Cupping my chin, Sam brings me in for one last kiss before I move back to my seat. He doesn’t let me get far and tugs me closer.
“Now, buckle up. I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”
Chapter Fourteen
JOEY
“You have everything you need?” I ask Max one more time. “Your stuffy and your pillow? Your water cup?”
“Yes, Mommy,” he answers.
The baseball hat he’s wearing is a bit too big for his head, but he looks adorable. Add in the oversized backpack and it looks like he might fall over backward.
“You know we’ve watched him before, right?” Chase asks, tossing his sleeping bag into the back of the truck.
I cast him a glare. “Yes, but you’re taking him camping. I get to be overbearing if I want to.”
Rylee smacks my brother on his arm. “Let her be. She doesn’t get many nights apart from Max, so she can worry.”
Chase rolls his eyes at her before giving her a kiss.
“You know I’ll be available whenever you need me, okay?” I adjust Max’s backpack one more time.
He wraps his arms around me. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too, Baby.” I press a kiss to his cheek. “Have the best time with Uncle Chase and Aunt Rylee, okay?”
“I will.”
I toss his backpack into the truck before helping bucklehim into the car seat and shutting the door, waving at all three of them as they pull out.
Max has spent the night with them before, but he’s never been camping. It’s only one night, but he’ll be gone all day and well into tomorrow before he comes home. I know they love Max and are equally excited for this weekend, but it doesn’t make it any easier watching him go.
Hopefully Max won’t scare them off of wanting their own kids one day. I’d love for him to be able to have some cousins to play with.
As they disappear from view, I walk back up the stairs to our tiny place. I still have a few hours until I meet Sam, so I might as well make good use of my time.
Usually, by the time I get home from work, make dinner, and put Max to bed, I’m exhausted. I don’t have the energy to clean or do much more than a quick tidy.
Doing it now helps with the anticipation for tonight. An uninterrupted stretch of time with Sam. Just what I want.
After deep cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, I take a long luxurious shower. Something I never allow myself. I shave. I scrub with my favorite salt scrub. Hell, I even shampoo my hair twice before getting out of the shower.
I have no idea what Sam has planned for us tonight, so I opt for something more casual to wear. I throw on a pair of cutoff denim shorts and a darker chambray shirt before blowing my hair dry. I keep my makeup light. Based on how Sam ate up my lip gloss the other night, that’s really all I need.
I grab my overnight bag—that was ready yesterday because I was so excited—and head out. But not before running into my dad.
“Hey, Joey. Where you off to?” I don’t miss the glance down to the bag in my hand.
“I, umm.” Shit. I never thought I’d run into my parents. They were supposed to be gone all day. One of the downsides of living in the apartment above their garage. “MeetingPresley and Georgia. Might have some drinks and figured better safe than sorry.”
He smiles at me. “Always so responsible, even when you’re having a night off.”
“Max is excited.”
He nods in agreement. “That’s all he could talk about yesterday.”
“And I’m sure it will be the only thing he talks about for the next week.”
