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

Mitch’s teeth were on edge again.

“Whatever,” he echoed dully, staring out his window at the growing storm clouds. “Whatever it takes,” he added more softly, his gaze sharpening. He needed a plan. He was a man of action, wasn’t he? All right then. He would come up with a plan. How hard could that be?

Darcy sat in Mimi’s kitchen listening to the message as Skylar gave it. There was no way she was picking up the phone to take the call. She was going to stay strong, even though she knew Mitch was right there, just seconds away. She’d promised she would take calls and help when needed. And she planned to be available by the end of the week. But not now. It was too soon. She and Mitch both needed to get used to the reality of her not being in the office. She couldn’t think of anything that couldn’t wait a few days. So she was standing pat.

She hadn’t realized it would be this hard. She’d managed to remove Mitch from her daily life physically, but there didn’t seem to be any way to push him out of her mind.

Still, she was having fun with the twins. Tonight she was making pizza and had games and songs ready. Tomorrow she was taking them to the park. If only she wasn’t haunted every step by thoughts of how much Mitch would like these little guys—if he ever let himself.

That night it rained hard for a while. A little thunder. A little lightning. After checking on her babies who were sleeping through the turmoil, Darcy snuggled under her covers and listened to the storm. Was Mitch awake, too? Was he lying there, just a few miles away, staring at the ceiling of his room and thinking of her? For just a moment she could imagine reaching out and making a magical connection. She shivered delightfully, then closed her eyes and dreamed of him.

The next day she ignored another phone message from Skylar—the third one, and packed the boys into the car, taking off for the park. They had a wonderful, if tiring couple of hours, stopped for icecream cones on the way home, which turned the inside of her car into a sticky zone, then headed for home.

She knew something was wrong right away. For one thing, Mitch’s car was standing out in front of her house. But even more ominous, a moving truck was coming out of her driveway and taking off just as she drove up. She looked back. The two boys were sound asleep in their car seats. She debated leaving them there for a few minutes, then decided against it. You just couldn’t be too careful where these young lives were concerned.

That meant she had to take time lugging both car seats into the house. The boys didn’t wake up, so at least she got a break there. She left them on the floor of their room with their seats tilted back into sleeping position, and hurried back into the living room to see what the heck was going on.

She could see his car still parked at the curb, but there was no sign of him outside. So that meant he was probably inside somewhere, but where? The garage was her next target, but it was standing empty. She frowned. Maybe the converted sunporch on the side of the house. She hurried to it and opened the wide French doors that led onto the porch. And there he was.

“Hi,” he said, leaning back in his desk chair. “I’ve been waiting for you. Where’ve you been?”

She gaped at him in consternation, then went down the three steps to his level. He was looking like the cat that ate the canary, very bright-eyed and full of himself, and he was surrounded by an instant office that he must have set up in the short space of time she’d spent out with the boys.

“What in the world …?” she muttered, in shock as she looked at the sparkling glass desk, equipped with a trendy slender notebook computer, printer, fax and copy machine—even his trademark big jar of jelly beans. A huge metal file cabinet sat beside the desk. All the comforts of the office gleaming attractively.

“How did you get in here?” she demanded.

He raised one eyebrow. “Please, Darcy. It’s a basic requirement of my profession to know how to get into locked places.”

Of course. She knew that. But … but … he wasn’t supposed to get into her locked places!

“You couldn’t wait until I got home?”

“No. The moving van was on a tight schedule.”

“Moving van …” She could hardly talk. In her wildest dreams she had never expected this. “But why?”

“Would you believe that my parents kicked me out? Just like high school.”

She shook her head, unable to compute what he’d just said. “Kicked you out of what? It’s the middle of the day.”

He shrugged. “I was only kidding. Actually I left voluntarily. I couldn’t take another day in that house.”

It was only then that she noticed a large cot had been added to the wicker decor of the room. She stared at it for a moment, taking in the big fluffy comforter and the pillow with teddy bears parading across its case. She turned back to look at him. He hadn’t just moved in his work-a-day operation, he’d moved in his entire life.

“You’ve completely moved in?” she cried, reeling from the implications.

He nodded casually, as though this were nothing outrageous. “I had to go somewhere.”

She glared at him and waved one arm in the air. “Then set up a bed at the office. Your real office.”

He shook his head firmly, as though she just didn’t understand the circumstances and would agree if only she did. “I also couldn’t stand another day at that office. Not while Skylar walks those echoing marble halls.”

She blinked, confused. “Skylar? What’s wrong with Skylar?”

He grimaced painfully. “Have you ever tried to work with her? If you had, you wouldn’t need to ask.”

“She … she …” Somehow she couldn’t go any further than that one word.

But he took up the slack without missing a beat. “I was in a quandary. I couldn’t work, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t sleep. So I decided the best plan of action was a direct trek to your house. I brought all the stuff I need to work. And I figure I’ll camp out here for the duration.”

“No.” She was shaking her head. This was impossible. He was impossible. Life, at the moment, was impossible. “Oh, no, you won’t.”

He sighed as though her lack of a charitable response pained him deeply. “I won’t be in your hair constantly. I promise. I’ll be over here, out of the way. But when I need you for something, I can call you over and—”

“This is just typical of you, isn’t it?” she demanded with fury, leaning toward him across the desk. “You see everything through the same prism—what would be best for you. Did it ever occur to you that I might have other priorities right now?”

He looked puzzled. “No, actually. I thought maybe you’d be glad for the company. Time can really drag when you’re required to talk nothing but baby gibberish all day.”

“How would you know?”

He half laughed. “Darcy, I keep trying to make you understand that I’ve got a broad experience with the ways of the world. I know a lot. About everything.”

“Even children.”

“Well, probably not as much as you.”

“Oh my goodness, what an admission,” she said sarcastically. “Well, you’re guaranteed to learn a lot more about children than you’ve ever wanted to know if you think you’re staying here,” she warned.

He actually looked surprised. “Not if you keep them in their play area. This is a work area.”

She stared at him. Was he for real? “I’m warning you, Mitch. The kids will not be kept out of your way. The kids are center stage in this house. If you want a pure work environment, go back to work.”

He took a deep breath and obviously decided not to say what first came trippingly to his tongue. “It’s good that we’re discussing this,” he said unconvincingly. “This way we can work to establish the parameters of our working relationship.”

She couldn’t believe he could be such a dunderhead. “Mitch, get a clue! There’s no working relationship. I’m here mothering and you’re intruding.”

“Darcy, calm down. This is all for the best, believe me.”

That did it. She’d never been so furious. Reaching out she grabbed his newly installed phone and began punching buttons.

“What are you doing?” he asked pleasantly, still leaning back in the desk chair as though all was well with his world and her anger was just a minor passing squall.

She glared at him. “I’m calling the police. I’ve got an intruder in the house.”

“Oh. Good idea.” He smiled at her. “Did I get a chance to tell you my cousin Daniel just made captain of the Terra Dulce Police Force? Oh, and Justin Cabrera, my best friend from kindergarten is on the day desk these days. You’ll probably talk to him first. Tell him ‘hi’ for me, okay?”

She stared at him for a moment as she digested this news, then slammed down the phone. “What—does your family own this town?”