“I know. Todd called me.”
“Todd.” He growled the name. He liked Todd, even trusted him, but suddenly he felt the hot bite of jealousy. He didn’t like Daisy’s easy friendship with the man, because even if she still had doubts about Todd’s sexual orientation, he didn’t.
“Don’t just stand there, come in,” she said, taking Midas from him and setting the puppy on the floor, where he bounced off in search of recreation. “Go take a shower while I cook breakfast.”
That sounded like heaven. He was already pulling off his clothes as he left the room, though he still had enough wit about him to take everything with him and not leave it on the floor for sharp puppy teeth to shred. Something, a sudden sharp need to get everything in order and nailed down, stopped him in the doorway. He looked back at her. “Daisy.”
She paused at the kitchen door. “Yes?”
“Remember the deal we made?”
“Which deal?”
“That I’d marry you if you got pregnant.”
Her cheeks got pink. He loved it that she could still blush. “Of course I remember. I wouldn’t have begun this affair with you if you’d said no. People have to be responsible, and if you think you can weasel out of the deal now—”
“Let’s go to Gatlinburg this weekend and get married.”
Her eyes rounded and her lips parted in surprise. “But I’m not pregnant. At least, I don’t think . . . It was just that once, and—”
“So we try again,” he said, shrugging. “If you insist on being pregnant before we get married.”
“My goodness, of course not! You mean you actually want—”
“Oh, yeah,” he said softly. “I want.”
Midas pranced back into the living room, a dishcloth trailing from his mouth. Daisy stooped and caught him, and took the dishcloth away. “You don’t mind having children? Because I really do want at least a couple of kids, and you seemed horrified when I asked you if you had any.”
“I was horrified at the thought that I might have had any kids with my ex.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
But she didn’t give him a definite answer, just stood there looking preoccupied, and he began to get worried. He dropped his shirt to the floor and crossed the room to her. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he pulled her against him and put his other hand on her throat, using his thumb to tilt her chin up. “I know I’m dirty and smelly,” he said, “but I’m not letting you go until I get the answer I want.”
“Not just an answer, but the answer you want, hmm?”
“You got it.”
“I have a question.”
“Ask it.”
“Do you love me?” She immediately blushed again. “I didn’t think you were my type at all, but it didn’t seem to matter. The more I was around you the more I wanted to be with you, and I’d love to marry you, but if you don’t feel the same way I feel, then I don’t think we should get married.”
“I love you,” he said clearly. “That’s as plain as I can make it. Now, will you marry me?”
She beamed at him, the million-watt smile he’d noticed the first time he’d ever spoken to her, when he’d gone to the library to sign up for the virtual library. That smile did more for him than blond hair and makeup ever could. “Yes, thank you.”
Then he had to kiss her, and when he stopped, he didn’t feel nearly as tired as he had when he’d arrived. He began dragging her toward the hall. “Forget about breakfast. Take a shower with me.”
“Midas—” she began, looking around for the little demon.
“We’ll take him with us.” Jack scooped him up and removed his shirt from the puppy’s mouth. “He needs a bath, too.”
“He does not, and besides, I don’t think I can do it with him in the tub with us, watching.”
“I’ll blindfold him.” He tugged her into the bathroom.
“You’ll do no such thing!”
“Then we’ll close the door and let him play on the floor.” He suited action to words and decided the sacrifice of a shirt was worth it for the peace. He dropped the shirt, and Midas pounced on it.
Daisy immediately leaned down to take it away from him, but Jack stopped her and efficiently stripped her out of her robe and panties, then bundled her into the tub. He shucked off the rest of his clothes and let them drop, too. Let Midas have a field day.
He got into the tub with her and turned on the water, then when it was hot, turned on the shower, shielding her with his body until the initial icy blast turned warm. As he lifted her, she put both arms around his neck, her expression serious. “Could we start trying right away?”
Maybe he was too tired to think clearly, or maybe he just had other things on his mind. “Trying what?”
“To have a baby,” she said, exasperated, then gasped as he slipped into her. Her gaze immediately unfocused and her head drooped back as if it were suddenly too heavy for her neck.
“Sweetheart,” he promised, “you’ll never have to buy another PartyPak.”
EPILOGUE
Evelyn and Aunt Jo had outdone themselves with Sunday dinner, a sort of celebration for Daisy and Jack. There had been a dinner in Gatlinburg the week before, right after their wedding, but that had been at a restaurant and didn’t count. Now the table fairly groaned under the weight of all the food. The whole family was there, as well as Todd and his friend Howard, whom Daisy had been astonished to recognize. She hadn’t thought Howard was gay, because why would he have been at the Buffalo Club if he was? Of course, Jack was still adamant that Todd was straight, so maybe she wasn’t a good judge of such matters.