“Dani and I have been having quite a chat,” he told her.
“Really? How’d she like the carriage?”
“She’s out in the barn even as we speak, gathering up Francie and the kittens for a ride.”
Kelly grimaced. “I’m sure Francie will love that. Maybe we should go rescue her.”
“Francie can take care of herself,” he said. “Right now, I want to talk about a picture Dani drew for me.” He showed her the folded paper.
“And this is?” Kelly inquired, pointing to the pink bundle in her arms.
“Her baby sister.”
Kelly’s gaze shot to his. “Did you put her up to this?”
“No, but the picture got me to thinking. The one thing the family in this picture has that we haven’t talked about is love.”
“Evidenced by all the hearts, I suppose?”
“Exactly.” He kept his gaze fixed on Kelly’s face and thought he read something that might have been uncertainty in the depths of her eyes. As if he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning, the last piece of the puzzle suddenly came clear. Kelly did love him still, just as she once had and just as Dani had said. She’d just been waiting for him to wake up and discover that he loved her.
“I realized something when I saw this. I do love you,” he admitted, finally finding the right words to express all the things he’d been feeling over the past weeks and months. As soon as the words were out, he realized exactly how right they were.
“That’s why I want to fill this house with our children,” he explained, trying to make her see all that he’d discovered in his heart. “There are so many more reasons, too. Dani shouldn’t be an only child. Any child who is a part of you will steal my heart.”
He grinned at the transformation he saw on her face. “Am I getting warm?” he asked, even though he could read the answer in her smile.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting very warm.” She searched his face. “Are you sure this is what you want? If we have a child, there’s no turning back.”
“There was never any chance of turning back,” he said with certainty. “To borrow a phrase from your daughter, I love you to pieces.” He gave her a lazy smile. “I may be slow, sweet pea, but once I get there, I never, ever, change my mind. Guaranteed.”
Epilogue
“I think we should get the whole family together and go into town for dinner tonight,” Kelly announced on a Sunday in mid-June, almost ten months after their marriage. “I’ve already called Jessie. She and Luke will drive over this afternoon. Do you want to call your parents or should I?”
Jordan regarded his wife warily. “You never want to get together with my parents. You always say my mother gives you hives.”
“I can tolerate her criticism for one night. And I adore Harlan.”
He nodded. “So, what’s the occasion? It’s not your birthday.” She had turned thirty without mishap a few weeks before. “It’s not mine. It’s not our anniversary.”
“You sure about all that?” she taunted.
“I’d like to claim total credit, but believe me, Ginger never lets me forget. She says there are certain things that are inviolate in a good marriage and special occasions top the list. She puts every important date on my calendar and circles it in red.”
“A wise woman,” Kelly enthused.
“You still haven’t said what’s going on.”
“It’s a surprise.”
Her reticence was making Jordan extremely nervous. Every once in a while, Kelly devised some scheme that threw the wonderful, quiet routine of their marriage into chaos. He had a hunch this was going to be one of those times. He was still reeling from the discovery that in seeking serenity, he’d found a woman filled with surprises.
“Does Dani know?” he inquired innocently.
Kelly chuckled. “Absolutely not. I know she can’t keep a secret, especially from you. Do you bribe that child or what?”
“Never.”
“Are you calling your parents or not?”
He sighed. “I’ll call them. What time and where?”
“DiPasquali’s at seven.”
Jordan spent the rest of the day surreptitiously observing his wife and trying to figure out what was going on in her head. The predictability he’d once cherished in Kelly had obviously vanished sometime after puberty without his noticing. She’d become a totally perplexing, complicated—okay, fascinating—woman. There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t thank his lucky stars that he’d been smart enough to marry her.
When they arrived at the Italian restaurant that night, Gina and Anthony had already pushed several tables together for them in the middle of the room. Jordan had the distinct impression that they, too, were in on this hush-hush secret.
In fact, only the men in the family seemed to be left out. Luke and his father seemed as bemused by all the fuss as he was. The women were all smiling conspiratorially—even his mother—which only added to his nervousness. He was tempted to run out and call Ginger just to make sure a special occasion hadn’t slipped his mind, after all.
Kelly seemed inclined to prolong his agony, too. Not a word about what had drawn them together was spoken all during the noisy, laughter-filled dinner. Only after they’d finished the pizza did he glance at the other end of the table where Kelly was seated next to Jessie and her almost-two-year-old daughter, Angela. Kelly was whispering to Gina, who smiled broadly and nodded.
“I will get dessert now,” the restaurant owner said.
“Bring me some of that Italian ice cream,” Harlan said. “What’s it called? Spumoni?”
“Not tonight,” Kelly said. “I’ve arranged for something special.”
Jordan’s gaze shot to hers. Her expression was unreadable and she refused to meet his eyes.
“Anyone like coffee?” Gina DiPasquali asked.
“Another beer for me,” Harlan said.
“I’ll take the coffee,” Luke told her. He leaned over and kissed Jessie’s cheek. “What about you? Coffee?”
Jessie nodded.
As soon as the order was complete, Gina vanished
