His throat went dry, his eyes stung, as he thought of all the love John and Esther, Nate, and then Betty, had shown him, but he hadn’t seen it, hadn’t accepted it, because it had scared him. He’d never have realized what love was capable of, how it could transform lives, if he hadn’t met her. He may be an FBI agent, but she had truly uncovered the greatest secret, the greatest power of the universe.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” she repeated.
“Almost as amazing as you.” Becoming a father still frightened him a touch, but he knew, all he had to do was watch her, and learn. He could do that.
She giggled; then her eyes grew serious. “I missed you. So very, very much.”
“I missed you, so very, very much.”
Henry didn’t see the rest of the house that night. That could wait. Showing her how much he’d missed her couldn’t.
The following morning, she gave him the full tour, including the basement. All the furniture that had been down there, covered with dust sheets, had been carried upstairs, to various rooms, and other furniture had been purchased. The cupboards were full of dishes and pots and pans, and all sorts of other necessities he’d never known were necessities, other than the food in the pantry and fridge.
Shaking his head, he poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the stove. The entire home shone like a new penny. “You must have worked day and night while I was gone.”
“No, I had help. My sisters, your parents, my mother, even my father, who, by the way is boasting that I married an FBI agent as if he picked you out himself, and you don’t even want to get him started on who your uncle is. That’s the most famous person he’s ever met.” She laughed, then fluffed the curtain on the back door. “I missed you, terribly, but it was fun. Setting up our home.” Settling both of her hands on her stomach, she said, “I’m so blessed that you entered my life.”
Esther always said that. A chuckle rumbled in his throat as he set down his coffee cup, crossed his arms and attempted to look serious. She was a little nymph. His sea nymph. And the smile on her face said she was hiding something.
“What else do you have to tell me?”
“James helped me, too.”
He lifted a brow, only because he could believe it.
“Just with the outside. The way the windows had been boarded up really needed to be repaired, and he’s a very good carpenter. Just very, very boring.”
“Is he?”
“Yes.” Her face was glowing, her eyes sparkling, as she crossed the kitchen floor and slid her arms around his neck. “Nothing like you. My Robin Hood.”
He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor, so she was the one looking down at him, and kissed her. “I’m glad I’m the one you married.”
“Me, too.” She kissed him. “So very, very glad.”
“Knock, knock.”
“We are in the kitchen, Jane!” Betty shouted.
He didn’t let her down, was still holding her off the floor, up against him, when Jane walked into the kitchen.
“Hello, Reuben,” she said, setting a box on the table.
He laughed, kissed Betty, and then set her down. “What is it with you and that name?”
“Reuben?” She shrugged. “I just like calling you that. It makes you scrunch up your nose.”
“It does not.”
She shrugged, then punched him on the arm. “I do like how happy you’ve made my sister.”
“Thank you.” He picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “Coming from you, I take that as a compliment. Probably the only one I’ll ever get.”
Laughing, she pointed at him and winked.
He leaned over, and whispered into Betty’s ear, “How did you ever keep that one in line?”
His insides quivered slightly at the smile that appeared on Betty’s face. It was another one of those feigned ones. He looked at Jane and then back to Betty.
She grabbed the coffeepot. “More coffee?”
“No.” He set his cup down. “What’s in the box, Jane?”
She picked the box up. “Just a few of my things. One never knows when one may find adventure on a quick getaway. I’ll take them downstairs now,” she answered nonchalantly.
A bit too nonchalantly. “Her things?”
Betty stepped over and looped both of her arms around one of his. “Yes, she’s going to keep a few of her things in the basement.”
He nodded, once, then the shiver returned. “Why?”
Betty kissed his cheek. “Because it will be safer for her to use the tunnel than ride the trolley by herself.”
Oh, yes, that was worth quivering over. More so than a mobster with a gun. What the hell had he gotten himself into now?
“I thought you’d agree with me,” Betty said.
He lifted her chin and kissed the tip of her nose. If it made Betty happy, then he agreed with it. “I do,” he said. “As long as she doesn’t sneak upstairs when she’s passing through. We don’t need an audience.”
“She won’t. I promise.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
He’d never get enough of her. “Prove it.”
The twinkle in her eye said the challenge was on, even before she tugged on his arm, saying, “All right. I’ll prove it. Right now.”
Her answer couldn’t have pleased him more.
Epilogue
Betty rolled over and arched her back, trying to stretch out the sting that had awakened her. Her eyes popped open at an entirely new pain. One that took her breath away and had her grasping Henry’s arm.
He instantly shot up. “What is it? The baby? Is the baby coming?”
She tried to hold back the whimpers in her throat caused by the pain gripping her stomach, enough to answer, but couldn’t, so she nodded.
Henry flew into action, and by the time the pain had subsided enough for her to take an actual breath, he was fully clothed and holding up a
