to see him at the first high school football game to get the message—Austin’s dad was the coach and Austin sat with Mac, Cooper and the others. But instead of Austin being lured away to hang with kids his own age, all the kids who liked the new kid wanted to sit with the in crowd.
“But I thought you enjoyed having Austin around,” Sarah said.
“I do. I’m nuts about Austin. But I would like to have him sleeping down the hall. So I can be myself.”
“You’re a sex maniac,” she said.
“I thought that was your favorite part,” he said, grinning lasciviously.
“You’re hardly deprived,” she pointed out to him.
“True,” he could admit. In fact, since Sarah had bid farewell to the Coast Guard, her days and nights were her own. The September air was still mild and autumn on the beach brought a whole new energy—the after-game campfires had begun and the night was alive with the sounds of teenagers. Cooper dimmed the lights in the bar by ten o’clock to keep the action down on the beach rather than running up and down the stairs for drinks. But he liked to sit with his wife on the deck and watch the partying. Thunder Point had scored a big win over one of their rival schools tonight.
“I think I was deprived by not growing up on a beach like this one,” he said. “They have so much fun down there.” He grabbed her hand. “We’re a little crowded here, but I like the nights. Especially football nights.”
“I have almost as much trouble coming down after watching Landon play as he does,” she said.
“Let me get you a glass of wine,” he said, moving as if to get up.
“No, thanks.”
“Anything? I’m going to get a beer.”
She shrugged. “Water would be good.”
“You got it,” he said, going inside. He grabbed a beer and bottled water and was back on the deck before he began to wonder. He handed her the water. “No wine?”
She shook her head. Then she smiled.
“Are you already pregnant?”
“I think so,” she said. “I haven’t taken a test yet, but I think so. Boy, I give you a job to do and you don’t waste any time.” And she laughed.
He sat down beside her and just looked at her beautiful face. He was stunned. He reached a gentle hand to tenderly cup her cheek and jaw and she covered his hand with hers. “When will we know for sure?”
“I could try a pregnancy test now, but in several more days or even a week, the results will be more accurate. I’m barely late.”
“Are you okay with this?”
“It was my idea, remember.”
“God,” he said reverently. “I’ve never been a father this way.”
“Maybe I should ask if you’re okay with it,” she said.
“I must be,” he said. “I want to carry you upstairs and make love to you. Now. I want to, I really do.”
She laughed at him. “Cooper, does everything translate into sex for you?”
“Everything to do with you,” he admitted. “I can’t wait to tell my dad. And Mac—Mac is good for cigars. Landon’s going to get a kick out of this. And Rawley, who thinks I don’t know what I’m doing—”
“Let’s wait a little while,” she said. “Early pregnancy can be kind of iffy and I don’t want to get everyone all excited and then have to start over.”
“What’s a little while?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Three months?”
He sat back in his chair. “Sarah, I’ll never make it that long.”
She regarded him for a long moment. “I guess you won’t, will you?”
“Do you feel all right, baby?”
She grinned. “I feel very excited. Very happy. Thank you, Cooper, my love. You’re very efficient.”
“I am, huh? Come on, let’s go to bed. Just on the off chance I haven’t knocked you up yet, this would be a backup plan.”
* * *
Lou McCain had married on something of a whim. Once her nephew, Mac, had taken a wife, the woman he’d been in love with for years, Lou knew she was not quite so essential to his household. She’d spent ten years living with him and helping him raise his children, but now Gina was in residence. And everyone knew, one woman to a household was a rule worth paying attention to. So she gave in to Joe’s pleas to say I do. And she did.
Joe lived in a nice bedroom community between Thunder Point and Coquille in a house just right for a couple. It wasn’t fancy, but it was perfect with