AN: Okay, one more chapter after this, then maybe an epilogue about the baby, we'll see.

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Goldie, whose heart had leapt to her mouth when she saw him, nearly melted from joy when she saw who was in the back seat. The babies were buckled into three matching car seats looking around and rubbing their eyes with that wonderful, just woke up look.

Jemma was the first to see Goldie, and she pointed a chubby finger in her direction. Goldie could see her mouth making the shape of her name, and she rushed down the steps toward the car.

"Hello," she said breathlessly to Jeff. What she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms, but she settled for a smile and a wave.

"Um, hullo," he responded, hands jammed into the pockets of his jeans. "You're looking well. Give me a hand with the girls?"

"Sure."

As they were unbuckling them and lifting them out, the babies were giving glad cries of "Goldie!" and "Godie carry Pippa!" and "Kiss Goldie!"

Goldie couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes.

They remembered her.

"Come in, come in," Harriet was saying from the porch. The dogs were running back and forth from the house to the car, tails waving.

"Is it all right?" Jeff asked Harriet. "I know you weren't expecting us or anything."

"Of course, of course," Harriet assured him. "I'll just get the baby gate put up. Tom's off at the garden center, so we probably won't see him until dinner—"

It took a few minutes to get everything organized in the living room, putting away glass things and getting out the girls' toys. When everyone had tea and was sitting back, Harriet discreetly retired to the kitchen "to start dinner."

"So, how have you been?" Jeff finally spoke into the awkward silence. "You look wonderful, as I said."

"I've been okay," Goldie responded tentatively. "You look good too, Jeff, and the girls are just wonderful, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they keep me busy, but they're lovely."

Both took a moment to watch as the three gamboled on the floor with Edgar and Allan, who were beyond joyful to have little humans to play with. Goldie could hear that at least two of the girls had graduated to calling them "doggies," and this made her sad.

"So, why are you here?" Goldie asked, sipping her tea and looking everywhere but at Jeff.

Jeff took a deep breath.

"Jeff, is it about the annulment? You brought the papers?" Goldie swallowed some more tea. "I'll sign them if you want me to."

"But you don't want to."

Goldie shook her head.

"I just have to know," Jeff said, changing the subject abruptly. "What was your plan when you came into my home? Did you come intending to seduce me?"

Goldie stared at him for a beat before shaking her head vehemently. "Of course not! I needed a job, I took Griffen and the Velasquezes at their word when they said you were not a nice person, and I got the job intending to gather evidence about your parenting, that's all.

"But from the very first day, I could tell that the girls were so happy, and you were trying so hard, I didn't know what to do. But I swear, that was it." She looked at Jeff, eyes huge. "I never intended to fall in love with you. That was just my mistake, I suppose." She wiped away a tear.

"So where are the papers?" she asked, giving herself a shake.

Both of them were startled by the sound of a knock on the door, to the rhythm of "shave and a haircut, two bits."

Oh, great, Goldie thought to herself as she rose.

"Hi, Gage," she said when she opened the door.

"Ready?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, you know what? This isn't really a good time," Goldie began, keeping the door opening narrow so he couldn't see inside.

"What do you mean? It's 4:30 on the nose. I know how you don't like it when I'm late."

Just then Pippa called from the living room, "Goldie, come back, come back!"

"Do you have company?" Gage asked in confusion.

"Goldie, everything okay?" Jeff called.

Shit.

"Who is it?" Jeff was asking. "Please don't leave him on the porch on my account, I know we came without invitation."

Goldie opened the door wider and let Gage in. Just to make things more tense, Goldie's mother was now hovering on the periphery.

"I'll bring you some tea," she said briskly, as though this would solve everything.

"Gage Allerton, Jeffrey Ormonde, my boss," Goldie said, not knowing what else to say. After all, he was no longer going to be her husband, right?

"Oh, hello," Gage said, extending a hand. "The reservation isn't until five, I guess I have time for a quick cup of tea."

"Reservation?" Jeff inquired politely.

"We're just going to dinner and out after," Gage explained. "Some old friends of ours are having a housewarming party."

"How do you to know each other?" Jeff asked, looking between Goldie and Gage.

"We're high school sweethearts, if you can believe it," Gage responded with a smile at Goldie. He reached for her hand, clasping it firmly. "Just reconnecting after a few years. I can't tell you how happy I was when I found out she was back in town."

Goldie swallowed and pulled her hand from Gage's.

"Oh, I see." Jeff's voice was quiet. "Right, I'll just get the papers from the car and leave them for you, yeah? You can sign and return them as soon as you get the time." He set his tea aside and rose, carefully stepping over the baby gate on his way out.

No no.

"Gage, would you mind keeping an eye on the girls for a minute? I just have to tell Jeff something."

"No sweat," Gage said, promptly getting down on the floor with them. "The only thing I love more than dogs is babies, you know that. Don't take too long, though, okay? They won't hold the table very long."

Goldie followed Jeff outside, wondering what on earth she was going to say to him. She caught up to him just as he reached the car.

"Jeff, wait," she began, putting a hand on his arm.

"What?" He looked at her, hand on the door handle.

"There's nothing between me and Gage," she said, blinking, hoping he'd believe her. "He misunderstood, or I misunderstood—there was a misunderstanding," she floundered.

Jeff's mouth twitched with the beginnings of a smile. "So I gather," he finally said.

"I thought he just wanted to catch up, but he seems to think it's a date."

"You interested in him?" Jeff's jaw was tense.

Goldie shook her head. "No. I still consider myself a married woman." She stepped closer to him. "I'm married to you, and I'm in love with you." She searched his face, so dear and familiar. "Is there any chance you could—forgive me? That we could try to move past what happened?" She again put her hand on his arm. "Please?"

Suddenly she was looking at the front of his shirt, just before he enveloped her in a bone crushing hug. "So you meant it when you married me? That wasn't—that wasn't part of your scheme?"

Goldie shook her head against his chest. "No. I love you, Jeff, please say you still love me."

He lifted her head so he could look at her. "Of course I still love you, you silly goose. How could I not?" He kissed her softly, then leaned his forehead against hers. "It took me a bit to get over being cross with you and realizing it."

"When did you realize it?" Goldie asked breathlessly.

"I kept putting off looking for you, though I knew you were probably here," Jeff began, his voice deep above her head, making his chest rumble. "But I knew when I was with the girls one day, and I realized that if we didn't come find you soon, they'd—they'd forget you. And I didn't want that to happen, my darling Goldie, I just didn't."

Goldie smiled and closed her eyes, squeezing out the tears that had been pooling in them.

"Oh, shh, don't cry," he begged softly, clasping her hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss.

"But you did bring the papers for me to sign? Things got that far?"

Jeff shook his head sheepishly. "I was going to come out here, look around for a bit, then say I'd misplaced them," he admitted. "There never were any papers, if I'm telling the truth."

"You! You made me suffer all these months, and you never even had them drawn up?" Goldie asked in disbelief. She slapped at his chest.

"Well, I'd better go back in and have a talk with Gage," Goldie said, turning toward the house.

Jeff pulled her back into another hug. "Just one more kiss," he murmured, slanting his mouth across hers as he held her close.

That's when they both felt it, the rolling, fluttering sensation in Goldie's abdomen.

Jeff stepped back, eyes wide with shock. "Is that—was that—?" He didn't know how to continue.

"Surprise!" Goldie said with a smile. "That was the first time I've felt it, too."

"Oh my god," Jeff said, standing stock still. "When were you going to tell me?" He took her in his arms again, and this time Goldie could hear the lambent joy in his voice.

"Well, I haven't exactly had time, you know?" Goldie leaned her head against his chest and they both felt it again, the new life which grew between them. "Are you happy?" she asked.

"I'm pretty chuffed, yeah," he said, squeezing her before releasing her. "Now, go send your young man on his way so we can have a good, long, talk, yeah? I assume your parents don't mind if we stay?"

"I'm sure they won't mind."

As they headed for the house, arms around each other, Goldie said, "I love you, Jeffrey Ormonde. And I love Jemma, Pippa, and Genie."

Jeff said, "And I love you, Goldie Sorensen."