Nine-Month Surprise. Jacqueline Diamond

had a sudden vision of herself as an aging, stereotypical old maid, still dwelling in the house where she grew up. Even if she married, it would be to some boring guy who lived down the block.

      Leah had made up her mind to leave Downhome. This summer, she’d put her plan into action.

      Now Will Rankin lived down the block, or almost. The mysterious man who’d stirred her in Austin had metamorphosed into a respected obstetrician with two children. Although she could never call him boring, he hadn’t turned out to be a daredevil, either.

      Leah had made up her mind to leave town, and she meant to do it. If the job in Seattle didn’t materialize, she’d move somewhere else. Hawaii. Alaska. Las Vegas. Anywhere but here. A child didn’t have to tie her to one place.

      A man was a different story. He’d restrict her in all sorts of ways.

      Okay, so she’d settled that. Even if Will threw himself at her, she’d still say no. Leah smiled at the unlikelihood of such a development.

      All the same, she planned to inform him of the pregnancy. For the child’s sake, she hoped he would want some involvement.

      But not too much. He’d already blown his chances for that.

      WILL INSISTED ON doing the dishes so Mrs. McNulty could retire early. Although he didn’t expect Leah until eight, he meant to put the girls to bed well before then, to recuperate from a busy day.

      They’d greeted him after work with crayon pictures that included their names. Since the twins had learned many of the basics in kindergarten, they’d been encouraged to add any words they wanted.

      Diane had written “Dog cat horse.”

      India had scrawled the name “Nick.”

      His little girl had her first crush. If that boy broke her heart, Will would make sure the police chief gave him a spanking.

      Guiltily, he remembered what he’d done to Leah. Although she’d shown no sign of suffering a broken heart, he owed her an apology.

      Eileen supervised the girls’ baths. Procedures that frustrated Will, like settling squabbles over who went first and shampooing hair without creating hopeless tangles, came easily to the experienced housekeeper.

      She’d joined the family two years ago, after Allison left. Previously, she’d raised two generations of children in other families, along with a daughter of her own.

      At seventy, Mrs. McNulty could have retired, but what would she do all day? she’d responded when Will had asked. Divorced, she’d always worked, first as a maid and later as a housekeeper. She might have considered moving to Florida to be near her daughter’s family, she’d said, but they led their own lives.

      She’d been thrilled to have two young charges again. Desperately seeking a solution to recurrent child-care problems, Will had been overjoyed to find her. The move to Tennessee hadn’t fazed her, thank goodness.

      He’d finished loading the dishwasher when the housekeeper’s substantial frame filled the kitchen doorway. “The girls are ready for their night-night story,” she told him. “There’s a coffee cake in the fridge, and I could make a pot of decaf for your guest if you like.”

      Will nearly dropped the box of dishwasher detergent. “I’m sorry?” He hadn’t mentioned inviting anyone.

      Mrs. McNulty favored him with a knowing glance. “Dr. Rankin, what’s the first thing you do when you get home?”

      “Hug the girls,” he said.

      “After that.”

      “Change my clothes.” He saw her point. Tonight, instead of throwing on jeans and a polo shirt, he’d merely removed his jacket and tie.

      The housekeeper sniffed the air.

      Okay, so he’d shaved and applied lotion. After a hard day’s work, he didn’t want to appear slovenly.

      “I knew it wouldn’t take long for the females in this town to discover you,” Eileen continued. “All the same, she must be pretty special for you to invite her home this fast.” He hadn’t even thought about dating any of his acquaintances in Austin.

      However, the last thing Will needed was for word to spread about his private connection with Leah. Not that Eileen gossiped, but he preferred to keep certain matters private. “It’s a professional meeting,” he said without elaborating. “She’s doing me a favor by dropping by.”

      “I see.” Eileen’s nose wrinkled ever so slightly. He shouldn’t have put on so much aftershave, Will thought. It was a dead giveaway. “We’ll leave it at that, then. I’ll be on my way.”

      “Sleep well,” he said.

      “Oh, I plan to.”

      After she let herself out the back door, Will cast an assessing glance over the room. Mrs. McNulty had done a terrific job of setting up the household in only a few days, considering what little she’d had to work with.

      The one-story house, which the physician-search committee had found for him to rent, lacked personality, and the modern furniture Allison had left for her family seemed more functional than aesthetic. One of these days, Will was going to buy his own place and hire a decorator with good taste. No hurry, though.

      He went in to see the girls, who’d chosen to share a bedroom. They and their dolls crowded around when he sat on a bed, but instead of their usual story time, tonight they wanted to tell the tale of their first day of class.

      “Go ahead,” Will told them. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

      The girls spilled out their anecdotes. Miss Morris had told a funny story, Diane said, and recounted it. Miss Morris had visited Austin last summer. Could he believe that? added India. Miss Morris served healthy snacks and taught them about nutrition, Diane said. They both wanted to grow their hair longer so it could swing like Miss Morris’s.

      Will stifled a groan. This was going to be a tough year, filled with stories of the one person in town he didn’t want to hear about. He only hoped the girls wouldn’t detect Miss Morris’s voice in the living room later or they’d come pelting out, and no doubt, tell the entire class about it tomorrow.

      When they’d finished and he’d kissed them both, he said, “I have a colleague arriving in a while to discuss some business. I’m going to close the bedroom door and the hall door so we won’t disturb you, okay?”

      The little girls nodded uncertainly.

      “No fair interrupting,” he said. “You both need your sleep. If you stay up late, I might have to keep you home from school tomorrow.”

      Horror showed on India’s face. Diane wrung her hands dramatically. “Oh, no, Daddy!”

      He hadn’t expected his threat to cause such alarm. “Go to sleep. You’ll be fine in the morning.”

      They dove under the covers. After stepping out, Will stood in the hallway listening and was amazed to hear none of the usual chortling and whispering. He wondered how many kids were afraid of being kept home. Only ones who loved their teachers, or who loved learning, as he had.

      In the living room, he took out a stack of medical journals. The field of obstetrics changed rapidly.

      When the bell rang at eight, Will gave a start. He hadn’t read a single word of the article in front of him. He’d been too busy rehearsing what to say to Leah.

      The effort was a waste of time. As he hurried to answer, he discovered he’d forgotten every word he’d planned.

      When he opened the door, Will simply stood for a moment, enjoying the sight of long, shiny black hair and velvet-smooth skin. He got a physical buzz even stronger than he’d experienced at the bar, because now he knew how delicious Leah’s lips would feel beneath his and how her body could tantalize him.

      He took a tight