“In the meantime, other than that, leave Jill alone. Go live your own life and forget about hers.”
He clicked off and tried to tame the rage that roiled in him. Jill didn’t deserve any of this. He only hoped she would let him stay here to help her get out from under all this. He knew she couldn’t get Brad out of her system, but there wasn’t much he could do about that. He didn’t care about his own emotional involvement anymore. So, he was probably going to get his heart broken. So what? His love for Jill was too strong to try to deny any longer. And all he wanted was what was good for her. He had to stay.
When he walked into the house, he heard Jill singing in the kitchen. He had to stop for a moment and listen, marveling at her. What was she, some kind of angel? Whatever—she was everything he knew he wanted. And would probably never have.
“Hey,” he told her as he came up behind her, putting his arms around her. She leaned back into him and smiled. “I’m getting pretty funky in these clothes,” he said. “I think I’ll run into town and get some fresh things from the hotel room. Can I bring anything back for you?”
She turned in his embrace and kissed him. “Just bring yourself back. That’s all I need,” she said.
He kissed her again and the kiss deepened. The way he felt about her grew every time he touched her. Right now, it seemed like fireworks going off in his chest. This was the way he wished it could always be.
* * *
Jill stood at the sliding glass door looking out at the grassy hill that was her backyard. Connor was outside playing with the twins, chasing them up and down the hill, laughing, picking up one and then the other to whirl about and land gently again. Her heart was full of bittersweet joy. Tears trembled in her eyes.
If only Brad could be this way. If he really met the boys, if he tried to get to know them, wouldn’t he realize how wonderful they were? Wouldn’t he have to love them? Wouldn’t that make everything better?
As she watched, Connor fell, iron-cross style, into a huge bed of leaves, and the boys raced each other to jump on top of him. She could hear the laughter from where she was behind glass and it answered her own questions.
No. Brad would never love the boys, because he didn’t want to. He wouldn’t let himself. It was time she faced facts.
She heard the front door open and she turned that way.
“Jill!”
“In here, Sara.” She frowned. Her sister’s voice sounded high and strained. What had happened now?
Sara appeared, looking a little wild. “Did you get the letter?”
“What letter?”
“From Social Services.” She waved an official-looking envelope. “Did you get one, too?”
“I don’t know. Connor brought in the mail. I think he left it on the entryway table. Let me get it.”
She stepped into the foyer and found the envelope Sara was talking about. Connor and the boys were coming back into the family room as she returned to it. The boys were jumping around him like puppies.
“I promised them ice cream,” he said after nodding at Sara. “I’m hoping you actually have some.”
“Don’t worry.” Jill put the envelope down and went into the kitchen. They all followed her and she pulled two Popsicles out of the freezer for them. “They’ll accept this as a substitute,” she said. “Now go on out and play in the sunroom. I don’t care if you drip all over that floor.”
They did as they were told, dancing happily on their toes. Connor laughed as he watched them go, then looked at Jill. They shared a secret smile.
Sara groaned. “Come on. Open the mail. You won’t believe this.”
“What does it say?”
“You need to read it for yourself. Go ahead. Read it. I’ll wait.”
Connor looked at Sara and said, “Hey, you look really upset.”
Her eyes flashed his way. “Did Jill tell you about our stepsister? She died in a car accident last week.”
“Yes, she did tell me. I’m sorry.”
Sara nodded, then looked at Jill, waiting.
Moments later, Jill handed the letter to Connor and he noticed right away that her fingers were trembling. She turned and looked at her sister, wide-eyed. “I don’t believe it.”
Sara nodded, looking flushed. “Told you.”
Connor glanced at the letter. It seemed to be about someone named Kelly Darling. Then he connected the name. It was the stepsister who had died the week before. Kelly Darling. It seemed that Kelly had a baby. A three-month-old baby. Jill and Sara were her only living relatives that could be found. Would either of them care to claim the child?
“A baby,” he said. “And you didn’t know?”
“No.” Jill shook her head. “I guess she wasn’t married. We hadn’t heard from her for so long.”
Sara nodded mournfully. “And now, a baby.”
Jill felt tears threatening again. “Poor little thing.”
Sara flashed her a look. “Kelly’s baby.” She shook her head. “I don’t think we’ve seen Kelly more than three times in the last fifteen years.”
“And that’s our fault,” Jill said mournfully. “We should have made more of an effort.”
Sara shrugged. “Why? She never liked us. The last time I saw her, she was furious with me.”
Jill looked surprised. “What happened?”
“She wanted to borrow five thousand dollars to help pay for a certification class she wanted to take.”
“Some kind of computer class?”
“No. It was to qualify as a professional dog trainer. When I pointed out that I didn’t see how she was going to be able to pay me back on the salaries beginning dog trainers make, she told me I was ruining her life and she never wanted to see me again.”
Jill sighed. “Well, she was an awfully cute little baby.”
Sara looked at Jill and bit her lip. “I’m sure they’ll find some relative we don’t even know about to take the child.”
Jill frowned. “Maybe. But...”
“Jill!” Sara cried. “Don’t you dare! There is no way you can take on another baby.”
Jill looked pained. “What about you?” she asked.
“Me?” Sara’s face registered shock. It was obvious that option hadn’t even entered her mind. “Me?” She shook her head strenuously. “I don’t do babies. I can barely manage to watch your little angels for more than an hour without going mad.”
“Sara, she’s our flesh and blood. She’s our responsibility.”
“How do you figure that? I don’t see it. She was Kelly’s responsibility, and now they’ll find someone to adopt her. Tons of people want babies that age.”
Jill was shaking her head. “I don’t know....”
Sara groaned and looked tortured. Stepping closer, she took her sister’s hands in her own. “Jill, I haven’t come right out and told you this. I’ve tried to hint it, just to prepare you, but... I’m going to be moving down to Los Angeles. And my job is going to include almost constant travel, especially to New York. There’s no room for a baby in that scenario.” She had tears sliding down her cheeks. “And that also means I won’t be here to help you. You can’t even begin to think of taking this baby.”
Jill looked at her and