CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Claudia~
They had compromised by having their groceries delivered to the lighthouse. Sandy had brought them over before Claudia had finished dusting and mopping. The older woman had been curious, but she and her family had been helping out at Cat’s Head for decades. She asked no questions, even when Ryan told her that he and Claudia were married, just congratulated him.
“She’ll tell half of Mystic Bay by lunchtime,” Claudia prophesied gloomily. The Mulcasters were a large clan of psychics with gifts all over the spectrum. Sandy herself was fairly discreet. But by the time her relatives had spread the news that Claudia was married to a hunter, there would be no stuffing the story back in the bag.
Ryan smiled with pure masculine satisfaction. “Yup. And a real romantic story she’ll make of it too. Better turn your phone off.”
“What did you tell Sandy?” she demanded.
“The truth.” Butter wouldn’t have melted in his mouth.
“Which is?”
“That I came to visit Jimmy, and immediately realized that the pair of you are well worth hanging on to.”
“Huh?”
Ryan kissed her swiftly. “Any cat who would let you go would have to be no better than a jackass.”
Her senses reeled, but she better remember this was all make-believe. No matter how thrilling her stupid body found his kisses. “Right. I’m going to call my sister, before she hears about us at the supermarket.” Daphne would call as soon as she heard. If Claudia didn’t head her off, her sister would also immediately call Mom and Dad.
“Fair enough. We’ll head out to the cottage afterward.” Ryan went back to vacuuming.
Claudia called Daphne, who was indeed astounded, but promised not to pass on the news to Madeline or Mom and Dad. “I always thought there was something unfinished between you and Jimmy’s dad,” Daphne said. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“We’re going to take this weekend to reconnect,” Claudia told her older sister. “We’ll get together when Mom and Dad get back.”
“Reconnect.” Daphne chuckled. “Is that what you call it? Want me to take Jimmy off your hands so you can reconnect in private?”
“No thanks. Jimmy and his dad are bonding. Ryan and I are parents first, second and last. We need to work on being a family.”
“True enough.” After a few more pointed questions, Daphne hung up.
Ryan and Jimmy had finished up the housekeeping. They were folding laundry on the kitchen table when she came out of her bedroom. The little cottage sparkled. It was long before lunchtime, yet the chores were done. This business of having two adults around could become addictive fast.
“Wow,” she said. “Thanks, guys.”
“Many hands make light work.” Ryan sneaked another lightning kiss. He tucked the last things into the laundry basket. “Let’s go.”
“I foldeded the towels,” Jimmy shouted.
“Good job.” She laid a quieting hand on her son’s head. “We should give Jimmy his lunch first.”
“He had cheese and fruit an hour ago.” Ryan squeezed her free hand. “You hungry, champ?”
“I will be,” Jimmy said.
Ryan chuckled. “You get your coat, Claudia. Jimmy and I’ll pack the lunch and some extra provisions just in case.”
His parents’ cottage was bigger than her parents’ house. And that was from the outside. When she went inside, she discovered that the exterior had been cleverly designed to conceal its true extent. It was huge. Far more house than she wanted to live in, or to clean.
The three living rooms were spacious and yet casually cozy. The bedrooms looked lived in. The huge dormitory held three rows of bunk beds. The bathrooms were lavish. But it was not where she wanted to live.
“This is the boys’ dorm,” Ryan said. “Girls’ is next door.” Jimmy was riding on his shoulders. Ryan kept a grip on his legs to keep his cub in place.
The kitchen was frankly cavernous with three ovens and four stovetops and four fridges. The granite countertops gleamed and the sinks shone. She couldn’t stop staring. “There are duplicates of everything,” she gasped.
“Yup,” Ryan said proudly. “My brother Peter was in charge of the renovation. It’s set up so that there are three workstations. That way everyone can help out without bumping heads. We’ll use this one.” He indicated the one set into a small island.
He set Jimmy down and opened a mostly empty fridge and stuffed his grocery bag inside. “That way we will only have this area to clean up afterward.”
“How many people are in your family, anyway?” she asked. Jimmy tugged at her hand.
He thought. “Including kids? Twenty-five. Nope. I forgot to add you and Jimbo. Twenty-seven. Twenty-nine if my grandparents join us.”
The idea of all those people in one place made her claustrophobic. The kitchen overlooked a wide deck and a fenced backyard. Jimmy had noticed, for he tugged harder on her hand. “Can we go outside? I think Jimmy would enjoy that.” He had been cooped up all morning.
“Sure.” Ryan unlatched the French doors and opened them up. The screened porch held a barbecue the size of a small airliner and three seating areas as well as four rectangular tables with benches. “We eat out here whenever the weather permits.
“What’s that?” Jimmy pointed to the fence. His eyes were saucers in his face.
“Let’s check it out,” Ryan said. He unlocked the door to the backyard which was secured by a deadbolt and two old-fashioned sliding locks. “It’s to keep the kids in or out when necessary,” he murmured in Claudia’s ear. He kissed her just behind her earlobe.
The fence had to be twelve feet tall in places. It ran around three sides of the huge backyard. An octagonal gazebo surrounded by huge trees sat dead center of the lawn. Two of the trees supported an enormous and shabby treehouse. But it was the fence that was most astonishing.
“It’s a jungle gym, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yup. Peter designed it for our little climbers. There are gates to the property beyond, but the kids can’t get out that way without help.” Ramps and walkways connected platforms and activity centers. Chutes and ladders allowed entry from many places.
“I like those clear bubbles,” she said. “You can see the kids inside.” The transparent domes were spaced out at irregular intervals and varied from face-sized to large enough for two or three Ryan-sized men.
“You sure can. And they all have latches so that they can be opened in case the kids get into trouble.”
“Trouble?”
He shrugged. “They’re kids. They live to think up trouble. Want to try it out, sport?”
“Yeah!” shrieked Jimmy. He darted to the nearest section and swarmed up the uneven ladder.
Claudia watched as Jimmy crawled up a ramp and continued through a translucent red cylinder before sliding down a curved plastic slide. “Doesn’t it get hot in there?” she worried.
Ryan scooped up Jimmy, who was excitedly running across the grass. “Nope. See that little roof that runs along the back?”
She did. It was shiny and black. “I thought that was to keep animals and people out of the yard.”
He beamed. “That too. But it’s made of solar panels. Produces enough electricity to run exhaust fans and open and close ventilation louvers.”
He and Jimmy touched noses. Jimmy whispered. “Of course I’ll watch you, son.” He set Jimmy down. “We’ll play for a bit, and then I’ll start the barbecue.”
He showed Jimmy a broad ramp with an opening above it large enough for a man. They scooted up it together. Soon Claudia could see Ryan spotting Jimmy on some hanging bars. Ryan was limping a bit and every now and then Jimmy would cannon into him and he would grimace. He was obviously in pain, but enjoying himself. Men.
She sat down on one of the benches circling a huge oak. The scruffy treehouse above her head was out of place in this sleek and perfect landscaping. It looked like a bunch of kids had constructed it out of scrap lumber and hope. She absolutely did not want Jimmy up there by himself.
There were boards nailed to the tree trunks, but they were too far apart for his legs and arms. And there was no sign of a rope ladder. She made a note to speak to Ryan about it.
Jimmy’s happy squeal interrupted her musing. “Mom, did you see me?” He raced across the grass and hugged her knees.
Ryan was following more slowly, leaning hard on his cane.
“I did. You looked like you were having fun.” She lifted Jimmy onto her lap. “Are you ready for lunch?”
Jimmy cocked his head to one side. “Not ‘zactly. Daddy’s hot,” he said.
Ryan lowered himself to the bench. “Kid’s right.” His face was beaded with sweat and tinged with gray.
Claudia put out a hand and touched his hand. He was burning up. “You have a fever!”
“Probably.” His voice was slurred.
Jimmy crawled onto his lap. He cupped Ryan’s face with his hands and touched his nose to Ryan’s. “Daddy has a temperature,” he announced. His little face contorted with concentration and he squeezed Ryan’s cheeks so hard his hands turned white.
Claudia was about to remove him, when Ryan pulled him closer. “What are you up to, son?” he asked.
Jimmy didn’t answer. He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face. And then his game was over. He blinked at Ryan and patted his cheeks before snuggling into Ryan’s damp chest. Ryan held him just as fiercely. His own eyes closed. Claudia wondered if he had fallen asleep. His chest rose and fell as he panted.
They sat like that for perhaps ten minutes before Jimmy squirmed down and ran back to the fence to explore. The jungle gym had many levels and lots of different configurations. It was kid paradise. Jimmy climbed into a different section and found a rock climbing wall. He seemed to figure it out without instruction, for he climbed up and then down before going to a bubble and blowing kisses at her.
Ryan’s hand at her waist made her jump. Lightning flashed through her body and made her pussy throb. “I didn’t hear you,” she explained, pulling away in embarrassment.
He smiled but he didn’t mention her arousal. “I would hope not. Think we can get him out of there?”
“Not without a fuss. It’s brilliant.”
“I’ll tell Peter you said so. We think it’s the bomb ourselves. Keeps the kids exercised and safe and happy for hours. And leaves plenty of grass for running and jumping.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah. The fever comes and goes. I’m fine now. I’ll start the barbecue. When you want to come in, I’ll open the porch door.”
“You’re going to lock it?”
“Lit barbecues and cubs don’t mix. We always lock the porch door before we light it. It won’t take long. And I will boil the green beans outside. We won’t even make a mess in the kitchen.”