“What?Why?”
“’Cause nobody ever told me how sexy Tweedledee could be.”I leaned down, and she lifted her face to mine for a kiss.I nipped her bottom lip for good measure too.“It feels mildly inappropriate since they’re cartoon characters meant for kidsandthey’re brothers.”
“No,” she said with mock indignation.“I like our nicknames.Besides, do kids these days even know who Tweedledee and Tweedledum are?”
“You might have a point.”
Reaching for my hand, she threaded her fingers between mine.“Repeat after me,” she said.“‘Yes, darling, you’re right.’And now, memorize those four words.You’re gonna need ’em.”
“Yes, darlin’, you’re right,” I said, and I stole another kiss.“Today’s the day, AJ.I’m gonna sit down with Merv later.I want you there.Abey, Bax, and Brand will be there too.I’m thinkin’ it’s probably best if y’all wait outside so Merv doesn’t feel ganged up on, but I could really use your support.”
“You got it,” she said, and she draped her arm over my stomach and squeezed me tight.
Kissing the crown of her head, I murmured, “Thanks.”
The bedroom door creaked open an inch, and then Stu’s head peeked through the gap.
“Deedee’s awake!”he announced.“They’re awake!”He threw open the door and bounded across the room, jumped onto the bed, and crawled over AJ and me.“Mornin’ Deedee.Mornin’ Avery.Aunt Abey’s makin’ bacon, and Aunt Roxi’s gonna make somethin’ called free-tah-tahs.”
AJ giggled as Stu wiggled himself into the crook between us while I lifted my T-shirt from the foot of the bed and tugged it on.He slid his little hand behind my head when I relaxed back against the headboard, wrapping it around my shoulder.
“How you doin’ this mornin’, kid?”I asked, wanting so badly to kiss my son’s cheek.I wasn’t sure if that was okay, if he’d welcome that kind of thing from me, but I didn’t have to worry too long about the answer to the question because he turned toward me and planted a wet peck on my cheek.
“Good,” he said happily.“Hungry.”He pulled his arm free and flipped around, then bounced on his knees, looking back and forth between AJ and me.“C’mon!Get up.You like bacon, right, Deedee?”He launched himself off the bed and ran for the door, but then stopped and spun back around.“Wait.Duh.Who doesn’t like bacon?”
Bea’s face appeared in the doorway after Stu sprinted away.“I’ll just close this so y’all can have some privacy.”She smiled and pulled the door shut.
AJ didn’t speak, but she didn’t need to say a word.The bright smile on her face spoke volumes about the good things coming right at us.
Her lips twisted into a sexy smirk.I smiled, too, feeling the weight of all those good things, but they didn’t feel heavy anymore.
They felt perfect.
She moaned and licked her lips.“Yum.Bacon.My mouth’s waterin’ already.”
ChapterThirty-Six
Dixon
“Tellme the story about the magic man again, Mama.”
High noon had descended over Lee Valley like an ominous Edgar Allen Poe reference.For once, the sun hid behind ragged clouds high in the sky, and cool mountain air had finally broken through the heat of late August.The promise of an even cooler September clung to the atmosphere surrounding my sister’s house like a needy puppy, tongue wagging.
Merv’s mouth opened and closed without a sound.I refused to look away, even though I could feel how uncomfortable she was now that it had finally come time for her to voice the truth.She knew AJ and my brothers and sister were on the front porch, listening, and that had to give her even more pause, but they swore they wouldn’t dare interrupt.
Bea, Roxi, and Devo had taken Stu and Athena to the lake and promised not to bring the kids back until they’d received our all-clear.
“You used to tell me the story before bed,” I pressed.“You remember?”
“’Course I do.”Merv swallowed, and I heard the lump of nerves go down her throat.“It wasn’t make-believe.I think you already know that.”
“I suspected, but I’d really like to hear it from you.The whole truth.No more magic or dragons or princesses.”
“I’m sorry, son,” she said.“But I wanted desperately for you to know you had been conceived out of love, not some common affair, but you were so little and couldn’t understand the concerns of adults.A-and your daddy, he knew.He knew I’d been unfaithful, and he blamed you.But then Abey came along, and things got better… for a little while at least.”
“Not for me.”
“No, I expect you’re right about that,” she said.“But that’s why I made up the story, so you’d feel special and know you were loved and cherished.”
