One year later almost to the day, Katherine Alexandra San Pietro lay in her mother's arms, nursing contentedly as she was rocked sleepily back and forth. Katy, as she was called, was not quite six weeks old and had not yet developed any concept of day and night. Consequently, she was unaware that it was three a.m., or that she was in grave danger of being dropped on her head as her mother nodded and all but fell asleep in the rocking chair.
"Here, sweetheart, let me take her. You go back to bed."
Joss's voice roused Lilah enough to prevent Katy from taking a tumble. She blinked, smiled sleepily up at her husband, and allowed him to take the baby. Then she stumbled back to bed.
It was broad daylight when Lilah woke again. She opened her eyes to the sun pouring through the bedroom window of the big, comfortable house in Bristol, and realized with a rush of horror that Katy had not wakened her with the chickens as was her wont.
Had something happened to the baby?
On that horrible thought Lilah was ready to leap out of bed. Then she heard a contented gurgle and looked around.
Joss lay beside her, sprawled flat on his back, which was surprising. Her husband usually slept on his stomach, and hogged two-thirds of the bed, too.
The gurgle came again. It could be his stomach, but she didn't think so.
Pulling aside the blanket, Lilah had to smile. There, stretched out on her papa's hairy, muscled chest, lay Katy, wide awake and cooing contently as she bobbed her head up and down.
"Oh, you precious thing." Lilah smiled, leaning down to scoop up the baby.
"Dare I hope you are referring to me?" Joss was awake after all, Lilah discovered as he opened his eyes and grinned.
"Certainly," Lilah said obligingly, leaving Katy where she was for a moment longer to plant a kiss on his mustachioed mouth.
His hand slid behind her head, pulled her mouth down for a heartier sample. Lilah felt the familiar heating of her blood, her hand came up to rest on his chest…
And Katy promptly howled.
Joss released her, Lilah sat up, and this time succeeded in picking up the baby.
"Spoilsport," Joss grumbled to his daughter, hitching himself up against the pillows.
"But we love you," countered Lilah, smiling at him.
"And I," said Joss, eyeing his two golden-haired, blue-eyed ladies as they cuddled and cooed on his bed, "love both of you."