“Me too,” he said, another kiss landing on her lips. “Better go wash my hands. I’ll set the table too.”
“It’s done,” she said. “And it was nice to do it and not worry I was going to drop a plate looking out the window to see if Archer was staying out of trouble.”
“My mother used to say that too, but I always had someone else outside with me.”
“Archer would love that. There are a few kids around the corner he plays with a lot, but not at night during the week.”
“Your turn,” Archer said. “Bathroom is yours. I had to pee too.”
He laughed over the extra shared piece of information. “Did you wash after that too?”
“Always,” Archer said, wrinkling his nose. “Mom said it’s gross to touch your privates and not wash. That germs get in your food and then crawl around in your belly. I don’t want germs and bugs in me.”
“Bugs in the belly sound pretty gross,” he said and walked into the bathroom grinning.
She was pretty funny in getting her point across and teaching her kid things.
The three of them sat at the long island, filled their plates and talked about Archer’s day at school.
Farrah asked questions, he did the same, and somehow Archer could eat and talk at the same time until his plate was cleared and he was asking for more.
“I’m going to help your mother clean up dinner,” Jayce said when they finished.
“Why don’t you go outside and practice shooting where I can see you,” she said. “When we are done, we’ll come out and play a few games of HORSE.”
“You read my mind, Mom,” Archer said and got off the chair and ran outside.
“He’s a good kid,” he said. “Do you want to tell me what happened with Tucker or is it me that is causing you to look worried?”
“I don’t want to unload my drama. It’s all good.”
“You’re not and I asked,” he said, moving closer to her. Their shoulders touched, his body warmed up not in arousal but in need to offer her the same amount of comfort she’d given to him.
The support he’d gotten since he’d been home. That they gave each other years ago and he was dying to return. If she’d let him.
Sometimes she’d open the door a crack, others she turned the locks and held it in.
“It’s just more of the same. Report cards came out almost two months ago. The next one is in a week and yet he has to call and lecture Archer over something he just bothered to look at.”
“Sounds like nitpicking to me.”
“That and more. He’s not into sports.”
“So you’ve said. Not sure how you two got along when it’s always been such a part of your life.”
“Yeah, well, we grow up and become adults and have less time for those things. I missed it, but it wasn’t eliminated. I didn’t have the time to play like I used to.”
“Be honest with me, do you wish you had more time like we’ve had doing things with Archer?”
She sighed and turned to face him. “Yes. I mean, what we have with him is what I always wished for when I had a family. And I’m not saying that to put anything on you. You asked a question and I answered it.”
“I’m enjoying it just as much as you,” he said. “Can’t we just go with that for now?”
Even if he wanted more.
Even if what he craved was just one night, hell, a few hours, alone with Farrah, where the world wasn’t pulling at her every second. Where she could look at him without distraction and without walls.
Sometimes he caught the flicker in her eyes, the way her breath hitched like she felt the same. That hope twisted in hischest until it hurt. But then she’d pull back, bury herself in duty and convince herself she didn’t get to want more.
