LITMIR.BIZ

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by the time Elsie was two—by the time they’d lost the baby—had been a lot. “You sure you don’t want me to drop them off? It’s no trouble.”

      “It’s not for me, either. I’ll pick them up.”

      Shawn took a step back. “Fine.” She smoothed her hands over her hips like she always did. Like she’d done when they were married, when she was uncomfortable. But as she did so, she bit her lip and groaned. Her face went a little pale, too.

      “You okay?” he asked.

      “Very much so.”

      After hugging the girls and promising he’d see them on Sunday, he took Jayne’s hand and they started walking again.

      It seemed like an eternity before he couldn’t hear his girls’ squeals of laughter anymore. Before he wasn’t tempted to turn around and make sure they were okay.

      “They’re darling, Eddie,” Jayne murmured after they walked into the cool shade of Pelican’s Roost, a beach café on the boardwalk. “I mean, really.”

      “Thanks.”

      When they were seated on bamboo chairs and given oversize menus to peruse, she spoke again. “Can I come with you tomorrow? I’m sure another pair of eyes and hands might come in handy.”

      “Thanks for the offer, but I think we better go slow as far as the girls are concerned. They’re still getting used to the divorce. It’s only been a few months.”

      “I know it’s only been technically a few months…but you were separated for a while before that. Right?”

      “That’s right, but things are still a little bumpy.” Eddie closed his eyes briefly, hoping to remove the memory of an emotion-packed night just four months ago. That January evening had been chilly.

      Shawn had lit the fireplace to warm things up. And boy, did it. From the moment his lips had touched hers, flames seemed to burn as bright as ever between them.

      Returning to the present, Eddie cleared his throat. “Like I said, I better just be on my own with them.”

      “You know, it’s probably good you’re giving your ex a break,” Jayne said casually, after their monster glasses of iced tea were delivered. “She looked kind of worn-out.”

      “Did she?” He’d thought she looked…like Shawn.

      Jayne tapped her glowing cheeks. “A little sallow. She probably just needs more sleep.”

      “Huh.” Something had been off, but it was most likely their appearance. Shoot, he knew he’d feel awkward if she’d shown up holding some other guy’s hand.

      Actually, Eddie wondered if he would have handled the situation half as well.

      He kind of doubted it.

      Chapter Two

      Going to the marina had been a really bad idea from the get-go, Eddie decided as soon as he got all three girls buckled up in the car and was headed toward Shawn’s.

      Toward his old home.

      As the girls watched the Disney movie he’d popped in, he reviewed the past four hours. They had been something else, that was for sure. From the moment he and his daughters had stepped into the cool darkened corridors of the Bishop’s Gate Aquarium, he’d hardly been able to keep track of them. Every time he turned around, one was darting off to see one of the “pretty fishes.” It had taken them so long to get through the shark tunnel they’d missed their scheduled IMAX show, which Kit had not taken well. She’d just about had a meltdown next to the turtle exhibit.

      Had Kit always been so…rigid? More importantly, had he always been so ineffectual? He’d corralled drunken Marines with greater ease.

      Determined to make things better, he’d exchanged the tickets for the next show and used the time to get the girls ice cream.

      He let them each have two scoops, then watched in dismay as only half was ingested—the other half seemed to run down their shirts and hands.

      Which meant a really fun time in the restroom, washing sticky cheeks and fingers. Thank goodness for the family restroom. Otherwise he’d have been up a creek.

      Later, after they’d gone into the theater and struggled over who was sitting next to whom, two out of three had fallen asleep in the cool auditorium.

      Only Elsie had been awake.

      Which hadn’t been good.

      Seemed three-year-olds weren’t real fond of movies showing all kinds of unique fish. She’d liked the larger-than-life illustration of seals eating penguins even less.

      The whole circle-of-life idea hadn’t meant a damn thing.

      Now Eddie was ashamed to admit that he was actually looking forward to dropping the girls off, going back to his condo and having a beer. Maybe two.

      Shoot. Maybe six.

      As soon as he drove into the neighborhood, he dialed Shawn’s number—his old home number. “We’re in the neighborhood.”

      “I’ll open up the garage door.”

      “Thanks, Shawn. They wore me out.”

      But instead of chuckling like she used to do, all Eddie heard was an irritated sigh. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

      Fifteen minutes later Eddie was driving back out of the neighborhood. Feeling curiously alone. Almost let down, too. The girls had hugged him goodbye, then went in the house, Shawn hardly saying more than was necessary.

      And now that he was heading back to his spotless condominium, he was feeling a little blue. There was such a glaring difference between life with all three girls and life without them.

      Whenever he dropped them off, it felt like someone took the volume of his life and turned it halfway down. Yeah, that’s what it felt like. Everything was running just a little bit too quietly.

      He wondered if Shawn ever felt like that, too. He’d never dared to ask.

      Even though he’d met someone new, sometimes he missed his old life so much it hurt—even when his head told him he was being a sentimental fool.

      WORK ON TUESDAY morning brought the kind of stability Shawn was craving. As she sat in the break room with her friend Tricia, she wondered again if she’d been too harsh with Eddie on Sunday night.

      He’d looked like he’d been through the wringer with those girls—though she could have told him taking all three to the marina and aquarium center was a bit ambitious, even for the most skilled parent.

      Which he definitely was not.

      “You going to eat that whole muffin, Shawn?” Tricia asked. “It looks big enough to feed a family of four.”

      “I’m going to try,” she said, picking up another chunk and popping it into her mouth. “I’ve been so hungry, I didn’t know if ten-thirty was ever going to come.”

      “Did you not eat breakfast?”

      “I ate. I’m, uh, just hungry again.” Yep, no one could ever say she didn’t thrive when she was expecting. To her chagrin, Shawn knew that within a few weeks, she’d be positively blooming. This pregnancy felt very much like her previous ones with the girls. Trying to come up with a believable excuse for her hunger, she said, “I get so used to eating every two hours when I’m home.”

      Tricia crumbled up the wrapper to her breakfast bar before standing up to refill her coffee. “That’s good, I guess. All the diet books say to eat often. Now if only I could get used to this schedule, I’d be doing great.”

      “You will soon, I promise.”

      “I hope so.” Tentatively Tricia said, “Part of me really misses child care. I don’t enjoy

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