I don’t debate it. In one quick move, I pick her up and land us in the bathroom. Before too long, the relaxing spray of nice hot water rains down over us. Skyla leans back and lets the water dissolve her wooly mane to a sleek blonde waterfall running over her shoulders. The water beads off her flesh, off her beautiful lips, and it’s in this moment I decide that Skyla is mine in this life and after it. Life cannot stop the two of us from being together, and I’m not letting death stop it either. It’s a peculiar thought for a peculiar day, but a blessed day—a new beginning. I pull her in close, my hard-on already close to home where it needs tobe.
“I love you,” I whisper, my lids hanging heavy at the sight of my gorgeous wife with the steam rising around her as if venerating her beauty. “Go ahead”—a dull smile comes to my lips—“make myday.”
Skyla drops to her knees and does justthat.
* * *
About an hour later,Skyla and I sail downstairs with a spring in our steps, my entire body one hundred percent satisfied, and my antenna already going up in hopes to get more of the same latertonight.
“Here they are!” Lizbeth howls from the kitchen. Tad is seated at the table with a paper clutched in his hands, and he curls down a corner long enough to grunt. His left arm is still sticking straight out in a splint, still healing from the burn he endured a few months back, and I feel for the guy. Drake and Bree are seated at the bar, each with a matching bowl of cereal, the hot pink box acting as a partition between them. But my gaze goes straight to the family room floor where Mia and Melissa each hold a beautiful bouncing, happy to see us babyboy.
“Hey, little dude.” Mia hands me Barron, and I scoop Nathan from Melissa. “God, I’ve missed you guys.” I pepper both their faces with a spray of kisses. I’ve seen the boys every single day, but this day, with our family back intact, it feels as if I’m home from a long hiatus that I never want torepeat.
Nathan gives a hearty deep chuckle while gripping my hair at the temple, and I can’t help but land a kiss right over his sharp little dimple. Barron grunts and kicks and slaps the crap out of my face, and the room breaks out intolaughter.
“So—you’re back, like for good? Or was this just some dirty booty call?” Melissa’s lip twitches with a look ofdisgust.
“I’mback.”
She scoffs to her sister. “Guess it’s time to get those earmuffs handyagain.”
“Are you kidding?” Mia dusts herself off as she staggers to her feet. “I employed mine last night right after I heard the first slam of theheadboard.”
Tad struts over, looking his usual disgruntled self. “Neither of you needs earmuffs because I paid a king’s ransom to make sure none of us would have to deal with that disgusting dirty noisepollution.”
It’s true. A while back, Tad had the walls soundproofed by way of carpeting, and it’s been a blight to look at ever since. Another reason I need to get my act together and get my family the hell out ofDodge.
“I heard nothing.” Melissa grunts while glancing to mycrotch.
“Well, I heardeverything!” Mia spasms into my ear. “Why don’t the two of you pick up stakes and find somewhere else to do thenasty?”
“Mia!” Lizbeth waves her off with a flick of the wrist before scooping Barron out of my arms. “Believe you me, not one thing these two do in that bed of theirs qualifies as nasty—or dirty or disgusting, Tad Landon! Leave the lovebirds alone, would you?” She offers me a quick wink before nodding for Skyla and me to follow her to the kitchen. “Come check out the little project the boys and I worked on all nightlong.”
Rows and rows of parchment paper line the counter with hundreds of white chalky looking deformedcookies.
Tad steps over and pops a couple into his mouth and audible crunchingensues.
“Would you stop!” Lizbeth smacks him over the wrist. “Those are made ofplaster!”
Tad spits them onto the floor so fast it looks likevomit.
“Crap.” Skyla takes Barron from me and shields his eyes. “What are those? They look—weird.”
“Vaginas!” Lizbeth says it just above a whisper, and Beau pops up from between herlegs.
“Bagina!Bagina!” His cheeks are pinched pink, and judging by that mile wide grin of his,baginais his new favoriteword.
“Oh hush, you!” Lizbeth is light with the reprimand. “Go check on Misty and Ember forme.”
“No!” Beau ratchets up his pitching arm and smacks Lizbeth square on the bottom, and the room lights up with the sound. I know Beau has been a bit testy lately, but smacking his grandmother over the ass should be the line in the sand. I glance to Drake, but he’s all but drowning in his cerealbowl.
“Bree!” Skyla gasps at both Bree and Drake who lazily make their way over. “And, Mom, really?Vaginas?” she practically mouths theword.
“Yes!” Her eyes light up. “Chloe was right.” Crap. I should have known Chloe was instrumental in this anatomical lunacy. “I did a little research, and they’re all the rage right now. Look at this.” She pulls one from the corner painted a light pink with a tiny little pearl buried right in that magicspot.
Shit. I lean in to get a better look, and holy hell, it’s anatomically correct with every last crease and fold. Nathan does his best to snatch one, and I quickly move him out of range. It’s not your time,buddy.
Lizbeth holds it out for Skyla and me. “It’s beautiful, don’t you think?” She pulls it to her chest as if to model it. “And the best part is the boys helped make them.” She gives Nathan a quick tickle. “Isn’t that right, Punky-Poo!”
