And wired

to some high-tech sensor.

Amanda checked her watch and judged that she had fifteen minutes before she had to resume her managerial duties.

I hope your rooms

are all right. We've barely scratched the surface on the family renovations.

They're fine.

And the truth was, it relaxed Megan a bit to see cracked plaster and gnawed woodwork. It made it all less intimidating.

Kevin's in paradise. He's outside

with Alex and Jenny, playing with the new puppy.

Our Fred and Holt's Sadie are quite the proud parents.

With a laugh, Amanda

tossed back her swing of sable hair.

Eight pups.

As Alex said, everyone's having babies. And your Delia is beautiful.

She is, isn't she?

Maternal pride glowed in Amanda's eyes.

I can't believe how

much she's grown already. You should have been around here six months ago. All four of us out to here.

She laughed again as she held out her arms.

Waddling every

where. The men strutting. Do you know they took bets to see if Lilah or I would

deliver first? She beat me by two days.

And since she'd bet twenty on herself, it still irritated her a little.

It's the first time I've known her to be in a hurry about anything.

Her Bianca's beautiful, too. She was awake and howling for attention when I was in the nursery. Your nanny has her hands full.

Mrs. Billows can handle anything.

Actually, I wasn't thinking about the babies. It was Max.

She grinned remembering

how Bianca's daddy had come running in, abandoning his new novel on the typewriter to scoop his daughter out of her crib.

He's such a softie.

Who's a softie?

Sloan strode into the room

to

swing his sister off her feet.

Not you, O'Riley,

Amanda murmured, watching the way his face softened like butter as he pressed his cheek to Megan's.