Page 23 of Silver Fox's Twin Babies

“I like the Barbie game.” Vera’s chin jutted out as she spoke proudly then took a huge bite of a breadstick, and Parker rolled his eyes. It turned into some bickering which Amber intervened with, and after we each finished a second helping, I nodded at the TV.

“Well, go on. I’ll clean up. You two try to pick something you can play together—no fighting.” I stood slowly and before I was even fully upright, they were gone.

Amber rose with me, collecting plates and silverware. I carried a few things to the sink and started rinsing them. She joined me and we watched the kids sit down in front of the TV as we did dishes.

“This is really special, Evan. Thank you.” I loved how soft and sweet her voice was. The warmer side of her, the nurturing side, was so tender. I could see she was a terrific mother. I felt a bit jealous for a moment, a pinch in my chest that made my temper threaten to flare. Jacob had all of this and he was neglecting it. What a foolish man to play women like this.

Meanwhile, I’d have given anything to have had this life and it be truly mine. Had I not gone off to Europe, this life mighthave been mine. I’d have settled down, proposed to her. We’d have started a family too. But “what-could’ve-beens” were just wishful thinking that led to regrets.

“Nothing is too much for you, Amber. I told you. I want to be with you, and being with you means them too…” I let her deduce the rest for herself. In my heart, I knew we belonged together. We just clicked too well, had too much in common.

“Stop it!” Parker shouted, and Amber looked up at me with a knowing scowl. I chuckled as she dried her hands and walked off to stop a bickering match. I finished loading the dishwasher and joined them in the living room in time to hear Amber say a board game would be better than video games if they were going to fight, and Vera ran off to the shelf and brought back Candy Land.

The kids were less than enthusiastic, but we pushed the furniture back from the coffee table and sat around it. Amber spread the board out and placed the game pieces on the board. Parker and Vera voted for Amber to go first, so she pulled the first card.

“I got two yellow squares,” she announced. She moved her pink game piece forward to the second yellow square and Vera chose a card next.

She took her turn, then Parker his. I settled into the long game, admiring how Amber interacted with them. Multiple times I noticed how much Parker looked like my brother, but I said nothing. There was no point in bringing up the topic. If Amber was at my house with me playing games with her children, she obviously wasn’t still attached to Jacob. Perhaps that part of their life was over now. Maybe she was ready to move on.

Later, when the kids turned on a movie and started yawning, Amber and I sat at the kitchen table to talk and drink a cup of coffee. I felt exhausted. It was more activity in the evening than I was used to, but Amber looked fresh. She stole glances at thembetween sips of the hot brew. I adored how she was so attentive to them.

“You are a really great mom,” I told her. She turned to me and smiled.

“You are an incredible man, Evan. You really didn’t have to go to all that trouble.” A soft sigh left her lips. She looked down at her coffee mug, but I used a finger to pull her chin back up.

“I did, though. They’re part of who you are now. When I said I want to be with you, I meant all of you. What we have is special. We can’t ignore that.” I thought of this week at work, how all week every time she was supposed to be in my office, Shelby tagged along. By this afternoon I figured out that Amber probably had asked her to be the third wheel so things didn’t get out of hand. But here it was just me and her.

“I just don’t understand why you’d go to all the trouble. That must’ve cost a small fortune.” Her eyes flicked toward the TV. Parker was lying down now, covered with my couch throw. I was thankful I’d invested in everything they might need in case they stayed late. His shoes were off, piled on the floor next to Vera’s and her eyes were drooping now.

“Because when you love someone, you care for them.” My statement tore her eyes from her children and focused it on me. I reached over and laced my fingers through hers. “They’re falling asleep. Stay the night.”

“Oh…” She was already shaking her head, standing up. “I don’t think I can do that. Not tonight.” Amber was moving now, leaving her cup of coffee to grow cold. I followed her into the living room to see both of her twins sleeping soundly.

“See, they’re already out.” I thought of the spare bedrooms, how if I’d have had more forethought, I’d have prepared them too. “I have blankets and pillows. I bought toothbrushes, and plenty of breakfast food. Just stay.” I reached for her hand andpulled her away from the couch, then I reached for the remote and shut the TV off.

“I don’t know, Evan.” Amber still resisted me. I didn’t know why she was fighting so hard. I didn’t know why she couldn’t see that I cared about her and planned to care for her children too.

“Why don’t you want to stay? Is it because I said I love you?”

Her eyes widened again, but her lips pressed into a firm line and she let her gaze drop. When I pinched her chin and forced her to look up at me, her eyes were brimming with tears. Emotions she just wasn’t sharing with me.

“Because if it is, you don’t have to say it back. I get it if you aren’t there. I just needed you to know how I feel.” My gaze bounced between her eyes and she nodded, blinking back tears.

“Alright,” she whispered. It made my chest puff out with joy and hope. I backed away, keeping her hand gripped in mine, pulling her along behind me.

We left the kitchen light on in case the kids woke up. I covered them each with a blanket, put a pillow under their heads, then retreated into the bedroom. I shut the door and turned to see the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, and she didn’t even know it.

Tonight was about us. I intended to pour every ounce of affection on her that I could muster and pray she accepted it without running away this time.

15

AMBER

Evan locked the door behind himself and stalked toward me. He had a hungry look in his eye and after everything this evening, I wanted so badly to be close to him. I had also felt conflicted the whole night. He was so incredible—more than I ever thought he could be. I knew he was kind and sensitive, but going out of his way to redecorate his house to make my children comfortable spoke to my heart in ways nothing else ever could.

“Now, the kids are sleeping. We’re alone. You are stressed out…” He reached up and curled some hair around my ear. “And I want to help you relax and take a load off.”

I was ready for him to just kiss me and strip my clothes off. My body felt warm and gooey after seeing how loving he was toward my children. Hearing him say he loved me tipped me over the edge too. However, I wasn’t going to rush into anything. There were such huge hurdles for us to conquer, things he didn’t know about yet. Things I wasn’t sure we’d make it over. It made me wrestle against the desire to be with him because I wanted to protect him—and my kids.

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