Assignment: Twins. Leigh Michaels

had assumed the responsibility, and now it was up to her to make sure the babies were safe and taken care of, until their mother could take over once more. If she couldn’t actually look after them herself, then she’d need to find someone who could. She looked speculatively at Seth.

      “The way I see it,” Seth said, “you can look in the want ads under baby-sitters—”

      “Hire a stranger? Laura wouldn’t like that.”

      He didn’t seem to have heard her. “Or you can call child protective services and report that the babies are being neglected, and have them put in foster care. Or you can drop them off on a stranger’s doorstep, ring the bell, and run.”

      “Don’t be ridiculous.”

      Seth shrugged. “That’s about all the options I can think of.”

      “There’s one more. I can hand them over to you. You’re their godfather.”

      “Being a godparent has nothing to do with baby-sitting. It’s purely a spiritual duty.”

      “Don’t go getting sanctimonious on me now, Seth.”

      “I wouldn’t dream of trying. You’re the one who said it. As I recall, you told Laura on the twins’ christening day that I was a bad choice for the position because I wouldn’t recognize a spiritual experience if it bit me in the—”

      “Seth Baxter, do you ever do anything when you’re in church besides eavesdrop?”

      “So you admit telling her that.”

      “I may have,” Nikki admitted. “I don’t actually recall. But that’s beside the point.”

      “In any case, you’re their godmother, so the same argument applies to you.”

      “All right then, we’ll leave godparenting out of it altogether. You’re their uncle. With their parents out of the country—”

      “Don’t forget indisposed,” Seth added.

      “That makes you their closest kin at the moment. I’m only a friend of the family, with no legal standing at all. So the bottom line is that you’re the one who has to make the decisions.”

      Seth’s eyebrows raised slightly. “If it’s my choice, then I choose to let you keep them. You’ve been doing a fine job so far.”

      Nikki couldn’t decide whether to scream or kick the nearest piece of furniture. “I have a house sale closing tomorrow, and I can’t even change the time because too many people are involved. I can’t find a sitter by tomorrow morning because I haven’t the faintest idea where to start looking. Seth, I’m begging. You have to help me out here.”

      “Why me? You signed up for this duty. I didn’t.”

      “Because I can’t take a set of year-old twins to a mortgage closing, that’s why!”

      “Well, I can’t just hang them from my tool belt while I rebuild Mrs. Cooper’s closets, either.”

      Nikki bit her lip. “I don’t suppose you can. But surely you can put Mrs. Cooper’s closets on hold for a day or two. At least till we find out what’s going on on that ship.”

      “Obviously you’ve never met Mrs. Cooper, or you wouldn’t say that.” He lowered himself to the floor and began to put the panels on the dishwasher once more.

      As soon as he finishes, he’ll leave. You have to do something, Nikki—and fast.

      She put Zack down on the floor. “How about that cup of coffee you were wanting earlier?”

      “I expected better from you in the bribery department than that, Nikki.”

      “All right,” she conceded. “I won’t waste your time by making coffee.”

      “The truth is, there are so many dishes in the sink you couldn’t get to the faucet for water anyway.”

      Nikki ignored him. “Let’s talk about this like adults. I can’t miss that closing. If you’ll just keep the twins tomorrow morning—”

      Seth was shaking his head.

      “You won’t even do that much? Just till noon.” Nikki knew she sounded desperate. She didn’t care.

      “I can’t. I’ve got a supplier delivering a load of materials at eight o’clock in the morning.”

      Nikki chewed her lip. “Eight? My closing isn’t till half past nine. Maybe we can work this out after all. Surely that gives you enough time.”

      “Depends on how fast the crew unloads. It’s a big order.”

      “Well, the closing is downtown. If I get the babies up in the morning while you go sign the receipt for your supplies, then I can swoop by and drop them off with you in Rockhurst—it’s almost on my way—and go straight to the closing. You can bring them back here and—”

      His eyebrows raised. “How do you know I’m working in Rockhurst?”

      “Laura, of course.” Nikki surrendered the last of her pride. “Seth, if you’ll just bail me out for a couple of hours in the morning, I swear I’ll come straight back after the closing.”

      “What about your new client? The fancy executive at the auto plant?”

      She’d forgotten. For a moment there, she’d actually forgotten a client, something which had never happened before. So it’s not just an old wives’ tale. Spending countless hours with babies really can turn your brain to mush.

      “I wonder whether he likes kids,” Seth mused.

      Nikki gritted her teeth.

      “If he’s divorced, maybe he has children of his own. He might even enjoy having the twins around. It’s such a cozy little domestic image—you, him, the babies, looking at houses…”

      Nikki had no trouble at all creating that picture in her mind. She sighed. “I guess someone else will have to show him around tomorrow.”

      “Hey, kids,” Seth announced. “She’s giving up the tycoon for you. Bet you’re tickled to hear that.”

      Anna clapped her hands as if in delight. More likely, Nikki thought, the baby was pleased that she’d managed to pile all her plastic blocks into an unsteady tower. Now she was eyeing her brother’s supply.

      “Nobody else in the office could possibly be less prepared than I am,” Nikki said almost to herself. “I haven’t even glanced at the multiple listings all weekend. All right, that covers tomorrow.” She rushed on before he could argue the point. “Now about tonight—”

      “What about it?” Seth sounded wary.

      “I don’t have any real clothes here, just jeans and stuff. I’m going to have to go home and get something to wear to the closing.”

      “Do it in the morning.”

      “It’s impossible to get all the way out to my place and back downtown before half past nine. Not if I’ve got the twins, because they move like molasses in the mornings.”

      “Then go shopping on your way.”

      “You can’t be serious. Try on clothes with two babies in tow? Besides, the malls don’t open that early. And in any case, you can’t just go and buy a copy of that blue jacket we have to wear—the real-estate company has them specially tailored.”

      “Okay, okay, you made your point. Let’s go.”

      For a moment she was too thrilled at the hint of cooperation to take in what he’d said. Then it hit her. “What do you mean, let’s go? It will take me an hour. Ninety minutes, tops. All you have to do while I’m gone is dunk the kids in the tub, put their pajamas on, and tuck them in.”

      “That’s all.” It was obviously not a question.