Page 65 of Lush Curves

“Just us?”

“Yes. Just us.”

“Oh.” She was silent, clinging to his shoulders. Then: “Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Can we still have the princess movie night tonight? Just us?”

“Oh, Cindy.” Sam’s heart snapped in two for this sweet, innocent little girl who hadn’t asked for any of this, who sure as hell deservednoneof it, and he resolved right there and then to doanything, to doeverything, to see her through this. “Baby. Of course we can.”

Chapter Fourteen

One week later

The day of Sarah and Jax’s wedding dawned cool and clear, a perfect spring morning.

Sarah stood in the kitchen, staring out the window. She had a cup of untouched coffee in front of her, and she was a nervous wreck. Jax came into the room, saw her watching the mountain road outside.

“No sign?” he asked, and Sarah jumped.

“No,” she said. “Not yet. What if – oh, God, Jax. What if it’s not ready?”

“Did Elise say that it was ready?” he said calmly. “When you called her this morning?”

“It wasn’t ready,” Sarah said, almost in despair. “She said that she was working on it. Jesus, Jax, this is all my damn fault!Whydid I have to go and lose sixteen pounds in the past two months?”

“Because, Red,” Jax said, crossing the kitchen to hold her. “You had a bad flu for most of the winter and lived off chicken broth.”

“Damn flu,” she muttered. “Messing up my wedding dress fitting.”

“Did Elise say that the dress would be ready?”

“Yes.”

“Has the woman steered you wrong yet?”

“No.”

“Then baby, sit down and drink your coffee and that fruit salad that I made you. The hair and makeup people will be here soon, and your Mom, and all the ladies. I’ve got to haul ass out of here in an hour and get to King’s, but I can’t leave you like this.” Jax stroked her curls. “It’s ourwedding day, doll, and I want you to be happy and excited, not worried to death.”

“I know, but –”

“No buts,” Jax said severely. “Elise Jordan will come through. Sit. Eat. Drink. Relax.Now.”

“Is that an order, Mr. Hamill?”

“You are goddamn right, Ms. Matthews. Now do what I say.”

Sarah laughed, already feeling better. She sat at the scrubbed wooden table, watched Jax refresh her lukewarm coffee. “Practicing for our married life, I see.”

“You know it,” he growled, bringing her the fresh cup. “I can’t wait until you’re Mrs. Hamill, and you’re all barefoot and pregnant with twins in this kitchen.”

“What?” Sarah exploded. “Twins?”

“That’sthe part you object to, huh?” Jax asked her. “Not the barefoot in the kitchen part?”

“I’malreadyin the kitchen,” Sarah pointed out. “And I’m barefoot now. But what possessed you to hope that we havetwins?”

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