A/N: Guess what. I love my betas! Thank you Catsluver, skzb, and sallyloveslinus. I would be lost without you.

Thanks to the guests who reviewed the last chap. I really appreciate your comments. And thanks to all of you for continuing to read. You're my raison d'etre!

Chapter 23

It was a hot summer afternoon. TJ was sitting on a blanket in the backyard under a huge old oak tree that provided ample shade and kept the temperature bearable. She was playing with Robby, who'd woken from his nap early. Sami Joy was still asleep, and Sam was resting as per Fern's orders, still recovering from his cold.

Robby was lying on his tummy, wearing a royal-blue UK basketball T-shirt and soft denim shorts. His little chubby feet were bare, and TJ loved the way his tiny toes scrunched and released at intervals. She was delighted to see how strong he was getting at pushing himself up. It was good practice for crawling when he got older. Another minute or two passed, and he started to get tired of "tummy time," beginning to fuss. She picked him up, lifted his T-shirt, and blew a raspberry on his belly. He instantly went from fussy to sporting a big, dimpled smile.

She wished she had a baby picture of Sam so she could compare it to Robby. They would probably look almost identical. Robby was definitely Sam's son, except Robby's eyes promised to be lighter than Sam's.

She wondered what it was like for Sam to grow up in the hunting life. She had the feeling it couldn't have been very pleasant and mourned the loss of his childhood. How terrifying it would be for a little boy to know that the monsters under the bed or in the closet were real. It made her shudder to think that Sami Joy and Robby could be dragged into such a dismal world, and she felt a fierce surge of protectiveness. Were they safer with Sam or without him?

It was a few days after she'd had the disturbing talk with him in the car. She'd been avoiding having a real conversation with him since then because she'd needed time to think on everything. She thought about what he'd said about the twins being in danger and hugged Robby close to her, inhaling his sweet baby scent.

Sam, TJ, and her parents were still diligent about keeping the salt lines in place, and they'd fixed a bed for Rocket in the twins' nursery so he could sleep with them at night. It was uncanny how well-trained Rocket was, and when Sam told him it was time to keep watch over the twins, Rocket did it with an almost human-like diligence and intelligence.

Robby made a little noise of protest at being held so tightly, and TJ loosened her hold on him. Her back was to the tree, and she pulled up her knees, letting Robby rest against her thighs. His hands were wrapped around her thumbs, and she tugged. He instinctively resisted, causing himself to be lifted a little. It was like doing baby pull-ups. He loved it and gave her another gummy, dimply smile tinged with drool. She wished she'd remembered to put a bib on him and wondered when he and Sami Joy would start teething. There was so much she didn't know, but she found that she was looking forward to learning, that she wasn't as afraid of being a mother as she had been.

"TJ?"

She looked up to see Sam in his sleek, sporty black wheelchair on the back porch. He was at the top of the steps.

"You have Robby," he called. It was a statement, not a question, and he sounded relieved.

"Yeah." She lifted up the baby so Sam could see him. Robby kicked his legs in the air, and she laughed.

Sam swiveled his chair and coasted down the ramp to the yard, Rocket following behind. When Sam neared TJ, her heart did a little flip. He had a bit of stubble on his jaw that made him look more rugged, and he looked totally hot. He was wearing well-worn jeans and a light blue V-neck T-shirt that accentuated his muscular chest and biceps. Freaky evil demon blood or not, he was gorgeous.

"Is it okay if I join you?" His voice wasn't as hoarse from the cold, but it still sounded a bit huskier than normal.

"Oh. Sure." Actually, she wasn't sure whether she wanted him to join her or not, but she couldn't avoid him forever. And, frankly, she couldn't deny herself the pleasure of just looking at him.

He'd brought the receiver for the baby monitor with him, and he handed it to her before he transferred from his chair down to the blanket, scooting himself to where he was sitting next to her.

Rocket took advantage of being outdoors and was exploring the backyard. He was soon on the trail of something, trotting off with his tail in the air and his nose to the ground.

TJ scooted over a little so Sam could have part of the thick tree trunk to lean against, and the warmth of his shoulder touching hers sent a hum through her body.

"How was the nap?" she asked, trying to sound casual and not like her hormones were on overdrive.

"I didn't sleep that long. I had some work I was trying to catch up on."

"Hmm. Better not let Fern catch you working. She'll have your hide for not resting."

"I feel a lot better."

She eyed him, assessing whether he was telling the truth or not. His face wasn't flushed, he didn't sound as congested, and he seemed more energetic. Despite his obvious improvement, she was dubious when he reached toward Robby.

He raised his hands, palms outward. "I've been on the antibiotic for three and a half days and fever free for forty-eight hours."

She was still reluctant.

"I won't kiss him or anything."

"You won't breathe on him?"

He smirked with amusement. "I won't breathe on him."

She relented and handed Robby to him because she knew it had been several days since he'd been able to see the twins. As soon as he had Robby in his arms, his face lit up. He lifted Robby up in the air, and Robby kicked his legs with delight, grinning at his daddy in recognition.

TJ couldn't help but smile at the sweet picture they made. Sam was such a good dad, and it warmed her heart to watch the way he was with Robby. It made it all the more inconceivable to think that Sam might have demon blood in him—or that Robby and Sami Joy could have it too. The thought made her stomach clench, and the smile faded from her face.

"Where is everyone?" Sam asked, still focused on Robby.

"Mama is at the grocery store, and my dad is fixin' a fence somewhere."

Sam rested Robby on his lap and turned his attention to TJ. "So," he said with a tone that was a little too nonchalant, "aren't you supposed to be at work?" To his credit, there was no sarcasm or hostility in his voice, although there was a tick in his jaw that let her know it was an effort for him to remain neutral. "I thought you were planning to start on Monday."

She shrugged. "You got sick."

He looked away, squinting at the sun, despite the shade of the oak they were under.

"And...I've thought about what you said," she admitted, "about missing time with the twins."

His head snapped back to her and he searched her face.

She met his gaze. "Maybe I should hold off working for a while—at least until they're older."

He nodded. The taut line of his jaw belied a powerful, restrained emotion, and he glanced down at Robby as if to compose himself. This time, though, TJ knew it was a good emotion Sam was feeling—probably relief; maybe a little triumph?—and it made her want to smile.

Instead, she cleared her throat and changed the subject. "So, did you check on Sami Joy? She was still asleep?"

"Yeah. She should be waking up any minute. We should be able to hear her on the monitor."

"I changed Robby's diaper. It took me three tries, but I finally got it on straight. That was after he sprayed pee all over me and the wall."

Sam laughed, flashing white teeth and dimples. "I guess somebody should have warned you about that. You have to undo his diaper, hold it in place, and wait a minute to make sure you don't get the pee fountain. You have to watch out for it with Sami Joy, too, although, obviously, she doesn't have quite the spray factor that Robby does."

"Right," TJ said wryly.

He laughed again. "It's something about when the air first hits their bottoms that makes them want to go."

TJ drank him in, wanting to touch him. He was relaxed and happy when talking about the twins, and his laugh was even more attractive than his looks. She tore off a long blade of grass and idly fiddled with it, disconcerted by the way he made her feel.

For God's sake, Sam was her husband and the father of her children. If she could be attracted to him, maybe even fall in love with him again, that would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

She felt a cold pang of regret at what that might do to Jeremy. It was hard to let her ideal of him go, the fantasy of him that she'd dreamed about all her life. True, he'd hurt her, but it had happened six years ago. He was different now, and he'd been through a lot—the loss of his father, his mother's mental illness. He'd told TJ he wanted to make a life with her. It was what she'd always wanted him to say.

With Sam, there was the issue of the demon blood and his scary, dangerous past—and the fact that there was no guarantee he would ever be completely free of it. Had Other TJ accepted it all with no qualms? Had she been so in love with Sam that the fact that Lucifer himself wanted Sam in his freakin' army—not to mention that a demon almost killed her—was something she could overlook? Maybe Other TJ was able to accept it, but TJ wasn't so sure that she could, no matter how much her blazing hormones wanted her to.

Sam eyed the house, looking pensive. "When I went to check on the twins and Robby wasn't there..." He trailed off. "I was so relieved when I saw you had him."

She felt a ball of dread begin to grow in her stomach.

He looked at her, his brow creasing. "You've been avoiding me. You're freaked out about everything, aren't you? Not that I blame you."

She swallowed. "I—I don't want anything to happen to the twins," she hedged.

He reached over with his hand and grazed her jaw with his fingers. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Should I be?" The feel of his fingers on her skin was delectable, and she didn't dare move, afraid any movement might cause him to stop touching her.

His gaze darkened. "Yes. You should be afraid of me. People who love me end up getting hurt or dying, TJ. You almost did. I'm cursed. You should take the twins and run as far from me as you can get."

She hadn't expected him to say that and was shocked. The anguish in his words—the defeat and desolation in them—was stark and heartbreaking, all the more so because she knew what it must have cost him to say them. "You don't mean that."

He stopped caressing her face and let his hand drop, then looked away.

She wanted to comfort him, to deny what she knew might very well be true. If she were really honest with herself, what she wanted was to kiss him, this dangerous man with the bizarre and tragic past.

"Hey," she said quietly. Reaching over, she placed her palm on his cheek, urging him to turn to her. When he did, she locked eyes with him and slowly moved closer, her mouth on a direct trajectory toward his, her heart thudding in her chest.

In the next instant, Sami Joy began to stir on the monitor. The noise distracted TJ and she glanced away from Sam for a split second. With chagrin, she saw that Jeremy was topping the hill and walking toward them. Rocket was jumping up and down and wagging his tail at Jeremy's side.

TJ jerked back from Sam, feeling guilty, although she wasn't sure why—for almost cheating on Jeremy with her husband? She blew some stray strands of hair from her face with a puff of air and nearly groaned. Her life was so fucked up.

Sam frowned and turned his head to see what TJ was looking at. His lips tightened to a thin line when he spotted Jeremy.

She made a move to get up, but Sam grabbed her hand. "Don't," he said. Any trace of his earlier angst and uncertainty was gone. It was clear by the hard, unrelenting expression on his face that he was still in the game, that he didn't want her going to Jeremy.

"He won't disappear if I ignore him, Sam."

He didn't let go of her hand, just continued to stare at her.

She looked down at his grip on her. "Please. He's my friend."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "You know he wants more than that."

Sami Joy's little tinny grunts were getting stronger, more urgent. TJ glanced at the monitor. "Go see to her. I'll take Robby."

Sam's gaze traveled to Jeremy, his expression growing even stonier. Jeremy was almost to them, and TJ's gut twisted. She didn't want a confrontation between Sam and Jeremy.

Sami Joy made a noise on the monitor again, on the verge of a full-on cry, and Sam's features softened a fraction. He let go of TJ's hand, and she was glad that Sami Joy had inadvertently come to her rescue. TJ knew there was no way Sam would let the baby cry for long.

TJ scooped up Robby from Sam's lap and hurried over to Jeremy before he made it all the way to the blanket. Jeremy's mouth curled into a charming smile. She was glad to see him, although she'd been mooning over Sam—had almost kissed him—just moments before. Lord help her. She was becoming a regular Jezebel.

Jeremy opened his arms like he was going to hug her, but that was the last thing she wanted with Sam looking on. She turned her shoulder away from Jeremy and held Robby close to her chest, her body language leaving no doubt that Jeremy should keep his hug to himself. She could see Sam out of the corner of her eye and knew he was pissed. Jeremy, on the other hand, looked rebuffed and a little forlorn. He recovered quickly and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Hey, Nelly," he said softly.

She glanced down at Robby and kissed the tuft of dark hair on his head. "Hey."

"He's cute," said Jeremy, eyeing Robby. "I can see some of you in him."

"Thanks." She figured he was just being polite, but she couldn't help but feel a dash of pride.

Jeremy's attention suddenly focused behind her, and his eyes widened. TJ turned to see Sam doing his acrobatic move to get himself from the ground into his wheelchair.

"Wow," said Jeremy with grudging admiration.

Once Sam was situated in his chair, he looked over at TJ and Jeremy.

Jeremy nodded in a wary greeting. "Sam?"

Sam nodded curtly and then looked at TJ, his eyes speaking volumes, but he didn't say anything. He swiveled his chair around and headed toward the house, broad shoulders stiff.

Rocket sat for a moment, like he was torn between duty to his master and the lure of so many squirrels outside, but duty won out and he took off in a run until he caught up with Sam.

TJ turned back to Jeremy. "What are you doing here?"

He looked surprised at her abruptness. "Well, it's good to see you too, Nelly." His tone was laced with irony. "Does this warm welcome have something to do with Sam?"

She pursed her lips. "I think you know the answer to that. What do you want me to do, hug you and welcome you with open arms right in front of him? He sees you as a threat. He knows about our past, how I felt about you. It's shitty to rub it in."

Jeremy's mouth tightened with dismay. "How you felt about me? A few weeks ago, you didn't care what he thought. TJ, I know you're mad at me, but don't lose sight of what we have together—what we've always had and what we could have in the future. Our relationship is special. We belong together."

"I—I don't know if I'm comin' or goin' anymore, Jeremy."

He scowled, and his tone was accusatory. "You're starting to have feelings for him. I saw how you were looking at him. Were you gonna kiss him?"

She didn't want to answer that. "Why are you here, Jer?"

He ignored her question. "Sam doesn't look sick anymore to me. Why haven't you started work at the bank yet?" he prodded.

She looked down, feeling guilty, but then made herself meet Jeremy's disgruntled, steely gaze. "I've thought about it, and I think I'm needed more here to help with the twins."

His eyes widened. "You told me less than a week ago that you weren't ready to be a mother, that the thought of taking care of the twins was overwhelming."

"Things have changed. I've spent more time with them since Sam has been sick. It's not as scary as I thought, and I like being with them. They need me."

Jeremy made a noise of exasperation. "Well, how am I supposed to compete with that, Nelly?" He nodded toward Robby.

She rolled her eyes at his selfishness. "I'm their mother, Jeremy. It's time I started to act like it."

"Well, you didn't have such lofty principles six days ago!"

She tried to stay calm, although he was sorely trying her patience. "Jeremy, you realize you're upset because I'm doing the right thing?"

He ran a hand through his short hair, closing his eyes in frustration. Then he suddenly took her face in his hands, his gray eyes piercing and desperate. "I'm sorry. I want you to be a mother if that's what you want. But I don't want you to start having feelings for Sam. I want you for myself. You're all I have left, TJ. I can't lose you, too."

Her heart ached for him, for his loneliness, but she couldn't coddle him right now. "Look, all I want is to get to know the twins. I'm not gonna do anything—make any decisions—regarding you or Sam. I need time. But, in all the confusion, at least one thing has become clear. The twins need me, and I need them."

He ran his thumb gently over her cheekbone, a troubled, knowing look on his features. "If you change your mind about the bank, my offer will always be open. I'll always be here for you, Nelly."

"Thanks," she said softy.

He dropped his hands away from her face. "I came to invite you to a party."

She frowned. "A party?"

"Our birthday is in two days."

She snorted. "Don't remind me."

"My mother—" He stopped, sorrow crossing his features. He cleared his throat. "My mother has been better. She's been more lucid this last week. She wants to throw a joint birthday party for us."

Robby was getting heavy, so TJ switched him over to her other arm. He was staring at Jeremy. Jeremy offered his finger, and Robby automatically wrapped his little hand around it.

Jeremy raised his eyes to TJ, grinning in amazement. "He's strong."

"Yeah." She glanced toward the house, feeling uncomfortable. She hoped Sam wasn't looking out the window and got back to the subject at hand, hoping to move Jeremy along. "I can't do a party, Jeremy. My birthday is not somethin' I really feel like celebrating."

He tilted his head to one side, and his voice held a note of admonishment. "You shouldn't think that way, Nelly. There was a time not too long ago when no one was sure if you'd ever have another birthday."

"Don't try to guilt me into it. The answer is no."

"It's for my mom, TJ. She wants it to be like old times."

TJ and Jeremy had shared almost all their birthdays, usually combining parties or other activities when they were kids, since their parents were such good friends.

"It'll just be close friends and family," he promised. "Katrina said she would come."

It was tempting. TJ would love to see her old friend. She'd meant to meet up with Katrina after she got out of the hospital, but, with all the upheaval and trying to adjust to coming home, she hadn't done it yet.

"Please, TJ. Planning this party has given my mom something to look forward to, and it's helped her. Like I said, she's been more lucid lately. The excitement of it has made her happier than I've seen her in a long while. Please. She'll be crushed if you don't come. It's just for a couple of hours. You don't have to stay if it makes you uncomfortable. Just put in an appearance."

How could she say no if it would help Aunt Liv? She sighed with resignation. "All right."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, Nelly." He put a gentle hand on top of Robby's head and then turned to go.

She watched him walk away. Jeremy wasn't as muscular as Sam, but he had a nice build and a bold, confident gait. He was attractive, no doubt about it. She liked the way his Levi's hugged low on his hips and the way they accentuated his tight butt.

His kiss had been a sweet gesture that made her feel warm inside. It wasn't the fiery response she felt whenever she was with Sam, but it was familiar and safe. Life with Jeremy would be uncomplicated and normal. No worries about demon blood or contending with the devil. No freaky visions or mysterious powers. No dangerous past that might catch up with them, that might put her or the twins in jeopardy. To top it all off, even Sam himself had warned her away in a moment of self-doubt.

The choice seemed simple enough. Jeremy was what she'd always wanted, and now he was ready and willing. So what was her problem?

XXXXXXXX

"Mom, I already ate."

Ferna Sue gave her a narrow look. "When?"

"When you were talkin' to Aunt Liv." TJ was flat-out lying, and she hoped God wasn't about to strike her dead with a bolt of lightning.

"TJ, you're not gaining any weight. I'm gettin' worried about you. I think you should see a counselor. You've had a lot to adjust to. I think it might help to talk to someone."

TJ rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Mama."

Fern was about to argue, but one of her friends from church came over and grabbed her by the elbow, dragging her away to talk to a group of people that had just arrived. Fern shot TJ a we're gonna talk about this later look over her shoulder.

They were in Jeremy's backyard, and the joint birthday party was in full swing. It was early evening and surprisingly not as hot as TJ would have expected, since it was the last day of July. The many shade trees in the yard and the balmy breeze helped with the heat.

TJ looked toward her dad, making sure he and Aunt Tru still had the twins. She smiled when she saw them. Vern was holding Sami Joy and Aunt Tru was holding Robby. Both babies were wearing little one-piece romper outfits. They were facing outward, round diapered bottoms in the crooks of Vern's and Aunt Tru's arms, mini tennis shoes dangling from little bare legs. Sami Joy had on a pink crocheted floppy hat that Aunt Joyce had made for her, and Robby had on a blue-and-red-plaid bucket hat. The twins had stoic, pensive looks on their faces as they took in their surroundings and all the people who kept coming up to ooh and ah over them. Their serious expressions reminded TJ of Sam, and she was amused.

Once she was satisfied the babies were okay, she surveyed the rest of the crowd at the party and checked the time on her cell phone before stuffing it in her back jeans pocket. She'd only been there thirty minutes, although it seemed like ages. She was already tired of making small talk and hearing yet again about what a miracle it was that she was doing so well, but it would look bad if she left so soon.

She looked for Uncle Joe Mack. He'd been sitting under a shade tree, looking gaunt and sallow. She wanted to talk to him but hadn't had a chance, and now she couldn't see him. She was worried that he might have had to leave because he wasn't feeling well, but then she saw Aunt Joyce talking to a group of ladies and was relieved. Uncle Joe was probably around somewhere if Aunt Joyce was still there.

TJ's eye caught the large banner hanging above the wrap-around porch of Jeremy's house that read "Happy 25th birthday, TJ and Jeremy!" Her eyes welled with moisture, and she gritted her teeth and swallowed, trying to keep her emotions in check. She was twenty-five years old. She should be used to the idea by now, but it still bothered her. She grieved the life she couldn't remember, the birthdays that had come and gone. She even mourned Other TJ and wished she could get her back.

"You okay?" Sam had suddenly wheeled up beside her. He looked good, as usual, in a white shirt with faded gray designs on it. His long, dark-brown hair brushed the top of his collar, and the white cotton fabric of the button-down contrasted nicely with his tan skin. He was frowning up at her with concern.

She felt self-conscious about her height and scanned the area for a chair, but there wasn't one nearby. Pushing away her earlier bout of moroseness, she cleared her throat and composed herself. "I'm fine," she said in response to his question.

He searched her face, not looking convinced.

"How old are you, Sam?" she asked, changing the subject.

His brows went up. "That was kind of out of the blue."

She shrugged. "I guess I've got age and birthdays on the brain."

"Twenty-seven," he said, answering her question.

She managed a short laugh, but there was no humor in it.

His eyebrows drew together. "Why that reaction?"

"It's just that, when I first woke up in the hospital and saw you, you seemed so much older—like way older—but you're only two years older than I am."

He didn't say anything. Instead, he idly perused the crowd.

She was surprised at his silence. "Aren't you gonna tell me how lucky I am to be here, that I ought to be grateful, that I should stop freakin' out about my age and quit wallowing in self-pity?"

"Sounds like you already know all that."

She crossed her arms, annoyed.

He was watching the twins. "You lied to your mom."

"What are you talking about?"

He looked at her then. The sunlight brightened his hazel eyes, highlighting greens, golds, and browns all mixed together, and his gaze held disappointment. "You told her you'd already eaten. You know that's not true."

How did he know that? She grew defensive. "I wasn't hungry, and she gets overly zealous when it comes to me eating. I was just trying to avoid an argument. And, anyway, it's none of your business."

He tilted his head slightly, his voice steady and even. "You'll always be my business, TJ. I'm always watching you."

She got a tingly shiver down her spine. There was something possessive about his statement that she should have found more unsettling than she did. "That's a little creepy-stalker-guyish." She was half teasing, half serious.

He ignored her comment and took her hand. With his other hand, he put his thumb and index finger around her wrist, easily encircling it with room to spare. His scrutiny of it made her uneasy. "TJ, you need to eat. You're too thin."

She tried to make him understand. "I like my body for the first time ever that I can remember, Sam. I'm finally in control. This is the weight I should be, that I've always wanted to be."

He shook his head. "I'm worried about you. You're not at a healthy weight."

"You sound like my mother." She tried to ease her hand out of his grasp, but he tightened his grip. His hand was warm and strong.

Eyes turning soulful, he said, "Your mother loves you and so do I."

Her pulse quickened at his words, but she kept her voice steady. "You and Mama are both overreacting." She paused for a beat and then spoke with a bit of defiance. "Jeremy doesn't have a problem with my weight."

Sam's features hardened to granite. "Jeremy only cares about himself."

"That's not true," she said softly. "You don't know him like I do."

He closed his eyes for a second, his body tense. "TJ—"

"Don't worry about me, Sam. I'll be fine." She looked away from him and saw that Katrina had arrived. Grateful for the diversion, she wriggled her hand from his hold. "Excuse me," she said to him and then walked toward her friend, feeling his eyes on her. Watching.

XXXXXXXX

Jeremy's buttery-smooth voice sang the last words of the song he'd written for TJ, and then he said tenderly, "I love you, Nelly," as he strummed the last strains on his guitar. The song was his birthday present to her, and everyone in the crowd at the party was silent for a few seconds after he stopped playing. It was awkward.

It wasn't that TJ didn't appreciate the song—a sweet reminiscence of their childhood together—but she didn't like the attention it sent her way, and she didn't like the dangerous glower that was on Sam's face. He clearly wasn't pleased. He was sitting at a table with a few other guys, skewering Jeremy with a brooding, murderous look.

She was sure most of the guests there knew that she was married to Sam. Most of them also knew her history with Jeremy, how he was like family, but it still wasn't appropriate for him to say that he loved her publicly—right in front of her husband—whether he meant it romantically or not.

She and Katrina were sitting at the end of a long table, and Jeremy was looking at TJ, his stare poignant. She glanced away, uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Finally, Liv, who was standing a few feet from Jeremy, clasped her hands together at her chest, a rapt expression on her face. "Oh, Jeremy," she said with a tremor in her voice, "that was just beautiful."

That seemed to spur everyone into clapping their appreciation—everyone except Sam.

"Mm-mm," Katrina hummed admiringly. She was eyeing Sam's table, where her latest conquest, a handsome, athletic black guy named Darius, was sitting next to Sam. Darius was a basketball player—a point guard—for the University of Kentucky and quite famous to anyone who was a fan.

Katrina was willowy and graceful as a cat and had a head full of short dreadlocks that were chic and cool. She took a drink of her tea, causing the muscles in her delicately-arched throat to contract. There was something kind of seductive about it, and TJ mused that only Katrina could make drinking iced tea seem sexy. Well, except for Sam.

"Darius seems nice," TJ commented. "Not bad to look at, either."

Katrina gave TJ a sidelong glance. "Yeah, but I wasn't lookin' at him just now. I was lookin' at that husband of yours."

"Sam?"

Katrina pursed her full lips and frowned comically. "You got another husband somewhere that I don't know about?" Her tone was sassy.

TJ let out a short, ironic laugh. "Not that I know of, but then again, Sam kind of came out of nowhere."

"You know, you used to e-mail me about him. You were crazy in love with him."

"So I've been told," TJ said glumly.

"You don't remember anything about him?"

"Nope. He's a complete stranger—or was at first. I've gotten to know him a little better in the last couple of weeks.

Katrina nodded. "I talked with him when I visited you while you were in the coma. He's a smart guy and very charming in an unassuming, nice-guy kind of way. I can see why you fell in love with him."

TJ was silent.

"He's very well-read. He's the first white boy I ever met that's heard of James David Corrothers." Katrina was getting her master's degree in English lit at UK, and she was clearly impressed by Sam's knowledge.

"Who's James David Corrothers?"

Katrina rolled her eyes. "Point made. He was a black activist and poet in the early 1900s. He was influential during that time period, but his work kind of fell into obscurity. Most people—especially white people—have never heard of him."

TJ poked her cheek with her tongue. "You know me. I don't discriminate. I haven't heard of most white poets, either."

Katrina laughed, and it was warm and kind of smoky-sounding. "I know. Don't ever change, my geeky mad scientist."

TJ's heart tightened in her chest. She wasn't a geeky scientist anymore. Her career was over before it had ever begun.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Katrina put a conciliatory hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, girl. What are you gonna do about school?"

"I don't know," TJ said woodenly, staring at a half-empty, red Solo cup of iced tea in front of her. "I don't even know where to start."

"Is there some kind of test you can take to see where you are, where you can measure how much you remember?"

"I don't know. I don't think universities run into too many people who've basically had their minds wiped clean of everything they've learned. There's not an SAT for amnesiacs that I know of."

"Well, why couldn't you just take the regular SAT again?"

TJ met Katrina's light-brown eyes. "I'm scared. I'm afraid of what the results will be. And, besides, what school will want to give me another scholarship? They'll probably look at how much money SDSU wasted on me and won't want to touch me with a ten-foot pole. And I'm old.

Katrina raised her brows. "Who you callin' old? I'm the same age as you."

"Sorry."

"And some of us regular folks work our way through school and take out loans, those of us who aren't brainiacs lucky enough to get scholarships."

TJ sighed. "Yeah, but I'm already so in debt with hospital bills. Sam works his ass off to pay them, and it'll still take years to pay them all. I want to find a job at some point to help him, and I don't want to add school loans to the mix."

"So...what? You just gonna be the adoring housewife and soccer mom?"

TJ's laugh was bleak, and her eyes went to Sam. He was balancing on the back wheels of his chair and smiling at something Darius was saying. He seemed to sense her scrutiny and glanced her way, a hint of humor still in his expression, dimples visible. TJ's stomach did a flip and she averted her eyes.

"Sam's not bad to look at, either," Katrina observed.

"You think he's cute?"

The corners of Katrina's mouth went down and her eyes got big. "'Cute' ain't the word for him. That boy is fine," she drawled out.

"You think?"

"You don't?" Katrina challenged.

TJ shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "The wheelchair doesn't freak you out?"

Katrina studied Sam. "The wheelchair doesn't bother me," answered Katrina. "It never bothered you either, except you told me once about the prejudice he sometimes runs into. I think that part bothered you more than it did him."

Ah, another insight into Other TJ's personality. TJ traced a line of condensation on the outside of her cup. "His disability kind of threw me for a loop at first," TJ admitted, "but the more I get to know him, the more it doesn't matter. Good Lord, Katrina, you should see what he can do. He's so strong and adapts so well. And he's an amazing father to the twins. I hope he gets to go back to law school someday. He'd make a great attorney. Like you said, he's really intelligent. Did you know he did most of his undergrad at Stanford and was attending law school at Berkeley before things got so screwed up? He won scholarships to both schools."

Katrina had a knowing smirk on her face.

TJ was dubious. "What?"

"Sounds to me like you're not totally indifferent to him after all. Maybe there's still hope. You never complained about your sex life with him either, by the way."

"I didn't?" TJ was burning with curiosity on the subject and couldn't hide a shy smile. "What did I say?"

Katrina let out a small laugh. "You didn't go into any details."

TJ deflated. "Oh."

"Girl, you were so in love with him." Katrina's eyes were earnest. "If you fell in love with him once, you can do it again."

"I'm not the same person."

"Yes, you are."

TJ didn't reply. She didn't want to have that conversation with Katrina.

"And Sam is the same guy you were head over heels for."

"If I love anyone, it's Jeremy," TJ said stubbornly, almost as if by rote. She looked at Jeremy, who was still playing his guitar and entertaining the small group of onlookers gathered around him. He had a lopsided smile on his face and his demeanor was so charismatic. His guitar looked like an extension of himself, and his fingers moved deftly over the taut strings. Music was a part of his soul, and it showed when he played it.

"You loved Jeremy," Katrina said. "And when you loved him—past tense—and were all hot and bothered over him, he was off chasin' tail."

"He's not like that anymore. He's matured, and he's so lonely. I don't think he's chasin' skirts anymore. I think he's ready to settle down."

Katrina arched a brow. "With you?"

"Don't act so surprised," TJ said wryly. "He pretty much said so."

Katrina frowned. "Jeremy's a smooth talker, Nelly. You know that. Don't do anything hasty. Give Sam a chance. You owe it to your babies to try and get to know him. Don't break up their home unless you have no other choice." Katrina's tone was intense, and TJ knew it was because Katrina's parents had never gotten along. They split up when she was a baby, and their contentious relationship had sometimes made for a painful childhood.

TJ's eyes traveled to Sam, and thoughts of the demon blood and his strange past came unbidden. She got a sense of foreboding. "There's things you don't know about Sam, Katrina."

"Well, you may be right there, but Jeremy is a banker. You know what they say about bankers." Her tone implied it was obvious.

"What?"

Katrina gave her a sly, lewd look. "Once they take it out, you lose interest."

It took TJ a second to get it, and then she and Katrina both burst into laughter.

TBC