From Brooding Boss to Adoring Dad (16 page)

But best of all was Tadeo. As soon as she and Adam were married, they would sign the adoption papers for Tadeo. His heart operations were behind him now, his burns had healed beautifully, and all he had to do was rest and recover and adjust to being part of a real family. The resting part was going to be tough, though, because her dad loved having a grandson. They were best friends, inseparable, and as she’d just witnessed with the wheelchair, her dad had a few tricks up his sleeve for Tadeo.

Better than good. Perfect. A life fulfilled, finally. She rubbed her still-flat belly. Better than perfect. More than fulfilled.

“Well, if Tadeo’s involved in the surprise, that rules out several things that come to mind,” Adam said.

“Hold that thought, Doctor. For after the bammys.”

“Well, they look like a wild bunch.” He pointed to the parade of family and friends all headed for the beach. “I have a feeling the bammys are going to be very cold by the time this crowd gets through partying.”

“Then we party with them. And I did promise Miss Henry that you’d save the second dance for her.”

“And our honeymoon …”

“Will wait a few hours.” She stood on tiptoe and brushed a quick kiss to his lips. “And it’s not like we haven’t had a
few honeymoons already.” She took his hand and held it to her belly. “Very successful ones.”

Adam chuckled. “I feel a girl in there. Red hair, feisty, stubborn.”

“Is that a guess, or some kind of divining talent?”

“A dream. They do come true, Red.”

“Yes, they do, don’t they, Coulson?” OK, so he did still call her Red sometimes, and sometimes she still called him Coulson. But they knew it was only habit, and part of her didn’t want to let go of the habit because that would be like letting go of part of their past. Still, they never ever called each other Red or Coulson behind closed doors. “So, what if she doesn’t have red hair?”

“What color could it be?” he asked, as they strolled toward the beach, toward the beginning of so many wonderful things.

“Could be blue.” In the end, the hospital had stayed blue, and while her husband had yet to admit a fondness for it, he wasn’t quite so vocal against it either.

“Not blue!” he teased. “Anything but blue.”

“Well, you’d better change that attitude, because I’ve got some blue for you.” As they stepped out from a clump of trees, everyone was standing in a line. Serek and Alvinnia. Tyjon, Ennis and Willeen Clarke. Davion and Trinique. The whole Edward family. Miss Francelle Henry. Mrs Meecham. Her father. Tadeo … her life, her family. They were pointing to the most hideously colored boat. Not one, not two, not even three shades of blue, but five, all in some stage of peeling.

“It’s a.” Adam choked.

“A wooden 1951 Lyman Islander. I know it’s not the one your grandfather gave you, but it’s new memories, Adam. You and Tadeo, and our second child … the one with the
blue hair. You’ll have brand-new memories, and they’ll be good. I promise you, they’ll be good, too.”

“I don’t know what to say,” he choked out, standing there, holding on to his wife, looking at everything he had in his life. “I
don’t
know what to say.”

“That you love blue? Because according to my renovation estimation,
Stella II
is probably going to be blue until your second
grandchild
at least.”

“Not
Stella
II,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
“Stella Blue,
and I love blue. But not as much as I love Red.”

They kissed, of course, in front of a yelling, applauding audience. “So, Tadeo,” Algernon said, as Erin and Adam finally pulled away from each other and headed toward the boat, where they would exchange their marriage vows. “Any bets? Are you going to get a baby brother or sister?”

Tadeo looked at his parents, and smiled over the worst-kept secret ever. “Probably both.”

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

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First published in Great Britain 2011

Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,

Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

© Dianne Despain 2011

ISBN: 978-1-408-92446-4