Page 73 of Twilight Longings

Saintcrow grinned inwardly as he divined her thoughts. “When she’s no longer a threat, I’ll back you up in whatever you decide to do.”

“Oh, Rylan,” she murmured. And loved him more in that moment than ever before.

Gradually, their life fell back into its regular routine. Kadie did the usual things housewives did, but in her spare time, she returned to her love of photography. She took pictures of the town and its people, the mountains, sunrises and sunsets. Occasionally, she asked Rylan to take her outside the town, so she could photograph other sites. Ethan came to Morgan Creek a couple of times to talk town business with Saintcrow. Sofia and Jenny usually came with him and while the men talked shop, Kadie and Jenny and Sofia made chocolate chip cookies. When Jenny asked why her mother didn’t eat any, Sofia told her she was on a diet. Sometimes the three of them watched movies on the big-screen TV, or went shopping.

Kadie stopped talking about having a baby, although she didn’t stop thinking about it. She hadn’t spent much time around kids and spending time with Sofia and Jenny made her realize how little she knew about raising a child. Kids got sick. They had temper tantrums. They needed help with homework. Sometimes they needed to be disciplined. They needed to learn to be polite, how to feed themselves and dress themselves, how to interact with other kids and with adults.

Kadie worried her lower lip between her teeth. What if she wasn’t up to the task? She liked being able to come and go as she pleased. A baby would tie her down, at least for the first five or six years. But then she would see a young mother holding a baby or pushing a stroller down the street and her arms would ache for a little girl of her own. If only Rylan was more excited about being a father.

She sat up straight as a new thought edged its way into her mind. What if the Methuselah Stone could make Rylan human again? What if they could have a baby of their own?

Saintcrow was in his office in the hotel when Kincaid materialized beside his desk.

“You busy?”

“Of course. Why else would I be here? I’ve got a lot more paperwork to do since Ethan moved to Arizona.”

“Yeah, must be tough, making all that money.”

“Is that your way of asking for a loan?”

“Hell no. I’m not sure I ever thanked you for coming after me. I know there’s no way to repay you or—”

“Jake, you don’t need to thank meorrepay me. We’ve been friends too long for that. Besides, you would have done the same thing for me.”

“You sure about that?” Kincaid asked with a crooked grin.

“Without a doubt.”

Kincaid nodded, then dropped into the chair in front of the desk. “You looked troubled when I came in. Everything all right at home?”

“More or less.”

Kincaid arched one brow. “Care to elaborate on that?”

“Well, for one thing, I keep waiting for Eleni to show up and demand I fulfill our bargain.”

“Oh, yeah. I kinda forgot about her.”

“I wish I could. And then there’s Kadie’s desire for a baby.”

“That’s bound to involve some major changes,” Jake said, with a smirk. “How do you feel about that?”

“I told her that I’d support in whatever decision she makes.”

“But you don’t like the idea?”

“No. But if it makes her happy …” Saintcrow shrugged. “And that’s not all. I think she’s decided to stay human.”

“Whoa. That’s really going to shake things up.”

“Yeah.”

“Anything I can do?”

“Nothing I can think of.”

Kincaid shook his head, and then a slow grin spread across his face. “I just can’t imagine you, a master vampire, changing diapers or walking the floor with a crying baby on your shoulder. Yep, I’d pay money to see that.”

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