Stand-In Mum. Marie Ferrarella

yourself, darlin’. Besides—” his eyes danced “—you’re a lot lovelier to look at than Shayne ever was.”

      Sydney knew it was just Ike’s way of talking. Flattery, plain and simple. But there were times when she loved the sound of it. With a shake of her head, she sighed. “How is it that Shayne never learned to talk like you?”

      His laugh was deep and hearty. Momentarily letting go of Marta’s elbow, he raised his gloved finger to his lips.

      “Sh, we don’t make fun of the slow-witted.” He took hold of Marta’s elbow again without even looking her way. “Besides, he’s the one you married, not me.”

      “You never asked,” Sydney deadpanned.

      It was his turn to sigh.

      “I guess that makes me the slow-witted one then, doesn’t it?” And then he turned his dark eyes toward Marta, the movement so unexpected that it caught her completely off guard. As did the gleam she saw in those eyes. Marta felt as if she’d suddenly been put on notice. “Maybe the fates have decided to give me a second chance by bringing your friend to my doorstep.”

      It took Marta a minute to rally, but rally she did. She’d been in this place before, on the receiving end of a charmer’s compliments. Roses with hidden thorns. She wasn’t about to get scratched again.

      “I believe we’re approaching Sydney’s doorstep, not yours,” Marta said pointedly.

      But rather than be put off the way she’d expected him to be, Ike merely nodded his approval as he glanced toward Sydney. “Beautiful and quick, too. They really do raise wonderful women in the lower forty-nine, don’t they?”

      Marta narrowed her eyes again. “Why don’t you go there yourself and see?”

      The wind whipped her hair against his cheek, evoking a warm feeling within him. “Maybe I will,” he agreed. “Someday.”

      Sydney could only smile and shake her head at the exchange. If Ike had ever had any intention of leaving Hades, or Alaska itself for that matter—the way so many others did as soon as they reached legal age—he wouldn’t have worked so hard to make a life for himself here.

      He’d started out in his teens. Behind that devastating smile, Sydney had discovered, was a man with a plan. Ike had worked hard until he could purchase an interest in the local saloon. For some, that would have been enough. For Ike, it had only been a start.

      One foothold had led to another until he was the owner, holding the title to the establishment along with the cousin he’d insisted on bringing in with him. Over the years, his holdings had increased. Now he held the deed to more than one piece of real estate, with grand plans of expanding the town. He meant to bring civilization, and the next century, to Hades.

      While melting the heart of every woman in Alaska.

      “Ike would never leave us,” Sydney told Marta matter-of-factly as they approached her front door. “All the women in the area would rise up in protest. They’d probably take over the airport just to keep him here.” She was only half joking. The men far outnumbered the women here, but there was still a soft spot in each female heart for Ike LeBlanc.

      “Ah, now, darlin’, you’re making me blush.”

      Making him blush, her foot. Marta frowned. She was well-acquainted with his type. All talk and a few magic tricks, smoke and mirrors, but no substance whatsoever. She’d been there, done that, and had had her heart irrevocably broken. The pieces of it had never been glued together properly.

      But that was all right. She had no further use for that organ anyway. She certainly had no intention of ever falling in love again, so her heart’s condition was no longer of any consequence.

      Standing before the door, Sydney paused and turned toward Marta. “Okay, I want you to brace yourself.”

      “Why?” She wanted to get inside, out of the wind that was beginning to turn raw. And away from the man at her elbow. “Are you planning on taking me on another plane ride?”

      “No.” It was suddenly so important to Sydney that Marta like her children. Marta was like family. With Sydney’s father gone, Marta was all the close family she had left, aside from Shayne and the children. “I just want you to be prepared for Sara and Mac.”

      Puzzled, Marta looked up at her. “I’m a teacher, same as you, Sydney. Meeting kids isn’t exactly something out of the ordinary for me.”

      “No,” Sydney agreed softly, “but these are mine.”

      Marta smiled. She understood. “Point well taken,” she said as Sydney pushed open the oak door. Sara and Mac materialized with greetings, with hugs and with questions, surrounding Sydney as only two vital, energetic children under the age of twelve could.

      Marta had a nice smile, Ike thought as he followed her in the opened door. He was going to have to see what he could do about bringing it out more often.

      Chapter Three

      Marta hadn’t expected to feel an ache. Happiness, yes, to be sure. Happiness for her friend and for the life that Sydney had carved out for herself. Perhaps she’d even thought to feel a vicarious sense of sharing since she and Sydney had once shared everything, good times and bad.

      But not an ache. Definitely not an ache.

      Yet it was there, bittersweet and strangely acute, burrowing into her and hollowing her out before she managed to bank it down and lock it away. There, because what she was witnessing right before her encompassed everything she had always longed for herself, almost from the very first moment she drew breath. A home, a family. And children. They were all here, and all Sydney’s.

      A touch of envy raised its head before it, too, was sent away. This was Sydney’s life, and Marta was ecstatic for her.

      She just wished…

      But there was no point to that. Her judgment as far as who to entrust her heart to was flawed. Best not to go there.

      “What d’you bring me?” Sara’s question had Marta focusing on the child.

      Mac was on Sydney’s other side, tugging at her arm. Tugging for her attention. “Did you get my CD?”

      Sara lifted her head importantly. “She didn’t have time to get your ol’ CD, she was busy picking up the lady.”

      Their voices and questions mingled, encircling the mother they had adopted as fiercely as she had adopted them. Amid the noise was their unabashed, wide-eyed scrutiny of the new person dropped into their midst.

      Marta felt as if she’d been taken apart and put back together again in an instant. And approved, judging from the expressions on the two upturned faces. Visitors, Sydney had warned her, were rare in Hades, especially this time of year. Any new face was to be evaluated and gone over like a shiny, brand-new possession, to be passed from hand to hand and admired, or criticized.

      Abandoning their siege on Sydney, they turned their eyes toward Marta, competing for her attention.

      “Are you gonna stay here forever?” Sara wanted to know. “Mommy said she couldn’t wait until you got here.”

      Elbowing his sister out of the way, Mac presented himself front and center. At ten, he was already exhibiting the promise of becoming a handsome man, Marta thought.

      “Did you know she was our mom now? Did she tell you about us?”

      Giving her brother an impatient look, Sara tugged on Marta’s parka sleeve. “Do you have any kids of your own we can play with?”

      Mac grabbed her arm. “Can I show you my room?”

      Not to be outdone, Sara caught hold of Marta’s other arm and pulled in the opposite direction.

      Stunned, tickled, Marta began to laugh. She was used to children, but as Sydney had promised, this was something