Inherited:OneChild(24)

As he flew apart Jack realized that the cold had disappeared, replaced   by a raging fire he didn't think could ever be doused. Annalise had done   that to him. Had done that for him. Somehow, in some strange,   unfathomable way, she'd freed him from the arctic wasteland in which   he'd been living and brought him into the sun's balmy light.



"Are you all right?" Jack asked much, much later.

Annalise stirred against him. "I think so."

Her tentative comment alarmed him and he rolled over. Cupping her chin,   he lifted it just enough so that the moonlight revealed her expression.   Her mouth curved in a tremulous smile and a melting softness burnished   her gaze. But he could also see a vague bewilderment that tautened her   muscles and gave him a worrying sense of uneasiness.

"I'm sorry if it wasn't all you hoped it would be," he said. "It gets better with practice, I promise."

"I can't believe that's possible," she retorted with satisfying speed.   She feathered a string of kisses across his chest. "That part was   amazing. Incredible. And there's absolutely no comparison between last   time and this."

Relief crashed over him. "I would hope not." He gathered up fistfuls of   her hair so she had no choice but to look at him. "If that's not the   problem, then what is?"

"It's not a problem, exactly."

"But … ?"

She caught her lower lip between her teeth. For some reason the small   gesture threatened to send him straight over the edge again. He wanted   his teeth on that lip. Wanted to give it a small nip and tug. And then   he wanted to soothe it, kiss it endlessly while he sank into her honeyed   mouth. Before he could act, Annalise spoke again.

"Will it be like that every time?"

"Like that … good?" he asked cautiously.

"No, not good." His heart stopped in his chest, until she added, "That   was incredible. That was amazing. That was … " She shook her head. "That   was beyond belief. I had no idea. None."

"Your previous experience isn't a fair basis for comparison," he   explained gently. He waited for her to absorb that. Once she did, his   smile turned wicked. "In my opinion, we need more practice in order to   improve."

Her eyes widened. "Improve? On that?" She lit up. "Are you serious?"

He didn't bother to respond. There was a far more satisfying way to   answer her question. He applied himself to the task with all due   diligence. He was going to enjoy married life, he decided. He was going   to enjoy married life a lot.                       
       
           



       



The next few weeks passed in a blissful haze, overflowing with days of   constant laughter, a heartwarmingly joyous Isabella and a fat and sassy   Madam. And the nights were even fuller, each moment spent in Annalise's   arms richer and more life-affirming than the one before. The changes   served to solidify Jack's certainty that he'd done the right thing, both   for his niece as well as for himself. Even Mrs. Locke cooperated,   delaying her final visit so that the new family had an opportunity to   settle into a comfortable routine.

Though Annalise continued to fuss because her father remained out of   touch and she'd been unable to tell him about their marriage, Jack's   father had given his opinion in no uncertain terms.

"Have you lost your mind?" Jonathan Mason demanded. "You married your nanny? What were you thinking?"

"Wasn't your second wife the au pair of one of your business   associates?" Jack shot back. "Or was that wife number three? To be   honest, I've lost track."

"I believe she was my third mistake," his father retorted. "I paid   through the nose to escape that noose. At least tell me you had that   woman sign a prenuptial agreement."

Defensiveness swept through Jack without thought or intention, an   instinctive reaction to what he perceived on a gut level as an attack on   one of his. His employee. His nanny. His wife. He couldn't explain  when  Annalise had come to mean so much to him, or even why. It wasn't  their  marriage alone, or the fact that she now shared his bed. It was  more  than that. Little by little she'd eased past his barriers and   infiltrated every aspect of his life. Warmed it. Healed it. She wasn't   just his employee, despite what their prenup might say. She was his   wife, and he would defend her against everyone and everything, including   his father.

"That woman has a name. She's Annalise Mason," Jack replied in a hard   voice. "And you will treat her with the respect my wife deserves. Are we   clear?"

To his surprise, his father apologized. "Call me once the two of you are   past the honeymoon period. Suze and I will have you over for dinner.   And, Jack … ?" He paused, his hesitation out of character for a man so   decisive. "One of the few comforts I've had these past few months is   knowing that Joanne and I were able to rebuild our relationship before   she died. I made a lot of mistakes when you were young. Terrible   mistakes that I'd give anything to undo. Would you be willing … Do you   think we-" He broke off abruptly.

Jack forced himself to pick up the ball. "Could start over?"

There was another long pause, and then: "I know I don't deserve it,"   Jonathan said in a rough undertone. "But I want to have my son and   granddaughter in my life again. Your wife, as well, if you're willing."

For some reason, picturing Annalise's face stayed Jack's cold refusal.   She would want him to take the proffered olive branch, as would Joanne.   If his father could humble his pride-something Jack would have once   thought an impossibility-so could he. "I'd like that, Dad. We'll call   you and set a date."

"Thanks, Jack." Uncharacteristic emotion trembled in Jonathan's voice.   "Anytime you're free. Anytime at all will be fine with us."

The weeks flowed by after that, and Family Bed became a Sunday morning   staple. Little by little they accumulated furnishings that would better   accommodate both a five-year-old and a massive klutz of a dog. Madam,  in  particular, reveled in her new home, her coat gleaming with health,   while the regular nutritional meals kept her nicely filled out.

Or so he thought until Isabella woke them in the early morning hours   with a piercing shriek. He was out of bed a split second before Annalise   and raced flat out toward his niece's bedroom. She wasn't there. The   covers of her bed were thrown back and Isabella was nowhere to be seen.   Jack's heart began to pound in dread.

"Where is she?" Annalise said, slamming into him as she darted into the room. "What's happened?"

Her question was answered by another scream, coming from the direction   of the playroom. The two of them flew down the hallway. It took him a   minute to find his niece. He finally discovered Isabella and Madam   inside the giant playhouse that occupied one end of the room. The dog   lay on her side, straining, while his niece frantically petted her. She   raised a tear-stained face to Jack and held out her arms. He scooped  her  up, checking her desperately for any sign of injury.

"What's wrong, Baby Belle?" he murmured. "Where are you hurt?"                       
       
           



       

"Jack, it's not Isabella. It's Madam. Look." A wet bundle of fur was   tucked close to the dog. Madam licked the pup clean and nosed it toward   her belly where it latched onto a nipple. Annalise stooped beside Jack   and Isabella. "Don't cry, Isabella. Madam isn't hurt. She's having   babies."

The change in his niece was instantaneous. Her eyes grew huge and a   brilliant smile lit her face. She gave a little bounce that Jack swiftly   stilled. "We need to be quiet. It's a lot of hard work to have   puppies."

"I guess this explains why she was putting on so much weight," Annalise murmured, as Madam whelped another pup.

"It never occurred to me to ask the vet if she'd been spayed," Jack   replied. "We'll get that taken care of as soon as the pups are weaned."

Over the next several hours, six puppies made their way into the world   while Isabella looked on, wide-eyed and trembling with happiness.

"What are we going to do with all these dogs?" Annalise asked in dismay. "One Madam is wonderful. But six more … "