Midnight Remedy (26 page)

“Yes. Very soon.” She brought his head back down to hers.

Eric stopped her, framing her face in his hands. “I love you, Piper.” He lowered his mouth to hers again, crushed it underneath his.

“Mom!” Cole burst through the front door with his usual enthusiasm. “Jason’s mom said—” he broke off, staring at the two of them. “Lynn said that you didn’t want me to come get my game I forgot, but I knew you wouldn’t mind. Do you?”

With her arms still around Eric’s neck, Piper turned her head to glare at her son. “Yes. Your timing stinks, Cole.”

“Huh?”

She dropped her arms. “Never mind. Just get the game and then go back to Jason’s.”

“Okay. They’re waiting outside. Want me to ask them in?”

“No!” Piper said vehemently. “I want you to get your game and scram.”

“Geez, Mom.” He looked at them again and asked, “How come you were hugging each other?”

“Because we’re getting married,” Eric told him, with a grin for Piper. “That’s what people do when they decide to get married.”

“You’re gonna marry Eric?” Cole asked his mother.

“Yes. You don’t mind, do you?”

He didn’t answer her, but stared at Eric, his eyes big, brown and questioning. “You’re gonna be my dad?”

Eric nodded solemnly. “If you want me to be. That’s what I want.”

“Will you still play video games with me?”

“You bet.” Eric grinned at Piper again.

“Is that all you think about?” she demanded of her son.

“But I like video games, Mom.” Turning back to Eric he said, “Maybe you can teach me football, too. Mom can’t play.” He looked a little disgusted at that.

“Sure thing, sport.” Eric held up his hand.

Cole ran to him and slapped it. “Way cool. I gotta go tell Jason.” He headed for the door at a dead run.

“Wait a minute. Don’t forget your game,” Piper said.

“Oh, yeah.” Cole dashed off, reappearing with the game a few minutes later.

“See you in the morning,” Piper said, walking him out.

“I hope you plan on locking that door,” Eric said.

“Definitely.” She shook her head. “‘Way cool’. That’s all he could think of?”

“Sounds good to me. Coming from a six-year-old, anyway.”

He was looking at her with a glint in his eyes that she could see and translate from across the room.

“Don’t take this wrong,” he said, the timbre of his voice deepening, “but I don’t want to talk about Cole right now.”

“Did you have something else in mind?” she asked as she crossed the room to stand before him.

“I’ll give you a hint. It’s not talking.”

She laughed as he pulled her down into his lap and kissed her. “So, you don’t want me to talk?” She looped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

“You can talk. As long as it’s my name, said in that breathy little voice you get when—”

“Eric!” she interrupted, laughing. “Eric,” she said again, in a different tone as his hand stole up her leg.

“That’s the way,” he said, and kissed her.

THE END

(Continue reading for more information about the author)

Eve Gaddy is the bestselling, award-winning author of sixteen novels for Bantam Loveswept and Harlequin Superromance, with more than a million copies in print. Her books have won and been nominated for awards from Romantic Times, Golden Quill, Bookseller’s Best, Holt Medallion, Texas Gold, Daphne Du Maurier and more. She was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Innovative Series romance as well as winning the 2008 Romantic Times Career Achievement award for Series Storyteller of the year.

Eve’s books have sold over a million copies worldwide and been published in many foreign countries, including the UK, Canada, Latin America, France, Spain, Argentina, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Estonia and New Zealand.

Eve’s writing career began when she was in search of the perfect job and a friend challenged her to write a novel. Naturally, she thought of romance, since that is one of her favorite things to read. Once she began it was love at first type and she’s been writing ever since.

While a confirmed native Texan, Eve loves going to Colorado to escape the Texas heat and to snow ski in the winter. She loves spring in east Texas, especially when the azaleas are in bloom. She also enjoys books and needlework and is currently working on needlepoint Christmas stockings for her twin granddaughters. She adores animals. Just ask her incredibly spoiled Golden Retriever who is firmly convinced he is Eve’s third child. Eve enjoys cooking except when she is in the throes of creating, and has been known to tell her husband that is what peanut butter and jelly was created for. Visit Eve Gaddy at http://www.evegaddy.net.