* * *

Seth was home by five o’clock and Iris walked in right behind him. Iris laughed so hard at Seth’s tale that she could hardly stay upright. “Oh, she’s right, she’s never going to hear the end of it. Poor Grace. How does that thing work? Let me see yours, Seth.”

“Ah, no thanks, Iris. You never touch my weapons, right? Because that wouldn’t be good. You don’t know anything about them.”

“Maybe you should train me,” she suggested, then giggled again.

“You’re doing just fine not touching.”

“Aw, come on,” she said, moving closer to him, sliding her arms around his neck.

Instead of arguing with her, he kissed her. Then he kissed her more seriously, sliding his hands over her butt and pulling her close. After a little more kissing, he said, “I have an idea...”

“Before supper on a Wednesday afternoon? Why, Deputy...”

“Are you expecting company?”

“Only your mother,” she said. “But ever since she caught you in your boxers, she calls ahead if your car is home.”

“Good. Troy said something interesting. He told Grace that a few inches to the left and she could have wiped out the next generation of schoolteachers and I thought, don’t we have work to do?”

“I wouldn’t call it work, exactly.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to do naked?”

“Absolutely,” she agreed. “But then we have to stay in bed for a while.”

“I can do that. I’m very good at staying in bed with you. Are we making any progress on the next generation of deputies and school counselors?”

“I don’t know, Seth. We’ve only stopped using protection for a few months and Peyton said to check with her if we have no results in six months. I’m doing my best. And you are definitely doing your best.”

He kissed her again. “I love when you talk dirty.”

She laughed. “I haven’t started talking dirty yet. I just said you were doing your best...”

“I can do better,” he said, and his voice had grown husky.

A half hour later, as they lay tangled in the sheets, Iris said, “That was better.”

“That had to make a baby. That was good,” Seth said. “Maybe two babies.”

“I only want one at a time, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Yes, but I’m staying in bed for thirty minutes to give those little guys time to swim. Then we can get up and eat.”

“We don’t have to get up. I’ll be right back.” He found his boxers and disappeared.

Iris snuggled into the sheets, her head against the pillow. There were so many times, like now, that she couldn’t believe her life had worked out the way it had. She’d loved Seth since she was just a girl, but they’d been estranged for seventeen years while they took different journeys. Hers took her to university and a postgrad program in counseling to bring her back to Thunder Point as the high school counselor. Seth had gone from the football field to a long recovery from injuries he sustained in a terrible car accident, but in the end his choice of law enforcement brought him home. And now he was hers again. All hers.

It wasn’t very long before he was back. Iris had actually dozed a little. Seth held a tray with one plate that held two grilled cheese, bacon and tomato sandwiches, pickles, a glass of wine and a bottled beer, a bag of chips held tenderly under one arm.

“Here we go,” he said. “It’s not much, but it was fast and I bet it’s good. Scoot over,” he said. He put the tray between them and sat on the bed. He passed the wine to her hand and lifted his beer. “To us.”

Iris brought the wine to her lips and to Seth’s dismay, she sniffed. He took a big swallow of beer and when he looked at her again, tears were running down her cheeks. “Iris?”

Her nose turned a little pink. “This is all I’ve ever wished for,” she said. A small sob followed.

“Grilled cheese?” he asked.

“You. You and me, together, in love, trying to make a baby. I didn’t even hope for a baby. I thought that was impossible. Just you and me, that’s all I ever wished for. I love you so much.”

He frowned. Then he took her glass of wine from her. “Congratulations. I bet anything you’re pregnant.”

“What do you mean? You don’t know anything.”

“I do so. I listen to men talk about their wives. I don’t want to—I hate all that talk—but it happens all around me. First their wives cry, then they throw up, then they get grumpy, then they nest, then they whelp.” He put the wine on the bedside table. “Bet you anything,” he said.

“Whelp?” she asked with a sniff.

“You know,” he said, taking a big bite of grilled cheese. He chewed and swallowed. Then he grinned at her. “Bet I nailed you last week. I was outstanding.”

“You’re an arrogant know-it-all,” she said, reaching for a tissue.

“And you’re pregnant.” He pushed the tray toward her. “Have a sandwich, honey. And if you’re still hungry, I’ll make you another one.”

* * *

Scott was working late so Peyton got the kids ready for bed and settled them with their tablets and movies in their beds. Then she collected the tablets and turned them off and kissed the kids. She cleaned up the tent the kids had made with blankets over the dining room table. She’d been in the tent with them for a little story time earlier.

She had her shower, put on soft lounging pajamas that were nice and warm. She lit a couple of candles in the darkened living room. She put wineglasses out next to a bottle chilling in an ice bucket. But she turned on the lamp beside her on the couch to read for a while before Scott finished up in Bandon. It wasn’t very late when he texted her. On my way. Need anything?

Just you, big boy.

Fifteen minutes later he came in from the garage and left his bag in the kitchen. When he took in the darkened room, the ice bucket, glasses and candles, he smiled at her. “Are you planning to seduce me?”

“Could be. Are you covered with blood and guts?”

“Nah. I washed up. Let’s get on with the seduction!”

“No one ever accused you of being shy, did they?” Peyton said. She lifted the bottle out of the ice bucket, poured and handed him a glass. “I do have something to tell you. You know how we decided that I’d go off the pill but we’d use protection for a couple of months until my body got used to the idea?”