Their Inherited Triplets, page 14
Motioning for him to follow, she strode into the adjacent playroom. “Boys! Remember? It’s show-and-tell today. So, do you want to get the toys you picked out?”
Three little heads tilted. They looked up at her, seeming slightly puzzled.
Sam sympathized. For a two-year-old, what happened yesterday might as well have been eons ago. They were usually so “in the moment.”
Looking sweet and maternal, Lulu knelt to their level. Gently, she reminded them, “Ethan, you were going to take your stuffed panda bear. Andrew, you were going to take your Frisbee. And, Theo, you were going to take the wall you made with your snap-together building set.”
The triplets turned to each other, once again communicating visually the way only multiples could. “No,” they said firmly in unison.
All three went over to their beloved Saint Bernard, who was sprawled out on the floor, as per usual, watching over them.
“Take Beauty!” they chorused.
“Ah, guys,” Sam said reluctantly, hunkering down. He hated disappointing them. “I’m sorry,” he informed them as kindly as he could. “But that’s not possible.”
“Take Beauty!” they shouted again.
Uh-oh, Sam thought, catching Lulu’s warily astonished expression. They were headed for meltdown territory.
Wondering if there were any exceptions to be made, Sam tilted his head. “Are they permitted to bring pets into the preschool?” he asked Lulu.
Her cheeks pink with distress, she shrugged. “I don’t know. Let me call and ask.”
Sam stayed with the kids and got them involved in helping straighten their toys. A few minutes later, Lulu returned. “I spoke with their teacher, Miss Cece. Apparently, it is possible, as long as the pet is up to date on all their vaccinations, is good with kids and the visit is brief.”
“How much advance notice do they need?”
“If you’ve got the right vet records, today is good.”
“I do.”
Lulu’s grin widened. Looking extremely happy they hadn’t had to disappoint the boys, she declared, “Well then, kids, looks like your best friend is going to school with you today.”
“Yay!” The boys clapped and danced with excitement.
She made another phone call, confirming the visit. Because Beauty was so big and couldn’t arrive until midmorning, Sam agreed to follow later and drive his dog separately. Anticipating they might need extra help, Lulu pledged to stay on in the classroom as a volunteer.
When the time came, Sam headed into town. He got there a little early, so he walked Beauty up and down the shady town streets. Pausing to give her water from her travel bowl and making sure she had time to take care of necessities. Finally, Lulu texted that they were ready.
Aware he was almost as excited as the kids, Sam entered the school, stopped by the front office to check in and say hello and then headed back down the hall.
The two-year-olds were buzzing with excitement. Their eyes widened when they saw the extremely gentle brown-and-white dog that stood twice as high as them.
Confessed dog lover Cece Taylor welcomed them into the classroom. The fifty-five-year-old educator directed Sam to take his pet to the open space next to the bulletin board. The rest of the kids sat cross-legged in a semicircle on the carpet.
“Okay, Theo, Andrew, Ethan,” Miss Cece said. “Do you boys want to come up here and show us your dog and tell us about her?”
The boys stood importantly. Little chests puffed out, they walked up to Beauty.
“And who is this?” Miss Cece prompted.
“Beauty. Doggy,” Theo explained.
“Soft. Pet.” Ethan demonstrated how to stroke her fur.
“No ride,” Andrew explained gravely, pointing at her back.
Miss Cece flashed an inquisitive look their way.
Sam told the assembled group, “Andrew is telling us we don’t ever try to ride the doggy like a horse. Because that’s not good. We can pet Beauty, though, because she really likes that.”
Enthralled, the kids took this in.
“Are there any questions?” Miss Cece asked.
One of the older little girls in the class raised her hand. When called on, she pointed at Lulu. “Who is that?” she asked.
“And that?” Another child jumped in to point at Sam.
Sam bit down on an oath. A land mine. One that none of the adults in the room had expected. Luckily, the triplets were taking the queries in stride. All three boys grinned proudly.
Theo walked over to Lulu, who was seated on a small chair next to Beauty. He took her face in his hands. Gazed happily into her eyes. “Lulu. Mommy,” he declared.
Was he calling Lulu Mommy? Sam wondered, barely suppressing a sharp inhalation of surprise and delight.
Andrew walked over to Sam. He motioned for Sam to bend down. When Sam did, Andrew took Sam’s face in his hands. “Sam. Daddy,” he said clearly.
Sam felt himself begin to mist up. He wasn’t the only one, either. Lulu’s eyes were moist with unshed tears, too.
Ethan walked over to stand between Lulu and Sam. He put one hand on each of them and then walked over to Beauty. He took the big dog’s face in his hands. “Family,” he said reverently, before taking another big breath and puffing out his little chest.
Andrew and Theo echoed the sentiment. Her lower lip trembling, barely stifling a sob, Lulu flashed a smile as wide as Texas. Tears streaming down her face, she engulfed all three little boys, then Beauty and then Sam, in hug after hug. “That’s right, boys, Beauty, Sam and I are all part of your family now,” she said huskily.
Not sure when he’d ever felt such joy, Sam swallowed the knot in his throat and embraced them all. The boys had been right. They were a family, and a darned good one. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and held them close.
* * *
Hours later, Lulu still felt herself welling up from time to time. To her satisfaction, Sam seemed overwhelmed with happiness, too. In fact, they were brimming with joy as they headed downstairs to finish the dinner dishes.
Lulu picked up where she’d left off an hour earlier. It had become clear their little darlings were in desperate need of their bedtime routine a good forty-five minutes earlier than usual. Which, as it happened, was a good thing, because the cuddling and storybook reading took longer and were rife with more mutual affection than ever.
Sighing contentedly, Lulu began loading the dishwasher. “Whoever said good things come when you least expect them was right.”
The fabric of his shirt stretching across his broad shoulders and nicely delineating the muscles in his chest, Sam knelt to pick up green beans and potatoes from the floor. His snug jeans did equally nice things to his lower half.
Gold-flecked eyes twinkling, he slanted her a fond glance. “That was some show-and-tell, wasn’t it?” he ruminated softly.
Finished, Lulu wiped down the counters. Sam took out the trash. When he came back, they both stood at the sink and washed their hands. Lulu ripped off a paper towel and handed him one. Now that they finally had a quiet moment alone, she asked what had been nagging at her. “Do you think they were trying to call us Lulu-Mommy and Sam-Daddy, or just explain what our role was in their lives?”
He came closer, gently cupped her face in his large, warm palms. “Both.”
Lulu released an uneven breath. “I do love them.”
He wrapped his arms around her, inundating her with his steady masculine warmth. “I do, too, sweetheart.”
Aware how close she was to falling for him all over again, she released a reluctant, admiring sigh. “And I think they’re beginning to love and trust us.”
The question was, when would she and Sam ever love and trust each other as much as they needed to, to have the kind of forever-family she still yearned for? Or would they? Had that window closed? If not for her, for him? And if it had, would it be okay if they were just really great friends and lovers and co-parents to three adorable little boys? Although she knew she was happy as is—wildly happy, in fact—the romantic side of her still wanted more, and that disappointed her. She didn’t want to ruin everything by being greedy. They had so very much as it was.
Sam’s cell rang. He glanced at the screen. Reluctantly stepped away from her and answered. “Hey, Travis,” he said. “Thanks for returning my call.”
He had called his attorney? And not mentioned it to her?
Oblivious to her shock, he continued speaking in his husky baritone, “I’ve got Lulu here with me, too, so I’m going to put you on speakerphone.” Sam hit the button and set his cell on the counter in front of them.
Lulu and Travis exchanged greetings. Then Sam said, “We were wondering if there had been news about the background check yet.”
Lulu tensed.
Travis replied, “I just talked with the private investigator. He’s still tracking something down.”
Oh no, Lulu thought.
Sam reached over to take her hand. Gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Any idea what he’s looking at?” Sam asked his attorney.
Matter-of-factly, Travis replied, “Liz and I never discuss anything with our clients until we receive the final report. Otherwise, people can get upset for no reason other than records somewhere that weren’t complete, or some such.”
Sam wrapped his arm around Lulu’s shoulders and drew her against his side. “Makes sense,” he said. Seeming to understand her silence for the apprehension that it was, he continued, “I’m sure everything will be fine.”
Maybe...or maybe not, Lulu thought, worried her and Sam’s reckless actions in the past could come back to haunt them now.
“That’s our assumption, too,” Travis said. “Although...” his voice took on a teasing lilt “...Liz and I did hear what happened in preschool, Lulu-Mommy and Sam-Daddy.”
Recalling, Sam and Lulu chuckled in tandem. It was all she could do not to tear up again. “It was definitely a moment,” she said proudly.
“A moment that’s apparently all over the school,” Travis continued. “And since our kids are enrolled there, too, Liz heard about it when she went to pick our girls up. I have to tell you, stuff like that is really going to help your petition to adopt.”
“Let’s hope so,” Lulu said.
It certainly helped her heart.
Hugging her close, Sam drawled, “Speaking of our plans to adopt. Any idea when we can expect the report from the investigator?”
“Early next week,” his attorney said.
“Okay. Thanks, Travis.” Sam ended the call. Satisfaction turned up the corners of his lips. “When we clear that hurdle, we’ll be one step closer,” he vowed.
Lulu bit her lip, still not so sure. “You really think we’re going to be in the clear?” she asked nervously. “That no one will ever know what happened when we were in Tennessee?”
He rocked forward on the toes of his boots. “How could they? For there to be a record of it, there had to be follow-through on our part.” His gaze drifted over her. “And we didn’t...so there should be absolutely nothing standing in our way.”
“And we’ll be able to move forward with the adoption! Oh, Sam, it’s really going to happen, isn’t it?” Lulu threw her arms around his neck. “We’re all going to be together! We’re going to be a family.”
“We really are. In the meantime, I’m thinking I’d like a shower.” He fit his lips to hers and kissed her seductively. “Want to join me?”
She splayed her hands across his chest. Felt his heart beat in tandem with hers. “You’re serious.”
“As can be.” He kissed her again, leisurely.
“Then so am I.” She kissed him back, then took him by the hand and led him upstairs.
The master bath featured an old claw-foot tub that had been nicely refinished, two sinks and a large modern shower. They stripped down, each helping the other, and climbed in. And although it wasn’t the first time they had showered together, it was the first time since they had gotten back together, and definitely the most exciting. Water sluiced down upon them from the rainfall shower fixture above.
They lathered each other from head to toe, taking their time, then stood together under the spray to rinse. Then kissed, fiercely and evocatively, until they were both trembling and groaning for more.
He turned her so she was facing the tile, and he slipped in behind her. One hand explored her breasts, the other moved across her tummy and downward. “So soft and sweet,” he murmured against her ear.
She arched her throat, to give him better access. “So hot and hard...”
He laughed and brought her back around to face him. Moved her against the wall. And then they were kissing again, barely stopping to come up for air. Quivering with sensation, she felt her body surrendering all the more.
Sam exited the shower just long enough to get a condom, roll it on. He sank onto the bench built into the shower wall, then pulled her down so she was straddling his lap.
She was wet and open. He seemed intent on giving her what she needed. Kissing her deeply. Finding her with his fingertips, possessing her body and soul, until she felt his desire in every kiss and caress.
He loved her as an equal. As a friend. As a lover, and maybe, just maybe, something more. And she adored him, too. Opening herself up to him in a way she never had before. Celebrating the occasion and possessing him as well, with the tenderness and need and singularity of purpose they both deserved.
Afterward, as they cuddled together in bed, Lulu knew this was what it felt like when it was right, when her life was finally on the brink of being complete.
All she had to do was trust in fate. Trust in Sam. And the love that would bring their new little family together.
Chapter Thirteen
The rest of the week passed blissfully, and on Saturday morning, Sam made his famous blueberry pancakes while they all lounged around in their pajamas. Not surprisingly, the boys picked up on the lack of urgency. As if realizing they would normally be rushing around, looking for shoes and getting dressed, Theo cocked his head. “Me. School?”
Sam knelt down so they were eye to eye. He was still in loose-fitting pajama pants and a short-sleeved gray T-shirt. Thick wheat-colored hair rumpled and standing on end, morning stubble rimming his jaw, he looked slightly on edge. Same as Lulu.
They’d made plans for that afternoon, but this morning it was going to be just the five of them again. That arrangement had not worked out well previously. They were hoping that the boys had been with them long enough that they wouldn’t need the distraction of constantly playing with other children to make them happy. That the five of them would be able to feel like the complete family they aspired to be.
Sam smiled down at their little charges. If he was disappointed the boys were already starting to feel restless and on the verge of being unhappy, he did not show it. “Not today, fellas,” he said soothingly. “It’s Saturday.”
Briefly, the boys looked as crestfallen as Sam and Lulu had feared they might be, upon learning there was no school that day. “But we can do other fun things,” Sam said cheerfully, rising.
Like what? Lulu wondered. They hadn’t discussed this. She moved close enough to feel his body heat. “What did you have in mind?” she asked.
The boys, already bored, wandered back to the play area in the reconfigured family room and began jumping on the sofa.
Keeping one eye on them, to make sure they didn’t get too wild, Sam lounged against the counter. “There’s a custom backyard play set company over in San Angelo. They’ve got an air-conditioned sales facility with all the different possibilities set up for kids and their parents to explore. I thought we all might mosey over there and let the boys run around and pick out a swing set for the backyard.”
It would sure beat having them jump on and climb all over everything inside the ranch house, Lulu thought. Still... “That sounds like a pretty big investment.” Were they getting ahead of themselves? They hadn’t even cleared the background check.
Sam glanced over at the boys. They had abandoned the sofa and were now doing somersaults on the rug. He grinned and shook his head in amusement, as the gymnastics turned to a poorly executed game of leapfrog.
He turned back to Lulu. “And a very necessary one, when you think about the fact the closest playground is a good twenty minutes away by car. Convenient to us only when we’re already in town.”
Winded, the boys collapsed and, lying on their backs, began to talk gibberish among themselves.
Relaxing, Lulu took up a place opposite Sam. She let her gaze drift over the rugged planes of his face. “True.”
He looked over at her, as protective as ever. “We’re not tempting fate, darlin’.” His gaze lingered briefly on her lips before returning to her eyes.
A spiral of heat swept through her, flushing her cheeks. “How did you know that was what I was thinking?” she asked, attempting to keep her mind on the mundane instead of the sizzling chemistry between them.
“That little pleat right here.” Sam traced the line between her brows, just above her nose. He caught her around the waist and drew her all the way into his arms. “It always appears when you worry.”
Lulu turned her head to check on the boys. Noting they were now calmly playing with their cars and trucks, and that it was safe to give Sam her full attention, she murmured, “I just wish I knew what the PI was still looking into.”
“Like Travis said, it’s probably nothing to worry about.”
She swallowed around the ache in her throat. Aware she thought she’d had it all, one time, only to lose it all, just as swiftly. She released an uneven breath. “But if it is...”
His gaze gentled. “Then we’ll fret when the time comes. Right now, we’re going to have fun,” he promised, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He flattened a soothing palm over her spine. “Otherwise the boys will worry, and we don’t want them getting anxious.”
