"Make love?" She folded her arms beneath her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and smiled, a slow, seductive one. "You're awfully confident, Manning."

"No, O'Brien. I'm determined." He walked slowly toward her. "We're not going to think about making a baby. And we're not going to do it against a wall or on the stairs or on in the floor. I am going to make slow, good love to you in a bed, and then I'm going to hold you close and, if you're willing, I'm going to make love to you again." He took another two steps until he was standing before her. "Lovemaking for the sake of love, not just s.e.x."

She reached up and slipped his first b.u.t.ton. "You're not going to get any argument from me, if that's what you're waiting for."

"I'm not waiting anymore, Mallory. I've waited too long to have you. About twenty years, to be exact."

They undressed in a rush, but that was the only thing Whit wanted to hurry. He'd jumped through hoops and had gone through a lot of money to get the bed delivered. But, more important, he'd gone through h.e.l.l to get to this point with Mallory. He took his time loving her, using his mouth and hands over her body, lingering in his favorite places. She returned the favor, driving him to the point of insanity before he finally slipped inside her body. This time was different from all the rest. Different because they had finally acknowledged what they'd probably known all along-that this was where they belonged.

In the aftermath, he kept her wrapped in his arms, finally feeling as if he'd crossed that intimacy barrier she'd tried to put up on more than one occasion. But in a way, he'd done the same.

He still had a lot he needed to tell her, and he thought an apology would be the best place to begin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you took the pregnancy test. I wish you would have waited for me."

She kissed his shoulder and settled closer against his heart. "I thought about it. I guess I was hoping I could give you good news when you got home, and that brings me to something else I need to tell you."

"I have a couple of things I need to tell you, too."

"This time, I'm going to go first." She braced on one bent elbow and he immediately saw the sorrow in her eyes, something he didn't understand. That made him afraid she was about to tell him she'd changed her mind. He waited for what seemed like an endless amount of time before she spoke again."When Jerry and I were married about five months, I found out I was pregnant. I was in denial for awhile, and when I finally confirmed it, I lost the baby two weeks later." She looked as if she might cryagain and Whit took her hand, then let her continue. "Back then I wasn't prepared. I was too young, mymarriage was a farce and I wasn't ready to be a mother." She swiped at her face when a few tears strayed down her cheeks. "When I took that pregnancy test all those years ago, I saw it was positive andall I could think was 'Oh, no.' And this morning, I wanted so badly to say, 'Oh, yes.'"Whit brought her back into his arms and stroked her hair. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?""I never told anyone, not even my family. I think I felt guilty because I didn't want to be pregnant, and when I realized I was happy about it, it was too late. For a long time I didn't think I deserved to have a child because of that."

Whit tipped her chin up and kissed her lips. "You do deserve to be a mother, Mallory."

"But that might not be possible.""Like I told you before, that doesn't matter. And I also believe medicine isn't an exact science. Now youhave to promise me we won't have any more secrets."

"I promise.""Good. I've been keeping a few from you, too.""You have?""Yeah, but it doesn't have anything to do with another woman. One has to do with your brother.""You told him we're trying to get pregnant.""No, but Helena is pregnant."Mallory stiffened. "Great. She gets a baby and I don't.""Not necessarily.""I admire your optimism, Whit."Reluctantly moving out of her hold, Whit sat up, leaned over the bed and fished through his pockets. "I checked our voice mail and retrieved a couple of messages." He found the slip of paper and sat back up to read it. "Roz called and said something about a McMillan woman and her husband's mistresses. He's decided not to pursue custody."

"That is great news."

He turned his attention from his scribbling to Mallory. "She also said something about sharpening a knife."

"That just Roz spouting off. Ignore her."

"If you say so. Now for the most important message, but first, I have to show you something."

When he stood by the bed, Mallory grinned. "I've already seen Mr. Happy. Know him quite well, as a

matter of fact."

"This doesn't exactly involve Mr. Happy." Whit pulled his shorts from his slacks and slipped them on."So what do you think?"Mallory sat up and homed in on the drawers he'd bought in a Boston baby shop. "I think I have never seen a pair of boxers with pink storks before. They put the happy face to shame." Another pall crossed

over her face. "I just hope they bring us luck in the fertility department."

"We don't need any luck with that." He stretched out on his side and faced her, his jaw propped on his palm. "You got a phone call from your doctor, something about blood work."

"I went to see him today. I guess he's reporting the findings.""You would guess right.""He said what they were on the phone?""It was his nurse, and she said it was very important you call. So I did it for you.""What did she say?""Not much. In fact, she didn't want to talk to me, even when I told her I'm your fiancee. But I turned on the charm and when that didn't work, I prodded her until she finally told me one thing, even if she couldn'

t tell me the lab results." He ran a fingertip along her jaw. "She said she called in a prescription for vitamins. I picked them up for you at the pharmacy."

She frowned. "Vitamins? I wonder if I'm anemic."

He'd waited a long time for this moment, or at least most of the afternoon. Maybe even most of his life."Prenatal vitamins, O'Brien."At first she seemed confused, then her eyes went wide. "What?""You're pregnant."Mallory placed both hands over her mouth, but it didn't conceal her gasp. "Please tell me you're not kidding."

"I wouldn't kid about something that important." He pointed to her, then back to himself. "You and me,we're going to be parents, and the bottle's in my pants' pocket if you need proof."She shook her head. "I trust you. But why did you wait until now to tell me?""I wanted you to marry me because you wanted to marry me, not because we're having a baby. I love you and I can't live without you, baby or no baby."

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, her tears warm against his neck. Whit could live with those particular tears because he knew they resulted from Mallory's joy, not sadness.

After he allowed her another good cry, he pulled back and studied her face, loving her even more than he

ever thought himself capable. "Guess all those wives' tales worked."

"Or maybe it was just meant to be."

"You're right about that, and I can't wait to meet Bruno in about eight months."

"You'll be meeting Betsy. Get used to it. And it's your fault. You should have had that s.e.x against thewall while you still had the chance."He narrowed his eyes. "After all the ways we did it, I'm thinking some of them had to be on the suggestions for making a boy."

Mallory kissed him quickly and smiled. "You know something, I don't care what we have, as long as it'shealthy and happy and loved.""I don't do design faults, O'Brien. This is going to be one great kid.""And with a bit of luck and good genes, not a reptile."They shared a quick laugh before he noticed concern calling out from her eyes. "What's wrong, Mallory?"

She worked the corner of the sheet back and forth with her fingertips. "You need to be aware that I'mgoing to be a little nervous for the first few weeks, at least until I know our baby's okay."He pulled her back against him. "You can count on me to take good care of you and our baby. We'll get through this together.""And I'll take good care of you, too."Whit knew she would, the same as they'd been taking care of each other for the past five months. He looked forward to more of the same for the next fifty years or so.

Epilogue.

"W here's the bride and groom?"Mallory turned her attention to Corri who was seated on the other end of the sofa in the O'Brien's den, the place they'd gathered for the evening in celebration of Logan's impending nuptials to take place thefollowing evening. "I thought they were on their way after the rehearsal."Corri checked her watch. "That was over an hour ago.""Maybe they've decided to begin the honeymoon a little early," Mallory said, although that thought was less than pleasant. She'd been enduring Helena's nasty att.i.tude during the preparations for the wedding for the past eleven weeks, and she resented that the h.e.l.lcat might be alone with her prospective bridegroom while Mallory had barely had a minute with Whit today.

"Maybe one of them changed their mind," Corri said. "That might not be such a bad idea. I don't really

think they're suited for each other."Mallory could tell by Corri's tone and her melancholy expression that something was bothering her. Shewould wager she knew what that something was. "Where's my brother tonight?"

Corri shrugged. "Supposedly on his way home from Atlanta."Supposedly. Red flag. "How's his job going?""Great. How's married life for you?"

"Wonderful." And it was, incredibly wonderful. Mallory marveled over the difference between her first and second attempts at matrimony, both in bed and out.

"I'm surprised you and Whit didn't have an official wedding."

"I did that the first time," Mallory said. "Besides, with Logan and Helena getting married in a big to-do ceremony, I didn't want Mom and Dad to have to worry about it. Our courthouse setting suited us both fine." She'd chosen to be married by the man commonly known, behind his back, as Judge Honey. He'd earned his name not because he was a real sweetheart, but because every ruling he made stuck. She liked being stuck with Whit.

On that thought, she sent a glance in her husband's direction. He was conversing with Keiran and Aidan, the only O'Brien brothers present at the moment. Devin had taken his nervous wife home early to relieve the babysitter since poor little Sean still suffered from colic. She caught Whit's eye and he smiled and winked. He still took her breath away, even more so now that he was hers, all day, every night, in their new house and shared bed.

And in one more week, she'd tell the family about the baby, after she'd surpa.s.sed the most vulnerable time of the pregnancy. So far she'd felt great, no morning sickness at all and only a little fatigue. Whit had been so supportive and so careful when he'd made love to her, which hadn't been nearly enough. But they'd both agreed to err on the side of caution, despite her doctor's a.s.surances that lovemaking wouldn 't hurt a thing, something he'd told her at her appointment today. Something she couldn't wait to tell Whit, among other things.

The front door swung open and Logan finally walked in, sans future bride. Without so much as a greeting to anyone, he signaled Whit to follow him back outside. The substantial group of family and friends, minus the bride's mother who had nixed coming to the rehearsal dinner probably because it was beneath her to partake in a barbecue, began murmuring amongst themselves. Mallory had to admit she was more than curious, too.

"What do you think is going on?" Corri asked.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out."

When Whit came back into the house, Mallory pushed off the sofa and started toward him, hesitating when he paused to talk to her dad. Something was definitely up, and something told her not to intervene just yet.

Dermot shook his head and slapped Whit on the back. By the time Whit had made it to Mallory's side, her dad had taken his place at the front of the room, tapping his beer mug to garner everyone's attention. "Listen up, folks. I have a bit of disappointing news to tell you all."

Once Dermot gained everyone's full attention, he cleared his throat. "It seems there's not going to be a wedding after all."

A few people muttered and some even gasped, including Lucy who almost dropped her cache of canapes.

"Anyway," Dermot continued, looking almost relieved. "I don't know all the particulars, but it's best we not dwell on that tonight. We have plenty of food and beverage, and I don't believe in wastin' a good opportunity for a party, so I would like to continue the celebration in honor of my darlin' daughter, Mallory, and her new husband, Whit, who did their parents a favor and ran off to marry."

Family and friends held their gla.s.ses up for the toast while Whit leaned down and kissed Mallory full on the mouth. A round of applause ensued before Dermot was calling for everyone's attention again. "Just a few more things I'll be sayin'. First, to my son-in-law. Whit, I've given you a jewel and you treat her as such. I also expect me a grandson by this time next year."

Whit exchanged a glance with Mallory that said "not a problem" before replying, "I'll try to oblige, Dermot."

Mallory turned her attention to her father who presented a loving look that shot straight to her heart. "And for my darlin' Mallory. In the words of my Irish ancestors, 'No man ever wore a scarf as warm as his daughter's arm around his neck.'" He tipped his gla.s.s toward her. "I love ya, darlin.'"

She held up her gla.s.s of grape juice, keeping the tears a bay-for now. "I love you, too, Daddy."

Mallory couldn't lay claim to being disappointed over the news, and it didn't seem as if anyone else was, either. "Well, that's a shocker," she said to Whit. "I can't believe Helena would actually back out at this late date."

"It wasn't her. It was your brother."

Obviously, Logan had reclaimed some common sense. "In a way I'm glad. I don't think she was good for him. But I do wonder what they're going to do about the baby."

Whit draped his arm around her shoulder and she curled her arm around his waist. "Actually, there isn't a baby. There never was. Old Helena thought that was the only way she could get Logan to marry her, and I guess she was right."

What Mallory mentally called Helena at the moment couldn't be said out loud. She only wished she knew the slang for it. "When did Logan find out?"

"About an hour ago. He's pretty p.i.s.sed off, and I can't blame him. But it's better he found out now before he made a huge mistake."

Whit stared off to s.p.a.ce and Mallory knew what he was thinking about, the event that caused him to miss her doctor's appointment, with good reason. She should probably wait until later to inquire how it went, but she'd been wondering about it all afternoon. With all the wedding mess, they'd had no opportunity to be alone. She would simply ask and if he didn't want to talk about it, then she'd leave it be until later.

"Did you talk to your mother?"

"Yeah, I did," he said without looking at her.

"And?"

"She said congratulations on the marriage and to send pictures of the baby."

"That's it?"

"She also said she was sorry she didn't stay in touch but she's happy now. She and my dad were too young when they married and she just couldn't deal with a kid."

Mallory could understand the "too young to marry" part, but that was about it. "I still don't know how she could have walked away from her husband and child."

He gave her a meaningful look full of love. "That's because you would never do that. And Mallory, I'm not my mother. My running days are over. I'm not going to leave you if the going gets tough." "I know you won't." And she did. "We'll just have to work really hard to make each other happy." "Aside from you insisting to rearrange my underwear drawer when we moved into the house, you make me very happy." His smile made a grand appearance. "But you know what would make me really happy about now?"

Mallory really didn't have to ask. She could see it in his dark, dark eyes. "I have a feeling this involves Mr. Happy."

"You bet it does. As long as you're feeling okay."

"I'm feeling great, and my doctor says we have no reason to stop doing what we normally do. But it is kind of early to be leaving."

He leaned over and whispered, "Who said anything about leaving?"

Mallory glanced around the room, noting many of the guests had wandered into the backyard for the

barbecue. "Would you like to see my old bedroom?"