into some depraved den of iniquity.â
Damien hauled his wife into his arms. âIâll see what I can do to arrange that.â His voice was husky and meaningful.
âDamien!â Helen squealed with mock consternation. âWeâre doing cheeks and foreheads!â
âWeâll get to those later, sweetheart,â Damien mumbled, kissing her with great singleness of mind. Elissa could almost feel the passion they shared, and experienced a surge of envy so strong she was ashamed of herself.
Both Helen and Lucy had quieter, gentler natures than she. Any man who might fall in love with her had his work cut out for him. Heâd have to be turned on by a stubborn, smart-mouth who had to beat every opponent into dust. In all her thirty years there hadnât been that many takers, once the awful truth of her personality had come to light. It was odd how men tended not to date a woman who whipped their backsides in law school and who could argue them into mush in the courtroom, and who-face itâeven, on a couple of recent occasions, kicked them when they exasperated her beyond words.
âOh, get a room, you two,â Jack admonished with a laugh.
âLuckily they have one,â Lucy added.
When the hot kiss finally ended, Damien and Helen stared at each other. Their breathing was heavy, and Helenâs cheeks were pink. It was clear something had begun beneath that mistletoe that wasnât over solely because the kiss had ended.
Elissa shook her head at them. âIf you two have something pressing to do, weâll watch the girls.â
Damien flashed her a grateful look, and without a word, took his wifeâs hand, leading her toward the stairs.
âWhew.â Jack shook his head, looking amused. âItâs just a guess, but I think she liked his kiss best.â Walking into the parlor, Jack settled on the sofa beside his wife. When he looked at her, his expression was dear. âHow are you feeling, Luce?â
She lay her knitting aside and placed a hand on his thigh. Elissa noticed that he covered her hand with his, squeezing gently. She fought back a tear. Love was everywhere in her inn these days. You could cut it like butter. The joy her sisters had found was glorious, filling their lives, making them whole. She struggled not to be jealous of their good fortune.
She tried to be philosophical, reminding herself that some people were meant to be part of a couple, and some werenât. She simply wasnât. She supposed she would have to satisfy herself with mothering them all. That was something, at least, and a role she found gratifying. âLook, you two,â she said as gaily as she could, âif you have business elsewhere, Iâm perfectly capable of watching the girls for Helen and Damien.â
They turned from gazing into each otherâs eyes and beamed at Elissa. âWeâre fine,â Lucy said. âBesides, we wanted to tell you somethingâoffcially.â
âAbout you being pregnant?â Her smile refreshed itself with the reminder. She noticed that Alex was coming into the room and taking a seat on a chair opposite her, before the fire. She avoided looking at him or acknowledging his presence. âI guessed it when you and Jack ran out on breakfast that first morningâand all the oatmeal youâve been not eating.â She reached over and touched her sisterâs hand. âWhenâs the precious bundle due?â
âIndependence Day,â Jack said. âTalk about timing.â
Elissa clapped her hands together. âItâs a sign. Another president in the family.â She cast a loving glance at little Elissa Gillian, who was chewing on the foot of her âFeed-and-Wet Friedaâ doll. âOf course Gilly will have to be elected to a full two terms, first, but after that, weâll get Baby Gallagher into office.â She closed her eyes in feigned rapture. âOf course, I will be