Gwh wanted to remind him that even as kids, he couldn''t beat her at racing games, and as adults, he still lost to her on the track. Maybe he shouldn''t use his ''skills'' to mess up the next generation. But she held her tongue.


    "Let''s wait until they''re born," she said.


    If they were both girls, she hoped they would be a bit more refined and not too wild. Patti Yale was a perfect example of what could go wrong. Spoiled rotten by her family, she grew up with a chaotic personal life, utterlycking in dignity and morals. Gwh didn''t want her daughters to end up like that. She preferred girls to be... well, girly. It was strange how her perspective had changed from being a daughter to bing a mother.


    Connor, however, wasn''t thinking that far ahead. His n was simple: if he couldn''t marry Gwh, then someday he''d have a son and marry him off to Gwh''s daughter, just to spite Hawthorne. He stole the woman he loved, so he would steal the apple of his eye.


    Connor drove Gwh to the beach and went to find a boat, nning to take her out fishing. But after securing a small cruiser, he turned back to find Gwh wading into the ocean as if to jump.


    "Gwyn!"


    Connor''s blood ran cold. He dove headfirst into the water and dragged her back toward the shore.


    Gwh had been enjoying a pleasant soak, wanting to give her two babies the experience of a happy swim, when Connor grabbed her from behind and started pulling her back. She choked on several mouthfuls of saltwater, utterly bewildered as he hauled her onto the sand. As Connor set her down, she staggered to her feet. "Max, what are you doing?"


    Connor''s face was dripping, his shoes full of sand. "Gwyn, what were you thinking? It''s just two kids! If Hawthorne doesn''t want them, I do! I''ll marry you, and you can put them on my birth certificate!"


    Just then, Leonie arrived and happened to overhear his dramatic deration. Furious, she rushed forward, pushed Connor away, and linked her arm through Gwh''s. "Connor, are you insane? Trying to steal my auntie?"


    Now it was Connor''s turn to be exasperated "Don''t make it sound so ugly! brought her out to see the ocean, fair and square. How was supposed to know she was going to jump> Thever would have brought her if I''d known!" That would have been three lives gone! If anything had happened to Gwh, he wouldn''t have been able to live with himself. Tears welled up in Connor''s eyes. Good grief!


    Gwh was furious too. How had her dear Max grown up to be so clueless? The


    way he''d dragged her ashore had left herpletely stunned.


    "Jump in the Sea? You were trying to


    get my auntie to jump with you?" Leonie shrieked, grabbing a small piece of driftwood and chasing. Conn across the beach. Gwh watched the two clowns, wanting to intervene butcking the strength. She just held her belly taughing through a mix of tears, frustration, and amusement.


    "You dare repeat what you just said!" Leonie yelled. "You want my auntie and


    uncle''s sons? You want to be their dad? In your dreams!"


    Connor dodged as he took a few whacks. "I was joking!"


    Leonie finally caught up, tackling him to the ground and pummeling him until he surrendered. She then marched him back by his ear, while Gwhughed so hard tears streamed down her face.


    "Ask her yourself, you master of mix-ups!" Leonie fumed. "My auntie loves her babies. Why would she jump? You jump! Go on, let''s see you jump!"


    Connor finally calmed down and looked at Gwh. Wiping away her tears, Gwh nodded. "Max, I just wanted to let the babies experience swimming with their mom while they''re still inside."


    Connor nearly coughed up a lung. "Oh my god m so sorry. I really thought you were going to jump." He scratched his head embarrassed With all the drama between her and Hawthorne, and the whole town gossiping about Hawthorne and Patti Yale, he''d assumed their rtionship was over.


    "Don''t be silly. I''m going to live a long, happy life, Max," Gwh said softly.


    Leonie still had a firm grip on Connor''s ear. "You hear that? My auntie isn''t going anywhere. So you can just give up on that whole ''hero saves the damsel, damsel marries the hero'' fantasy of yours."