They walked down by the lake and sat on the dock. Sarah laid back and flung her arms over her head. The sun warmed her face, and she listened to the ducks and frogs that chatted along the water.
"It's beautiful here."
She used her hand to block the sun as she cracked an eye open to peek at him. He was looking straight at her.
"You're gorgeous laying there in the sun."
"You don't look so shabby yourself."
After about half an hour, Sarah had Luke help her sit up. "I have to go bake for dinner."
"Need some help?"
She grinned at him. Nothing she wanted more than for him to be at her side. "Do you know anything about baking?"
He shook his head. "Not a bit."
"Oh, this is going to be fun." She stood up and brushed herself off. "Wren might be a little disappointed that you're taking her job though."
"Isn't there room for three in the kitchen?"
"I supposed, but that means I have to keep my hands off you." She kissed him soundly.
"Ah," he teased as they started walking, "I see the problem."
Wren was waiting on the porch when they returned. "Do you still need my help?" she asked as she eyed Luke.
"Of course. The more the merrier." Sarah leaned close to the girl. "Besides, this is going to be fun. He doesn't know flour from horse manure."
"Gross," Luke exclaimed. "Those are two things that should never be mentioned together."
After they all had aprons on, Wren started on the bread dough on one table. Sarah sat a big bowl down on the other. "We are going to make brownies."
"Sounds like a plan."
As they measured flour, cocoa, and sugar, Sarah turned to get the eggs. She pinched Luke on the ass and made him jump. He started to say something, but she pointed to Wren's back.
"Oh, so that's how it's going to be," Luke teased.
When Sarah brought the eggs back, Luke turned and groped her breast. "Oops, my bad."
Sarah ignored the fact that her nipples instantly hardened. She showed him how to crack the eggs.
"Oh, that's easy." Luke grabbed an egg and raised his hand to tap the edge of the bowl.
"Gently--" Sarah hadn't even finished the word when Luke slammed the egg down and it shattered everywhere. Pieces of shell laid in with the flour mixture, and egg dripped from the bowl.
"Oh."
"Yeah. Gently means little taps. Eggs are pretty fragile."
Wren snorted as she tried not to laugh. Luke and Sarah looked at her, and then at each other, until all three of them were laughing so hard they had tears running down their cheeks.
Chapter Sixteen: Be My Queen
Luke Ardec
Luke woke first the following morning with Sarah once again still in his arms. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her shampoo scent. He loved everything about her, and now that they were together for good, he wanted to know every single detail that he could.
