Her Twin Surprise (Forsaken Sons Book 2) by Elizabeth Lennox (web ebook reader txt) 📗

at her.  And the way she looked at him.  There was nothing there.  Not anymore.  If she just happened to shiver at how it felt to be held in his arms again…well, that was normal.  She hadn’t been with a man in five long years.

But goodness, she had never forgotten how it felt when he touched her!

Chapter 18

“In you go and put your book bags away on the hook!” Stevie announced to the kids as she pulled into the driveway.  “I don’t want to see either of your bags on the floor.  Herbie gets into them and you know what he does after that.”

She watched through the rearview mirror as the pair shared a glance, making identical grossed out faces.  Herbie drooled when he got hold of book bags.  Drooled inside the bag, outside the bag, gnawed on the straps and left the thing disgusting and slimy.

As soon as she put the car in park, the twins unsnapped their seat belts and bolted from the car.  “Dad!” Halley yelled, throwing herself into Janus’ arms.  Harrison was right behind her and did the same thing.  Luckily, Janus anticipated this and was already kneeling, his arms open, ready to catch them.

Stevie watched, her heart aching.  It was wonderful that they’d taken such a liking to Janus.  She’d told them that he was their dad and both of her little loves had immediately accepted him into their family.

Something bumped the kitchen window. Stevie saw Herbie gazing out the window, desperate to be a part of the fun as well.  “Down!” she snapped, pointing her finger towards the floor.  Of course, Herbie completely ignored Stevie, staring longingly at Janus.  And why not?  Janus was the one who could throw the ball to the fence line. Herbie’s loyalty was absolute.

“Can you teach me to throw tonight, Dad?” Harrison asked, grabbing one of Janus’ hands.  Halley came around to the other side and claimed his free hand.  “No, he’s going to play soccer with me. He promised.”

“I can do both,” he assured the kids.  He glanced over at Stevie.  “But we need to check with Mom first.  She might have plans for tonight.  And it wouldn’t be kind to disappoint her plans, would it?”

Halley and Harrison both looked pleadingly over at Stevie.  “Can we, Mom?”

Stevie didn’t have any special plans for the evening.  In fact, it was Monday night, just a normal weekday night.  Nothing special other than homework, dinner, walking Herbie, bath time, reading time and…then cleaning up the house, getting lunches ready and collapsing into her own bed for her five minutes of daily downtime.

“Why don’t you go inside, wash your hands, and start your homework?”

She watched their shining faces crumple as the normal routines were enforced.  Stevie felt like a nag and sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Once they were inside, safely out of earshot, she turned to Janus.  “Weeknights are a bit different than the weekends,” she warned him.

“I can handle it,” he promised.

She looked up at him, remembering the dream she’d had last night.  It had been a bit too erotic for her peace of mind.  So instead of explaining the nightly routine, none of which she could remember just now anyway, Stevie turned and walked into the house.

Herbie burst through the doorway, wagging his tail and yearning up at Janus.

“I’ve got this,” Janus laughed.  He knew the drill, especially since Herbie already had a ball in his mouth.

Stevie watched as Janus threw the ball all the way into one corner of the yard, Herbie sprinting after it in hot pursuit.

She turned and walked into the house, not ready to accept that this as her new normal.  The twins were new and exciting to Janus.  Just as she had been five years ago.  But when she’d really needed him, he hadn’t been around.  That would likely happen again once the newness of this situation burned itself out.

But his presence here today gave her a few extra minutes in her routine, which Stevie definitely appreciated.  She noticed that the twins had put their book bags on the hooks by the door, but those bags hung precariously on each hook. She pushed the straps more securely in place on her way into the kitchen. She had a few extra minutes to make something special for dinner.

After examining the contents of the pantry and fridge, she pulled out a head of cauliflower and started chopping it up.  After steaming the chunks, she put it all into the food processor and mashed it up, then started on the pasta.

“Hey you two! Homework time!”

At that moment, Janus stepped into the kitchen, an exhausted Herbie trailing along behind instead of racing ahead.

“Over here,” Janus commanded.  Stevie looked over her shoulder and watched with astonishment as Herbie dutifully obeyed Janus, moving towards a corner of the family room instead of kerplunking down in the middle of the kitchen.

In fact, Halley and Harrison even stopped their fort building and stared, mouths hanging open in awe.

“How’d you do that?” Harrison asked.

Janus ruffled his hair.  “It’s all in the tone, my little man.”  He glanced at Halley too.  “Didn’t your mother tell you two to start your homework?”

They stared for another moment, then both of them rushed over to their book bags and began pulling out papers.

Janus turned and looked at Stevie at that point.  “You’re dripping water on the floor,” he commented.

Stevie jerked to attention and looked at the wooden spoon in her hand.  Sure enough, water was dripping onto the hardwood floor and she spun around, setting the spoon on the countertop.  For several long moments, she struggled to remember what she’d been doing.

“You okay?” Janus asked.  He’d taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.  She could see the tanned skin on his forearms, as well as all of those muscles rippling underneath.