Page 14 of Southern Storm (Southern 3)
I smiled and nodded. “I like that plan. Pancakes and sausage?”
“As long as coffee’s involved, I’ll be happy,” he chuckled.
Stealing one more quick kiss, I got up and went into the bathroom for a minute, downing some ibuprofen so I could still go be a good fur mama and take care of my horse after breakfast. Then I headed into the kitchen to start breakfast while Shephard took his turn in the bathroom and got dressed.
I’d started a pot of coffee and just started mixing the pancake batter when Shephard’s arms wound around my waist from behind and a kiss was pressed to my neck. I let out a contented sigh as I set the whisk in the mixing bowl and put it on the counter, sinking back into his embrace and turning my head for a kiss, a request he all-too-willingly obliged.
“I could get used to this,” he murmured against my lips. “Waking up to you, having coffee and breakfast together.”
“Me too,” I breathed as I turned around and draped my arms around his neck.
In fact, I already didn’t know how I was supposed to go back to sleeping alone after getting to drift off to sleep in his arms and wake up next to him. It felt so easy. So right. So natural. Like he just belonged here with me. Withus.
He brushed his lips against mine again, grazing his teeth over my bottom lip before sucking softly, and I let out a quiet whimper as I slipped my tongue out, needing more. Immediately granting me entrance, he curled his tongue around mine as his arms tightened around me, and then he lifted me onto the counter, coming to stand between my legs as he claimed my mouth again and slid his hand under my shirt, skimming it over my waist and around my back. Moaning into his mouth, I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me.
“Ugh, gross! You make food there!”
Shephard and I immediately broke apart, and he jumped back like he’d just been shocked by a live wire while I hopped down from the counter and stared at my daughter like a deer in headlights.
I was really batting a thousand the past couple of days. First, Shephard had to find out that I had feelings for him by overhearing a conversation I was having with Harper, and nowHarperhad just found out about me and Shephard by catching me making out with him on the kitchen counter.
“Oh, my God. Harper,” I gasped. “I…I’m sor—I was going to—”
“Please, Mom,” she scoffed with an eye roll. “I’m not stupid. I already knew you and Uncle Shep loved each other.”
Shephard and I just looked at each other, and I was pretty sure I was the same shade of fire engine that he was right now. I had no idea what to say, and by the look of it, neither did he. Finally, he was the one who cut through the awkward silence.
“Why don’t you let me start breakfast so you and Harper can talk, sweetheart?” he said quietly.
I nodded and started toward the living room. “Okay. Thanks. Harper, come on.”
“Clean the counter first, Uncle Shep,” Harper sassed. “Like a million times.”
Both of us started cracking up. Leave it to the eight-year-old to dissolve the awkward tension in the room.
“Got it, princess,” he chuckled.
I led Harper out into the living room and sat on the couch, angling so I could face her. I still had no idea what to say to her or how to explain what she’d just seen, but before I could get even a single word out, she pounced on me with a hug. I gratefully returned it, squeezing her tight.
“Mom, you don’t have to be embarrassed,” she mumbled against my shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for this forever.”
I pulled back and looked at her. “You have?”
She nodded and smiled. “Uh-huh. I asked you if you loved Uncle Shep yesterday because I knew you wouldn’t talk about it if I didn’t. And remember when you asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said you’d think it was stupid?”
I couldn’t help chuckling even as a few tears sprang to my eyes. This girl never ceased to amaze me.
“This was what you really wanted? For me and Uncle Shep to start dating?”
Again, she nodded. “I wanted my ears pierced too, but I wanted this more. I know you’ve been sad since Daddy died, but whenever Uncle Shep’s here, you always smile. He makes you happy, just like Daddy used to.”
Smiling, I swiped at the tears on my cheeks with the sleeve of my shirt. “I still feel bad that I didn’t tell you Uncle Shep and I talked last night. Because we did, while we were making dinner. I broke my promise to you, and I’m so sorry. I always tell you it’s important to keep your promises, and then I didn’t do that with you.”
“You were making a nice breakfast so you could tell me this morning, right?”
I nodded.
“Then you didn’t break your promise. You always tell me it’s okay if I need to take a little while to think about things and figure out what I’m feeling before I talk to you. So that means it’s okay for you to do that too.”