Lee yawned again. "Well, I guess there's nothing more for me to say. I might as well go back to sleep."
Maddy considered Lee's statement for a moment, then rushed to the bed and started to climb on. "Maddy sleep with Poppy," she announced.
"Maddy, no, you shouldn't…"
But it was too late.
Madeline had already crawled onto the bed and settled herself comfortably against Lee's wide chest and curled her little rump against Lee's flat, hard stomach. Mary watched as Maddy grinned at her—a tiny blue-eyed, dark-haired imp who had gotten her way—extended her arm, and motioned for Mary to lean forward. She obeyed and Madeline wrapped her arms around her neck and gave Mary a hug. When Maddy let go of her hold on Mary's neck, she patted the side of the bed with one pudgy little hand and said, "Marwy sleep Maddy, Mama, and Poppy."
Out of the mouths of babes. Madeline must have read her mind. Mary straightened, then smiled down at the pretty little girl and the porcelain-faced doll lying pressed against Lee Kincaid. Maddy's oatmeal-splotched pinafore and the doll's grubby white wedding gown appeared pristine white beside Lee's sun-bronzed flesh. And as she watched, Lee pushed himself higher against the pillows and lifted Maddy away from him. "Mary's right, sweetheart," he told her. "I'm not accustomed to having little girls share my bed."
"Big girl," Maddy interrupted. "Maddy big girl."
Lee frowned.
A tiny smile began at the corners of Mary's mouth. Let him wiggle out of this one, she thought as she waited to see how he would handle the situation.
"Maddy big girl," Madeline insisted again.
"Yes, yes you are," Lee told her. "You're much too big to want to sleep with me."
"Hmmf," Mary snorted, unable to hold her tongue any longer. "I doubt girls come that big."
Lee shot her a sharp look. "You'd be surprised," he answered cryptically.
"Maddy pease sleep Poppy?" Maddy put her arms around Lee's neck and hugged him tight as she planted wet, sloppy kisses on his face.
"No." Lee took a deep breath, then replied firmly, "Papa sleeps in his bed, Mary sleeps in her bed." He thought for a moment. "For the time being, and Maddy sleeps in her bed."
"No!"
"Yes," Lee said as he held Maddy close and kissed her cheek. "Run along with Mary and take your nap. I'll be here when you wake up." He motioned for Mary to take the little girl.
Mary lifted Madeline into her arms. "Don't make promises you may not be able to keep." Mary warned him.
"Mary Two-shot, I never make promises I can't keep," Lee told her.
"You made one yesterday," Mary said.
"So did you," Lee reminded her.
"I know that." She lowered her voice until it was a mere whisper.
"But I intend to keep mine," Lee challenged.
"So do I!" Mary shot back.
"I'm delighted to hear it." Lee grinned.
"I fully intend to keep m-my p-promise," Mary said. "When I'm ready."
"I'll be here." He glanced out the window and gauged the time by the position of the sun in the sky, then rolled onto his back and stretched lazily. "For the rest of the afternoon and on into the night. You're welcome to join me after you tuck Maddy in."
"I'm not sure I'm big enough," she admitted.
"You look big enough to me." Lee sat up in bed.
Mary recognized the look in his eyes. He reminded her of a lion sniffing the air for a scent. "Lee…" she began.