“We’re hungry,” Halley spoke for the trio. “What’s for dinner?”
“Ah, the perpetual question,” she mocked. “Well, nothing is going to be for dinner with the three of you lying in the way. I can’t even open the fridge to put the groceries away.”
Harrison and Halley didn’t move, which meant that Herbie was perfectly happy being snuggled between them.
Fortunately, Stevie knew the big lug’s weakness. “Want some food, Herbie?” she asked.
Immediately, he lunged to his feet, toppling the twins. Stevie couldn’t help it. She laughed at their stunned expressions as Herbie danced. “Harrison, can you get Herbie some dinner? Halley, get him some fresh water.” She moved over to the table, rescuing the milk and cereal from Herbie’s enthusiastic tail, then started putting the groceries away.
The twins fed Herbie, who licked them as his thanks for the food. Stevie smiled as she considered dinner options. She loved cooking dinner at night, feeling the tension of the day dwindle as she did. Stevie also love mealtimes, talking and laughing together. She knew that eventually, life would overtake their dinner times, but at four years old, she savored the quiet times when she could sit and talk with Halley and Harrison, hear about their days, talk to them about their friends.
Stevie pulled out chicken and collected seasonings. After putting the three chicken breasts into the oven, she got out the fresh green beans, cutting off the ends as she thought about Janus. What was he doing for dinner tonight? Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that Halley and Harrison had already gotten out their “homework” for the night. They had to color and count some objects on a worksheet. The activity wasn’t difficult but it was excellent practice for later on. Stevie appreciated the homework assignments at this early age which taught kids discipline, while maintaining that homework was fun and interesting.
Unfortunately, she also pictured Janus walking into the house, loosening his tie and kissing Halley and Harrison on top of their heads in greeting. In her fantasy, then he’d walk over to her and take her into his arms, kissing her with a bit more intimacy. She’d laugh. He’d nuzzle her neck. She’d giggle and ask for more. Then he’d reach around her and steal a bite of whatever she was preparing for dinner. He’d walk away and she’d smile as she admired his butt. The guy really did have an amazing butt, she thought.
Sighing, Stevie dumped the green beans into a container, then set them aside. She’d microwave them later, right before the chicken was finished. She glanced over her shoulder at the twins, her heart aching as she watched Halley whisper in Harrison’s ear. Turning away, she got out the container of strawberries and cut the tops off, putting them into a colorful bowl. With dinner finished, she washed her hands, then went to check out their homework. “This is a really nice drawing, Halley,” she said to her daughter. “Harrison, what’s this?” she asked, pointing to a big, green blob.
“That’s Halley,” he explained with a grin. “She’s a germ.”
Halley didn’t like the sound of that and glared at her brother. “I’m not a germ!” she told him firmly.
And on it went. Stevie watched the twins throughout dinner and, as they argued and laughed, irritated each other and conspired with each other, Stevie knew what she had to do. She didn’t like it, but she knew that it was the right thing to do.
Chapter 15
Stevie gently kissed Halley’s chubby cheek, then smoothed her hair back. She did the same for Harrison, then paused just a moment to look at her children. Their lives had taken a dramatic turn, and yet, they’d gone with it. No hesitation in accepting Lincoln and Kinsley into their lives. They’d simply embraced their new world order.
Oh, if only Stevie could be that accepting!
Standing up, she slipped out of the twins’ bedroom, pulling the door mostly closed but still open so she could hear them during the night. In her own bedroom, she picked up her cell phone and, after rummaging around in the stack of papers on her desk, the stack that she never seemed to have enough time to go through, she eventually found the card with the private investigator’s information on it.
With shaking fingers, she dialed the number, her fury increasing with every number.
As the phone rang, Stevie paced around her bedroom.
“This is Frankie,” the woman answered.
Stevie froze. “Frankie? This is Stevie Hunt.”
“Hi!” the PI replied, her voice warm and friendly. “How are you? I’m glad that you called. I didn’t want to pressure you in any way, but…”
“Really? No pressure? So then, why did you tell Janus about my children?” she demanded.
There was a long silence and Stevie trembled with her anger.
Finally, Frankie replied, “Stevie, I don’t know what you’re talking about. And who is Janus?”
“Janus Meyers.”
“The football legend?” she asked with a laugh. “Good grief, I wish that I could get in to talk to him!”
“Seriously?” Stevie snapped. “You’re going to go that way? You’re actually going to lie and tell me that you didn’t contact Janus Meyers and tell him about my children? After you promised me…” she paused to close her eyes, “…you promised…that you would let me think about this situation and make my own decision! I trusted you!”
Another long silence and Stevie waited, wondering what excuse the woman would offer.
“Stevie, I don’t know what’s going on here. I haven’t spoken to Janus Meyers and I definitely haven’t said a word to Edward about the twins. As far as I’m concerned, I’m on hold until you tell me what you want to do. Your kids,” she reiterated firmly, “your rules.”
Stevie stopped pacing, closing her eyes as confusion washed over her. “You didn’t find out that Janus was the father?” she asked, her voice a whisper as dread
