Happily Ever Afters Guaranteed (6 page)

“I’m sorry.” Was she apologizing for his loss
or the touch? The emotions rioting through her made it impossible
to tell.

He shifted his feet, rand his hand over his
face. “Thanks. But you didn’t come here to listen to me whine. Why
did you come here?”

Again, the words just wouldn’t come out.
“Maybe I could help with the boys until you find someone else. You
said there weren’t any good candidates today, but you can keep
looking, right? And my job is pretty flexible.” It was. That’s one
of the main reasons she ran her own company, an IT support
business.

His shoulders lifted. “Really? You’d help us
out?”

“Yeah.” And so much more, if he would let
her.

“Well, great. Can you come tomorrow?”

“Sure. There’s only one problem. I don’t know
anything about kids.”

DAY 1, MORNING.

ATTEMPT 2.

“You really weren’t kidding, were you?”

She’d dreamed about the last few moments with
Brand all night, including the rich-as-chocolate chuckle he’d
gifted her with before ushering her out the door, so it seemed
natural to Sarah that their conversation flowed right from where
they’d left off.

As natural as it could while she held a
gurgling baby with green goop smeared all over his face.

“No, I wasn’t kidding.” But she couldn’t keep
from responding to Brand’s smile. She laughed.

“Can I ask how you ended up helping in Josh’s
Bible school class?” Brand slapped a sandwich into a baggie and
tossed it into the briefcase located, once again, on top of the
fridge.

“It’s the only place they can’t reach,” he
explained when he caught her open-mouthed look.

“A friend – Gale – roped me into it. All I do
is give the kids Cheerios and keep them from taking each other’s
toys. Gale does the real work.”

“Well, the sharing thing is a good strategy
to start with. I wrote down a couple other things, in case you were
serious last night. Good thing, too.”

She smiled, knowing it was wan. “Are you sure
you trust me with your kids?”

“Yup.” He pressed a half-piece of notebook
paper into her hand.

Sarah glanced at it. Not much of an
instruction manual. She was used to hefty tomes with specific
instructions. At least on most software programs there was a HELP
function she could use for troubleshooting. Or she could Google
it.

Did Google find instructions for dealing with
kids?

Brand was heading for the door at an alarming
rate and she wasn’t sure she trusted herself with the boys.

“Wait—Brand—”

“Sorry to rush off, but I have an early
conference call…”

The door shut and Sarah looked at the
goo-covered baby on her hip. He sniffled.

“Well, here we are. It’s Jamie, right?”

He let out a wail.

“I know just what you mean, kiddo.”

DAY 2

AFTERNOON.

Jerry hated her. Josh copied his older
brother in everything, so she spent the day dealing with two
recalcitrant boys. Luckily the baby seemed to love everyone, even
those who had no idea how to wrangle little kids into a semblance
of order.

The boys didn’t like the lunch she’d made –
grilled cheese and soup.

Naps were for babies and they wouldn’t take
one, even though Josh was clearly cranky. She was exhausted. Why
weren’t they?

By the time Brand pulled in the driveway, she
knew there was a major hurdle to overcome before they could get
married. His boys needed to be won over.

“How did it go?” Brand whispered after
sneaking into the kitchen; the boys were still in the living room.
His quicksilver grin made it all seem worth it. She didn’t want to
mention her despair.

“Jer and Josh and I didn’t—hit it off so
well.” Understatement.

His brows came together in puzzlement. “But
they loved you last night.”

“Yeah, well, last night I didn’t try to make
them take a nap.”

Just then, two shrieking boys, followed by
one babbling baby rushed into the room with cries of, “Daddy!”

Clearly, she was an unwanted female
presence.

Until Brand raised his head on the way out of
the room, boys under each arm, “Stay for dinner again?”

###

“I didn’t mean for you to cook dinner again.”
Brand collapsed on the wicker porch swing next to Sarah, leaving
the boys to play in the sprinkler under their watchful eyes.

Twilight was falling, making the moment seem
romantic. Except for the screaming.

“It’s okay. I put the roast in earlier so
there wasn’t much left to do.”

He rolled his head on the back of the seat
and look at her. His gaze felt palpable. She kept her eyes on the
boys playing.

“It’s a big deal to me. Just like the coffee.
The boys need more home-cooked meals and I’m not much of a
chef.”

“I’m not either. I just found a recipe and
followed the directions.”

“Mmm. You seem to be good at that. Following
directions. I noticed you kept number five on my list. Keep the
boys safe and happy.”

“There wasn’t a number five on your list.”
She knew, because she’d gone back to the list of instructions
several times, wondering if she’d missed something. “And they
weren’t exactly happy.”

“Happy enough.”

“What about your happiness?” she asked,
feeling braver than she had the first day when she’d knocked on his
door. “Who worries about that?”

He considered her question seriously, head
tilted to one side while he watched the boys. “I guess the honest
answer is ‘no one.’”

She really wanted to touch him. Just a hand
on his arm like she’d done last night, but she clutched her hands
in her lap, unsure if he’d want that.

“Do you think that’s healthy? What if you get
burned out?”

He leaned his elbows on his knees, pressing
both index fingers against his lips. “I don’t have all the answers,
Sarah. I just try to get by one day at a time.”

She inhaled deeply. Now or never. “Have you
ever consider, erm… remarrying?” It wasn’t exactly the question she
wanted to ask, but it was close.

His blue eyes flickered up to meet her gaze,
which he held for so long she lost her breath.

“I have, but…”

Sarah caught her exhale.

“I couldn’t consider anyone unless my boys
loved her as much as I did.”

DAY 16, AFTERNOON.

ATTEMPT 3.

“You’re not my mommy!”

Sarah flinched at Jerry’s defiant
proclamation. The boy must have sensed the flash of hurt that
passed through her, because he went on.

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

Sarah inhaled on a prayer for patience, which
she sorely needed today. “I know I’m not your mommy, but I am in
charge. That means you have to do as I say.”

She took hold of the now-screaming boy’s arm
and propelled him down the hall to his room.

“Five minutes in time out,” Sarah said, voice
firm.

She desperately needed a time out of her
own.

For the last two weeks, the boys had run her
ragged during the day. But each day was worth it when Brand came
home and they all ate together. She’d been making inroads with Josh
and Jamie. Last night both younger boys had snuggled on her lap for
their bedtime story.

Only Jerry remained aloof. Today he’d been
downright insubordinate.

And this morning she’d received a call on her
emergency phone. Only two clients – two high-paying clients – had
that number. She’d been trying to call Mr. Smith back all day, but
each time something had interrupted her. Maybe now that Jerry was
contained in his room and the other two boys played quietly in the
living room…

Sarah sidled into the nook in the hallway,
dialing her phone. She leaned her head against the cool wall,
enjoying the warm wood floors on her bare feet. She loved this
house. Loved the boys, even Jerry and his challenging ways. Loved
Brand…

“Hi, Mr. Smith,” she said when her client
picked up. “Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you yet.”

At that moment, Josh came barreling out of
the living room, holding up a singing bear. And Jerry ran down the
stairs, toward her, screaming.

Brand rounded the corner from the kitchen. He
must’ve arrived early from work. “What’s going on?” he
demanded.

A squawk came from the telephone, held out
from Sarah’s ear.

She burst into tears.

For one moment, Brand looked panicked, but
then he took charge.

“Jerry, Josh, living room,” he ordered. He
took Sarah’s phone from her nerveless fingers. “She’ll call you
back,” he said into the receiver before snapping it shut.

Sarah tried to turn her face away, so he
wouldn’t see her silly tears, but Brand simply took her into his
arms, tucking her head against his shoulder. “Ssh.”

His hand rubbed circles on her back.
Nice.

When Sarah felt more in control of herself,
she reached up to wipe the wetness from her cheeks, and Brand
stepped back.

“Okay?” he asked.

“Mmm.” She would be, when she got over the
humiliation of breaking down in front of Brand and the boys. She
never cried.

“Sorry,” she muttered, keeping her gaze
down.

“I’m just surprised you’ve lasted this long
without breaking down. Dealing with three boys will do that to
you.”

She looked up, smiled wryly. Thankfully, he
didn’t seem too spooked by her tears. “Thanks, I think.”

Palm open for her phone, she said, “I need to
call my client back. I think he had an emergency this morning. I
just hope it wasn’t anything big.”

Brand showed her into his office – his sacred
room where the boys weren’t allowed to visit. Fortunately Mr. Smith
had grandkids and was very understanding. His problem was an easy
fix she was able to solve on the phone.

When she finished her call, she went
searching for Brand. She found all three boys in the kitchen with
their father, Josh and Jamie at the table with snacks, while Brand
had pulled Jerry aside and knelt in front of him. They appeared to
be in serious conversation, so Sarah hung back just outside the
kitchen doorway.

“Were you misbehaving for Miss Sarah
today?”

Jerry stared at the floor, lips formed in a
stubborn pout.

“Jerry.”

Sarah was constantly amazed at Brand’s
patience. She’d never seen him lose his temper with the boys.

“Don’t you like Miss Sarah?”

Jerry’s lower lip began to tremble.

“Doesn’t she treat you good? Cook good food
for you? Take you to your soccer games? Make cupcakes for your
church class?”

“Yes!” The boy burst out. “But she’s gonna
leave. I heard you say she’d only here for awhile. I don’t want her
to go!”

Sarah couldn’t stop herself. She rushed into
the kitchen and Jerry ran into her outstretched arms. She peppered
kisses on his cheeks and forehead.

“My sweet boy,” she said, holding Brand’s
gaze over the top of Jerry’s head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

DAY 16, EVENING.

FINAL ATTEMPT.

Sarah smoothed her blue skirt and white
blouse with her clean hand, the other holding a spoonful of Jamie’s
baby food, mashed green peas.

“I’m just gonna do it,” she told her captive
audience. Jamie in his high chair.

“Do what?”

She shrieked and whirled, hand going over her
heart. “Brand! Don’t sneak up on me.”

He raised his brows. “It’s my kitchen.”

Jamie cackled from behind Sarah, Jerry and
Josh grinned from their places at the table.

“See, the boys all agree. Now, what is it
you’re gonna do?”

Sarah squared her shoulders. “Ask you a
question.”

Jamie gasped and, distracted, Sarah turned to
the boy, only for him to sneeze. All over her.

Silence fell on the kitchen.

Sarah looked down to see her pretty white
shirt had been splattered with the peas Jamie had been eating.

She laughed, and after a startled moment, all
the Turner men joined in.

Brand ran water over a dishcloth and moved to
wipe her cheek, which brought him close enough to kiss. If she were
of a mind to do that.

“For a second there, I thought you were gonna
cry,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes. “If you would’ve come in
five minutes later this afternoon, I would’ve had everything under
control.”

He tapped her nose with his finger. “I don’t
doubt it.” His expression turned serious. “I appreciate you. You’re
doing a fine job with the boys.”

“Well. Good. I think you should marry me and
keep me around forever.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a grin
that set her heart to pounding.

“You do, huh? Boys, what do you think?”

“Yeah!” Jerry shouted. Josh and Jamie caught
his excitement and started yelling too, though Sarah doubted they
knew what was going on.

Brand brought his mouth to her ear to be
heard over the noise. “Sure you want this crazy life forever?”

She beamed up at him. “Yep.”

He kissed her to seal the deal.

THE END.

KATE’S VALENTINE

A Choose-Your-Own-Romance Story

By LACY WILLIAMS

PART ONE

Four oh two.

Brody flicked the curtain back in place,
cutting off his view of the white truck with the logo of the pool
care company painted on its side. And the woman with the blond
ponytail inside.

He could count on Kate. She always arrived
Wednesdays between three-fifty and ten after four.

And never accepted his invitations to stay
for a few minutes and have a drink. Coffee, lemonade, water. She’d
turned them all down, always offering the excuse that she had to
stick to her schedule. Always softening the excuse with a smile,
one that charmed his socks off.