Sweet Liar Part 15

Laughing, Samantha watched him walk toward the picnic tables, dragging screaming, laughing children with him.

When four children ran up to him and were disappointed that they couldnat find a square inch of Mike that wasnat already taken, Mike said, aBring Sam.a With trepidation on her face, Samantha backed away from the approaching children who collectively outweighed her, as they, with impish grins, started for her. Holding the baby to her protectively, she looked as though she were facing a pack of wolves.

One minute she was on the ground and the next she and the baby were swept into a pair of strong arms. After an initial gasp of shock, she looked up into her rescueras eyes: eyes that were like Mikeas except older.

aIan Taggert,a he said, as though they were being presented to each other in a ballroom instead of her now being carried by him. aMikeas dad,a he said unnecessarily. aAnd who do you have there?a aI donat know,a she answered, looking down at the baby.

aPlan to give him back?a Samantha turned red as she realized that she was still holding the baby as though someone meant to harm him and she was going to protect him with her life. She didnat know it, but that gesture won her a place forever in Mikeas fatheras heart. Ian had never liked any of Mikeas other girlfriends; they always worried about their clothes getting dirty, but he liked this one.

aGet your own girl,a Mike said and took Samantha from his fatheras arms.

aMichael Taggert, put me down!a she said under her breath as he carried her to the table and everyone, all eight hundred of them, gathered around to look at her.

After the first twenty names, Samantha didnat try to remember who they were, and she was grateful when she saw a few familiar faces: Raine, Blair, and Vickya"who managed to look elegant even in a pair of jeans. Sam noted Mikeas very pretty mother, his sister Jeanne who had decorated her rooms, and she noticed Mikeas oldest brother, Frank. Frank looked like the rest of the men in his family, but he was an example of how expression could change a personas features. The honest, open eyes, so like Mikeas, were narrowed, as though he were scrutinizing everything and everyone, and the beautiful, soft Taggert mouth was drawn into a firm line.

As Frank shook her hand, he didnat flirt with her as Mikeas other brothers had, instead, he looked at her speculatively and said, aYou will, of course, be willing to sign a prenuptial agreement?a Putting his arm around Samanthaas shoulders, Mike told Frank to stuff it as he led her toward the trees. aYouave met the worst of the family, now meet the best.a As they walked she asked him questions about his family and was told that Frank planned to be a billionaire by the time he was forty and it looked as though he was going to make it. Samantha laughed at the way Mike spoke of millions and billions the way the rest of the world spoke of tens and twenties.

Sitting under a tree, a little apart from the noise of the rest of the family, was a very pretty young woman, about twenty, who looked as though shead stepped out of the pages of a childrenas storybook. She was the beautiful princess the knights risked their lives to save, the princess who knew that a pea had been put under her mattresses. She wore a long draped skirt of layers of chiffon, a gauzy blouse, and a big picture hat like the one Scarlett wore to the barbecue. Beside her was a straw bag full of romantic novels and on her lap was an exquisitely dressed, picture-perfect baby, who Samantha found out later belonged to one of Mikeas cousins.

aJilly, honey,a Mike said softly, aI want you to meet Samantha.a Jilly looked at Samantha; Samantha looked at Jilly. Mike, with a smile, excused himself, for he knew that Sam had found a friend in his overwhelming family. Samantha sat under the tree with Jilly talking about books they had read. Within minutes there were four children sitting near them, just sitting and listening as Jilly and Samantha talked.

One by one the women of Mikeas family came to sit with them, so Samantha got to exchange a few words with each of them. She was pleased to tell Jeanne how much she liked the apartment, how the colors were perfect, how everything was perfect. She again thanked Vicky for helping her that day in Saks and apologized for her navet about the cost of the clothes.

She was a little nervous about talking to Mikeas mother, and Pat made it worse when she said, aWhat do you think of my Michael?a Samantha didnat hesitate. aExcept that he lies constantly, never picks up his clothes, pretends to be dumb when he wants to get out of doing something, and has the ability to be utterly oblivious to the fact that I am doing nearly all the housework in his house, I think my Michael is perfect.a There was an emphasis on the word my.

Laughing, Pat squeezed Samas hand affectionately and said, aWelcome to the family,a then went off to play with her grandchildren.

In between visits with the others, Samantha and Jilly talked, or rather Samantha talked, telling Jilly all about Mike and Maxie and about all that had happened since shead come to New York.

It was late afternoon when Samantha felt secure enough to leave the haven of Jilly and move to the picnic tables. It was while she was talking to a young woman named Dougless, who was a Montgomery and married to a very nice man named Reed and looked to be in her fortieth month of pregnancy, that she had an experience that she never again wanted to have happen to her.

As Samantha straightened from reaching for an olive on a platter, Mike put his arms about her shoulders and kissed her on the neck. aThanks a lot for coming today, Sam-Sam,a he said.

It was a perfectly ordinary encounter, perfectly acceptablea"except that the man who was touching her wasnat Mike. He was wearing clothes just like Mikeas and he was approximately the same size as Mike, but he didnat feel like Mike, didnat smell like Mike, didnat kiss like Mike.

aRelease me,a she said, standing stiffly in his arms.

an.o.body minds.a He continued nuzzling her neck.

Samantha had done her best to be polite, but she did not want this stranger touching her. As she opened her mouth to say something stern to him, she felt his hand slip down her back to just above her b.u.t.tocksa"and the hand was moving lower. She panicked. aStop it!a she yelled, beginning to fight him. aStop it this instant. Let me go!a Even knowing that Mikeas family was staring at her in open-mouth astonishment, she didnat care. Let them think of her what they would.

aGet away from me. Donat touch me!a Releasing her, the man stepped back, looking at her in astonishment. Everyone was looking at her as though shead lost her mind.

Just when Samantha was wis.h.i.+ng the ground would open up and swallow her, Mike, walking with a couple of his cousins, a football in his hands, stepped into view, and she ran to him.

Putting his arm about her protectively, he held her, but from the way he was laughing, she had no doubt that head known all along that another man planned to touch her. aSam, honey, meet my twin brother, Kane.a Mike was grinning at her, as was Kane, and they seemed to expect her to smile at the two of them and forgive them their little deception. She had no doubt that this game of pretending with each otheras girlfriends had been played many times before.

But Samantha didnat feel very forgiving. When she turned to Mike, her eyes were blazing in anger. aDo me a favor and drop yourself off the nearest cliff.a As she turned on her heel and walked away from him, away from the entire group, Mikeas family burst into laughter.

Samantha was nearly out of sight before Mike caught up with her.

aSam, honeya"a he began.

aDonat speak to me.a When he reached out for her, she said, aAnd donat you even think of touching me.a She started walking again, Mike beside her.

aWhat are you so angry about?a aIave been trying to make a good impression on your family and youayou make a fool of me by putting your brother up to pawing me in front of them. It was humiliating. Didnat you think about how Iad feel?a aNo,a he said, smiling. aPeople canat tell us apart. I thought youad think Kane was me.a Pausing, she stared at him; sometime between yesterday and today his brain had fallen out of his head.

aSam, Kane and I are identical twins. Weare exactly alike, even down to moles and birthmarks.a Samantha gave him a look that said, Tell me another one. aMike, tell me,a she said with great patience, awas the person who delivered you and your brother one of your relatives?a aAs a matter of fact she was, but whatas that got to do with anything?a Giving him a look of great patience, she explained. aBecause, just like you, sheas a liar. She lied to you and your whole family. Your brother doesnat look like you at all. If youare twins, youare fraternal twins, or maybe one of you is a nine-month baby and the other is an eight-month one. If thatas the case, then youare just brothers, nothing else.a Mike gasped at her in disbelief. aSam, Kane and I have won contests for being the most identical twins.a aThen the losers must have been different colors. Now would you minda"a She didnat say any more because Mike grabbed her in his arms and began to kiss her, and when she tried to push him away, he wouldnat let her. aSammy, sweetheart, I really didnat mean to humiliate you, honest. Kane and I have been playing jokes on people since we were kids. Itas a kind of initiation into the family.a aAnd I failed,a she said gloomily.

He laughed. aFailed? You pa.s.sed with glowing colors. Come on, letas go back to my family. Youall see how well youave pa.s.sed.a She allowed him to keep his arm around her shoulders, allowed him to lead her back to the others, but as they reached the picnic tables, she saw Kane talking to his mother. aYour brother touches me again and heall be sorry.a Mike kissed her cheek. aNo, I wonat let him touch you.a There was pride in his voice, such pride that Samantha refrained from asking him why he had never bothered to tell her that he had a twin brother.

One thing Mike hadnat lied about was that his family would be pleased with her for knowing which brother was Mike. The fact that, as far as she could tell, none of them could tell Mike and Kane apart made her understand why his family had not greeted Mike when head first arriveda"theyad thought he was Kane. It occurred to her to tell them all that they needed a good eye doctor if they thought Mike looked like his brother, because Kane didnat look anything like Mike. In fact, Kane was rather ordinary looking. He was handsome, yes, but he didnat have the beautiful mouth that Mike did, his hair wasnat as curly, he didnat move as Mike did, and Kane was just a wee bit fat, not muscular like Mike was.

For the rest of the day, until sundown, Samantha had to put up with one little test after another, with every family member except Mikeas parents and Jilly referring to Mike and his brother by each otheras names. Twice Kane put his hand on Samanthaas shoulder, once when she had her back to him. Heavens, but the man didnat even feel like Mike.

It was in the early evening, when the children were getting sleepy and the men had gathered away from the women to talk, that Samantha had a chance to sit quietly on a chair and look at the group. There were more people here named Taggert than Montgomery, but there were enough of each, and shead spent enough time around both families that she was beginning to be able to tell them apart.

The Montgomery men and the Taggert men were very different from each other, both physically and in their personalities. The Montgomerys were taller, but the Taggerts were prettier. The Taggert men, ranging in height from five eight to just six feet, were all big men, big and thick and heavily muscled. The men together looked like a convention of weight lifters or a crew of construction workers. What made them different, what set them apart from other brawny men, was the prettiness, in a way, of their faces: big eyes, full lips, the sweetest smiles imaginable. For all their size and muscle, not one of them looked as though he could hurt a fly.

The Taggerts were men that a woman could curl up with, men a woman could go to for help, men a woman could trust to protect her, to pull her from a burning building without giving a thought for his own life. They were s.e.xy men. Samantha had no questions as to why each woman who married into the family seemed willing to bear a countless number of children. She had no doubt that every Taggert father was close to his children from birth to first love to grandchildren. These werenat men who went off with the boys on Sunday afternoons. In fact, looking at them, Samantha wondered if any Taggert man who had children ever went anywhere without one of them. These were men who knew how to give and receive love, not just tell a woman he loved her, but really, truly love her through sickness, through the good times and the bad, through turmoil and peace, through sadness and happiness. The Taggerts were men a woman could depend on to always be there, men a woman could trust.

The Montgomery men were different from their cousins, for the Montgomerys were as elegant as the Taggerts were down-to-earth. Samantha thought that a Montgomery man would know if one made a mistake and said an opera aria was by Puccini when it was actually by Verdi. Theyad know when a person goofed and used the b.u.t.ter knife on the fish. Theyad recognize a Chanel copy from a Chanel. They were, without exception, quiet, reserved men, all of them tall, all of them handsome in a sharp sort of way, with unreadable eyes, sculptured cheekbones, and jaws that were almost belligerent. The only softness in their faces was their mouths. Samantha couldnat help wondering if, when they fell in love, their whole faces softened. All in all, they were rather fierce-looking men, men who could lead in wars, men who would die protecting the men under thema"or their wives and children, she couldnat help thinking.

She wondered what the private lives of the Montgomerys were like, did they love with all the fierceness she saw in their eyes? She had no doubt that when they did fall in love the recipient was selected very carefully. Did the Montgomery men laugh? Did they cry? Did they play ball with their sons and talk to their daughters about their Barbie dolls? She wondered if shead ever know the answers to her questions, for she knew without being told that a Montgomery would allow a person to know only what he wanted a person to know about him.

aAnd what have you decided?a Pat Taggert asked, taking a chair next to her, making Samantha aware that she had been watched and that Pat knew what she was thinking. Maybe when Pat had been contemplating marrying Mikeas father, she too had compared the two families.

aThat I wouldnat mind having an affair with a Montgomery but Iad rather marry a Taggert,a she answered, then realized that what shead said shouldnat have been said.

Pat smiled, seeming to like the honesty of her answer. aExactly the same conclusion I reached some time ago.a Samantha looked down at hands. aYou didnataI meanaa aI didnat, but I do like to mention Raineas oldest brother to Ian now and then.a The women laughed together.

Later, as it began to grow dark, people started taking their leave of each other, and Samantha realized that she felt at home with these people. As she helped clear the tables, all the leftover food to be taken to a homeless shelter, she chatted companionably with them.

Coming up behind her, Mike slipped his arms about her waist. aOkay, everybody, Sam says sheas never changed a diaper so whoas going to lend us a kid overnight?a aMe,a said a Montgomery cousin.

aI will.a aMike, you can have both of my boys for as long as you want.a aHow about my twins? She ought to learn on twins.a aI use cloth diapers, Mike. And safety pins with little ducks on them. Sam should learn on cloth diapers.a As Samantha stood blinking at the deluge of offers, Mike said, aTake your pick.a aHow many children may I take?a she asked.

That response brought a hush to the Taggerts, for if there was one thing they were serious about, it was children. There were no wives in the Taggert family who didnat have children, in fact, it was a joke of strutting pride that Taggert men could impregnate any woman in the world, no matter what doctors had told her. They had impregnated women who were on the Pill and women whoad had IUDs inserted. One Taggert, after six children, had had a vasectomy. When his wife became pregnant two years later, head had some doubts about her fidelity. After the child was born shead insisted on having a DNA test to prove the child was his. He had apologized with a new house and a three-week trip to Paris where shead bought a trunk full of new clothes. (Since then, some of the other Taggert wives had been suggesting that their husbands get vasectomies.) aYou can take one or two or all of them,a Mike said in response to her question.

Samantha looked at the nearly silent group of people, at all of the children, ranging in age from a tiny creature that looked to be only minutes old to big, hulking teenagers who looked as though they were dying to get away from their relatives. She was seriously tempted by a fat, smiling baby about eight months old, but at last she pointed. aThose two.a Her choice was a couple of little boys about four years old who were far and away the dirtiest children at the picnic, their faces sticky, their hands and clothes looking as though theyad rolled in mud. But under the dirt were cherub faces with black curly hair and big, innocent eyes and mouths of sweetness.

When Samantha chose the two boys, Mike let out a groan that made the whole family burst into laughter. She looked at Mike in question.

aDo you have to have those two?a aMike!a aThose brats are Kaneas boys, and theyare bad even for Taggerts. How about Jeanneas little girl? Sheas adorable.a Samantha glanced at Jeanneas little girl, at the pretty childas clean dress, her angelic smile, then back at the twins who were at that moment trying to kill each other. aI want the boys.a As Mike groaned again, Kane put his arm around his brother. aAh sleep,a Kane said. aSweet sleep. Thatas what Iam going to get tonight and youare not.a Mike turned to Sam. aSamanthaaa he began, but she stopped him.

aThey remind me of you, and when theyare cleaned up, I imagine theyall look just like you.a This brought more laughter from the family. Pat smiled fondly at her two grown sons. aThere is some justice in the world after all if it means you boys are going to have children as bad as you were. Yes, Samantha, dear, Kaneas boys are just like he and Mike were as children, and may heaven help you if you want to learn about children on those two.a After a noisy leave-taking, with lots of kissing and hugging and hundreds of invitations to come to Colorado and to Maine, Samantha and Mike set off toward Mikeas house, each holding the hand of a dirty twin boy.

Later, at the house, Samantha sent the boys into the garden to play while she prepared a late snack for thema"and Samantha got her first experience of what had made Mike groan when she said she wanted to take the twins.

It wasnat that they were bad children. They didnat play pranks on their elders or see what they could get away with. Truthfully they seemed to be happy with just each other and didnat seem aware that Samantha and Mike were there. What caused the problem was that they were so very, very active and the fact that there were so very many of them.

Samantha glanced out at the floodlit garden and saw one child climbing the fence, ready to fall to his death, while another child ran up the fire escape as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, while a third child was climbing up the side of the house, beside the fire escape, and was now at the top of the first story, also on the precipice of death. A fourth child was eating the roses, thorns and all, while number five was climbing onto a lawn chair that was balanced on one leg on the edge of the brick walkway.

aMike!a Samantha yelped in desperation as she stood at the gla.s.s doors and looked out in helplessness. aTheyare going to be killeda"all eight of them. Or is it twelve?a Mike didnat look up from his newspaper. aThose two are in a cla.s.s all their own.a aI think you shoulda"a she began, her voice filled with fear since one child was now moving up the wall of the town house toward the second floor.

aYou wanted them, now you have them.a Turning to Mike in disbelief, she saw that his face was hidden by the newspaper. Obviously he wasnat going to help her. She went outside into the garden to see what she could do to prevent the children from killing themselves.

Contrary to what it seemed, Mike was very aware of what was going on and very interested in what Samantha was planning. Standing to one side of the gla.s.s doors, he unabashedly spied on her, watching as she at first tried talking to the boys as though they were adults, reasoning with them that they were on the very precipice of death and should control their baser urges. She suggested paper and colored pens and lemonade. When that had no effect, she gently tried to take a child down from the wall. Gentleness had no effect on the st.u.r.dy four-year-old who was now out of Samanthaas reach.

Watching, Mike saw that, for a moment, Samantha seemed to have no idea what to do, but then his nephew gave it all away by laughing, letting Samantha know that he saw her dilemma and was enjoying being the cause of it.

aYou little scamp,a she said, narrowing her eyes at him as the boy kept working his way up the rose trellis on the wall. In the next minute, Samantha was after him, and the child, still laughing while his brother shrieked encouragement from the ground, led Samantha on a chase across the side of the wall, like two crabs moving on a perpendicular surface.

Stepping into the yard, Mike was ready to catch one or the other of them should they start to fall, but Samantha caught the child by the seat of his pants and the imp turned to look at her as if to say, Now what are you going to do? Mike could see that Sam had no idea how to get the big kid down, but she was trying not to let the boy see that. He saw, and he delighted in her consternation.

aAre you going to let a four-year-old defeat you?a Mike asked from the ground.

Without looking down at Mike, Samantha gave the child an Iam-bigger-than-you-and-Iam-going-to-win grin and the next minute she had him in her armsa"all of what had to be a hundred pounds of him. Somehow, she got him to the ground. Of course Mike was there for those last few feet, catching them both in his strong arms when a rose branch broke and setting them upright on the lawn.

The minute the childas feet touched earth, he scampered off with his brother while Samantha rubbed her arms. They were aching from the exertion and from hundreds of rose thorn scratches. aNow I understand why you lift weights. Itas to prepare you for dealing with children. Do you think I should give them a bath?a Smiling, Mike gave her a soft kiss and pulled her into his arms. aMike, where are the boys?a aMmmm,a he said, caressing her back. aYou said the bad word.a a aBoys?a How is that a bad word?a aNo, you said, bath. Theyave disappeared, and youall have to find them if you mean to clean those two up. Half the time Kane admits defeat and throws them into a horse trough. His theory is that theyall take a bath when they discover girls, so why bother until then?a She pushed away from him and when she looked at him, her mouth was set. aMy grandmother dealt with gangsters, so I think I am capable of dealing with two little boys. What we need here is a cunning mind and the strength of Hercules. Stand over there,a she ordered and when he was at one side of the garden, she said, aMy goodness, itas Donatello and Michelangelo and Raphael and Leonardo right here in our garden!a When two dirty little boys appeared from nowhere, Samantha grabbed one about the waist then the other. Bowing under the weight like an Olympic bar across a squatteras shoulders, she held on through ferocious wiggles.

aYou fibbed!a one child yelled, startling Samantha for she didnat know the boys could talk.

aYes I did,a she answered calmly. aI learned how from your uncle Mike. Heas the best fibber in the world.a For a moment both boys stopped struggling to look at their uncle Mike with new respect, but he looked just the same, just like their dad, so he wasnat of much interest. They resumed their attempts to get away from Samantha. She wasnat very big, but she seemed extraordinarily strong.

aYou two are going to have a bath, then Iam going to read you a story and youare going to bed.a When the boys kept struggling, nearly tearing Samanthaas arms out of their sockets, she said, aItas the goriest story youave ever heard. Lots of blood and people being chopped in half anda"a The boys stopped wiggling as they listened to Sam tell them about what she was going to tell them all the way up the stairs.

It was as she was bathing the twins, trying to get what looked like years of dirt off of them while they bashed each other with soap and washclothes and drenched Samantha, that Mike stood in the doorway and watched her. The boys were so much alike, as Mike said, down to moles and birthmarks.

aHow are Kane and I different?a aMichael Taggert, if youare fis.h.i.+ng for complimentsa"a She broke off as she dodged a bar of soap flying through the air.

aMaybe I am, but wouldnat you be curious if all your life people had told you that you were identical to another person, then someone told you that you werenat even similar? How are we different?a aHeas smaller than you for one thing. And the expression in his eyes is different. Youareayouare a nicer person than he is. Softer.a aMaybe when I look at you my eyes are different.a aMaybe.a She turned toward him. aBut your eyelashes are definitely longer. And curlier.a At that Mike laughed. aCurlier?a Embarra.s.sed, she turned away. aI knew I shouldnat have said anything. You are not like your brother. Not like him at all.a Mike seemed to be satisfied with that as he left the bathroom, which was rapidly resembling a place that should apply for national relief.

After the boys were bathed and at long last in bed, she and Mike went to beda"together, in his bed. Samantha was very tired and would have thought she could expend no more energy during the day, but she walked out of the bathroom wearing her white nightgown and took one look at Mikeas eyes, and they were on each other ravenously, tearing at clothes and skin, mouths and hands everywhere.

It was an hour later that they lay side by side, sated, Samas head on Mikeas shoulder, his arms around her.

aThis is all so new to me,a Samantha said. aI mean, Iave done thisaSort of.a She laughed. aMike, the difference between s.e.x with you and s.e.x with my ex-husband is, as Mark Twain says, the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. I had no idea s.e.x could be enjoyable, fun, and so veryafulfilling.a Mike said nothing.

Idly, she ran her fingers over the hair on his chest. aI guess youave done this a thousand times with a thousand different women. I guess this is nothingaunusual for you.a aSam, when I was fourteen my father gave me the first of many talks about using protection during s.e.x. He talked to me about s.e.xually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Since then, every time Iave gone to bed with a woman Iave used protection, a thin little membrane that separated me from her. Iave used it even if she said she was on the Pill or whatever. Iad rather be safe than sorry. Until last night Iad never been, I guess you could say, skin to skin with a woman before. Maybe you could even go so far as to say that I was a virgin until last night.a She was hesitant. aWas it better? Without, I mean?a aMuch better. Much, much, much better. Never experienced anything like it. Had no idea s.e.x could be so good.a Holding up his hand, she looked at it, comparing it in size to her own, caressing his fingertips with hers. aSo now I guess, well, later, with other women you wonat use any protection. Youall always want to beaskin to skin.a aThatas true.a Her fingers laced with his and tightened. She could not let herself think of life without Mike, of Mike being with another woman.

aBut then, Sam,a he said very softly, aI think the buck stops here.a She was afraid to ask what he meant, but his words made her heart beat faster. Then, abruptly, she turned toward him. aMichael! If youare not using any birth control, I could get pregnant!a aReally?a He sounded as though he were unconcerned about the possibility of pregnancy, then just slightly, his hand tightened on hers. aWould you mind?a She ignored his second question. aI think this is extremely irresponsible of you. You should have used something.a aMe? Why not you?a aI would have, but that first time you didnat exactly give me time to think, and besides, I was a little too tipsy to think clearly.a He grinned down at her. aKnow what the mating call of the southern belle is? Ooooh, Iam soooo drunk.a aIall get you for that,a she said as she jumped on him, trying to tickle him, her nightgown wrapping around both of them.

But they were interrupted by two very clean little boys standing by the bed and staring at them. There was no need for the children to say anything because what they were feeling was in their eyes: They were away from home and their dad and they wanted rea.s.surance. Neither Sam or Mike hesitated as they pulled the boys into bed with them. The children snuggled together like the two halves of an egg that they were between Mike and Sam and went to sleep instantly.

Samantha had an idea that sleeping with children cuddled close was nothing new to Mike, but it was to her, and the feeling called to something deep within her.

aMike,a she whispered, ado you make twins?a She tried to make the question sound light, but she couldnat. She wanted Mike, and she wanted the children he could possibly give her.

Mike knew what she was asking: She wanted to know if the two of them could have kids together, and Mike knew that an affirmative answer from him was a lifetime commitment. But then head made a commitment the first night theyad made love and head used no birth control, which had been a very conscious decision on his part. aProbably,a he said at last. aWant a couple?a aI rather would, yes,a she answered as though it were not the most important answer shead ever given in her life.

Above the heads of the sleeping children, their fingers entwined, holding to each other tightly.

27.

M ike woke when he heard the soft sound of a key turning in the front door lock. Since the attempt on Samas life, he never seemed to sleep soundly; he always had one ear alert and listening. Now he knew that the person coming in the front door had to be his brother Kane because, for all his brotheras act of nonchalance, the truth was, Kane was mad about his two boys and could hardly bear them to be out of his sight.

Easing out of bed and tiptoeing from the room, Mike was still pulling on his trousers when Kane entered the town house. aI see the place is still intact,a he said. aDid my brats give your lady nightmares or did she do the sensible thing and leave you?a Without a word, Mike put his finger to his lips and motioned for his brother to follow him. Silently, he opened the door to the bedroom he shared with Sam and allowed him to look inside. Samantha was on her back, and in the crook of each arm was one of Kaneas sons, one on his stomach, his face pressed into Samas arm, while the other boy was on his side, half on her, half off.

aItas been so long since Iave seen them clean Iam not sure I would have recognized them.a As Mike started to close the door, Kane looked at his brother and what he felt was in his eyes. aG.o.d, how I envy you!a Mike smiled but with a touch of sadness at the memory of the death of his brotheras wife. His sadness was soon erased by the cry of aDaddy!a and the hurtling through the air of one small body then another. Catching one then the other of the heavy, sleep-warmed children, Kane started for the living room.

aSammy!a one of the boys yelled, putting out his arms for Sam to come with them, but Mike put his hand over the door as a barrier.

aOh, no, monster, youave had her long enough. Sheas mine now.a At that he shut the door, locked it, turned to Samantha, who was just waking up, and stroked a pretend mustache. aAnd now, my beautyaa aMike,a Samantha said, sitting up in the bed. aYou canataI mean, there are people out there.a aA common occurrence in my family,a he said as he made a leap onto the bed and grabbed her about the waist, pulling her to him.

aMike, really, you canat. Your brothera"a aHe knows all about the birds and the bees.a He was fumbling for the edge of her nightgown, but fumbling in an expert way as she made halfhearted attempts to push his hand away. Halfhearted because what if she won?

When Samantha finally left the bedroom, she found Kane in the breakfast room buried behind The Wall Street Journal and the twins sitting on the floor eating.

aWhat are they eating?a she asked, although she could very well see what they had been given to eat, but she wanted Kane to admit it. She was having a difficult time liking this man.

When Kane spoke, he didnat seem very concerned, for he didnat even look around his paper. aCookies. Diet cola.a Without asking their fatheras permission, Samantha took the paper towels laden with cookies from in front of the children along with their cans of cola.

Kane looked around his paper at her. It wasnat that what she was doing was so unusual, heaven knew that every female in his family had tried to get his sons to eat properly, all without success. What surprised him was that Samantha had taken away the boysa food and they werenat screaming in protest.

Kane watched as she put pillows on chairs at the tablea"his boys did not eat at tablesa"towels over the pillows to protect them, then lifted the boys to seat them on the pillows.

Giving up any pretense at pretending to read the paper, Kane saw his rambunctious boys sit quietly while Samantha scrambled two eggs, toasted whole wheat bread, and poured two gla.s.ses of milk. Kane was now fascinated because to his knowledge, his sons had not eaten anything except gra.s.shopper legs and rose thorns and sugar for years. Twice he managed to catch the eye of one of his boys, raising an eyebrow in question, but his son merely gave him an angelic smile, as though their eating eggs and toast and sitting at a table without spilling anything was what they did every day.

After the meal Kane watched Samantha wash their hands and facesa"another firsta"then kneel and hold up two cookies.

aWhat do I get for these?a Samantha asked.

aKisses,a the boys chorused, sounding like something out of a 1950s model-child training film.

Smiling, the boys each kissed one of Samanthaas lovely cheeks, then held theirs up to be kissed by her. When the boys went scampering into the garden, Samantha called after them that if they got dirty shead have to bathe them again and rewash everything.

aGenitalia, too?a one of the boys asked.

Samantha turned to Kane, her eyes wide in shock.