The Best of Us (Sullivan's Crossing #4)(88)

Finn had met some of his dorm mates during orientation, just as Rob had met some of the parents. The air of excitement and celebration suggested that the freshmen were ready for the parents to leave so they could start having some fun. And Sean acted like he hoped they’d forget and leave him behind.

Finn walked with them to the parking lot. Sean gave his brother a slug in the arm and headed for the car. Rob lingered for a moment and then gave Finn a man-size hug, letting go and turning away quickly. He had his head down as he crossed the parking lot. When Leigh looked back at Finn, she was surprised by the tears in his eyes.

“Take care of him, Leigh,” Finn said. “He thinks he can handle anything alone but we all know he needs us. As much as we need him.”

She put her arms around him, holding him. He was as tall as his father. He was strong and smart. And while she hugged him, he felt like her boy. Off into the world. “I’ll take care of him, don’t worry. And Sean—I’ll watch over Sean. We’re not so far away, Finn. Call us. Have fun and study hard.”

“I will.”

Rob was waiting at the car. He was a little misty and choked up. He shrugged. “It’s not like sending him off to visit his grandparents. How’d he get to be eighteen?”

“He’ll be fine, Rob. Let’s go home. We have a very long list of things to do. We have to get married, find a house and have a baby. Hopefully in that order.”

Leigh began spending nights at Rob’s house immediately following the proposal staged by his sons and it was amazingly easy. She didn’t have to undergo a major move. She brought a few things over at a time and could still go to her house if there was anything she needed. Not only was Sean polite and welcoming, his efforts to be quiet and tidy were so exaggerated it was almost comical.

Fitting Leigh in there temporarily was going to work, but only in the short-term. Finn would be home for weekends, vacations and breaks, and there would be times it would get too crowded, especially after the baby came. So Leigh applied herself to finding a house that was more accommodating. It didn’t take long—she found a wonderful four-bedroom house, another vacation home, but this one was only a couple of years old.

“That happens more often than you think,” Claudia said. “People want a vacation home, sometimes go to great lengths to have one, then find they’re paying a small fortune for a place they can’t visit very often. Some people try to sell while others just let the bank foreclose. This place has seen very little action and it’s a great house. A little isolated but not too far from town.”

The house had barely the right number of bedrooms, but there was a large loft that could serve as an office that Rob and Leigh could share. It was roomy enough for two desks and some built-in shelves and file drawers. And there were two big bonuses—a small guesthouse and a beautiful view of the mountains from the loft and the patio.

All their bases were covered and Leigh loved the house. She couldn’t wait to get settled. But first, they got a marriage license. When the leaves were just starting to change color, they had a small wedding in a little chapel in Leadville. The only people in attendance were the boys, Dakota and Sid, Helen and Sully. They made their traditional promises in front of the minister, and to her surprise, Leigh’s face was wet with tears.

Rob gently wiped her cheeks and said, “I hope those are happy tears.”

“Way beyond happy,” she said. “I think this is the happiest day of my life.”

“Not scared anymore?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I think I fell in love with you right away. Maybe that’s what scared me—the idea that it wasn’t possible.”

“And now?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

The pub was closed for the night while the rest of Rob and Leigh’s new extended family and most of the town gathered for a wedding reception that included excellent food, drinks and music. They partied till midnight and then Rob and Leigh went to Leigh’s rental house while Sid and Dakota stayed with the boys at Rob’s house. Having Finn home for only the weekend, they didn’t want to leave town for a honeymoon.

A little time alone without a teenager in the next room sounded like a great idea. When Leigh pulled off the dress she’d worn to get married, she said, “Oh!”

“What’s the matter?” Rob asked from the bedroom.

“Something happened,” she said. She stood in front of him in her bra and panties. Then she turned sideways. There was a very obvious belly bump sticking out. “I didn’t even realize I was holding my stomach in. I swear this wasn’t here before I said, ‘I do.’”

Rob’s eyes glowed. “Bring that over here,” he said, lifting the sheet for her.

She slid into the bed and his hands were immediately on her belly. “I thought this was really inconvenient,” he said. “But I think getting you pregnant turned out to be an excellent idea. It slowed you down just enough for me to catch you.”

“I promise, I’ll love you forever. But I think three kids and a new house is about all we can afford.”

“Just come here,” he said, pulling her close. “I want you like I’ve never wanted you before. I think I’ll be better as a husband than I was as the guy down the street. Let’s see.”

She pulled his hand over her small mound. “We don’t need better, sweetheart. We just need to be together. Thank you for the baby.”