“Want to take bets on the sex of the next one?” Erik asked with a warm twinkle in his gold-flecked eyes.
“I’m in no hurry to do this again any time soon. You’re not coming near me for a long, long time. In fact, you’ll be sleeping in one of the guest rooms on the second floor.”
“Wanna bet on that one, too?” A devilish grin overtook his sexy face.
Michelle could only cut her eyes at him and smile. He was the horniest man on the planet, and she loved him.
Michelle watched Felicia and Philippe as they gazed at their sleeping grandson. She’d been moved from the birthing room to a private suite in the maternity ward of Granite Falls Memorial Hospital.
“So what have you two old love birds been up to?” she asked her in-laws.
Felicia turned. “Who’re you calling old? Philippe and I could show you and Erik some moves that would make your heads spin.”
“I’m sure you can,” Michelle murmured, eyeing them up and down with an animated smile. She wondered from which one of them Erik had inherited his insatiable appetite for sex. Perhaps both.
“I knew what you were promising Danielle on her deathbed, last year, Michelle,” Philippe said, with a tender smile. “And I knew that my son was in love with you then, too. This is a beautiful boy you’ve given him. He’s so happy. He’s already making plans for him.”
Michelle smiled. She had plans for him, too.
Philippe bent over the side of the bassinet and kissed the baby’s cheek. “Brings back memories?” he asked his wife.
“Many, my love. But we’d better get going. Erik and Precious will be here soon. She is so excited to meet her new half-brother.”
“Whole, Felicia,” Michelle corrected her mother-in-law. “We are a whole family. I couldn’t love Precious more if I’d given birth to her myself.”
“You are a rare treasure,” Philippe said. “I hope my son knows that.”
“Oh, I think he does,” Felicia said, giving her a goodbye kiss.
Precious and Erik arrived just moments after they left. Precious stood at the door, looking doubtful. But when Michelle beckoned to her, she flew into her arms.
“Take it easy, honey. Michelle is still a bit sore.”
“It’s okay, Erik.” Michelle tried to camouflage her discomfort with a smile. “Love never hurt nobody. Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked Precious.
Precious nodded. “Mrs. Hayes couldn’t get the tent up. But you know what?”
“What?”
“Uncle Robert came up this morning, and he put it up for us. Then he took Peter and me down by the lake, and we caught a real live fish.”
“That’s great, honey. I’m glad Uncle Robert was there to help.”
“I like him. He’s wicked neat.”
“Yeah. He’s wicked neat,” Michelle agreed with a knowing smile.
The baby started fussing.
“Is that my new brother?” Precious asked, staring at the tiny bundle in the bassinet beside the bed.
“Hmm,” Michelle murmured, eyeing Erik with wary speculation. This was the moment she had been dreading, wondering if Precious would accept her new brother or if she would be jealous of him.#p#分页标题#e#
Precious left Michelle’s embrace and edged slowly over to the bassinet. She stared at the baby for a long moment then she tilted her chin forward and said, “He looks funny, and all red and wrinkly.”
Erik laughed out loud. “That’s the way you looked right after you were born, Muffin. Funny, red, and wrinkly. But look at you now.”
“Gross!” She gazed at the baby pensively then turned uncertain eyes to Michelle. “Michelle?”
“What, honey?” Michelle’s heart pounded in her chest.
“Do you love him more than you love me?”
“No way,” she replied without preamble. “I love him just as much as I love you.”
Precious’ eyes lit up with her smile. “I have something for him.” She pushed her hands into her pocket and pulled out the lucky penny. “You’re his mommy and I think he should have it.”
“I think I’ll hold on to that until he’s old enough to appreciate it,” Erik said, taking it from her. “As a matter of fact, I’ll have it laminated. It’s officially the LaCrosse Family Heirloom, to be passed down from one sibling to the next.”
“I like that, Erik,” Michelle said, smiling. That penny had brought her good luck, and Precious, too. She looked at Precious. “Would you like to hold your brother, Precious?”
“Can I?” Her cinnamon eyes widened.