To Be a Dad (Harlequin Superromance) (15 page)

“Did you have a good day?” She grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and handed it to Cal at the same time he put his lunch box on the counter.

He raised his eyebrows at the beer before taking it. “It was okay. The Tolsters want to install a second bathroom on their main floor. We need another plumber in this village besides Beanie. He’s good, but man, is he slow.”

“Maybe he’ll work faster if he knows he has more than one job. Teressa mentioned they were thinking of installing a bathroom in the basement.”

Cal sipped his beer. “Probably not a bad idea with two kids and another one on the way. I almost feel sorry for my little brother. He’s always got this startled look on his face these days. Like he doesn’t know what hit him.” He snickered.

“Um...Brendon and Sarah are here.” She’d planned to segue into that with a little more finesse, but she couldn’t risk Cal saying anything that might hurt their feelings if they overheard.

Cal’s mouth tightened as he lowered the beer bottle. “What’s going on?”

“I’m babysitting,” she said as cheerfully as she could. “Teressa and Dusty are painting some rooms tonight, and Teressa asked if I’d look after the children for a few hours. I wasn’t doing anything.” As usual. “So I said yes.”

“I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t take on any projects until you felt stronger.”

“Looking after children is not a project, Cal. And I feel fine. Really.” She stood taller to emphasize her point.

He studied her for a minute. “How about emotionally? I mean...you know, being with kids?”

Her cheeks heated up. “I’m okay.” She flipped open his lunch box and started to unpack the empty containers.

Cal came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Really? Or are you telling me what you think I need to hear?”

She scrunched an empty plastic bag in her hands. The counselor had said it was important to be honest, but Anita wasn’t certain that was good advice. Except she’d almost lost Cal when she hadn’t told him the truth a few months ago.

She leaned into him. “I felt a little weepy when Sarah gave me a kiss.”

Cal nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear. “You’re such a softy.” He skimmed his hand over her stomach and up to her breast.

“Cal! The children.”

He dropped his hands to her hips and pressed himself against her behind. “They’re going home soon, right?”

She laughed and turned around to face him. It frightened her how much she loved her husband. “You’re incorrigible. And incredibly sexy. But tonight, you’ll have to wait.”

“Are you guys smooching? Mommy and Dusty smooch when they think we’re not watching.” Sarah skipped into the room and climbed up on a chair by the table. “I’m hungry, Anita. Can we eat now?”

“Is that all the hello I get from my favorite girl?” Cal sat beside her and tickled her. She giggled and climbed from her chair to sit on his lap.

Anita’s heart unfurled. She loved watching her big, strong husband act so gentle with children. He’d make a wonderful father someday.

Tears ripped into her, and she spun around to face the counter. She gave herself a second to get her emotions under control before opening the oven and taking out a casserole. Cal was probably right. Taking care of Sarah and Brendon was too much for her just yet. She still felt too fragile emotionally to spend any amount of time around children. Except Teressa obviously thought she was capable of babysitting, because she’d asked her, not Sylvie, to take the children. Teressa had no idea how good Anita had felt when she’d asked.

“I hope you like macaroni and cheese.”

“I do. So does Dusty. He smacks his lips when he eats it,” Sarah said.

From the corner of her eye, Anita watched Brendon slip into the room. He stayed close to the door as if he wasn’t sure of his welcome. Before she could encourage him, Cal grabbed the tiny boy and swung him around the room like he was flying. Brendon’s face turned red, but instead of breaking out in tears, he started giggling, his sweet laugh clear and innocent. Brendon might be the quiet, shy one, but Anita suspected he had hidden talents that had yet to bloom. By the time Cal set him on a chair, they were all laughing.

“Again!” Brendon yelled.

Cal grabbed him again and swung him around, then set him down. “That’s all for now, little man. You won’t be able to eat.”

“My turn.” Sarah hopped down and held up her arms to Cal.

“Brendon, will you help me set the table?” Anita said.

The three-year-old nodded as Cal swung Sarah around the room.

Anita squatted down and gave him the forks and knives. “You’re getting to be such a big boy. I bet you help your mommy a lot.”

His eyes grew big and round, as if he was looking at an exotic creature. Anita smiled. “You smell good,” he said.

Her smile grew wider. Definitely hidden talents. Teressa would have to keep her eye on this one. “So do you,” she said. “You smell like sunshine and fresh air.”

“I’m going to be a whale when I grow up. No.” He shook his head. “I mean a fisherman. Like Dusty. Mommy says I can’t be a whale. Dusty has a whale for a friend. He said he’d take me to see him one day, but he hasn’t.”

She knew it wasn’t right to be envious of someone else’s good fortune, but, oh, how she longed for a little boy, just like Brendon, who would tell her his deepest secrets. Did Dusty have any idea how lucky he was? She liked Dusty a lot. Who didn’t? But sometimes she wondered if he was a little...careless with people. She made a mental note to remind him of his promise to Brendon.

“Can I come?” she asked impulsively.

“You have to ask Dusty.”

She gave him the cutlery. “I will.” It would give her the perfect excuse to remind Dusty of his promise.

Supper went much better than she’d dared hope. She smiled to herself, thinking of the all formal meals she’d attended and hosted in her life. She’d been more nervous about this simple supper than any business dinner her father had ever asked her to host.

She gazed lovingly at Cal. Her hero. He’d saved her from a life of rules and rigidity. She’d been engaged to marry her father’s younger, and very ambitious, partner when she’d literally bumped into Cal on the street and spilled her armload of parcels on the sidewalk. Cal told her later he’d fallen in love with her on the spot. It hadn’t occurred to her to even take a second look at him, her life was that different from his. One glance had taken in his worn jeans and work boots, and although he made a very attractive parcel, she didn’t know anyone who owned work boots.

She paid closer attention when he sent her flowers the next day. And chocolates the next and followed them up with the first of many phone calls. He ignored her when she told him she was engaged, and it didn’t take long before she was rushing home from work, anxious to hear his deep, rich voice gently teasing her over the phone. When he turned up on her doorstep with a packed picnic basket and a smile, she didn’t think of turning him down. She moved in with him two weeks later. Not once had she regretted her hasty decision.

Her father lost interest in her when she left her job and her family to follow Cal to Collina. It didn’t altogether surprise her that he’d seen her more as an asset than a daughter, because he’d often talked about people as if they were commodities. She just hadn’t expected him to treat
her
that way. Now, two years later, she was still trying to understand how to fit into village life. She’d begun to think she never would, but lately, people had started reaching out to her, and she was ready to reach back.

Cal plugged in a movie for the children and sat down with them while Anita cleaned up after supper. This was the way it would be if they had children. They’d take turns helping with homework or on a weekend night, like this one, watch a movie with them or play a board game. She grimaced. More like a video game.

Her smile disappeared as she wiped the counter clean. Somehow she had to convince Cal it was time to try again.

When the door flew open, she was startled from her thoughts and staggered backward.

“Hey, there.” Dusty grabbed her elbow to steady her. “You okay?”

“Yes, of course. You startled me.”

“What’s going on?” Cal asked from the arch that opened into the living room.

“I thought she was going to faint.” Dusty frowned at her.

“No, I... You...” She closed her mouth. She could hardly accuse him of barging into her house. “He surprised me.”

“You do look awfully white.” Cal advanced into the room and took her elbow in his hand. “Maybe you should sit down.”

She pulled away. “I’m fine,” she snapped, then immediately regretted it as the room fell silent. Cal would never agree to her trying to get pregnant again if he thought of her as an invalid.

She pasted a bright smile on her face. “You’re early,” she said to Dusty. “Would you like a coffee?”

Dusty looked from her to Cal as if gauging the mood. “No. Thanks, though. Teressa says it’s better to get the kids home and in bed before they fall asleep here. They sleep better that way, I guess.”

“I think she’s right. If you make sure your child goes to bed at the correct time every night, they not only sleep better, but often longer, as well.” She stopped when she realized both men were staring at her. “I read about it. In a book.”

“Right. Where are the kiddos?” Dusty craned his neck in the direction of the living room and whistled.

For heaven’s sake, did he think they were animals? “I’ll get their coats and things,” Anita offered. Why did she have to jabber on about children’s sleeping habits? Both Carson brothers thought she was weak
and
crazy. Dusty and Teressa would never let her babysit the children again. And Cal—Cal would say it was too soon to try for another baby.

She carried her armload of coats and hats and boots into the living room. Sarah was clinging to Dusty’s leg and gazing up at him as though he was the sun, while he ignored her as he talked to Cal. Cal was frowning down at Brendon, who had fallen asleep on the couch.

“Here’s Sarah’s jacket.” As she passed the bright red jacket to Dusty, she noticed the sleeves were starting to fray. She’d love to take Sarah shopping, but Teressa would never let her. She was fiercely protective of her children. And, Anita supposed, buying clothing for someone else’s child could be seen as slightly insulting. Not that that was her intention.

Anita bit her tongue when Dusty took the jacket and absently passed it to Sarah. Anita kneeled down and slipped Brendon’s limp arms into the sleeves of his jacket. It, too, looked worn around the cuffs. She zipped up Brendon’s jacket and turned to Sarah.

“Need help with that?”

“Nope.” Sarah did up her zipper and tugged on Dusty’s denim-clad leg. He stopped talking and looked down. “What?”

“I want to go home.”

Anita held her breath as Dusty sighed loud enough for the entire village to hear. He took a second or two, then squatted down and tapped Sarah’s nose with his finger. “Wait ’til you see your and Brendon’s room, Princess. You’re going to love it.”

Sarah jumped up and down. “Let’s go home.”

Dusty scooped up Brendon under his arm as if he were a football and took Sarah’s hand. “Thanks, Anita.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “The kids behave themselves?”

He looked surprised when she turned her head in time to kiss his cheek, as well. “We had fun. And I have a request.”

“Name it, it’s yours.”

“Brendon told me you were going to take him out on your boat to see a whale? I’d love to come, if it’s not too much of an imposition.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll let you know when we go. Should be soon.”

She stood back, satisfied that she’d reminded him of his promise to Brendon.

“When are you taking your traps out?” Cal followed him to the door.

“Another couple of weeks.”

“You usually have them hauled by now.”

Anita eased back into the kitchen when she heard concern in Cal’s voice.

“I’m burning through money like crazy. Going to Lancaster tomorrow maybe to look at some heat pumps. I was hoping to squeeze in another week or two of fishing.”

“It’s getting pretty cold on the bay for fishing.”

Dusty stopped with his hand on the door. “The lobsters don’t know that.”

“It gets dangerous when ice starts forming on your boat and equipment. You’ve got more than yourself to think about now.”

Fatigue marked Dusty’s face. “I know. That means I gotta pull Josh from working on the house for a few days.”

“What’s he working on?”

“Bathroom, I think.”

“I’m free next week. I’ll do that.”

“Dusty, can we go? I’m tired?” Sarah whined.

“In a minute, Princess. Are you sure? I thought you were still working at the Tolsters’,” he said to Cal.

“They can wait. I’ll come by tomorrow when you get home and have a look at what needs to be done.”

Dusty frowned. “I appreciate the help, but I don’t want you losing the Tolster job. From what I hear they’re planning on renovating the entire house.”

“It only takes you a couple days to haul traps, right? I’ll tell him I’m waiting on material or something.”

“Okay. Thanks, Cal. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow. ’Night, Anita.”

Anita put her arm around her husband’s waist as they both watched Dusty strap the children into their seats and drive away. “Mr. Tolster is going to be disappointed when you don’t show up next week.”

“Tolster doesn’t have a brother working his boat too late in the season.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “He’s good with Sarah and Brendon, isn’t he? For some reason, I didn’t expect him to be.”

Cal turned and wrapped his arms around her. “I think we’ve all underestimated my brother. Now, what was that you said earlier? Something about me being, I believe the exact words you used were,
incredibly sexy?
”

Tell him now
. She pulled back far enough so she could look into his eyes. “I want a baby, Cal.”

His face hardened. “This is exactly why I don’t think you’re ready to babysit those kids. Oh, come on, hon. Please don’t cry.” He stroked her arms. “You know I’d love for us to have a baby, but I’m not going to risk your life. Just thinking about the possibility makes me sick.”