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“Cat got your tongue, honey?” She stood before me, but I was frozen. My feet had grown roots in the ground, and I fought the urge to let my mouth fall slack.
“You are an absolute vision.” She seemed to float above the ground, her heels barely making a sound against the wood flooring. Then, I was drowning in the smell of her vanilla perfume. Her arms were around my neck, her nose brushing mine.
I could die and go to heaven right here, right now.
“I love that after all this time, I still affect you, Mr. Wilson,” she whispered. My arms looped around her small waist, my hands cupping her sweet curves. She moaned. “Don’t start something you can’t finish. We’re late.” She pecked my lips with her red ones, and a jolt of excitement flashed through me.
“I can be quick. You know that.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “And that’s why we were late for Summer’s graduation, you handsome devil.”
“I can’t help that I have a hot as hell wife who is just begging for my attention.”
“Later. We have to watch our kids become adults.” She winked and pulled out of my grasp, her hips swaying as she walked through the threshold of the front door.
“You coming, Dad? The car is kind of hot, and my makeup is melting off,” Kennedy called from her seat, prompting me to get into action. I hustled out of the house, locking the front door before I rushed to the big Escalade.
Starting the car, everyone sighed in relief once the A/C was blowing on our faces. It was going to be a hot and humid summer if it was already sweltering hot in May.
“Step on it, Dad.” Mason leaned forward in his seat behind me to get my attention.
He didn’t have to tell me twice.
* * *
Amber
Our life was incredibly full. Between Celine and I expanding Sweethearts, Coffee, Cakes, and More to more locations in Florida, and Ryan and Ace starting their own custom car build shop, and then all the kids starting to form their own identities and interests, there was rarely any downtime.
I worked with Celine until two P.M., and then we went off our separate ways to pick up kids from different schools. Then, we dropped them off at their different after-school activities.
My boys had fallen in love with sports.
Mason used to take Nicky with him to baseball practice at the local club, but since he had started college a few months ago, Ryan and I were taking turns. We had to drop Nicky at baseball, Jeremy at cub scouts, and Kennedy at dance all at the same time. So, every week, one kid had to be late because although we lived in a small town right outside of Orlando, it still involved a lot of commuting.
Christmas was now in two days, which meant business was booming with holiday traffic. We had an influx of orders over the last two weeks – so much so that Celine and I had to hire two new bakers to keep up with the demand. The kids were finally getting some much-needed rest from their hectic schedules. Between school and extracurriculars, there was little to no time to sleep. And now that Christmas was here, I would finally get to see my two big babies tonight after three weeks apart.
“Momma, we’re home!” Maddi called from the front door, slamming it shut behind her just as I heard the kids come running from upstairs to greet them.
“You’re finally here!” Kennedy gushed, flying down the stairs and launching herself at Maddi. “I’ve missed you so, so much!” I leaned against the couch, watching the whole heart-warming exchange.
“I saw you three weeks ago, silly.” Maddi squeezed her little sister and kissed her head. “And you called me last night.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s not the same as having you here.” I shifted my attention from the girls to the boys who were fist-bumping and trying to act like they were cooler than cucumbers.
Mason was sporting some new, additional ink on his forearm. He had been addicted since his first tattoo on his eighteenth birthday. He was dead set on completing a sleeve on his right arm.
Ryan and I agreed it was fine as long as he got a job and paid for it, that we would continue to fund the twins’ shared apartment, but they were responsible for food and whatever else they wanted.
“What do you think, Mom?” Mason stepped forward and showed me the fresh, black ink, his skin still slightly red. It was an elaborate design. There was almost too much to focus on – from trees, to the ocean, and then a rose. “Maddi designed it for me.” He nodded at his sister who blushed under my gaze.
“I was just doodling, and he liked it.” We were all admiring the artwork when Ryan walked in, his clothes black from grease, a big grin on his handsome face.
He pulled me into his stinky arms first, and I had to hold my breath from the overwhelming smell. My eyes watered, but I smiled. I would take this foul-smelling man here any day of the week over someone different.
“You look beautiful as always, Spitfire.” He kissed my temple then let me go to hug the kids. Kennedy – like the little diva she was – squirmed out of his arms, complaining about her new pajamas getting dirty. The boys tried to slink away, but Ryan hooked them around the necks with his elbow and dragged them in for a hug.
“Dad, check the ink.” Mason held up his arm, and Ryan nodded.
