“I appreciate the offer, but I already ate. I’m in the middle of a little project at the moment.” Of course, the project was holding Carli to his side and stroking her back. As projects went, it was one of his favorites.
“Okay, dear, then I’ll let you go. Do stop by sometime this week for supper.”
“If I can get out early enough, I will. Love to you and Dad.”
His mother signed off, and he tossed the phone on the chair beside him.
“If you need to do something,” Carli began as she pressed against his chest, “I can head back home.”
Dancing her backwards to the couch, he tipped up her chin. “You’re the little project I’ve got going.”
Her eyes went wide, then she licked her lips. “Well, in that case, proceed.”
After a few kisses, he reluctantly loosened his hold. He hadn’t gotten all twenty-seven kisses in, but he didn’t want her here only for kissing. They’d discussed her job and classes and his last year working at BGH, but there was more about her he wanted to know.
“So what exactly do you want in life?”
“Want? As in big picture?”
He bobbed his head, waiting for this answer.
Her gaze went up, and her mouth pinched in thought. “I want to run the hospital. Then, I can be your boss.”
So that’s how she wanted to play this. “You want to boss me around, huh? What would you tell me to do?”
“Kiss me.” Her voice was strong and confident.
“Only once?”
“A lot. At least twenty-seven times. An hour.”
Chuckling, he stroked the side of her face. “I wouldn’t get very much doctoring done.”
“Fine. You can do your doctoring, as long as you make sure to kiss me often.” Now, she wasn’t even blushing. What a difference from last week when she was so unsure of their relationship. It was a pleasant change.
“Did you want to practice on me right now? Make sure you get that authoritative voice correct, so you’ll be good enough when the time comes?”
“Great idea.” She cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “Dr. Wentworth, I need to see you in my office. Immediately.” There was definitely some channeling of a few doctors he knew.
Straightening his shoulders, he responded. “Absolutely, Ms. Jameson. What can I do for you?”
Her head tipped back as she put on a regal air. Little minx. “Kiss me.”
Pulling her toward him, he said, “Yes, ma’am. Let me get right on that.”
Harrison walked in the doorway of the family room and looked into the sunken area where Parker crawled around. Annie was on her back, laughing. His son gurgled, then noticed him.
“Da.”
Had he really said that? Couldn’t be. Must just be making noises.
Annie turned her head and sat up. “Yes, sweetie, that’s Daddy.” She signed something, and Parker babbled again.
“Hey, honey. How was your game?”
“Good. Won by a few points.” He’d had quite a bit of frustration to get out, and swinging a racquet around had helped. Seeing his son, hearing aids behind both ears, and his wife using sign language put some of that stress right back on his shoulders.
Why had this happened to them? They’d been so ecstatic when they’d found out Annie was expecting, and the day Parker was born, the emotion in him had reached such a pinnacle he wasn’t sure he’d ever feel that strongly about something again. He’d been overwhelmed with love for Annie and their son.
