They nodded, their little eyes shining with delight as Katie scooped up a dollop of icing with a small offset spatula and swirled it onto a cakelet, then set it on Beth’s baking sheet, and quickly iced one for Evie.
“Not too many sprinkles,” Katie said. “Just enough to be pretty. And when you’ve sprinkled enough, just push your cupcake to the side and you’ll be ready for the next, okay?”
They nodded, totally intent on their tasks.
Katie pretended she didn’t see the icing getting on little fingers, or the sprinkles sticking, or the licking off of sprinkles as they stuck. Like the girls, she was in her element. So she dipped and swirled, and they sprinkled and licked. They were in the middle of the process when the doorbell rang.
Katie guessed it was Sam and ran to answer.
“We’re a mess,” she said. “Enter at your own risk.” She ran back to the kitchen before disaster could strike.
Sam followed the sound of his babies’ laughter and the delectable aroma of warm chocolate all the way to the kitchen and saw the girls with little chocolate smears on their chins, and multicolored sprinkles stuck to their fingers, and a stray one here and there stuck to their lips, and laughed.
“You have been having way more fun than I did,” he said, and then gave Katie a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s from Miss Delilah and Rhett Butler. They send their love.”
Katie was startled that he’d kissed her in front of the girls, but they thought it was hysterical and had their heads together, giggling.
Then Sam leaned down and kissed Beth on the cheek, and then Evie on the cheek, then licked his lips.
“Um, chocolate and sprinkle kisses. This is my lucky day.”
“We know lucky!” Evie said.
Beth nodded. “When you get something good without asking for it.”
Sam looked at Katie. “It was a lesson that came with a Daddy speech.”
“Sounds like a good one,” she said. “And we’re almost finished. The girls have not eaten any cupcakes yet, but we did lick the batter bowl.”
“It was so good, Daddy,” Evie said.
“Good,” Beth said. “But we didn’t save you any.”
“Oh, that’s okay, baby. I’d rather have one of those,” he said, pointing to the cupcakes.
“Oh…you have to save me from my sweet tooth. You two are getting more than one apiece,” Katie said.
“Yay!” the girls said.
“Yay!” Sam echoed.
Katie laughed. “Youngbloods rule! Now let’s get these last three iced and sprinkled and we’ll be done!”
Sam watched it happening—the magic between his daughters and his girl. Still yearning for her, still wanting so much more.
And then they were finished. Katie eyed the messes on their hands and faces and pointed down the hall.
“Girls, why don’t you go show Daddy where the bathroom is so he can wash all the sticky off of you while I box up some cupcakes for you to take home.”
“We know, Daddy! Help us down, please!” Beth said.
As soon as their feet hit the floor, they were off.
“There are clean washcloths and hand towels in the cupboard below the sink,” Katie said.
“Thanks,” Sam said, and ran to catch up.
All the while Katie was packing up cupcakes, she could hear the laughter and the squeals, and the occasional complaint of “Daddy, you’re wiping my face too hard,” and always, the calm, steady tone in Sam’s voice.
She shivered, longing to feel Sam’s hands on her body, and knew it was just a matter of time.
A few minutes later, the trio came back.
“I have your cupcakes all ready for you to take home,” Katie said.
Evie threw her arms around Katie’s legs and hugged her.
“Thank you, Miss Katie. This has been the best day ever!” she said.
Beth stepped into the gap and hugged both Evie and Katie.
“Ever,” she echoed. “And when we do it again, it will be the next best day!”
Katie knelt down to return the hugs. “Making cupcakes together was the most fun ever!”
The girls giggled, then danced their way to the door with Sam behind them, carrying the box of little cakes.
“Where’s my hug?” he said.
“Waiting for the right time and place,” Katie answered.
The girls were dancing around Sam’s feet as she opened the door.
“Understood,” he said. “Thank you again for the rescue…and for the cupcakes.”
“Always,” Katie said, and then they were gone.
***
Friday evening, Katie was out in the front yard with a garden hose, watering the flower beds, when a car pulled up in Sam’s drive. An older man and woman emerged and went up the steps and rang the doorbell. The front door swung inward. She saw Sam smiling and hugging them both as they entered. Guessing they were family, she went back to watering.
But a few minutes later, the couple came out with the twins at their side. Sam was right behind them carrying two little suitcases, and that’s when she realized the girls were leaving with them.
She watched Sam buckling them in, then kissing them goodbye, and then he stood in the yard waving until the car disappeared.
Then he looked at her across the street and started walking.
Katie’s heart was hammering as he stopped before her.
“Grandparents,” he said.
Katie swallowed past the knot in her throat. “They’ll have so much fun.”
He pointed at the hose and the growing water puddle in which she was standing.
“Your shoes are getting wet.”
Katie jumped, and then ran to the faucet and turned it off.
Sam followed her.
“Katie, I want—”
“Yes,” she said.
One corner of his mouth lifted just a little. “I haven’t asked you anything yet.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care what it is. The answer is yes.”
He took a step closer. “Even if it’s making love to you?”
“Yes.”
He reached for her hand “Even if it’s staying with me all night?”
“Even if,” Katie said.
“Your place or mine?” he asked.