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  She frowned. “That means you will have paid for my dinner twice.”

  “Avery, do we really have to keep score?”

  “No, we don’t,” she replied with a laugh. “And I’d love to go to your place tomorrow evening.”

  “Great, then how about I pick you up around five?”

  “Sounds perfect to me.”

  Minutes later he was in his truck and headed home. Home was the Colton ranch, over a thousand acres of rich, fertile pastureland owned by his father, Hays, and his mother, Josephine.

  When he’d gotten out of the army and returned here, he’d laid claim to an old foreman’s cabin, which had needed lots of repairs. The hard work had been welcome to keep his mind off the pain of loss that still ached in his heart. When he wasn’t helping with search and rescue, he’d worked on the old place until it had become a decent space to call home.

  Now all he could think about was how he needed to turn the small spare bedroom there into a nursery of his own. He’d need two cribs and all the items it took to keep two babies healthy and happy.

  Although he and Avery hadn’t even touched on the custody issue yet, he wanted to share the babies from the moment they were born. It was important he bond with them right from the get-go. He only hoped Avery would be on the same page as him when it came to custody.

  Avery. There was still so much he had to learn about her, but he’d enjoyed his time with her tonight far more than he’d anticipated. He found her so easy to talk to, and with a great sense of humor. He hadn’t expected that.

  He pulled up in front of the cabin, where he’d been living for the past three months since he’d returned to Whisperwood from his base in Houston.

  The cozy place was sheltered from the winds by tall trees on either side, and there was a small porch on the back that faced more woods. It was not only a quiet, peaceful place, but was also a bit isolated, which he didn’t mind.

  When he’d first come home, his grief still a living, breathing thing inside him, he hadn’t wanted to be around people except those who needed him in the rescue efforts. But with his family it was impossible to stay isolated for long. They absolutely wouldn’t allow it.

  He parked his truck in front and then went inside. He turned on an end table lamp and instantly his gaze fell on a framed photo of Ivy.

  She was in her army uniform and she appeared to be gazing at him in silent accusation. He sank down on the brown leather recliner and picked up the photo.

  It had been a little over a year since her death, and yet the pain of her loss felt as fresh as if she had died yesterday. He’d known her for three months before they had gotten married. Some people might have said they rushed things, but he had known it was right on the day he had met her. They had been married for three years when she’d been killed.

  They’d dreamed of creating a family together. The plan had been that once both of them were out of uniform for good they would buy a house and work on making their first baby. But an IED in Afghanistan, where Ivy had been serving her last tour of duty, had ended not only their hopes and dreams, but also her life.

  He ran a finger over Ivy’s face in the picture. Her short brown hair emphasized her big, soulful brown eyes. “I have to get along with her,” he whispered to her. “Avery is nothing more than the mother of my children. You have my heart, Ivy, and you’ll always have it.”

  He set the picture back on the end table. He hoped he and Avery could become good friends for the sake of the babies. But there would never again be a woman in his life who was anything more than a friend, because his heart had been buried along with his wife.

  Chapter 3

  Avery was in the kitchen at four thirty the next afternoon when the phone rang, and seeing the caller identification, she smiled as she answered. “Hey, girlfriend.”

  “Hey, yourself,” Breanna Wallace replied. “What’s happening?”

  Breanna was one of Avery’s close friends, so close that she knew all about the night the twins had been conceived and who Avery had fallen into bed with.

  “A lot,” Avery replied. She told her about meeting Dallas at the courthouse, and that they were now working on building a friendship that would serve the twins well.

  “Wow, I’d like to be hanging out with a man as hot as Dallas Colton,” Breanna replied. “Instead I’ve got a two-year-old son who has decided being naked is wonderful, a four-year-old daughter who wants mac and cheese for every meal, and an ex-husband who is paying for his girlfriend’s breast augmentation, but is four months late on his child support.” She stopped and drew a deep, audible breath. “Whew, that was a mouthful and I now want details about you and Dallas.”

  Avery laughed. “There aren’t a lot of details to tell you. We went out to dinner together last night and tonight he’s taking me to his place.”

  “His place, huh? Any romantic sparks flying between you two?” Breanna asked. “According to what you told me, sparks definitely flew on the night you met.”

  “No,” Avery replied quickly. “That’s not what we’re looking for. We just need to build a strong friendship between us so we can effectively coparent together.” Avery didn’t want to think about the moments that Dallas’s smile had shot a wave of heat through her, or the way her heart quickened its beat in his presence.

  She watched Lulu disappear out the doggie door and then glanced at the clock on the microwave. In twenty minutes the object of their conversation would be here to pick her up. Thankfully, she was ready to go and so had a few more minutes to visit with Breanna.

  They continued to catch up with each other until Avery had to call a halt. “Breanna, I need to go. Dallas will be here any time to pick me up.”

  “Go and have a good time,” Breanna replied. “And I want details tomorrow.” As they ended the call Lulu came back into the house and danced directly to the drawer under the microwave where Avery kept her treats. She stared at the drawer and then looked at Avery. She rose up on her back legs and released a bark.

  “Okay,” Avery said with a laugh. She got up from the kitchen chair and gave Lulu a treat, and then went into the living room to wait for Dallas.

  Despite what she’d told Breanna about this being strictly a mission of building a friendship, she couldn’t help the way her heart beat a bit faster in anticipation of seeing Dallas again. She wanted to like him, just not to like him in any kind of a romantic way.

  After Zeke’s death she had decided she was good living alone. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant when she had, eventually she probably would have checked into artificial insemination or adoption.

  She could raise her children and give them all the love in her heart, but beyond her babies, she never wanted to care that deeply about another human being again. She would forever shield her heart from that kind of hurt, as best she could. Love outside her children wasn’t an option in her life.

  She was eager to see where Dallas lived. He’d said it was an old cabin. What kind of shape was it in? She didn’t care how he lived, but if he took the babies for his turn at custody, she needed to make sure the place was clean and safe and appropriate.

  As she saw Dallas’s truck turning onto her street, she bent down and stroked her hands down little Lulu’s back. The length of the soft, curly black fur reminded her that it was past time to take the dog to the groomers.

  “You be a good little girl while I’m gone, and I’ll be back later,” she said, and then she grabbed her purse and opened her front door.

  She stepped out at the same time Dallas got out of his truck. He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her, and then turned to greet her with that wonderful smile of his. “How are you?”

  “I’m good,” she replied, and slid into the passenger seat. He closed the door and then walked around the front of the truck to his side.

  He looked as handsome as she’d ever seen him. He w
ore a pair of blue jeans that looked like they’d been especially made to fit his long legs and tight butt. The navy T-shirt showcased his broad shoulders and arm muscles. There was no question the man was hot.

  He got into the truck, bringing with him the scent of sunshine and his clean, fresh cologne. “You look nice,” he said, as he started the engine.

  “Thank you.” She ran her hands down the rose-and-black blouse. “I have a rather limited wardrobe now.”

  He turned to look at her. “Do you need more clothes? I could buy you—”

  “Dallas,” she interrupted. “I refuse to buy another maternity blouse this close to giving birth. You just might have to deal with seeing me in the same blouse more than once.”

  “I can deal with that,” he replied. “So, how was your day?” he asked once they were on the road.

  “It was good, although I have to confess I was a bit of a slug. I slept sinfully late and then I read for most of the afternoon. I did absolutely nothing constructive all day. What about you?”

  “Normally I would have been out with the other men doing cleanup on some of the properties that suffered flood damage. But knowing I was having a visitor this evening, I did some cleaning and then went into town and did some shopping.”

  “Oh, I hope you haven’t gone to a lot of trouble,” she said.

  “I only did what needed to be done,” he replied. “Are you hungry?”

  “Always,” she replied with a laugh.

  “I hope you like steak.”

  “I love a good steak,” she replied.

  “What else do you love when it comes to food?”

  “I like Mexican and some Chinese, I love pizza and barbecue and I would never turn down a fried chicken drumstick. What about you?” She supposed this was part of the getting to know each other that built a friendship.

  “It would be easier to tell you what I don’t like. Brussel sprouts and liver.”

  She laughed. “We definitely agree on that, and I will never force the children to eat those two foods.”

  “That’s good to know,” he replied.

  “But I will insist they eat other vegetables and meat.”

  “And I’ll occasionally sneak them a piece of candy.”

  Once again they shared laughter and then they fell silent as he left town and continued to head in the direction of the Colton ranch. It was a comfortable silence that she felt no need to fill. Rather, she directed her gaze out the passenger window, watching the passing scenery.

  So far she found him very agreeable, but they hadn’t really had the hard conversations yet. Talking about favorite foods and sharing a few laughs over their daily life was all fine and good, but she knew there were more difficult conversations to come.

  But nothing had to be sorted out immediately. There was still a month and a half before the babies were actually due to arrive. Right now she just wanted to enjoy spending time with him, and work on a friendship that would make the more difficult conversations a little easier.

  They began to pass pastureland. “It’s so beautiful out here,” she said.

  “As far as I’m concerned this is the prettiest place on the face of the earth.”

  “I’m sure you saw some pretty grim places in your military life.”

  A knot formed in his jaw and pulsed for a moment before he replied. “Yes, I did. I don’t really like to talk about my military life. I’m definitely glad I got out when I did, otherwise I wouldn’t have been at the courthouse here in town to run into you and discover I’m going to be a father.”

  “Strange how that worked out, isn’t it?”

  He smiled at her. “A bit of serendipity at work.”

  Serendipity...good fortune...a twist of fate. Whatever it had been, she was just glad that things had worked out the way they had. At least she knew the twins would have a father in their lives. And hopefully he would be a good father, unlike the distant and busy one who had been in her own life.

  She relaxed back into the seat. Once again a silence fell between them, but as before, it was a comfortable one. She’d been relaxed all day as she’d slowly processed the fact that there would be no more going to work every day for some time to come. She loved her work, but she was looking forward to being a stay-at-home mom for the next couple months.

  They turned off onto the Colton property and drove past the nice house where Josephine and Hays lived. They continued down a dirt road that led them deeper onto the property. They passed several outbuildings before a wooded area appeared, along with a small cabin.

  He pulled up and parked in front of it. She got out of the truck and looked around with interest. The only sounds were the faint breeze whispering through the trees, the songs of birds and, from someplace in the distance, a cow mooed.

  “What a peaceful place,” she said.

  “It is peaceful,” he agreed. “Let’s see if it passes the mommy test for a place to bring the twins.” He opened the door and ushered her inside.

  She entered into a nice living room with a neat and clean kitchenette on one side. The overstuffed, brown leather furniture and the stone fireplace invited a guest to sit and relax.

  There was a desk against one wall with a computer open on top and papers and other items on one side. The whole room held an implied warmth and welcome, and a cleanliness that was comforting to her.

  “This is really nice, Dallas. When you said a cabin in the woods, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but this is quite lovely.”

  “Thanks. Let me show you the rest of it.” He led her to a doorway on the right. He opened the door to a bedroom that held a king-size bed with a black-and-gray spread, dresser drawers and two end tables with small lamps.

  “Very nice,” she commented.

  He closed the door and then gestured to the next one. “This is the bathroom.” He then opened the third one and she walked into a nursery.

  It was a small room, but it was almost the mirror image of what she had in her house. There were two cribs, one with blue bedding and one with pink. The only thing really different was the mobiles that hung over each crib. Where she had dancing bears, he had little horses.

  Unexpected emotion surged up inside her. The room showed her that he was really serious about being a part of the twins’ lives. The room was a promise both to her and the babies she carried that he intended to be a part of their future.

  “When did you manage to do all this?” she asked, speaking around the lump in her throat.

  “Today.” He flashed that devastating grin of his. “I took the day off to try to catch up with you.”

  “It looks like you definitely managed to catch up with me,” she replied. It truly was a promise that he intended to stick around, and it made her feel closer to him.

  “Why don’t we go back into the living room and I’ll start dinner.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she replied. Instead of sitting on the sofa, she took a seat at the table for two, which was already set with plates, silverware and drink glasses. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “I’ve got the grill outside ready to go so all you need to do is tell me how you like your steak.”

  “That’s easy. Medium rare.”

  “Ah, a woman after my own heart. I’m going to take the steaks outside to cook. I’ll be right back.”

  She was almost glad he’d stepped outside because all of a sudden her brain was filled with memories of the night they had shared together.

  She remembered the fire of his kisses and the sweet slide of his naked body against hers. His touches had absolutely enflamed her. Even though she’d had too much to drink, it had been the hottest, most intense lovemaking she’d ever had in her entire life.

  And why, oh why, was she thinking about it right now? It had to be out-of-whack pregnancy hormones. Memories of that night had nothing to d
o with the relationship they were building right now, other than the consequences that had occurred. She had to put memories of that night with him out of her mind for good.

  She turned in the chair and gazed around the cozy room, trying to change the direction of her thoughts. This was definitely a place her babies could come and spend time in without any concerns.

  Was Dallas really in this for the long run? He had created the perfect nursery, a commitment for sure. But babies were like new toys. They were fun to play with for a while, but was it possible Dallas would lose interest as days turned into months and months into years?

  Only time would tell.

  * * *

  Along with the steaks, Dallas had prepared a salad and baked potatoes. “This all looks wonderful,” Avery said, once he had everything on the table.

  “This is one of the easiest meals for a man to make. Fling some lettuce into a bowl, toss a couple of potatoes in the oven and throw the meat on a grill.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure a little more went into this meal than what you just described.”

  He liked the sound of her melodious laughter. She looked particularly pretty tonight, clad in a rose-colored blouse and a pair of black slacks. There was no question that she was hugely pregnant, but he was surprised to realize he still found her very attractive. Maybe it was because he knew she carried his children.

  “Have you thought about names?” he asked.

  “Yes, I have. After giving it a lot of thought, I’m leaning toward Fred and Ethel.”

  He stared at her, momentarily rendered speechless. Was she serious? Fred and Ethel? She wanted to name his children after a couple in a sitcom from the fifties?

  She burst out laughing. “Oh, I wish I had gotten a picture of your expression just now.”

  “So, you aren’t really serious about Fred and Ethel?”

  “So not serious,” she replied with another laugh. “Actually, for the last month I’ve been trying to decide on names, but so far I haven’t been able to pick two. Now it’s something we can decide on together.”