“Only for a little.” Rylee smiled, Xander admiring the dimples adorning her cheeks. This time her smile reached her eyes. “But then you have to get ready for bed.”
They all hung out in the living room for the next hour. Xander on the couch with Rylee, and the kids on the living room floor, distracted with their new toys.
“Everything good?” Xander asked, his arm draped over her shoulder.
“Mmm-hmm,” she replied with a nod.
He tightened his hold on her shoulder, brought her in closer so he could whisper in her ear.
“So why does it feel like you’re mad at me?”
Rylee tilted her head back to look at him. Leaned in a second later to press a kiss to his lips.
“We’ll talk about it after the kids go to sleep.”
The smile that was on his face slowly released.
Talk about what, exactly?he thought to himself.
Xander was confused. Really confused… and justifiably so.
He was quiet for the next few minutes. Quiet as Rylee got up to help the kids put their toys away so they could get ready for bed. Quiet after walking with them and Rylee up the stairs, telling them goodnight from their bedroom doors, choosing to wait for Rylee out in the hall to walk with her to her bedroom.
And when they got inside her master bedroom and she closed the door, Xander got right to it.
“So?” he asked, pushing his hands into his jeans pockets.
She folded her arms. “So?”
He shrugged. “What did I do now?”
She sighed. “Xander, don’t say it like that.”
“Say it like what?”
“Like…that.” She gestured at him.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Aight, so how should I say it?”
Rylee twisted her lips to one side.
“Because I didn’t pop up this time, right?”
“You didn’t.”
“I texted and you said it would be cool, right?”
“You did andIdid,” she replied. “But what you didn’t tell me was that you were going to bring gifts.”
“Oh, my God.” Xander gasped exaggeratedly, then pressed a hand to his chest. “Criminal. I’m a criminal.”
Rylee sucked her teeth.
“To bring gifts to the children… gifts that they loved, no less. My God.” He shook his head while waving his hand in the air.“Nah, baby, you gotta call the cops on this one. Because this right here was totally reprehensible.”
“Xander, please be serious.”
“Iam, call ‘em!”
