Meet Me in Scotland by Patience Griffin

lingerie?”
    Gabriel laughed. “No. But you just did.”
    â€œEffing A.”
Emma’s hand flew to her mouth and her cheeks turned all shades of red, spreading downward to her neck.
    He laughed harder. “Be careful. Or you might get your pretty little mouth washed out.” And because hewas feeling a little devilish, he added, “You might need a spanking, too.”
    Emma straightened. “I’d like to see you try.”
    Aye, I would like to try. It would be entertaining as hell.
    He shouldn’t be flirting with her. He wondered as she huffed off if maybe he’d pushed her too far. But she’d said she wanted to talk to him later. Maybe there was a cease-fire in their future.
    On the way back to the surgery, he saw Mrs. Bruce juggling her youngest baby in her arms while she dropped a letter in the postbox. His own mother popped into his thoughts. Had his mother yearned to have him as badly as Claire wanted her own child? He’d never considered it before. His mother had been years older than Claire when she’d given birth to him.
    Gabe would never forget how Amy glowed when she looked upon her babe’s face for the first time, then the look she’d given her husband. It was a moment of pure love. It filled the room, more completely than the air that surrounded them. Had his mother looked upon him and his da that way? Coll’s exuberance had been priceless, too, as he strutted around the cabin at what he had done, or at least his hand in it—the proud peacock. Gabe witnessed how fatherhood, from the first second even, could change a man. Being a father was one of the most important things in a man’s life.
    Suddenly, Gabe’s feelings shifted. Dom had it all wrong. He was missing out by putting off having a child. Gabe could see Claire was perfectly right.
Now
was the time to have a baby.
    Life was short, dammit. Gabe’s mother had only had a year with him before she’d died. Claire deserved her baby. Money shouldn’t be a factor. Hell, Gabe would pay for his niece or nephew if they’d let him.
    A strange kind of peace came over him. He and Emmawere now on the same side and they could work together to make sure Dominic saw the logic of having a child now. A baby would fix everything. The bairn would glue the Russos together forever. Gabe was counting on it.
    *   *   *
    Emma checked out the last customer and closed the cash register drawer. She was exhausted but not from working all morning. She blamed the ocean for keeping her up half the night with the endless waves crashing against the containment wall. Give her sirens, dump trucks, cars roaring down the street any day—those noises she could deal with. Mother Nature slamming against concrete all night? Not a chance.
    As she hung up her apron, Dominic showed up to prep for the lunch crowd, scowling like the prime rib had been left out all night to rot.
    Emma nodded to him.
    â€œMornin’,” Dominic groused, glaring at Claire.
    â€œHow did you sleep last night?” Claire purred.
    â€œYou know damn well how I slept. Terrible.” He pointed to the storeroom.
    â€œStop yere whining.” Claire hung her apron on an empty hook. “Ye could’ve been in your own bed with yere willing wife.”
    Emma would have to remind Claire she could catch more sperm by being nice than by badgering her husband. The couple faced off, the tension as heavy and thick as the Alfredo sauce on today’s menu. Because harsher words were about to fly, Emma stole upstairs.
    A few minutes later, Claire joined her. “Get your coat. We’re going.”
    Claire had a superior air about her. She must’ve won the battle downstairs, or at least had fewer casualties. Dominic was sharp. If he’d had a good night’s sleep, he could handle his wife. Emma had seen it before. The two of them were meant for each other. Dominic was astrong man and had a way of