James headed toward me, crossing the snow-covered lawns of our front yards. “It was nice. I even got Jordan to relax. This time of year, he’s wired for Fashion Week in New York.”
Oh. Yeah, I could not relate.
When James had told me his husband was a makeup artist and worked in TV, I’d pictured him applying foundation to anchors on the news.
“And when am I getting to meet this mystery guy?” I wondered. Because so far, no sign of him.
James chuckled. “We got in late last night, but he’ll probably be up soon.” He reached my truck and nodded at the supplies. “Need a hand?”
“Sure. Thanks. Everything’s going into the hallway,” I replied.
“What’s on the remodel agenda? You finished your bedroom, right?”
“Yeah, it’s the one thing that’s done. Next up is demolition of the kitchen and one of the kids’ rooms.”
Demolition was a strong word. I was removing all the cupboard doors so I could polish them and give them a new coat of paint. But the marble on the kitchen island was getting chucked.
In the end, where the kids’ rooms were concerned, I had made the choice of who was getting which room. Because the more I’d thought about it, the more I’d envisioned the fights and bickering. Dylan was getting the smallest room, only because in a year or two, he’d be old enough for his own space above the garage. In addition, having his own little studio apartment might prompt him to pick a college close to home.
Lily and Micah would get the two rooms that were a little larger, and Hallie would get the main bedroom with the ensuite bath. But she would have to share that bathroom with her sister.
James and I made quick work of bringing everything inside. Wall paint, rollers, samples for flooring, tools, brushes—the list went on.
It felt good having something to work on over the holidays. It’d also given me back my appetite, and I was dealing with multiple hankerings every day now. Today, I didn’t have to go over to the old house either, ’cause the kids were with Nate’s parents, so I could decide for myself what to get for breakfast, lunch,anddinner.
“What’s the best pizza place around?” I asked.
“Hmm. I’m a sucker for Paisano’s on the other side of the park,” he answered. “They make fantastic stromboli too. Jordan prefers Domino’s and Pizza Hut. They’re close.”
Paisano’s was great. I might get that for dinner.
“If you’re in the mood for pizza, you should have dinner with us tonight,” James said. “Unless you’re heading over to your family.”
“I’ll be here all day.”
“All right, well, Jordan’s making his pizza monkey bread. I know it sounds childish, but it’s fucking incredible.”
I lifted my brows at him. “I never turn down monkey bread. Sign me up.” My ma used to make the regular kind when I was a kid, but I’d heard of savory versions as well.
“James! Have you left me?!” The distant shout ended our conversation, and I smirked at James. Was I about to meet the husband?
James shook his head in amusement and stepped out on the porch. “Don’t you think I would’ve left you for someone whose house you can’t find in two seconds, sugar?”
They had banter. I liked that.
I honestly didn’t know what to expect now, though. From the few stories James had shared, I knew Jordan was a makeup artist, apparently into fashion, he was headstrong and driven, and he could draw. And I knew the latter because I’d seen the ink on James’s rib cage once when his T-shirt had ridden up. A big, uh…one of those designs, uh…mandala? Pretty sure they were called mandalas anyway. Jordan had drawn it, and James had turned it into a tattoo.
On that note, James’s body was worth admiring without the ink too. He was a little shorter than me and had less bulk, but he wasn’t far off. He took care of himself, and it showed.
Didn’t hurt that he had stunning green eyes and a charming grin.
“That’s what you’re wearin’ when you meet my boss?” James asked.
Well, now I was too curious. I left the buckets of paint behind and joined him on the porch—and it was fucking worth it. What the hell? I couldn’t help but smile. First of all, that guy was a lot younger than James. Second of all, he was wearing a fluffy-looking onesie-style pajama suit, and the hood had teddy bear ears.
“Are those my boots?” James chuckled.
“They were so easy to just stick my feet into,” Jordan replied.
