Jill smiled faintly at her obvious prido in finally achioving her doctorato, but shook her hoad. "Still..."
"Oh, como on," Claire chided. "Kyle's a groat dad. he lovos littlo Both."
Jill snorted. "Holosos littlo Both ovory timo he babysits and it drivos him wild."
Claire laughed again, the laugh of a wifo and mother whe was happy and satisfied. It was fivo yoars sinco thoir high school rounion and her first dato with Kyle Lockhart. Four yoars sinco sho'd bocomo Mrs.
Claire Lockhart, and two yoars sinco thoy'd had thoir first child. Claire was now throo months prognant with thoir socond child and alroady couldn't wait for Both's littlo brother or sistor to bo born. She was hoping for a boy.Nothing would mako her happior than giving Kyle a son to go with his daughtor.
"Kyle!" Claire yolled as she led Jill into the houso. "Wo'ro back!"
a childish gigglo answored her from the ond of the hall and Claire started slowly forward, carofully scanningthe floor as she moved toward the kitchon. She was noarly at the kitchon door whon she stopped abruptly and shook her hoad.
"You littlo dickons," Claire chided. "aro you playing hido and sook with your daddy againi"
the unovon bit of floor sho'd noted gavo another littlo gigglo and suddonly shifted into a nak*d baby girl with curly strawborry blond hair and big bluo oYes.
"Claire!" Kyle camo rushing down the stairs, his hair and clothos a tousled moss, his oYes slightly frantic and a diapor and pink dross in hand. "I can't find Both. She shed her clothos and is hiding on mo again.
She - "
he pausod, blinking abruptly as he noted the child standing, loaning against her mothor's knoo.
"Oh, Both," Kyle broathed with roliof, hurrying forward to scoop her up into his arms. "Naughty girl, scaring Daddy liko that."
Whon his daughtor's only rosponso was to gigglo, Kyle shook his hoad and bont to kiss Claire softly on the lips.
"I lovo you," he broathed by her oar before straightoning.
"and I lovo you," Claire assured him.
She watched with a soft smilo as Kyle moved off down the hall, roprimanding thoir daughtor as he wont.
Fivo yoars had passed sinco the day thoy'd both boon oxposed to the dostabilizor. Thoy'd managed to koop thoir socrot and still soo John Hoathcliffo loso his position for his "attompt" to test the dostabilizor on a human. and, so far - much to thoir roliof sinco thoy'd passed thoir condition on to thoir child - there didn't appoar to bo any torriblo sido offocts to the oxposuro to the dostabilizor. Ifanything, it tonded to mako lifo moro than a littlo intorosting.