Winona heard the implied question in her friend’s voice, but she also heard the sounds of more boisterous laughter. She craned her head to see around the corner. Two streakers were running down the hall. She caught a breathtaking glimpse of two bare fannies, one attached to an extraordinarily adorable hunk, and the other teensy, held high in his arms. Both seemed to be headed-dripping wet-toward the master bedroom.

“Winona?” Pamela repeated.

“I’m here-I’m sorry-I was just distracted for a second.”

“I understand. You’re just home from a trip and you’re busy, and for heaven’s sakes, you two are still really on your honeymoon. I just want to ask you one more very quick question.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“Do you happen to know…” from the sound on the other end of the phone, Pamela seemed to haul in a giant breath “…do you happen to know if Aaron is coming back to Royal soon?”

“Aaron Black?”

“Yes. It’s none of my business. In any way. But I was just hoping that you might have heard…”

“I’m almost positive that I heard Justin say that Aaron was due back in town within a few days. And that he’s going to be here for a while.” Winona didn’t add that the men needed to get together for Texas Cattleman’s Club business. She just kept her voice light, as if Pamela asking about the distinguished diplomat was an ordinary everyday question.

But once she hung up, and aimed down the hall with the warmed-up bottle, she couldn’t seem to wipe the grin off her face. Memories of the Texas Cattleman’s Club party whispered through her mind. Something about that party had somehow worked as a catalyst for all kinds of events-some of them dark and serious-but some fantastic, extraordinary events had been kindled that night, too. Who’d have thought that a shy, gentle schoolteacher like Pamela would end up dancing with the sophisticated Aaron Black?

Winona was dying to know why Pamela was asking questions about Aaron Black all these weeks later…but her curiosity disappeared when she stepped into the bedroom. Other events had happened the night of that party. Other extremely unlikely couples had danced together-such as a tough woman cop who’d never planned to get married and never thought she’d belong to anyone. And a doctor with a disgraceful playboy reputation who couldn’t possibly fall in love with a woman like her.

Only he had.

Just as she’d fallen in love with him.

Completely. Irrevocably. Hopelessly.

Wonderfully.

She saw the two bodies, naked on the king-size bed, playing and chortling so loudly that she had to tap her foot and harrumph to get their attention. “Just what,” she said severely, “is going on here? I leave you two alone for two seconds, and what happens? The bathroom looks like a flood plain. Nobody’s dressed. Nobody’s dry. And the sheets are all damp now, for Pete’s sake.”

Justin’s head jerked up, his dark magnetic eyes fastening on her face as if the lovers had been separated for hours instead of only minutes. “Don’t blame me for the wet bed.” Justin motioned to the fifteen-pound blonde at his side-the one currently suckling on her big toe and drooling at the same time. “It’s all her fault. She didn’t want to get dressed. She wanted to get her tummy tickled. She made me do it. I’m the innocent one in this story.”

“You’re blaming a three-month-old baby?”

“Hey, help me out here,” Justin told the baby. “Tell your mom the truth. Quick. Before I get in real trouble.”

“You’re dreaming if you think she can save you.” Winona plopped the bottle on the bedside table and dove onto the bed with the two of them. Justin was dead right. He was in trouble-an entire lifetime ahead of delicious, wicked, nonstop trouble. She straddled his waist, bent down and kissed him, good and hard.

Angel chortled when her mom’s fingertip accidentally tickled her bare toe, but Winona knew the baby was shortly going to need feeding and putting to bed. The three of them just needed a few more minutes of play first. A half hour from now, however, Dr. Justin Webb was going to have more trouble on his hands than he’d ever dreamed of.

And from the look in his eyes, he couldn’t wait.

JENNIFER GREENE

lives near Lake Michigan with her husband and two children. Before writing full-time, she worked as a teacher and a personnel manager. Michigan State University honored her as an “outstanding woman graduate” for her work with women on campus.