I leaned my cheek against his stomach, feeling his warmth. His heartbeat pounded under my ear. “‘I can resist everything,’” I murmured. “‘Except temptation.’”
“Oscar Wilde. You are not making things easy on me, woman.”
I placed a kiss right over his belly button.
“Tally.”
“What?” I giggled.
He finished twisting the bulb in place and hopped off the ladder. Then his arms were around me. His lips on me, kissing my cheeks, my nose, my forehead, so fast I didn’t know where he was going next. He finally made it to my mouth where I made him stay for a long while.
The song died. And thenDirt Road Memories, my third favorite Double Dubs song, started up. It was a slow ballad about young love gone wrong.
Ashton tipped his forehead to mine, put his hands on my lower back and we swayed to the music.
Tailgate talks under country skies.
Sharing dreams and catching fireflies.
First kiss by the old oak tree.
Now it's all dirt road memories.
We looked over when Theo walked in the room, hands on his hips. “Does anyone else find it disturbing that the person’s voice coming through the speakers is the man who owns this house?” he yelled over the song. “And it’s all he plays? Like he’s obsessed with himself or something?”
“I think it’s great!” Charlie squealed as she came flying into the room on a hoverboard, arms waving in the air, wearing a pair of purple heart shaped sunglasses. She made a quick circle around Theo.
The best part was that Ford was right behind her, on amatching hoverboard, wearing identical glasses. And he had on a pair of skintight cheetah print pants, a plain white T-shirt, and a black rhinestone studded cowboy hat. “It’s a simple fact, Theo, my man. I have the best voice in country music and I have the Grammy to prove it!” he yelled over himself serenading us in the background. “Why would we listen to anything else when Double Dubs is the best?”
“The best!” Charlie thrust her fists into the air. Then she came straight for me and Ashton. “Look out, Mom!”
She’dhad no problem getting used to the switch.
We jumped out of the way and let her make a figure eight before she flashed out of the room, Ford right on her heels. Er—her wheels.
Theo rolled his eyes and walked back into Ashton’s bedroom.
Ashton chuckled. “If two months ago, you would’ve told me this would be my life…” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you talked me into living with him. I’m one hundred percent going to regret it.”
Ford belted from the other room, his twang thickly exaggerated.
Every pebble, every stone.
Tells the tale of how we've grown.
Charlie joined in on the chorus.
Down that winding path we drove,
Where bluebells and young love grow.
“I’m parched, Chuck!” Ford bellowed. “I think we need root beer floats! To the kitchen!”
“To the kitchen!”
“I think I already do.” Ashton shookhis head.
“C’mon.” I slid my fingers under his shirt and rubbed calming circles along his stomach. “You get to be my neighbor. Go on walks with me after dinner. Count the stars together. Have our very own, two-person book club. Remember, you promised.”
