"gone?" jonas repeated quizzically.

"whatever ability i had with crystals seems to have been directly related to what i shared with you, not oliver. i've felt nothing around crystals since you woke up without your psychic talent."

"you and oliver worked the crystal to bring me out of the unconscious state i was in after that scene in the chamber."

verity shook her head. "oliver worked it. i concentrated on yelling at you until you finally woke up and paid attention."

he smiled faintly. "i could hear you chewing me out and i knew it was time to come back. you've got a hell of a mouth on you, my love."

"i'm glad you appreciate it," she murmured sweetly.

"i appreciate it all right." his grin turned wicked with remembered satisfaction. he touched her lips with his fingertips. "i consider your mouth a very valuable portion of your anatomy. i'm thinking of having it insured."

chapter twenty

"they're going to call him nicholas emerson quarrel!" the halls of the small maternity ward of sequence springs community hospital rang with emerson's announcement. if there was anyone left in the waiting room who did not yet know that nicholas emerson had arrived, he was now aware of it.

inside her room verity held the tiny bundle to her breast and smiled. she knew her father had been pacing the waiting room floor since she had gone into labor last night. when jonas had finally gone out to tell him that he had a grandson, emerson's roar of approval had shaken the building.

verity raised her head and looked up at her husband. jonas was watching his son nurse. there was deep pride in those eyes of florentine gold. there was also a fascination in them as jonas studied little nicholas.

"look at those tiny little hands," jonas marveled.

"i think he's going to have your eyes," said verity.

jonas grinned. "you think so? the nurse said it was too soon to tell."

"trust me," verity said with smug certainty. "i'd know those eyes anywhere."

jonas's grin widened. he had been grinning a lot for the past couple of hours. he had not been grinning last night, however, when, in the middle of serving dinner to a light crowd at the cafe, verity had announced that her time had come.

jonas had taken over instantly. he had chased out the last of the diners and ordered emerson to get the jeep. at the hospital he had issued a steady stream of instructions to verity and her nurses, consulted with verity's doctor, and generally assumed command of a situation that was entirely outside his field of expertise. that had not stopped him for a moment. jonas had prepared well for the big event.

he had studied every book on pregnancy and childbirth he had been able to find during the past few months. he had supervised verity's vitamin supplements and exercises. he had gone shopping for diapers and baby supplies. together with emerson he had planned an educational curriculum for the child that would have stunned the average public-school teacher. it was a lot like the one emerson had once devised for his daughter.

jonas had considered himself an expert on childbirth right up to the moment when verity had gone into the delivery room and started swearing. she had gritted her teeth and shouted words jonas had never heard her use before. at that point he had realized he was a little out of his depth. jonas had compensated by giving more orders and holding verity's hand so tightly that he was afraid he might crack a few of the delicate bones.

but she had clung to him even more tightly. her nails had left marks in his palm.

somehow they had all come through the ordeal with flying colors. nicholas emerson quarrel had arrived with an ear-splitting squall, prompting jonas to remark proudly that his son obviously had inherited his mother's verbal skills.

"is dad still causing a scene out there in the waiting room?" verity inquired.

"you could say that. he bought a case of beer for the hospital staff." jonas leaned over to get a closer look at his son. "are you sure you feel all right, honey?"

"i'm fine. a little tired, but that's all."

"i can't believe it. we've actually made ourselves a kid. a real live baby."

verity smiled, amused by jonas's wonder. "yes," she said, a little amazed herself. "we did."

the past few months had been good, she thought with satisfaction. the time she and jonas had had together before the baby arrived had assured them both that the bonds between them were strong enough to last a lifetime. verity's nagging, jonas's teasing, the laughter and the loving were all back to normal. better than normal, verity had decided. this time she could be sure that the emotional foundation was for real, not just a byproduct of the psychic link.

the hospital room door burst open just as jonas leaned down to place his son back in the cradle.

emerson stood on the threshold, loaded down with flowers and packages.

"behold, i come bearing gifts and the u.s. mail. how's little nicholas emerson?"

"sleepy," jonas said. "keep your voice down, emerson."

"kid might as well get used to the fact that he's got a mouthy mother, a loud grandfather, and a daddy who's good with a knife. here you go, jonas. a letter from some magazine. looks like a check."

"wonderful," verity exclaimed. "i told you they'd love your piece on digby hazelhurst's contributions to renaissance scholarship."

jonas raised beseeching eyes toward the ceiling. "done in by success. now i suppose i won't get any peace until i write that follow-up article for the editor who got me into that mess to begin with." but he was smiling with satisfaction as he ripped open the envelope and removed the check inside.

verity knew the source of that satisfaction. during the past few months jonas had come to the realization that his knowledge of renaissance history and his feel for the period had not vanished along with his talent. the things he had learned in the academic world and in the time corridor were his for a lifetime.

"and more baby presents," emerson continued as he placed gaily wrapped packages on the bed. "the kid is really raking it in. a package from the griswalds, one from that crump fellow, and one from sam lehigh."

verity pulled off ribbons and tore paper with enthusiasm. rick and laura griswald's gift was an adorable little yellow playsuit. she held it up with delight. "isn't it cute? it's perfect for him."

"looks a few sizes too big, if you ask me," jonas said, examining the outfit with a critical eye.

"don't worry," emerson advised. "babies grow. fast."

"let's see what oliver sent," verity said. she shredded more paper, lifted off the top of a white box, and revealed a beautiful chunk of amethyst crystal. "it's lovely," she said, turning the glittering crystal in her hands.