Authors: Lori Handeland
Out of Her League (42 page)
Evie
’
s heart did a sickening lurch, and she wanted to cry all over again.
“
You heard that?
”
“
We shouldn
’
t have been listenin
’
, we know.
”
“
I was wrong to say that. It
was
rough when you were little. But you guys are my angels come to the earth.
”
She glanced up and found Adam watching her. She held the twins, but she spoke to him.
“
Things might h
ave been bad, my life seemed ru
ined, but when I held you in my arms, the world made sense again.
”
Adam smiled, nodded, and the wall that had been between them dissolved, at least for the time being. Evie could breathe again.
“
Weren
’
t we accidents?
”
Evie closed her
eyes for just a second, took an
other breath and gave the twins a quick squeeze.
“
There are no accidents. Only presents we don
’
t know about yet.
”
“
Cool.
”
They wriggled for freedom, but she wouldn
’
t let them go.
“
Mom, we have to tell you what we found out.
You always said that if you re
ally love someone, that means you have to
sack-the-
face—
”
“
Are they trying to say
‘
sacrifice
’
?
” Joe inter
rupted.
“
That
’
s what I said.
”
Danny
’
s nose wrinkled.
“
Jeez. So we figured if Mom didn
’
t have us, she could have another baby, then Joe and everyone would be happy.
”
“
How could you ever think I
’
d be happy without my two best redheaded guys?
”
“
Sack-the-faces have to be made, Mom. We might be little, but we know
that
. Anyways, we saw this movie, and we was thinkin
’
—you know how Joe likes to cook and stuff, and you hate it, Mom?
”
Evie nodded.
“
We never wanted to tell you and hurt your feelings, but you really aren
’
t good at cookin
’
. But you
’
re the best mom in the world. And the best teacher in town. Everyone says so. So why can
’
t Joe be the stay-at-home daddy?
”
“
Joe has a job, honey, a job he
’
s been waiting to do half his life. I can
’
t ask him to give that up, just as he shouldn
’
t ask me to give up mine.
”
“
But, Mom, we want a stay-at-home daddy. And we want Joe. Can
’
t we keep him?
”
Evie opened her mouth to say no, they could not keep him, but Joe spoke, instead.
“
Out of the mouths of babes,
”
he murmured.
Her breathing became difficult as hope filled her heart. She stood and faced him.
“What are you talk
ing about?
”
He pulled her into his arms.
“
They
’
ve got a point, you know?
”
“
They do? Which point would that be? They
’
ve run through so many.
”
“
I
’
d make a great Mr. Mom.
”
“
Oh, Joe. I don
’
t want you to give up your dream for mine.
”
“
My dream
is
y
ou and the kids. Love and a fam
ily—that
’
s what I want. I love you, Evie, and if you
really don
’
t want a baby, I can live with that. What I can
’
t live with is living without you.
”
The fear of the afternoon, and Joe
’s strong sup
port when times got tough, had shown Evie the truth. Love and a family—that was all that mattered. She couldn
’
t continue to live half a life because of mistakes she
’
d made what seemed half a lifetime ago.
Somehow, when she wasn
’
t paying attention, Joe Scalotta had crept under her skin and into her heart. His presence gave her peace. He held her up when all she wanted to do was fall down. He made her laugh when tears still threatened her eyes. She didn
’
t want to live without him, either.
“
How many babies?
”
she asked.
Joe grinned.
“
None? Some? Your wish is my command. One question, though.
”
Evie tilted her head, waiting.
“
Do you love me?
”
“
You bet.
”
“
Betting is what got us into this.
”
“
And I won. I guess I get the job I
’
ve always wanted. If that
’
s okay with you.
”
“
You
’
ll be great. So, if I sack-the-face, will you marry me
?
Her answer was to jump into his arms, and as he twirled her around and around, she kissed him, long and deep. The tw
ins made smoochy sounds and sev
eral spectators inside the bus station clapped.
The
whir
of a camera broke them apart, but it was only the annoying reporter from the ballpark, who had followed them.
Front page center the next morning there appeared a picture of Joe and Evie kissing, above a caption that read
:
"
Wildman becomes mild man as he pledges future to his Coach Mom from Iowa.
"
* * *
One year later
“Call
us
when you get to the dorm,
” Evie in
structed, as Adam pulled his car away from the curb.
Joe
’
s arm came across her shoulders, and together they watched their eldest child leave for college.
“
One down, four to go,
”
he said.
“
At least.
”
Toni, flanked by the twins, waved until Adam
’
s car was out of sight. Then the boys started fooling around.
“
Danny, quit dancing in the street and go get your mom
’
s bags,
”
Joe ordered.
“
Benji, get your sister
’
s.
”
The boys hustled off to do just that. Joe no longer had any problem telling the two apart. Living with them kind of cured a person of the double vision. Now whenever someone asked how he did it, he simply winked and said,
“
I
’
m their dad. I just know.
”
“
Mom, we better go.
”
Evie smiled as she did every time Toni called her
“
Mom.
”
The novelty of that had yet to wear off.
From the force of the love that trilled through Evie every time, she doubted it ever would.
“
Here.
”
Evie handed their newest addition into Joe
’
s arms. Maria Scalotta was only a month old, but she was the apple of everyone
’
s eye.
Joe held the baby like a pro, maybe because he was. He had become
a stay-at-home daddy after fin
ishing his one-year commitment to OGCC, and he
’
d taken to his new job as easily as Evie had taken to being the mother of five instead of three.
Not that there hadn
’t been rough spots. Try hav
ing a seventeen-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old girl who are in love living in the same house. Or having a young man who
’
s been the man of that house suddenly pl
aying second fiddle to his girl
friend
’
s dad.
But truthfully, everything had worked out for the best in the end, just as Evie had always hoped. Though she and Joe had made mistakes in their youth, the example of those mistakes seemed to have impressed th
emselves upon their eldest chil
dren.
Her relationship with Adam had improved. She
’
d tried to talk to him again, and explain that while his birth had been an accident, his existence was a joy. He had made her life complete, not torn it in pieces. But, after seeing her fall apart when the twins were missing and hearing her words to them in the Cedar City bus station, Adam already understood how much both he and the twins meant to her. Once again—everything had come out all right.
Evie shook her head, remembering the pitfalls of the past year. It hadn
’
t been easy, but with Joe at her side, problems didn
’
t seem half as bad as they had when she
’
d handled them alone. Even labor and delivery had been kind of fun, since big bad Iceman Scalotta had passed out at the first sight of blood. Evie was laughing when Maria came into the world.
“
We
’
ll see you in Pennsylvania?
” Evie gave Ma
ria a final kiss.
The baby gurgled and kicked—all sweetness and light—with Evie
’
s dark hair and Joe
’
s startling blue eyes. She already had all the boys in the house wrapped around her little finger—and the girls, too.
“
Wouldn
’
t miss it,
”
Joe said.
“
Maria has a new outfit. And a hat.
”
“
Joe!
”
Her big bruiser of a husband had turned into a closet clotheshorse where his baby girl was concerned.
“
We
’
re going to go bankrupt if you keep buying her clothes.
”
“
But they
’
re so cute.
”
He
rubbed his nose against Maria’
s.
Evie sighed. What was a woman to do?
She and Toni took their bags from the twins, kissed both little boys and headed for the car. This year their team was on the way to the national
cham
pionships. Unfortunately, Adam had to be at college instead of the game, but priorities were priorities. Evie had every confidence in her star pitcher and adopted daughter.
“
Rules for the fall season are on the fridge,
”
she called over her shoulder.
The twins groaned, Joe laughed and Maria started hiccuping.
Evie drove toward the airport, watching in the rearview mirror as half her family waved goodbye. Life didn
’
t get any better than this.
* * *
About the author:
Lori Handeland is a Waldenbooks, Bookscan, USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, as well as a two-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s RITA award.
For more information on Lori or her books, please go to:
Lori also writes under the name Lori Austin.
Please scroll for an excerpt of the first book in the Once Upon a Time in the West series, BEAUTY AND THE BOUNTY HUNTER,