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of navy cotton to create a sort of loincloth, careful to make sure all the vital parts were covered. He
folded and tied, fashioning a bowline on a bight, a half hitch, and several more knots he d forgotten
the names for.
When he finished, Sam sat back on his heels and wiped his brow, admiring his work. It didn t look
half-bad. From a distance, it almost resembled a onesie with a built-in diaper.
There, he said, patting Jackson s belly. It s not pretty, but it ll do the job.
Jackson smacked his heels on the grass and laughed, a musical baby giggle that made Sam smile in
spite of himself. In the stroller, Jeffrey hooted with glee. Sam stood up and tickled Jeffrey s belly as
he put Jackson back in the stroller.
Don t you go crapping yourself, too, Sam told Jeffrey as he strapped the other twin in beside him.
I m fresh out of T-shirts.
He tickled each baby again, making them both giggle harder. Another peacock strutted by, intrigued
by the noises, and the babies squealed. Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out the Baggie of
birdseed. He tossed out a handful, and the boys chorused with joyful shrieks as peacocks ran from all
directions to claim their prize.
Sam was so focused on the task that he didn t hear the sound of approaching footsteps.
Sam?
He whirled around to see Sheri standing beside him, a strange expression on her face. She looked
lovely and sun-kissed and very, very perplexed.
Sheri what are you doing here?
I saw your note on the kitchen table, she said, stepping closer with her eyes flicking across his
chest. I got off a little early since I was just doing orientation stuff. I hadn t been out here to explore
the gardens yet, so I thought I d come join you and check the place out. Um, Sam?
Yeah?
I know Kauai s a casual island, but they usually want people to wear shirts in a place like this.
Right. Um, yeah. Got it. Just wanted to get a little sun while we re strolling the gardens. He kept
his back turned away from her, making sure she didn t spot the tattoo on his shoulder blade.
She stared at him with an expression he couldn t read. Eyeing his abs or questioning his sanity? He
couldn t tell. He gave her a hopeful smile, doing his best to radiate the energy of a competent,
experienced caretaker.
She flushed and looked away, turning to fuss over the babies.
How are my little guys? How are my babies? How are my best, best men? She paused, hesitating
a moment before scooping up one of the twins. Sam?
Yes?
Why is Jackson wearing an outfit that says tits?
Tits?
Yes, tits. I mean, I know he s a fan and all, but
Titans, Sam said, doing a mental head-smack as he looked down to see the awkwardly folded
wording on his shirt. Tennessee Titans. Yes, see, I can explain.
She gave him an expectant look, not angry or judgmental, but clearly a bit baffled.
Right, uh, in some European cultures, there are special swaddling techniques caretakers use to
create a sense of security and calm for babies experiencing traumatic events like teething or weaning
or the first time being away from their mothers
Swaddling techniques?
He nodded, knowing he was digging himself in deeper here, but not seeing any way out. How
about I tell you all about it over dinner? he said, nodding toward the exit. And you can tell me all
about your first day at work. Did things go well?
Very well, she said, bending down to place Jackson back in his seat. She cooed at Jeffrey, who
cooed back and reached up to touch her hair and bat at her necklace.
The interaction gave Sam a prolonged moment to take in the beautiful curve of her ass in that skirt,
and he wondered what it would be like to cup his hands around it. Or maybe if she stayed bent down
like that, he could push her skirt up and slide his hands over her breasts as he moved behind her and
Don t you think so?
He snapped his eyes off her ass and blinked. I m sorry, what did you ask?
It s beautiful here. I had a friend who got married at Smith Gardens. I got to stroll around for thirty
minutes or so before I found you, but I d love to come back sometime.
The boys really seemed to enjoy it, he said. They ve been entranced by the peacocks all
afternoon. I even bought some little bags of birdseed so we could feed them. The birds, not the
babies. The twins didn t eat birdseed.
Much, he amended silently, thinking it best not to mention his ill-advised attempt to let the boys
feed the birds. It had resulted in a quick call to Poison Control to make sure it was okay for babies to
ingest small amounts of millet.
Sheri smiled. I ve always wanted to come to one of the luaus they hold here at night. I ve heard
they give the most amazing lays.
Lays? Sam s brain short-circuited, trying not to picture Sheri topless in a hula skirt.
Leis. You know, rings of flowers?
Right. Yes, definitely. Maybe we can all come back sometime for a luau and bring the boys.
His heart twisted a little at the thought of that, knowing this happy little family charade would be
over the instant Lieutenant Limpdick took off in two weeks. After that, Sheri would need a real nanny,
not a bodyguard.
He looked down at the boys and smiled, making a mental note to find a pair of plush peacocks for
them to remember him by.
She smiled back and began to push the stroller toward the exit while Sam made a hasty effort to
scoop up the soiled onesie and diaper and stuff them into a nearby trash can. Sheri moved ahead, her
hips swaying softly in her tight skirt.
Oh, wow, she called. I never would have thought of that.
Of what? he asked, wiping his hands on his shorts as he hustled to catch up with her.
The sunglasses cord on the teething ring. You made this?
Sam shrugged. It solved the problem.
You even figured out how to rig it up so he can t choke himself on the cord. You re a smarter mom
than I am.
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