasp of the solitaire diamond necklace in her hands. "Nick?" she implored him for his help with hazel eyes, holding out the necklace. Abby tried to ignore the unwelcome flutter that rose within her stomach when his long, masculine fingers brushed against her palm, making her nerve endings tingle. And she fought like hell to stay upright as he moved in close behind her, his body barely touching hers as he leaned forward, draping the necklace across her neck. Such a serious miscalculation on her part. Gray Eyes was never the tortured soul. SHE was, she thought with a trembling breath, trying to ignore the soft puff of his hot breath against her skin and the way it made her stomach engage in the most awe-inspiring acrobatics. She held her breath as Nick slowly turned her around, holding the necklace up in the palm of his hand and admiring it. "It's fake," Abby blurted before he even had a chance to ask, easing some of the tension in the air and coaxing a lazy smile from Nick. "But you're real," he pointed out. "Of course, I'm real," Abby scoffed. "Even **I** think I'm too strange to be fake," she cracked, enjoying the laugh that bubbled up within him. "Strange? I don't have a problem with strange things. Or people. I LIKE strange." Was he.did he just.oh dear God, she was going to fall flat on her face from the shock. She felt so damned wobbly in her kick-ass heels. She had the strangest sensation that he wanted to kiss her, and then.let's just say Noah had no clue about the HELL he was in for the entire night after shattering the 'moment'. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Theresita? Is that you? Did you forget.Gwen. Jake," Pilar smiled warmly, stepping aside and inviting the unexpected arrivals inside. "I'm sorry. I thought you were Theresa. She forgot her gloves. "I'm sorry for dropping by without warning," Gwen smiled humorously at the woman that knew her young son well, "but Jake refused to wait. He HAD to give Ali her Valentine's Day present," she sighed, nodding her blond head at Jake as he approached the sofa where Ali reclined with Cristian and MJ, watching television. Cristian and MJ giggled when Jake handed Ali the prettily wrapped package. "He's dragged me across the entire mall looking for the PERFECT gift," she laughed, falling silent as they watched Ali pull the pink ribbon of the package free slowly. Mothers weren't the only ones prone to sticking their noses into their children's 'love' lives. Grandmothers did too. Whenever they got the chance. And Pilar and Gwen hung on every word exchanged between Jake and Ali. The heart-covered wrapping paper fell away, and Ali lifted the lid of the box carefully, her sweet mouth falling open in delighted surprise when she withdrew a beautiful little box with a tiny blond angel resting on a cloud on its front. "She looked kind of like you," Jake mumbled. "It plays music. Listen," he instructed. Ali's smile was almost too big, too radiant for the small living room when the tinkling tune played, and Jake, regrettably, found himself blushing for the second time that day-it was all Ali's fault! "Happy Valentine's Day, Ali. No more kissing," Jake warned, holding his hands up in front of himself like a shield. "You are a "Tuesday's Child,' aren't you? Mom said you were born on Tuesday, but I said it didn't matter 'cause she looked like you, and it was perfect even though it's not really a Valentine's present.you do like your present, don't you Ali? I told you no more kissing," Jake grumbled, wiping his cheek roughly with the sleeve of his sweater when he felt the soft press of Ali's lips against his cheek. Ali just giggled and tucked her music box close to her heart with a softly whispered "Thank you."
Chapter 64 "Chad! Where are you taking me?" Theresa giggled as Chad walked her forward, keeping his gloved hands over her eyes the entire time. Snow crunched beneath her chunky-heeled black boots, and she nearly tripped when her foot came into contact with an elevated surface she assumed was a sidewalk. "Chad, you know I'm not the most graceful person," Theresa grinned, certain she looked completely silly with her arms outstretched in front of her, ready to brace herself if she started to fall flat on her face. "Theresa, girl," Chad chuckled as he carefully steered her toward the front door of his newly acquired property. "You're a klutz. Keep your eyes closed while I open the door." "Oh, we're going inside. Where? Chad?" Theresa couldn't help but ask. "Chill, alright?" Chad told her, a smile in his voice as she answered him back with "Not a problem." "You'll find out soon enough. Watch your step," Chad instructed her, placing a guiding hand at the small of her back as they stepped inside. Theresa breathed a sigh of relief when she no longer felt the cold bite of the February night air against her cheeks and reached up a hand to pull the red scarf looped around her neck off. "Chad? Can I open my eyes now?" she giggled again, tucking one long, curling strand of mahogany hair behind her ear. "Chad?" "Over here," Chad's voice echoed as it reached her ears, and Theresa's dark eyes snapped open, widening in surprise when they took in her surroundings. Behind her and at each side was open space, so much open space it made her jaw drop. And in front of her.twinkling white lights. Everywhere. And a table set for two. "Chad," Theresa approached him with sparkling brown eyes. "This is.this is beautiful. But why this place?" she asked, turning around slowly. "Have some patience, girl. You'll find out soon enough," he responded simply, offering her his hand. Theresa took it and let him lead her to the small table and pull out her chair for her. "Chad!" she laughed, when he disappeared from her side for several seconds. Soft music started playing, and she gasped in slight surprise when Chad reappeared in front of her, holding a chilled bottle of champagne. "What are we toasting to?" she asked, beaming at him in the soft flicker of candlelight and twinkling white lights as he carefully poured them each a glass. Chad shrugged, his dark eyes sparkling teasingly at her across the table, "Valentine's Day. Us. Your new place." he grinned as he clinked his glass against hers. "To us," Theresa whispered softly, lifting her own glass to her lips. "Wait a minute.My new place? Chad, what are you talking ab.oh my goodness! Chad?" Theresa practically squealed as she sprang from her seat, nearly knocking over the candles and bottle of champagne in the process. "This is mine. This is really mine?" "All yours," Chad grinned, barely having time to prepare for her fierce hug of thanks. He chuckled as she kissed him on the lips quickly and started tugging him along with her as she took in her surroundings with new eyes, their candlelit dinner long forgotten with the excitement of her new discovery. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Dammit!" Abby swore as she stumbled inside the darkened apartment. Kick- ass heels, huh? More like flat on her ass heels. "Good for nothing garbage," she muttered, glaring at the broken shoe dangling from her fingertips. She pulled the other heel off and tossed both shoes onto the sofa as she leaned forward to turn the lamp on the end table on. " golly !" she screamed when her hand came in contact with something warm, fuzzy, and breathing. "You little beast," she glared at the purring black furball accusingly once the lamp was turned on, "don't scare the one who feeds you and cloth.uh, feeds you and scoops your litterbox like that. You don't want to be an outside cat, do you?" Lucky rolled over onto his back, presenting his stomach to her to be scratched. "All right, you little monster," she grumbled as she complied with the kitten's demand for affection, "but don't expect me to be at your beck and call. Where's Gray Eyes, huh?" Abby sighed as she slid the spaghetti straps of her dress off her shoulders as best she could manage with one free hand. "Peeping Tom," she rolled her twinkling hazel eyes at the animal as it proceeded to watch her peel the dress from her body and stroll toward her bedroom in just her lingerie. Did she WANT Gray Eyes to come home from his 'other plans' early and find her in nothing but a pair of crimson lace undies? She wasn't afraid to tempt fate sometimes, she reasoned as she picked Nick's gray sweatshirt-strike that- HER gray sweatshirt up from its customary place across the armchair beside her bed and slipped it over her tawny head as she padded into the kitchen in her bare feet. This Valentine's Day, from a romantic entanglement standpoint, was going down in the history books as one of the biggest, no.THE biggest disappointment she'd suffered since junior high. Contrary to what she'd said at the party to Noah earlier in the day, she was enjoying the hell out of being flirted with.even more so tonight. Until she'd introduced the guy to a certain green-eyed nurse just crazy enough to agree to chaperone the Dance too. You asked for it, Abby, the nagging voice inside her head reminded her. "Some kind of something going on there," she muttered, opening the freezer and taking out the tried and true salve for her heart problems since her first major break-up. Eric Marguiles in the 7th grade dumping her for Meghan Nixon-the twelve-year-old with big boobs and perfect, straight, pearly-white teeth-without the aid of braces. "Slut," Abby growled in memory, foregoing a bowl and deciding to eat the ice cream from the container. It always tasted better that way anyway. Midway through her self-thrown pity party, anger welled up within her and she slammed the carton of ice cream down on the kitchen counter. "Other plans, and he almost kisses ME?" she huffed, stalking toward the punching bag hanging from the ceiling in one corner of the apartment. "Other plans?" Translation.I don't want YOU. I don't want to spend time with YOU. The bag was unyielding beneath her fists, and she grunted in frustration as she pounded it harder, imagining it was Gray Eyes's torso after another round of 'I want you.no, I'm sorry.I don't want you.' The sleeves of the gray sweatshirt swallowed her fists and arms whenever she struck out, irritating her more, and she'd be hard-pressed to identify a time when she was more pissed off than the moment she heard his footsteps behind her, his voice so close to her ear, his hand on her shoulder. Which might explain what happened next. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Are you sure you're okay with this?" Luis murmured against Sheridan's brow as they gently swayed to the music filling their living room. "Leaving the Seascape and coming home?" Sheridan answered back softly, her lips brushing his ear as she spoke. "Luis.I'm fine with this," she pulled back to look at his face. "You don't have to take me to fancy balls and go through so much trouble to make me happy. I'm happiest right here. In this living room. Dancing in my bare feet. Alone with the man that I'll love until the day I die," she whispered sincerely. "But you knew all these things. Didn't you?" she breathed, resting her forehead against his as they nuzzled noses and moved lips tenderly against each other. "You wanted me out of the house. Why?" Luis trailed his knuckles across Sheridan's silky cheek, smiling into her blue eyes as his other hand pressed at the small of her back and the slight swell of her pregnant belly met his abdomen. "You don't miss anything, do you? I needed a little bit of help with my surprise for you. Only it wouldn't have been a surprise.if we hadn't made an appearance at the Valentine's Ball," he told her. "Luis," Sheridan laughed, "are you implying that you can't trust me?" "To keep a surprise a surprise? Of course not," he teased, rubbing his thumb against the peek-a-boo patch of warm skin the red dress revealed at the base of her spine. "That's why I asked Mama and Papa for help," he grinned as he entwined their hands and gently pulled her in the direction of their bedroom. "Luis," Sheridan balked right outside their bedroom door, "You asked Pilar and Martin to." "Sheridan," Luis chuckled at her stricken expression at the thought of his mother or father even stepping foot inside their bedroom. "Mama and Papa were just here to supervise when the delivery guy came," he reassured her. "We're adults, we love each other, and we're married.Mama and Papa KNOW they're not keeping Ali and Cristian so we can play Scrabble," Luis teased, oddly pleased he could still make his wife blush. He captured her wrist before she could bring her hand in contact with his chest in a playful shove and pulled her body close to his own as his free hand twisted the doorknob and pushed their bedroom door open. "Deliveryman." Luis watched her expressive face, her blue eyes begin to sparkle with happiness and tears as looked inside their bedroom. Flowers. Flowers of every kind and color imaginable filled every crook and cranny of their bedroom. Roses of the deepest red hues, roses of every shade of pink, most vivid yellows and oranges, and purest white filled the bedroom with their fragrant scent. Sheridan's mouth hung open in amazement as she discovered more flowers-tulips, forget-me-nots, and carnations. "Are you trying to tell me something, Luis?" Sheridan laughed softly as she fingered the tiny blue forget-me-nots. "Luis, this must have cost." Luis shook his head and quieted her with a finger to her lips. Sheridan pressed a kiss to that finger, letting him seat her on their bed. She watched him with shimmering blue eyes as he crossed the bedroom to their armoire and retrieved an old, wooden box. Luis smiled at the question in her eyes as she took the box from him and carefully lifted the lid. Sheridan's hands trembled as she held a small, white card with tattered edges. "The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you.," she read, pausing when her voice got thick with tears, ".lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." Luis cupped her jaw with one big brown hand and smiled into her eyes. "I wish I could take credit, but the words aren't mine. Only the feelings behind them. There's more," he told her, leaving her side once more as she removed another card from the box. She raised a hand to her mouth, girlish giggles escaping her lips as she read the 'Snoopy' Valentine. "Snoopy, Luis? Somehow I can't picture you or Hank with Snoopy Valentines." Luis grinned, approaching her with a hand behind his back. "I tried to find a card I would have given you as a five-year- old, but there weren't any 'GI Joe' cards anywhere." Her blue eyes lit up with mirth as he knelt at her feet and presented her with a tiny bouquet of daisies. "I didn't have any problem finding these though." "You were such a romantic five-year-old," she teased, taking the cheerful flowers between her fingers and lifting them to her nose. "What else is in there, Luis? That box is full." "Valentines for you," he answered, picking through the box until he found what he wanted.a card with hearts and flowers, bordering on true sappiness. A Valentine chosen quickly because of the embarrassment of actually giving a girl a gift and grudgingly given from one 8th grader to another. Her smile lit up the room, far outshining the softly flickering candles' light when Luis handed her the accompanying teddy bear, and she hugged it to her chest, leaning down brush her mouth against his. Valentines for each year were in the box, and he wanted her to see and read every one. Later. But there was one in particular he needed to give her. THIS year's Valentine. He handed her the love letter and watched her read it with his heart in his throat as the soft music from the living room reached his ears-a woman singing of her own Valentine. When she lifted her glistening azure eyes to his face, he could see straight through to her heart. "Oh, Luis." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "The baby clothes can go here," Theresa waved her arm in the general direction of the right side of the building as he pulled out her chair for her for the second time that evening, and Chad could no longer hide his smile. For the last hour or so, she'd chattered on and on about her plans. He took that as a definite appreciation for his gift. "Chad, this is the best Valentine's Day gift," she beamed at him. "Thank you." "You're welcome," he told her as he handed her a plate full of food, fixing his own plate and setting it down. "But it's not a Valentine's gift." Brown eyes full of confusion stared at him as he grinned nervously at her and felt around in his jacket pocket. "It's a different kind of present. One I hope you'll still accept when I." he paused, searching the area around the table when his search of both jacket pockets revealed no ring box. "Chad, are you okay? What's going on? Did you lose something? I can help you find it," Theresa offered helpfully, pushing her chair back and standing up. "Just tell me what I'm looking for." Chad stifled his groan as he met her sparkling brown eyes. He'd been so busy making sure everything else was perfect that he'd forgotten the most important item of all. "Sheridan," he breathed. The ring was probably still in her purse, and at that moment she and Luis were probably.There went his proposal. He couldn't exactly call her up when he was sure she'd be.busy. "Theresa, girl. Don't worry about it. It's nothing." That wasn't true. "I had something I wanted to give you, and I thought I had it with me in my jacket, but." Theresa took his leather jacket from his arms and slipped her hands in each pocket. "If it's another present for me, we HAVE to find it," she said, giggling at the amused expression on his face. "It might help if you told me what IT is." Chad chuckled and shook his head. "These lips are sealed. You'll just have to wait," he told her, taking a few steps away the table to scan the area around them in the off-chance it'd fallen out of his pocket. It was then he remembered. "Chad, did you check the little inside pocket. It might be." Theresa's voice trailed off as an object fell to the ground, and she knelt to pick it up, her brown eyes impossibly wide as her trembling fingers pried the lid of the tiny velvet box open to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "Chad?" she whispered as she stood up slowly, and he gently took the box from her hands. "Theresa," he sighed as he took the ring from the box and held it between his fingers. "This isn't the romantic proposal I wanted to give you, the one that you deserve.but it IS me asking you the most important question of my life. What do you say? Theresa.will you marry me?" "Are you crazy, Chad?" Theresa whispered, her dark eyes sparkling with suspicious moisture as she stared up at him unblinkingly. And Chad held his breath as he witnessed the small beginnings of a radiant smile blossom on her lips and transform her entire face. "Yes. Yes!" she squealed happily, throwing her arms around his neck and nearly knocking him off-balance. He breathed a sigh of relief then smirked. He knew she was going to say 'YES' all along. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nick rubbed his aching jaw in surprise. He still couldn't believe she'd hit him. And from the look in her hazel eyes, she couldn't believe she'd hit him either. But that didn't stop her from trying to do it again. "Abby, what.what was that for?" he asked, holding up a defensive hand. "Other plans," she growled, focusing her anger back on the punching bag behind her. Nick made no move to touch her as she struck the bag repeatedly, slightly afraid of a repeat performance of a few minutes ago, despite the diminuative size of the woman in front of him. She packed a powerful punch. George was proof of that, and so was the dull throbbing in his lower jaw. "I can't tell which way is up with you. One minute you're kissing me back," she paused to land a vicious punch on the bag, and Nick winced. "The next you're pushing me away again and pretending that it didn't happen. Which is it, Nick?" she grunted as she landed a kick against the bag. Behind her, Nick's hands fell to the hem of his black sweater, sweeping it up and over his head and tossing it somewhere behind him. "Do you want me or not? 'Cause if you don't, I'd like to know so I can stop wasting my time on a man that is nothing but a sorry sack of sh." Abby's words died in her throat, and her vocal cords stopped working all together when Nick stepped around her, and she was met with a sight she'd drooled over many times.his sleek, muscled bare chest right before her eyes. The air held hostage in her lungs escaped her throat in a sob as she raised her hands to his chest and shoved him as hard as she could, sending them both tumbling to the exercise mat on the floor. "Please.please, don't." she pleaded weakly, bracing her hands on his shoulders as she pushed herself upright, her legs straddling his waist on either side. Something inside Nick broke at the echo of defeat so unusual in her voice, and his hand traveled up her arm, past her shoulder to rest a finger at her lips. Hazel eyes were locked in on his gray eyes as he slid his hand to the base of her skull and urged her mouth down to his. He could still feel her fighting him, resisting him as he planted feather-light kisses against her closed mouth, and he shifted beneath her, his left hand hooking behind her knee and gripping it tightly as the sensation of her lower body coming into direct contact with his groin threatened to overwhelm him. Abby gasped against his mouth, and he took that opportunity to plunder her open mouth. He had no doubt denial would never work in keeping her at arm's length again. He kissed her. Over and over again. From the mere whisper of lips brushing experimentally against each other to deep, wet kisses that couldn't bring him close enough to her as his hand cupped her head and pulled her into him. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his blood rushed through his veins as his hands touched everywhere they could reach. Her skin was hot against his fingertips as his hand swept beneath the sweatshirt she wore and rest on the tattoo he knew was there. He could almost see the sunburst design bursting in a brilliance of color behind his closed eyelids as she moaned into his mouth and broke away panting. Nick's labored breathing nearly spun out of control when she sat up astride him and tore the sweatshirt over her tawny head. His hands left her thighs, and he wrapped one arm around her slender waist, pulling her down to him so that he could taste the mole on the full underside of her right breast. Abby's breath rasped in her throat as Nick shifted beneath her again, and her knees pressed into the exercise mat as he sat up and his arms went around her back, cupping her shoulders as his mouth lavished kisses on her skin, from her chin to her sternum. Her arms cradled him close as he lingered at the valley between her breasts, just nuzzling her and breathing her in. He tightened his arms around her in a brief hug before releasing her just long enough to climb to his feet and gather her against him again. Abby's arms went around his neck and her heels hooked behind his back, and the gold in her hazel eyes almost took Nick's breath away as he tucked a loose strand of tawny hair behind her ear and carried her toward his bedroom. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "For all the Valentine's Days that come before," Sheridan murmured, smiling softly as she fingered the edges of another card. She dropped it back into the little wooden box and rest her palm against Luis's abdomen, tucking her golden head beneath his chin. "How did I ever get so lucky?" "Sometimes I wonder if Theresa's Fate actually exists," Luis answered her, making her smile grow even wider. "You.Mr. By the Book believing in fate and destiny and all that good stuff?" "You've taught me anything is possible," Luis laughed softly at her teasing tone. "Coming back to me that first Christmas. And after.when you came back to me and Ali the second time," he said, trailing his fingertips up and down her bare arm and clasping their hands together when their fingers met and entwined. His life was divided into two parts: before he knew her love and after he knew her love and loved her. Before he loved her, his life WAS by the book, and he didn't open his eyes long enough or wide enough to see all the beauty there was to see. He kept his life safe, bland, living on his duty instead of his dreams and love. Now, the after, his eyes were wide open, and he was living in a world filled with so much color, so many intense highs and lows, it overwhelmed him sometimes. But he wouldn't trade this life with all its uncertainties for a paint-by-number substitute. "Maybe it is." Sheridan hesitated to actually use the word 'fate,' "I don't know for sure if fate and destiny exist, Luis. But I do know," she paused, raising up and searching his beloved face with her blue eyes, "that whatever curve ball life throws at us, we're going to confront it together. I'll always come back to you, Luis, no matter who or what I have to fight to do it. If that's fate, count yourself a lucky man." Sheridan's hand raised to cup his jaw, and he pressed his cheek against her palm, smiling against her lips as they descended on his lips and his face. "Do you remember that first Valentine's Day?" he asked her as she stood between the open vee of his legs at the edge of their bed, and he slipped his fingers beneath the thin, silky ties at the back of her dress, pulling them free. "Like yesterday," she whispered, lifting her hands to her shoulders and sliding the straps down. Her hands rested against the muscular planes of his chest as he dropped kisses across the revealed golden skin of the swell of her breasts. "Luis.I want to touch you," she protested weakly as he removed her hands from his chest and lowered them to her sides. Her blue eyes glittered at him in the dark light as his big dark hands peeled the bodice of the dress down, over the gently swell of her stomach, and let the dress fall to pool around her feet. Happy tears slipped down her cheeks as his arms went around her waist, and he pressed his mouth against her belly, whispering to their baby. Her lips quirked up at the corners, and she smiled through her tears as she listened and heard what amounted to gibberish. Loving gibberish, but gibberish all the same. "Luis," she laughed, combing her fingers through his dark hair. "What are you telling her?" "Secrets between father and daughter," he answered back with a cute little grin, "but you were mentioned. She wanted me to tell you how beautiful she thought you looked tonight, all glowing and happy, and she wanted to say hi." "She told you all that?" Sheridan smirked as she traced his familiar features with her fingertips. "Tell her I said hi, too, and to ignore her daddy because he's being a silly dork right now," she teased, running her index finger along the tip of his nose then the tiny indented space above his upper lip. She threw her head back and laughed when Luis nipped playfully at the pad of her finger. "Okay.a sweet dork," she amended, smiling against his lips as he kissed her. "Or maybe," she gasped as she felt his hand move between her legs, touching her in teasing strokes as she clung to him for support, "not a dork at all. Damn you, Luis," she pouted with her kiss-swollen red lips. "You never did fight fair," she sighed as he lay her back against the pillows. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Abby's head hit the cold, solid surface of Nick's bedroom door with a thud, and Nick tore his lips from hers, his gray eyes shining with apology. "Abby, I." "I'm fine," Abby told him, moistening her upper lip with her tongue. She grinned as his groan reached her ears, combing her fingers through the dark hair at the nape of his neck and staring at him with hazel eyes that blazed with desire. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Nick's neck, flattening her soft breasts against his chest, and let her lips brush against his ear lobe as she spoke to him in a sultry whisper. "Ready to get bare-assed naked with me, Doctor?" Her mouth opened to release a throaty moan when she felt his hand grip her thigh and lift it higher on his waist and his hips undulated against hers. His voice was a low, sexy drawl as he pressed her body more firmly against the door with his own "Does that answer your question?" "I always did prefer the long, detailed answers of essay questions myself," Abby teased him breathlessly as he backed them toward his bed. Nick's gray eyes laughed at her as he turned them around with the first touch of the mattress against the back of his legs and let her body slide down his length onto the bed. "What does it take to render you speechless?" His laugh morphed into a groan when she rose on her knees, and he felt the heat of her mouth on his skin as she kissed, nibbled, and licked her way up his abdomen and chest. His hands delved into her tawny hair, carefully removing the pins that kept her French twist intact, and her silky hair tumbled to her shoulders, obscuring her face from his view as she responded to his question. "That actually hasn't been discovered yet, but give it your best shot." His gray eyes snapped shut when he felt her small, hot hands unbutton his jeans and struggle with the zipper. Abby shrieked with surprised laughter when he toppled her backwards, bracing himself above her with his forearms and nipping playfully at her chin. "Geez. I'm not your evening entrée. Biting's nice.IF you're a vampire," she teased, sweeping her hands across the corded muscles of his back and even digging her nails in as her hands reached his denim-covered ass, pulling him down and covering her body with his from head to toe. "I bet you can't shut me up," she challenged him with twinkling hazel eyes. "I'll take that bet," Nick grinned down at her, sweeping her hair back from her face before bending down and trailing his lips along her cheek and temple. It crossed his mind as his lips and hands touched and caressed her body that he'd been a stupid man to deny himself this for so long. The warm press of her back against his chest as he draped her arm around his neck and his hands and fingers learned the feel and texture of her skin as they fluttered over her ribcage, careful not to apply too much pressure to a wound that was fading but still visible. The soft weight of her breast in his palm as his lips and teeth found the pulse point at her throat, earning him a typically colorful remark from Abby. And the string of curses that left her throat in a strangled gasp as his hand skirted past the lacy rim of her crimson panties, teasing her, made him smirk in satisfaction. She was boneless and languid beneath his hands as they catalogued each dip and valley of her spine, and she shivered when she felt the wet stroke of his tongue tracing the outline of the sun tattoo on her lower back. Her abdominal muscles fluttered beneath his touch, and she arched beneath him when he flicked his tongue into her navel, her sweat-dampened tawny hair a disheveled halo on his midnight pillow. He discovered what made her squirm beneath his touch-the back of her knees, soles of her feet, and her hipbones were sensitive and ticklish, and she hummed in the back of her throat when his thumbs stroked the baby soft skin of her inner thighs, writhing and opening herself to him, frustration leading her to call him a "Bastard." He learned what made her sigh and cry out with pleasure, touching her in places she hadn't been sure existed before. And when he finally ended her torment, sinker deeper and deeper into her body as he lost himself in her gold-hazel eyes, their hands were clasped tightly, pressing into the down of the pillow on each side of her head. His lingering thought as he kissed the salty wetness away from the fringes of the pale lashes of the woman writhing beneath him in pleasure-pain and babbling nonsense.figuring out how to render Abby speechless was going to be VERY enjoyable. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Well, now I feel like a voyeur," the angel with wise brown eyes told the little blond angel beside her as the picture of two lovers so new sleeping in each others' arms in front of her started to fade and change into something else. Another place. Another set of lovers holding each other as they read through a box of Valentines. She.wearing his pristine dress shirt like so many years ago when they first found love. He.wearing the same adoring smile. The brown-eyed angel smiled, prying the little angel girl's hand from her young eyes. "We're back in the G-rated territory now. PG tops." A young couple basking in the happiness of their newfound commitment to each other. The diamond ring sparkling on her finger as her hands covered his around her waist, and they watched the lighthouse's beam cut across the horizon, the ocean whitecaps gleaming in the darkness. The exhilaration of a first kiss given and taken in the shadows as partygoers passed by, and the shy smiles exchanged between two young people very much in like. The pounding of two hearts as golden bands are exchanged in a ceremony so unexpected the bride's bouquet is a single yellow rose. "Unexpected? Old Man Crane is going to roll over in his grave," the angel muttered under her breath, peeking out of the corner of her brown eyes at her young friend who agreed with her. "Most unexpected." The comic pitfalls of one couple as they loved each other as only they could. The sweetness of young love as one little angel on earth listened to the lullaby tinkle forth from her cherished gift. The gift of a rose between old lovers, still young at heart. A dance shared in a dark hospital room while a little boy slept peacefully just feet away. And a smile sent from earth to Heaven above and bringing a tearful smile to the angel's own face. "We make a good team," she sniffled, wiping her tears away as she lay her arm across the shoulders of her young partner in 'crime.' "I think so," the little blond angel agreed. "But next year's going to be even better."
Chapter 65
Abby groaned, tucking the midnight-blue sheets under her arms as she scooted across the bed and scanned the darkened interior of Nick's bedroom for any article of clothing she could throw on to answer the front door. Instead of ceasing like she'd hoped and prayed for the last ten minutes, the knocking at the door had continued, increasing from light rapping to pounding. She had a fair idea who the culprit was too, and she wasn't opposed to kicking some big brother ass. The sheets trailed behind her like a wedding train as she scampered through the apartment, and she started to laugh somewhat bitterly at the ridiculous thought. Gray Eyes was nowhere to be found the morning after what she'd thought was a helluva night. Obviously, she was mistaken, she told herself as she yanked the front door open and glared at her smirking older brother. "Shane, get your ass in here and stop making that damned racket before I call the cops." "Good morning to you too, Runt," Shane said in reply, giving her appearance a none-too surprised look but wisely keeping his mouth shut. "Shane," Abby huffed as the sheets tangled around her legs, tripping her up and sending her stumbling into his welcoming arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you had to work." Shane's big hands combed Abby's golden tangle of hair back from her face, and he kissed her soundly on the forehead in belated greeting. "There are some advantages to your boss eloping in the middle of the night," Shane grinned. "I have the day off, and since the Book Café is closed, cheating me out of my usual morning cup of coffee." "Ethan and Beth." Abby whispered, a slow smile gradually taking over her face and transforming her earlier grumpy demeanor. "The girl's good. Much better than I'd given her credit for. You mean Ethan actually got married without his mother in attendance? Where the hell was Ivy? Ethan's the biggest Mama's boy." Shane chuckled, and Abby's mouth dropped open with one look at the guilty expression on his face. "Shane!" she gasped. "You and Ivy didn't.oh my God, my brother's sleeping with Ivy Crane." "We're not sleeping together-which is more than I can say for you and a certain doctor," Shane chided with a quick glance around the living room and the clothes strewn everywhere, "but we ARE seeing each other, and Ivy's offered to rent the old cottage to me so I can move out of the B & B." "SO convenient for a quick roll in the hay, don't you think?" Abby rolled her hazel eyes at her brother, stomping toward her bedroom and slamming the door in Shane's face for his earlier comment. "What is this?" Shane questioned, his own hazel eyes not missing the disaster area down the hall that used to be Nick's bedroom. The sheets from the bed were gone but not missing. He'd seen them himself just a few short seconds ago wrapped around Abby's torso. He didn't even want to dwell on what the good doctor and his willful wildcat of a little sister had been doing all night. His imagination was too vivid as it were. "Abby, I thought you were going to be smart and not do this again." "Again?" Abby responded indignantly, throwing her bedroom door open and startling Shane much more than he'd care to admit. "With Vincent I was young and stupid. With Nick.I'm older. And stupid," Abby admitted grudgingly. "I'm an adult, Shane. So is Nick. We can handle.this," she waved her hands around awkwardly, running forward to scoop up the clothes marking a trail to Nick's bedroom door. "You're doing it again, Runt," Shane softened his accusation by stalling her nervous movements with a firm, brotherly hand on her bare shoulder. "Doing what?" Abby played dumb, tugging at the hem of her baby blue tank with her hands before twirling the drawstring of her pajama pants around her index finger. "You're headed for trouble," Shane sighed in resignation, wrapping his arms around his little sister's shoulders and pulling her into him. "I want better for my baby sister than some guy who doesn't know what the hell he wants. You deserve better, Baby Girl, than someone who isn't man enough to face the morning WITH you." "Trouble?" Abby snorted against her brother's chest, her hazel eyes glittering and shining with unabashed affection as she raised her tawny head and looked Shane directly in the eye. There was a slight tremor in her voice as she answered him with unfaltering honesty and a hint of her trademark humor, "Hell. I left the 'Danger, Will Robinson' territory eons ago," she muttered, ignoring Shane's expression of concern. "Don't call me 'Baby Girl'," she told him sternly, standing on tiptoe to kiss his smooth cheek and making him smile. "Well.why the hell are you just standing around like a knot on a log? You know where I keep the coffee. While you're at it," she paused in the doorway to her own bedroom, "a sister so deserving deserves a four-star breakfast, don't you think?" Shane chuckled, shaking his head as the door closed behind her. Was he going to do her bidding? Of course. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Ethan!" Sheridan cried, wrapping her arms around her nephew's neck and squeezing hard. Ethan grinned at her exuberant reaction to seeing him. Sure it'd been a while since he'd stepped foot inside the home his aunt shared with Luis and her children, but it hadn't been THAT long. Sheridan's arms relaxed around him, and she drew back to flash him an affectionate smile. "Thank you for coming. I know it's early, but Luis is only going in to the station for half a day because of my appointment, and I didn't want him to." Sheridan's blue eyes widened in surprise when Beth stepped around Ethan, and the glint of gold on the other woman's finger caught her attention. "Ethan? Oh my God. Ethan!" Sheridan practically squeaked, fumbling for Ethan's hand and lifting it up for inspection. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment when she discovered a matching golden band on his finger. "You.you," she stammered, further broadening the grin on Ethan's face and the half-smile on Beth's lips. "Ethan, you idiot!" Sheridan growled, no longer dumbstruck. "You cheated us out of the wedding. Ivy must be furious." Ethan chuckled, gently pushing his pregnant aunt inside out of the cold, and Beth followed them, shutting the door behind her. "Mother'll get over it. Things were just so." "Sudden?" Sheridan offered, smiling apologetically at Beth to let her know she didn't blame her in the least bit and leading them both to the sofa. "Yes," Ethan tugged at his starched shirt collar uncomfortably. "But that doesn't mean.Aunt Sheridan," he sighed as he joined her on the couch and sent Miss Priss away, hissing in protest. "Ethan, don't be so silly. Just because I'm disappointed I wasn't invited," she pretended to pout, her blue eyes twinkling, "doesn't mean I think you and Beth getting married was a bad idea. I'm surprised but not completely shocked. Something's been going on between you two for months." Beth blushed slightly, and Sheridan almost had to laugh. She didn't know Beth Wallace blushed. "Mother swears there's going to be another wedding," Ethan revealed. "And she wants to plan the entire thing," Beth stated quietly, looking slightly pale at the proposition. 'Ivy's been waiting for this for YEARS," Sheridan gave the brunette a sympathetic smile. "It's always been obvious that Ethan's her favorite, and she spoils him." Ethan groaned at the playful wink Sheridan gave him. "Aunt Sheridan," he changed the subject, hoping to escape total mortification. Because if ever any person wanted to humiliate him within an inch of his life.all they had to do was talk with her or his mother. "Aunt Sheridan, you said you had something you wished for me to handle?" The easy smile left Sheridan's face, and Beth decided at that moment to venture into the kitchen for.something. "Aunt Sheridan?" Ethan's brows creased in worry as he grasped her hand with his own, "is something wrong?" "Wrong?" Sheridan shook her head slightly. "No, Ethan. No. Things are.fine. Nothing's wrong exactly. I just.Ethan, I want you to help me with something," she said softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Anything, Aunt Sheridan. You know I'll help you any way I can," Ethan told her with conviction, causing her to smile anew. "But I'm confused. If everything's okay, why do you seem so.why isn't Luis here for this?" "I didn't want to bother Luis with this, Ethan. You know how adamant he is about being the one to take care of all of us, and he takes the BEST care of Ali and Cristian and me. But Ali's medical bills are adding up, and with me on leave from the Youth Center...things are starting to get a little strained financially, Ethan. I don't want Luis to have any additional worries. Besides, he shouldn't have to leave Ali's side if it's not necessary." Ethan cut Sheridan's breathless explanation off with a reassuring hand to her shoulder. "You want to use money from your trust fund," he surmised with a quick nod of his head. "I'll handle it for you, Aunt Sheridan. But don't you think you should tell Luis? You've had your problems about all the privileges that come with your Crane name and the strings attached before, but this time I really think Luis will understand. It's not that big of a deal," Ethan said, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe not to you, Ethan. This time it could actually be different with Luis, considering the circumstances," Sheridan sighed, offering her nephew a tight smile and pushing herself to her feet. She picked up the family picture of her, Luis, and the kids and traced their much-loved features. "With Luis, it's all about pride," she murmured, meeting Beth's dark eyes across the room and seeing the wholehearted agreement in them. "I'll tell him. But not yet, Ethan. It'll wait. Right now nothing's as important as getting Ali better, not letting Cristian forget how much I love him, and bringing this baby safely into this world," Sheridan told him earnestly. "I can't argue with that," Ethan whispered, standing up to give his aunt another hug. Beth watched them both, finding only one fault with their logic. The best intentions or not.Luis was NOT going to like being kept in the dark.