Kiss an Angel(126)

“Let me up, Daisy.”

He could easily throw her off, but she knew he wouldn’t do it because of the baby. And because he loved her.

She plastered herself flat on top of him, wrapping her arms in a stranglehold around his neck, pressing her cheek to the side of his head. She flattened her torso and legs against his and let her toes curl on top of his ankles. “I don’t think so. You’re in a temper right now, but you’ll be all right in a couple of minutes, as soon as you have a chance to think everything over, and until then, I’m not letting you do anything you’re going to regret.”

She thought she could feel his body beginning to relax, but she didn’t shift her weight because he was tricky and this could be a ploy to catch her off guard.

“Get up now, Daisy.”

“No.”

“You’re going to be sorry.”

“You wouldn’t hurt me for anything.”

“Who said anything about hurting?”

“You’re mad.”

“I’ve been happier.”

“You’re really mad about what she made you do.”

“She didn’t make me do anything.”

“She sure did.” Daisy drew her head back far enough so she could grin down into his scowling face. “She got you good, Alex. She really did. If we have a girl, we may name her Sheba.”

“Over my dead body.”

She curled into his neck again and just waited like that, lying peacefully on top of him as if he were the world’s best orthopedic mattress.

His lips brushed her ear.

She snuggled closer and whispered, “I want to get married before the baby’s born.”

She felt his hand in her hair. “We are married.”

“I want to do it again.”

“Let’s just do it.”

“You’re going to be vulgar, aren’t you?”

“Will that get you off me?”

“Do you love me?”

“I love you.”

“You don’t sound loving. You sound like you’re gritting your teeth.”

“I am gritting my teeth, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you with all my heart.”

“Really?” She drew back her head and beamed at him. “Then why are you so anxious to get me off you.”

His grin was sly. “So I can prove my love.”

“Now you’re making me nervous.”

“Are you afraid you’re not woman enough for me?”

“Oh, no. I’m definitely not afraid of that.” She dipped her head and nibbled at his bottom lip. That lasted for about half a second before he turned it into a deep, sensuous kiss. And then she started to cry because it was all so wonderful.

He began kissing her tears away, and she rubbed her fingers over his cheek. “You really love me, don’t you?”

“I really do,” he said huskily, “and this time I want you to believe me. I’m begging you, sweetheart.”

She smiled through her tears. “All right, then. Let’s go home.”





Epilogue




Daisy and Alex were married for the second time ten days later in a field northf Tampa. The ceremony took place at dawn because of the bride’s insistence on the presence of one guest the others would just as soon she’d forgotten.

Sinjun lay at Daisy’s feet, and the two of them were joined by a length of silver ribbon. At one end, it encircled his neck, while, at the other, it looped her wrist. As a result of his presence, the number of people attending the six o’clock ceremony that October morning was quite small. And understandably nervous.

“I don’t know why she couldn’t keep him in his cage,” Sheba snapped to her husband, the man she had married several days earlier in a center ring ceremony complete with a performance by the Flying Toleas.

“Don’t talk to me about stubborn women,” he replied. “I’m married to one.”

She regarded him with knowing eyes. “Lucky for you.”

“Yeah,” he smiled back. “Lucky for me.”

Heather stood off to the left and stroked Tater’s trunk while she gazed critically at Daisy. If this was her wedding, Heather decided, she’d wear something nicer than an old pair of jeans, especially since Heather knew very well Daisy couldn’t even get them snapped at the waist anymore. Just as bad, she had on one of Alex’s blue dress shirts to hide the evidence.

Still, she looked pretty cute. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes all shiny, and she had this bridal wreath made up of daisies in her hair. Alex had given it to her as a surprise, along with a diamond ring so big it was a good thing the sun hadn’t come up the rest of the way or they’d all be blinded.

So many changes had happened in Heather’s life this summer that she still couldn’t quite take them in. Sheba wasn’t selling Quest Brothers, and Heather was pretty sure she and her dad were trying to make a baby. Sheba was the coolest stepmom. She’d said Heather could start dating this year even though her dad said over his dead body. And Sheba’d turning into as big a hugger as Daisy.

Daisy had told Heather she’d be taking classes at Alex’s college just as soon as the baby as born so she could learn how to be a kindergarten teacher, and the two of them were going to Russia in December on some kind of buying trip for this big museum Alex represented. Best of all, they were traveling for a month next summer with Quest Brothers, and Daisy even said she was going back into the ring with Alex. She’d told Heather that she wasn’t scared anymore because she’d already lived through the worst thing that could happened.