Page 63 of Landry
"I will be faithful because that's who I am. And the added factor is I want no other man but you. I want children, Kyle-" Her expression turned wistful.
"I want to be a mother. I don't have a good example to follow, but I'll learn. I won't be sitting at home and waiting for you to come home. I happen to love my job at the gallery. And yes, I'll marry you."
"Good," he drew her in. "It so happens that I want children too. Christ! Mother wins after all. She's going to be doing victory dances for years." Tilting her chin up, he claimed her lips and felt everything melting away.
***
Inside another room, a couple sat quietly, holding each other, lost in their own thoughts. They sat quietly in the dark for a few minutes, processing what happened.
"I did this." Jessica was the first to break the silence.
"I think we can safely say that 'we' did this." Lincoln squeezed her hands and forced her to meet his eyes. "We handled the entire thing badly. He was my best friend, and I didn't think about his feelings when I saw you." He sighed heavily.
"He held a gun to our daughter-in-law's head! I don't think Landry is going to forgive us just now."
"No," her husband concurred quietly. "I don't think he will." Bringing her hands to his lips, he kissed the knuckles. "At least, we don't have to keep looking over our shoulders or be afraid that he's going to hurt one of our children or the people connected to them." He paused a few seconds. "Did you know about Kathy and Kady's brother?"
"No." She shook her head with a sigh. "I suppose we should say something to her?"
"And alienate her further? No. I think they're serious. Everything is happening at once; I cannot process any of it fast enough." He leaned in to kiss her. "Let's just see how it plays out."
***
"What's wrong?" As tiny as it had been, he caught the grimace.
"Nothing." She felt it again and this time, pressed a hand to her stomach. "I think it's the garlic on the shrimp. I need to sit."
"Or we need to go home." Guiding her off the dance floor, he led her over to a comfortable sofa in the corner of the room. Three months had passed since the horrible incident at their wedding. During that time, she had been to therapy on his insistence, andshe had discovered that she was pregnant. It was no surprise to anyone that she was carrying twins. He had also insisted on them spending two weeks at his aunt and uncle's ranch, which had done more than the hours of therapy. The couple hadn't changed a bit; they were still as wholesomely nice as the day she had met them over fifteen years ago.
Now they were at her brother's and his sister's wedding.
"It's just indigestion, and if I leave before Kyle's speech, he's going to kill me."
"Your brother knows you're pregnant and you need your rest." Landry studied her face closely. "Are you certain it's nothing more than that? Your ankles are swollen."
"Part and parcel of the carrying of twins." She did not object when he removed her strappy sandals and started to massage her ankles. "Ah, that feels wonderful."
"As soon as we get home, you're going straight to bed," he told her firmly. They had celebrated their three-month anniversary at the ranch, and his aunt had baked them a cake to commemorate the occasion. Three months as her husband and he was starting to wonder if he would ever stop falling in love with her. He suspected he was going to spend the next fifty years discovering that.
"What?"
"I love you."
She melted; she simply went to goo inside. The man had a way about him that turned her knees to jelly. She never thought it possible to love someone so much, with this much intensity. And now she was carrying his seeds deep inside her. She was going to have his babies.
"You're just saying that to get me to agree to leave the party early."
He grinned at her. "Is it working?"
"Partially. As soon as Kyle's speech is over, we leave." She glanced over at the beautiful couple and shook her head. "Did we start all of this? Fifteen-odd years ago, you came walking into my school and changed my life. Now I'm married to you, and my brother is married to your sister. It seems a little bizarre."
He had transferred to the other foot and was rubbing rhythmically.
"Fortunately for him, I discovered he had good intentions towards Kathy." He lifted a brow at her. "Brother-in-law or not, if that had not been the case, he would have heard from me."
She poked her big toe at his stomach. "You're happy for them, admit it."
"Of course I am." Slipping the shoes back on, he patted her knees before rising. "Let me see about getting you some tea from the kitchen."
