Twin Ties, Twin Joys: The Boss's Double Trouble Twins / Twins for a Christmas Bride / Baby Twins: Parents Needed

“No.”

She drew back, startled at his abrupt tone of voice.

“No,” he repeated, deliberately sounding gentler this time. “I think I’d better go. I’ve got to think about this.”

She nodded, but her heart sank. He seemed to read her disappointment in her face, because he hesitated and added, “Darcy, you know I’m not used to this yet. You’ve had two years to get used to it. I’m just starting down that road.”

“Sure,” she said. “I understand.”

He raked fingers through his hair and looked at her with a half smile. “Do you? That’s good. Because I sure don’t.”

She could have used a sharp retort against him but she didn’t. Something in the lost, bewildered look in his eyes stopped her. He really had been sent into a tailspin and needed to right himself before they talked more. She could see that. So she nodded when he said, “Goodbye.”

“See you tomorrow,” she said simply.

She watched him get into his car and start down the driveway. She stood where she was until he was out of sight.

“Why me?” she whispered to whatever power in the universe might be listening. “Surely there are others who deserve to be tortured much more than I do.”

This was all so disturbing, but she thought she understood him to a point. Yes, she understood his need for time to think, but there was something she didn’t understand. Or, maybe she understood it too well and just didn’t like it. He didn’t want to come in and see the babies again. Maybe he would never want to see them. That thought was like a knife through her heart. How could he turn his back on those two sweet babies?

And yet, what did she expect him to do? Oh sure, he could write a check and pretend that took care of everything. But what else did she want from him? It wasn’t even clear to her yet. Something was bruised deep inside her and she tried to figure out just exactly why. She was hurt and disappointed that Mitch was acting like he didn’t want the babies, but this was more. This had to do with his reaction to her.

Maybe it was for all she’d lost. She wasn’t that girl anymore, that open and loving woman who’d clung to him and made love to him so freely, so full of joy. That girl was gone forever. She could no longer do things just because she wanted to. She had two little babies to care for. She had to take them into account before she did anything at all.

So maybe that was it—a sense of mourning for the lost Darcy of old.

“Whatever,” she muttered to herself. “Good riddance, anyway.”

But her eyes brimmed with tears. “Has he gone?” Mimi asked as she came back into the house.

“Yes,” Darcy answered. “Thanks for taking the babies for me. Are they down?”

“Yes indeed, and sleeping soundly. They were all worn out from their escapade.”

Darcy smiled.

“Mitch is such a nice fellow,” Mimi went on, bending to pick up a toy lodged halfway under the couch. “He was always one of my favorites of Jimmy’s friends. Even with that mother of his.”

“His mother? Do you know her well?”

“Not well, but of course we had to deal with each other over the years, our sons being friends and all.” She stopped and considered, head to the side. “I always had the feeling that she wished Mitch would find someone else to spend his time with, someone from the wealthy neighborhood they lived in. But that could have been my imagination, I suppose.”

Darcy nodded. “I had a similar feeling the day I tried to talk to her about getting in touch with Mitch.”

“Oh. I see.”

She saw everything and knew everything. Darcy shook her head, half laughing. “Oh, Mimi, the answer is yes, Mitch is the father of my babies.”

Mimi shook her head, looking bemused. “Well, come on into the kitchen and have a cup of tea with me,” she said, “and tell me all about it. This is a story that’s been a long time coming, so it better be good.”

Darcy laughed lovingly as she turned to follow her friend. She knew Mimi was still disappointed that she and Jimmy hadn’t clicked romantically, but she was bighearted enough to want the best for Darcy anyway. And for the babies.

“It’s a fairly short story,” she warned. “But I’ll see what I can do to embellish it for you.”

“You do that,” Mimi said approvingly. “And I’ll brew the tea.”

CHAPTER FIVE

IT HAD been three long days since Mitch had returned. He and Darcy had been working together for two of them, and he hadn’t said a word about the twins. She’d started out on pins and needles, jumping every time he came near, waiting for him to bring up her babies and get things settled between them. But he was acting for all the world as though that afternoon at Mimi’s had never happened. And she was rapidly losing patience with him.

“Why didn’t you want me to know?” he’d said to her accusingly.

Well, Mitch, maybe this was why. Maybe it was because I knew you wouldn’t react the way I wanted you to react. Maybe it was because you’re just a big jerk.

Not really. After all, how could she criticize him for acting right in line with the way he’d warned her. He didn’t want kids, didn’t want to be tied to one woman, or tied down in Texas. So what did she expect?

Still, she came into work resolved on the fourth day. This was the day. It was time. She was going to confront him, get everything out in the open, make sure they each knew where they stood. She’d pumped herself up. She was ready to make him deal with the situation.

Sitting down at her desk, she was a model of fierce determination, drumming her fingers on the heavy wood and waiting for him to show his face.

And then she heard the laughter in the hallway. Turning, she beheld the spectacle of Mitch being escorted into the office suite by a bevy of the building’s most attractive young women, all seemingly in a party mood. They giggled and called out teasing suggestions as they left him, and he looked very pleased with himself as he waved them off.

As the elevator doors closed on the last of them, he turned back to favor Darcy with a crooked grin. His tie was pulled open, as was the neck of his crisp white shirt. There were lipstick marks on his cheek and neck. His blue eyes were dancing with pure male happiness.

“Good morning,” he said.

She couldn’t respond. Something was choking her.

“Uh … sorry I’m a little late,” he added, shrugging with boyish helplessness. “Some of the girls asked me to come in early for a meeting. I didn’t realize they were planning a little surprise ‘welcome back’ party for me.”

“I see,” she managed to get out, and darned frostily, too.

But it was no use pretending. All her confidence was draining away, as though someone had pulled the plug on her reservoir. She didn’t need to be reminded of what an attractive man he was. Women responded to him the way flowers turned toward the sun. It was a natural phenomenon she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted to. She knew he had a thousand other options besides dealing with her and her twin boys.

So where was this confrontation she’d been planning? He walked on into his inner office, whistling tunelessly, and she closed her eyes. No confrontation, no settling of things. What was she trying to prove, anyway? If he wanted to be a part of her life, he would have said so by now. If he had any interest in the babies, he would have asked about them, or come by to see them. She couldn’t make him care. If it wasn’t there, it just wasn’t going to be and she might as well face it.

Hurt and anger simmered inside her, but she tamped them down. She had work to do, and luckily, a reason to get out of the office and leave all this behind for most of the day. She had a few loose ends to attend to and then she was off on a field trip—and as far away from Mitch as she could get in one business day. The trick would be to avoid him and get out of here before he knew she was going.

Working quickly, she spent the next hour clearing up the work left over from the day before. She was almost ready to leave when she heard him coming back out of his office and she started typing furiously, concentrating like a laser beam on her work. Maybe he would notice how busy she was and go on by. She could always hope.

“Ah, Darcy,” he said, almost as though he hadn’t already seen her that morning. “There you are.”

She sighed. Oh well. Looking up, she threw him a glance with the hint of a glare.

“You’re right,” she said tartly. “Here I am. Just like always. On time and with my wits about me.” She stacked a few folders as though that was a very important thing to do right now.

He stood right over her and she didn’t have to look up to know he was smiling. She knew he actually enjoyed it when she didn’t play the docile employee. Why did she keep providing him with red meat this way? She couldn’t seem to help herself.