Katie gently closed the door of the cottage, trying to make as little noise as possible. She ducked her head as she tried to make out Simon's shadow in the kitchen or his silhouette in the yard. Her forehead crinkled – she didn't see him. She hurriedly grabbed the shopping bags off the front porch and turned to head up the stairs to hide them away, when she heard Simon's voice.

"What did you buy?"

Katie gasped, her hand jumping to her throat. "You scared me!" she admonished.

Simon just smirked at her. "Sorry."

"Sure you are."

He casually came down the stairs, taking them two at a time, looking very much like the king of the castle. When he reached the bottom, he pulled Katie towards him, his hand at the base of her neck, and kissed her. "Hi."

"Hi."

He grinned. "So what did 'ya buy?"

Katie frowned. "It's a secret."

One eyebrow went up. "You're not going to tell me?"

"Not yet."

"Okay. I can live with that. Go ahead and keep secrets from your husband." His smile ruined his attempt at sounding hurt, and Katie merely smiled in response when he dropped onto the couch with a sigh and pouted at her.

"Good," Katie grinned and dashed up the stairs. Tossing the bags into the back of the closet, she turned and headed back towards her husband. When she reached the living room again, she sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, how was your day? Anything exciting happen?"

Simon chuckled. "I am happy to report – not a damn thing. I fixed the mantle and got the book shelves painted, and nothing unusual happened. Got our wedding picture up over the fireplace, and nothing unusual happened. I started lunch.”

"And nothing unusual happened," Katie finished for him with a laugh. "So a boring day, huh?"

Simon grinned and leaned in to kiss her. "Yeah, it was great."

She laughed, and then bit her lip as if deep in thought before asking in what she hoped was a seductive voice, "How much time do we have until lunch?"

Simon turned her in his arms, bringing her flush up against his chest, and whispered, "Lots."

And for this reason it took both of them several minutes to register the sound of someone knocking on their front door.

Katie broke a kiss to ask, "What is that?"

"The door," Simon answered, clearly unimpressed, leaning back in to capture her mouth again.

"Do you think maybe we should answer it?"

"Probably not."

"Simon, what if--"

"Aunt Katie? Uncle Simon? Are you home?"

Simon’s head dropped to Katie’s shoulder when he heard Lucy’s voice. Katie tried to her free herself from Simon, but he wasn’t letting go. "Simon, it's Lucy."

"All right," he grunted and got up to open the door as Katie adjusted her shirt.

"Aunt Katie I can hear you!"

Katie grinned and yelled, "We’re coming!"

"Unfortunately not," Simon muttered as he strode to the door.

"What was that?" Lucy smiled angelically at him as he pulled the door open.

"Nothing," he replied leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"Aunt Margo said you got shot, but you don’t look --"

"Who is that?" Simon interrupted, his eyes resting on the boy standing just behind Lucy.

"Oh," Lucy smiled as Katie joined them at the door. "This is Aaron."

Aaron held out his hand to Simon, who shook it – somewhat reluctantly. He did not like the way Lucy was looking at this boy.

Katie reached for Lucy and Aaron's arms, pulling them into the cottage, leaving Simon glaring at the boy accompanying his niece. Only half in jest, he started, "Maybe he should stay outside with his – wait a minute. Lucy?" He practically growled.

"Yes, Uncle Simon?" she asked with her best innocent look.

Simon, however, being used to Katie attempting the same innocent look, was not fooled. "Is that a motorcycle?"

"Yeah," she answered nervously. "Don't worry. I have a helmet."

"Oh! That makes me feel much better," he said at the same moment Katie said, "Really? How cool! Did you decorate it?"

Lucy sighed in relief – she got just the reaction from Katie she wanted. "Yeah, it’s really cute," she told Katie, referring to the helmet Aaron bought her.

"Does Craig know about this?" Simon asked.

"Yes," Lucy said forcefully. Then she added, "I mean, Daddy doesn't really want me riding it, but it's so much faster than walking."

"How fast?" Simon asked, still glaring at Aaron.

"Simon! Sit down before you scare the kid to death!" Katie laughed. She turned to Aaron. "I'm Lucy's Aunt Katie, and the one doing the over-protective routine is my husband, Simon."

Aaron nodded and tried not to take a step back at the look Simon was sending his way.

"Can we get you something to drink?" Katie continued, completely unphased by her husband.

"Actually, Aunt Katie," Lucy smiled, wrapping one arm around Katie and putting her other over Simon’s shoulder. "I have a favor to ask."

"Oh no," Simon muttered as he sat on the arm of the couch, his hand rubbing his forehead. "I know that look. That is the exact same look Katie gets when she's up to something. I hate that look."

"Shush," Katie commanded and looked back at Lucy. "What’s up?"

"I wanted to spend the day with Aaron, but we can't just go to Java or something because there's this girl that won’t leave us alone."

"What girl?" Katie asked perplexed.

"Her name is Allison," Aaron interjected, "And she's not taking the hint that I’m not interested."

Katie smiled. "We just had a similar situation. Didn't we, Simon?" Simon merely grunted, and Katie ignored him. "Of course, we'll help. What do you need?"

Lucy looked at Aaron and then back at Katie. "An alibi?" At Simon's confused look she continued. "Daddy had said we could hang out together, but Allison created this huge problem. Now Dad is being even more overprotective. There's a fair about half an hour from here at the state fair grounds, but we would-- "

"Need the motorcycle to get there," Katie finished for her. "I see the dilemma." She smiled at Lucy.

"Oh god, the smile is worse than the look."

"Simon!" Katie admonished and turned back to her niece. "I'll be sure to call your dad later and tell him what a help you have been around here today – you know, with painting and stuff.” Lucy squealed and hugged Katie. “Now, show me this motorcycle."

As Katie and Lucy walked out the door, Simon stood in Aaron’s path. Aaron looked up and said, "We appreciate this."

"I don't like it, but those two are impossible to stop – especially the older one. So here's the deal." He paused. "You will obey all speed limits. You will take all bends and turns very slowly. You will not, under any circumstances, put Lucy in harm's way. If anything happens, anything at all, Lucy's dad will be the least of your problems."

Aaron nodded. "Got it."

"Good."

The guys got to the bike just as Katie finished explaining to Lucy the danger of kissing while on a motorcycle. "Especially on the neck,' she said. Lucy turned bright red as Aaron and Simon approached. "It's very startling apparently and --"

"Okay, Aunt Katie!" Lucy blurted out. "I got it. I promise."

"What are you two talking about?" Simon asked as he wrapped his arms around Katie's waist.

"Nothing!" Lucy interjected very quickly, grabbing Aaron's arm and all but pushing him towards the bike. "We had better go."

After Aaron and Lucy pulled away, Katie took Simon's hand and pulled him back into the cottage. He was still scowling.

"What's the matter?" Katie asked.

"Other than that Lucy is on a motorcyle with some hoodlum?"

"Hoodlum?" Katie laughed. "He seemed like a very nice hoodlum."

"What do we know about him?"

Katie laughed. "Lucy knows about him – and she likes him. When did you become so overprotective anyhow?"

He looked at her. "It's been coming on for a while now. You usually don't see it because you're out causing trouble."

Katie giggled as she flopped onto the couch. "So this overprotective streak extends to Lucy, too, huh? You have spent too much time around Craig."

Simon rolled his eyes as he fell next to her on the sofa. "I am nothing like Craig. I merely feel some responsibility for Lucy. I don't want her to get hurt."

"That's very sweet."

Suspecting she was being patronizing, Simon added, "I am not being like your brother."

"Uh huh. We’ll see. One day, you're going to have a daughter running around --"

"She will not be running around with boys who have motorcycles." He paused. "Better make that any boy, until she’s 30."

"You're right. That's not unreasonable at all," she smiled. "Besides, when we have kids, they won't have any penchant for trouble or any wild behavior."

Simon groaned. "I hope your schemes aren't hereditary – or we're doomed."

"Hey! You have a wild streak, too, you know."

"Yes," he grinned. "But in me, it's a lovable and endearing quality."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Right." Simon chuckled and pulled her closer. "So, any other rules, besides the no-dating-until-she’s-thirty rule?"

"Hmmm," Simon pondered as he kissed Katie’s neck. "That's the only one I can think of right this minute."

Katie sighed as Simon continued to concentrate on her neck. "Sounds good to me. I mean it's not like we have to come up with the rules in a hurry."

"Right."

"No rush."

"Exactly," Simon answered distractedly.

Katie closed her eyes. "We have eight months or so."

"Yup." Simon moved his attention to her ear. And then, "Wait. What?"

Katie smiled. "Eight months is really just an estimate."

Simon's eyes got wide. "Are you telling me that we're – we're having…"

"Yeah."

He just stared at her. Katie was getting a little nervous at the lack of … well, he wasn't doing anything but staring at her.

"Simon?"

"Hmm?"

'What are you thinking?"

"Two things. Well, maybe three.” He smiled at her and Katie breathed a sigh of relief. "First, the room at the top of the stairs, with all the windows? I was just thinking it would make a good nursery. We'll have to get on that. Second, if we're going to go to Tuscany, we had best do it quickly, before we need to take diapers and a pram."

Katie held up her hand. "Pram?"

Simon shook his head. "Stroller."

"Ah, got it. Good point." She leaned forward and put her forehead against his. "I love the nursery idea, almost as much as the Tuscany idea."

"Good." Simon laughed and stood up. "I'm going to be a father."

Katie smiled. "A really good one."

"Let's hope so," he said. And then, louder, "I'm going to be a father!" Katie squealed as he picked her up and swung her around.

"Simon?" she managed through her laughter as Simon set her down. "What was the third thing?"

"Huh?'

"You said there were three things that you were thinking about."

"Oh, right." He leaned down and scooped her up against his chest. "I think we’re going to miss lunch."


… and they lived happily ever after in their enchanted cottage in the woods.