“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

Tawny spun in front of the kitchen sink, and Luke looked up at her, his morning coffee still halfway to his lips.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I just—” She checked the area around the sink again, then heard the patter of tiny feet and a scream of mirth.

“Dammit, I knew it.” But how could he have even gotten it? He wasn’t tall enough to reach the counter. Unless…

Unless she’d left it on the kitchen table. It was a bad habit she’d developed when her toddler had only been a baby. But now that he could grab and run…

Well, there was no stopping the kid.

“Michael has my wedding ring and the kids are going to start getting here any minute.”

“Again?” Luke jumped up from the table, but Tawny waved him off.

“Sit. Eat. I’m fast enough to tackle him.”

She paused and listened as another peal of laughter sounded on the other side of the house.

This was, she realized, practically its own morning routine. Ever since she’d opened up the daycare in their house—Luke’s brilliant idea as a way to ensure that she was working with kids the way she’d always planned while also allowing her to be with Michael until he was ready for school—that little boy had found some way to distract her or tie her up. So that, by the time the parents arrived to drop off their kids, she looked like the last person on earth anyone would want to leave their child with.

When she made it to the living room, she found Michael sitting in the middle of the floor, couch cushions stacked around him like a fortress.

“What are you doing, little man?” she asked, though inside she was secretly hoping that girls would be easier to raise. If not, they were in for one hell of a doozy three months from now.

“Playing pirates,” he lisped back.

She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she knew pirates didn’t eat diamond rings—or stick them up their nose.

“Where’s the treasure?” she asked.

“You have to follow the map,” he said, matter of fact.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and tried again. “Michael, did you take Mommy’s ring?”

“Yes.” He grinned and his blue eyes—so much like Luke’s—twinkled up at her.

Sometimes, she found herself wondering if he looked anything like her at all, in fact. He had the same mop of dark curls his father had, the same mischievous smile. Maybe there was something of her in the straight nose, but other than that? He was a carbon copy of his father.

Which, of course, made it that much more difficult to punish him.

“Front and center,” a deep male voice sounded behind her and she found Luke standing in the archway to the room, giving Michael his best fatherly I-know-you-did-something-wrong look.

As commanded, their son trudged toward his father, something clearly gripped inside his chubby fist.

Luke opened his palm wordlessly and extended it toward their son, and Michael dropped the ring without complaint.

“What have we been talking about?” Luke asked.

“Not taking things without asking.”

“Right, but what else?”

Michael stared up at him.

“You and me are the men of this house and we have to take care of Mommy and the new baby. Now that you’re going to be a big brother, what’s the best thing you can do to show Mommy and your new baby sister that you love them?”

“I can be well behaved.”

“And what else?”

“I can tell them I love them,” Michael said, somewhat shamefaced, then he looked up at Tawny and her heart melted a little. He came closer and pressed his head to her still softly rounded belly.

“I love you, baby.” He looked up. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

“Good,” Luke said. “Now put the cushions back where they belong. Your friends will be here soon.”

Again, Michael did as he was asked and Tawny turned to her husband, unsure whether it was the new pregnancy hormones or just the fullness of her love that made her want to cry.

“My boys had a little talk?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

Luke shrugged. “Older brothers have responsibilities.”

“You would know.” She nodded.

“I would. Besides, you need all the help you can get. I’m telling you, close the daycare for a few months. We can easily survive on just the bike shop. It’s been an amazing year and it looks like it’s only getting better. You need some rest. Stress isn’t good for you or the baby.”

“I’m not stressed,” she said, and it was true.

She knew, of course, that they didn’t need to run the daycare—that they could survive without it. But, well, Luke had his dreams and she had hers. And spending her days surrounded by children, never having to miss a moment of her son’s—and soon, her daughter’s—upbringing? That was worth everything to her.

Everything.

“I think you’re more stressed than I am.” She took another step toward him and lowered her voice, “So tonight I am going to ease some of that tension.”

“You promise?” he asked.

She dropped a gentle kiss on his lips and nodded. “Absolutely. In fact…” She glanced at the clock. “We’ve got twenty minutes before the kids start pouring in.”

He glanced over her shoulder at Michael, who had now found his toy box and was happily distracting himself, then grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bathroom like a bomb was about to detonate behind them.

Who would’ve thought that Practical Tawny…Careful Tawny…Chicken Tawny, would’ve stepped out of the box one time only to find out it was the best decision she’d ever made.

She let out a peal of laughter and slid into her husband’s arms for a kiss, knowing that this was her happily ever after…