on
her stomach where the stitches tugged painfully. “Maybe.”
“It felt right at the time.”
Capri blinked away a tear. “I know.”
Things hadn’t worked out. It wouldn’t matter in two weeks.
They’d walk into the courthouse, talk to a judge, sign some papers and walk away
with the babies as the only things that bound them.
She didn’t want to think about it.
“Anyway, we have two beautiful children,” Seagal said.
She clicked out the light overhead, casting the room into
darkness.
“Capri?”
“Yes?” She lay still, listening.
“There was never another woman for me after our marriage.”
She swallowed. “I know.”
“What I’m trying to say is that I never thought about anybody
else after you asked me out. I was gone a lot, but it was always about my
job.”
She knew he was telling the truth. Seagal was an honorable man.
He would never have cheated on her.
Even if he had still been in love with another woman. And that
bothered her more than she could say.
* * *
T WO DAYS LATER , Seagal took Capri home. “Home sweet home,” he
said.
“It’s not a sweet home without the babies,” Capri said.
“They’ll be here soon enough. They just need a few more days to
acclimate.” Seagal helped Capri walk inside, smiling when she gasped at the
sight of all the flower arrangements and fruit baskets piled in the living room.
He’d crowded many of the gifts into the formal room, on top of the stuffed
floral sofa, and near the white-mantled fireplace.
Then Capri saw he’d put up a Christmas tree, and her eyes
widened with delight—just as he’d hoped. “Oh, Seagal! Thank you!”
She moved slowly to the fireplace, where he’d hung stockings
her mother had brought over with the babies’ names on them. “These are darling!
Carter and Sara,” she murmured, looking at the beautiful gilt-lettered red
velvet stockings.
“Your mom came by,” Seagal said. “She brought the stockings,
helped me decorate the tree, put the wreaths on the doors. I was doing all right
by myself, but I was glad when the cavalry arrived.”
Capri smiled. “I don’t know when you had time to do this.”
“I’m learning to be very organized.” He eased her toward her
bedroom, but she glimpsed the tiny presents under the tree before he could.
“What are those?”
“Those are from Santa. They’re for the babies. Come on, Mama,
let’s get you to bed. Doctor’s orders.”
“What are they?” she asked, eying the tiny
blue-and-pink-wrapped packages. There were three of them, one with a blue bow,
one with pink and one with silver.
“Santa didn’t tell me.”
“You are Santa,” she said. “What did you buy the children?”
He grinned. “Footballs.”
She stared at him. “Footballs.”
“What else does a dad get his brand-new babies? I can’t wait
for them to come home so they can open them.”
“They won’t open them, Seagal.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’ll be here for them when they get
home, and then they’ll be here when the babies are ready to play with me.”
Capri’s expressions was adorably confused. “Footballs.”
“Sure. A pink one for Sara and a regular one for Carter.”
“Nerf or stuffed?”
“Stuffed. Nice and soft, for their first catches.” He grinned.
“Don’t feel left out. I got you one, too. But I’m not telling you what color
yours is.”
She glanced toward her box. “You got me a football.”
“Was there something you would rather have had?”
She shook her head. “I guess a football is fine.”
“Good. Merry Christmas. Now, on to bed.” He herded her toward
the hallway that led to the bedroom, but she kept glancing back toward the
tree.
“It’s beautiful, Seagal. Thank you so much for doing that. I
didn’t feel like it was Christmas without the tree up. And I just ran out of
time before I could get it put up.”
“It’s not like you didn’t have anything better to do.” He
finally got her into the hall—but he didn’t get her into
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