And Babies Make Five / At Long Last, a Bride: And Babies Make Five

Fertility? He hadn’t realized that she might not have been able to get pregnant without the help of doctors.

“So it wasn’t a matter of not finding a suitable man to father your baby?”

“No.” She lifted her glass of water and took a sip. “Actually, I haven’t dated anyone since Peter died.”

That struck him as odd, and he couldn’t help saying so. “I would have thought that a woman as attractive as you would have eventually found another man and gotten married.”

“Thank you.” She lowered her glass and her gaze at the same time, and he wondered if his compliment had somehow surprised or embarrassed her. When she glanced up, she said, “Actually, I never gave dating much thought.”

“Why not?”

Hector’s latest question caught Samantha off guard, and she pondered her answer.

For one thing, she’d been grieving Peter’s loss that first year. Then she’d been so caught up in her mother’s illness, in her suffering, in the failed attempts to beat the cancer, that thoughts of romance had been the last thing on her mind.

Looking back, she had to admit that she’d never even considered replacing Peter in her life. At least, not right away.

But then again, she hadn’t been looking for a husband when she’d first met him, either.

Her experience with marriage had been a dysfunctional relationship between her mother and stepdad, so she hadn’t seen a relationship as a catch-all/end-all. But Peter began to court her, which had slowly worn down her reluctance and proven to her that some relationships could be healthy and happy.

“There aren’t many men like Peter,” she finally answered. He’d had a kind heart and a gentle touch. He’d also saved her from a life of poverty and shown her that not all men were physically and mentally abusive.

“You must have really loved him,” Hector said.

“Yes, I did.” Peter had been a wonderful human being, a good husband, and she would never forget all he’d done for her. Still, she supposed, if she met the right guy, she might be able to love someone again. But with the babies coming … Well, there wouldn’t be any men in her life for a very long time. She couldn’t imagine anyone willing to take on an instant family of triplets.

“Lucky guy,” Hector said.

Touched by Hector’s comment, yet doubting it, Samantha smiled. “I was the lucky one.”

As she glanced across the table and caught Hector eyeing her with an expression she couldn’t read, something stirred deep within her, something she couldn’t quite understand. Something that made her question what she’d actually felt for Peter, which was silly. She’d loved him, of course. How could she not?

“So you’re not interested in dating anyone?”

She placed a hand on the upper ledge of her pregnant belly. “Come on, Hector. Who’d be interested in me now? Before you know it, I’ll be bigger than a house. Besides, I have a lot more on my mind than romance.”

“Like what?”

“For one thing, I have a nursery to decorate.” And since she’d need three of everything, it was going to take all of her organizational skills to get the kids’ room ready for their homecoming.

A grin tugged at her lips as she thought about how much fun she was going to have getting ready for her babies.

The wine steward brought Hector’s merlot, stayed long enough to ask if they needed anything else, then left them alone again.

“You’re obviously happy to be pregnant,” Hector said. “And that’s great. I’m happy for you.”

“You have no idea how thrilled I am to be expecting. Unlike you, I was an only child. My dad took off when

I was a preschooler, and for the first half of my life, it was just my mom and me. So I’m really looking forward to having a family of my own.”

The pregnancy was also her way of thanking Peter, of saying goodbye to him without ever forgetting him. Of course, she’d never forget how he’d rescued her, how he’d offered her a life of luxury that she’d never even imagined, how he’d loved her in a way no one else ever had.

Having the babies would also mark a new beginning for her, but Hector didn’t need to know all of that.

Besides, what would he say if he learned that the father of her babies was her late husband, a man he hadn’t liked? A man who’d been dead for five years?

No one, especially Hector, would be able to understand her decision. She wasn’t entirely sure she understood the complexities herself.

“Hey,” a cheerful female voice called out. “What a surprise. Look who’s here, honey.”

Samantha turned to the woman, a petite Latina who appeared to be about six months’ pregnant. The man with her was tall, lanky, and fair-haired. He, too, seemed bright-eyed and cheerful as they approached the table where Hector and Samantha sat.

“You said you really liked this restaurant, but I didn’t expect to run into you here tonight.” Hector rose to his feet and extended a hand to greet the man. “We were just talking about you.”

The woman offered Samantha a friendly smile. “We’ve been telling Hector all about this place, so I’m glad he took our advice. I’m Yolanda, his sister. And this is my husband, Chad.”

Samantha had already made that assumption, noting a family resemblance between the siblings, even if there was a definite difference in size. “It’s nice to meet you, Yolanda. I was hoping we would. I just hadn’t expected to meet you here tonight.”

“Really?” Yolanda turned to Hector and smiled in a you’ve-been-holding-out-on-me way.

Obviously, she thought the two of them were an item, so Samantha decided to explain. “Hector said you were expecting, too. I thought it might be fun to compare notes sometime.”

Yolanda, who hadn’t yet noticed Samantha’s pregnancy, since it was hidden behind the table, zeroed in on her baby bump now. As she did so, her eyes widened, and her lips parted, clearly unable to hold back her surprise. “Oh, my goodness. So you are.” She glanced at Hector, then to Samantha and back at Hector again.

It was, Samantha supposed, an easy conclusion to jump to: that Hector and Samantha were dating; that he was the expectant father. But she thought it was best if he clarified things. In fact, he’d probably be fielding a lot of questions from his sister when she got him alone, which seemed fair. After all, he’d been quizzing Samantha all evening.

Yet he seemed oblivious to his sister’s assumptions and did nothing to set her at ease.

“How about lunch someday?” Yolanda asked. “I’m free on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Samantha hadn’t expected such a quick response, but her calendar was clear. “Sure.”

“If you give me your number, I’ll call later in the week, and we can choose a day that works for both of us.”

Samantha reached into her purse, pulled out a pen and the little notepad she carried, and scratched out her cell number. Then she tore out the small sheet and handed it to Hector’s sister.

She wasn’t sure if the two of them would actually get together. People often said things like that upon meeting, but then dropped the ball for one reason or another. Either way, whether they met for lunch or not, she’d be okay with it.

It’s not as though she was desperate to find friends, although in a sense she needed to connect with someone. For the longest time, her life had revolved around Peter and his family, then her mom. So she’d lost a lot when her husband died and even more when her mother passed away.

Besides, with the babies coming, it wasn’t a good time to be alone.

There was a support group for expectant mothers at the clinic that she’d considered joining. It was just that she felt a little uneasy in a crowd, especially when meeting people for the first time. And for that reason, a one-on-one lunch with Yolanda was far more appealing.

“Would you two like to join us?” Hector asked. “We can ask the waiter to give us a bigger table.”

Yolanda brightened, but before she could speak, Chad responded. “Thanks for asking, Hector, but I planned a romantic dinner tonight.”