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have beat the shit out of him if he’d laid a finger on her. So the sparks had flown, the heat had risen and they’d both avoided each other like he avoided body checks head first into the boards.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, dragging her gaze away from him to look at everyone else. “Didn’t mean to cause such a commotion.”
    “Here’s a glass of water, sweet pea,” Greg said, handing her a glass.
    “Oh thank you.” She took it from him and drank deeply, then leaned back. “Well. Where’s my favorite niece?”
    Emily squirmed down from her father’s arms and ran over to Kyla. She laid a small hand on Kyla’s cheek. “Are you okay, Auntie Kywa?”
    Kyla smiled affectionately at the girl. “I’m fine, Em. Give me a big hug.”
    She wrapped her arms around the little girl, who squeezed her back, arms around her neck.
    “I’ve missed you so much,” Kyla said. “And I heard you got a new brother.”
    “I do, I do! Cay-web. He’s right there, Mommy’s feeding him. Bweastfeeding.”
    Kyla grinned at her sister-in-law, who had taken her seat again and still held the baby modestly beneath a blue blanket. “I guess I’ll meet him in a few minutes once he’s done eating. Hey, Jessica.”
    “He eats a wot,” Emily said. “And he cwies and poops a wot too. And one day he peed on Mommy when she was changing his diaper.”
    “Boys.” Kyla shook her head in mock disgust. “I bet you never peed on your mom.”
    Emily giggled. “No!”
    Some of the worry and tension eased and Tag smiled at the interaction between Kyla and her niece. He’d never seen them together. He liked kids and he liked that Kyla liked them.
    “You should get changed,” Jenn said. “Do you want one of the boys to carry you in the house?”
    “‘The boys’.” Kyla smiled, sitting up straight. “No, I think I can walk, Mom.”
    But when she stood, she put out a hand to steady herself. Tag shook his head and moved toward her.
    “No,” she said. “I can walk.” Her voice came out thready.
    “Stubborn,” he muttered. “Let me at least help you.” He set a hand on the small of her back and guided her through sliding doors into the cottage. She crossed the spacious living area, a combination of living room, dining room and kitchen, toward a hall that led to the four bedrooms.
    “I assume I’m in my usual room,” she murmured.
    Her mother spoke from behind Tag. “Yes, but Emily’s staying in there,” she said. “We didn’t know you were coming. But Emily loves the top bunk, so you can have the bottom one.”
    “That’s fine.”
    In the room she sank down onto the bed and lifted a shaky hand to her hair. She met Tag’s eyes and grimaced. “Still feeling a little dizzy,” she admitted.
    “I’ll go get your suitcase.”
    “Oh. Thank you.”
    Leaving the two women, he strode back outside and grabbed the case still sitting on the grass. The others out on the deck were all having a low conversation about what had just happened. “She works too damn hard,” Michael muttered.
    “Yes,” Greg sighed.
    Tag gave a grim nod and returned inside with the case. “Here you go,” he said. “Where would you like it?”
    “Oh. I don’t know.” She gestured vaguely. The bedroom wasn’t large and Emily’s things occupied a good deal of the space. “On the floor over there.”
    “I’ll let you change, honey,” Jenn said “Maybe you want to stay here and have a nap or something?”
    “No. I didn’t come to sleep,” Kyla said with a frown. “I’m fine, Mom.”
    “Okay.” Jenn backed out of the room with her forehead wrinkled.
    Tag started toward the door too, then paused. He glanced out the door to make sure Jenn was gone, then turned back to Kyla. “What’s going on, Mac?” he asked. “Are you pregnant?”

Chapter Four
     
    Kyla gaped at Tag, there in her bedroom, a small bedroom that he seemed to fill with his large presence. Her heart picked up speed yet again and this time it wasn’t the panic attack. It