“Sorry about that,” Cody says.
“No worries, my man.Carter’s right.Hugs make everything better,” I say, wrapping both arms around Ellison and pulling her closer.She comes willingly, placing her hands over mine.
“I happen to agree,” Chandler says, hugging Macie.We share a look.One that says we’re both going to be hugging our mother once we leave this blanket.
“Is this some weird game of Twister?”Macklin asks, joining us.Bowen and Dixon stand next to him.
“Kinky Twister,” Courtlynn muses.“I could get down with that.”
“Nope.Too many family members,” Leighton says, shuddering.
“It’s time to start the grill anyway,” Chandler says.He kisses Macie’s cheek and shuffles so that he can stand.
“I’ll help,” Cody says, turning away, but not before his eyes flash toward Kinzie.
Interesting.
I don’t want to move from this spot, but I know I need to go help Chandler with the grill.“Do you need anything?”I ask Ellison.
“I’m good,” she says.
I sigh.“I need to go help him.”
“Sure.”She stands and offers me her hand to help me stand.I take it, allowing her to pull me up, and pull her into a hug, burying my face in her neck.
“Uncle Cope, is Ellison your girlfriend?”my nephew, Colter, asks as he rushes to stop next to us.
My eyes find Ellison’s, and my hands are still wrapped around her in an embrace.“I’m working on it, bud,” I tell him.
Ellison blushes, and I step away from her before my cock embarrasses me.This is not the time to be getting hard.
“She’s pretty.”
I gasp.“What?Are you hitting on my girl?”I ask him, ruffling his hair.
Colter shrugs.“She’s not yours yet.That means I still have a chance.”
“You’re ten,” I deadpan.
“Miss Ellison might like younger men.”
“Colter?”
“Yeah?”
“Run.”
He cackles and takes off toward the house.
I stare after him before leaning in to kiss Ellison’s cheek.“You gonna let my nephew take you away from me?”I tease her.
“I never thought I’d be a cougar at thirty-two, but here we are.”She laughs.
“Behave,” I tell her, before letting her go and chasing after my nephew.“I’m coming for you, Colt!”I call out.His water gun is no match for the water hose.That’ll teach him to go after my girl.We’re both drenched and laughing by the time he calls, “Mercy,” and rushes back to play with his sister and Carter, who were smart enough to stay out of the line of fire of the water hose.
I hear laughter and look over to see my mom and her friends watching us with warm smiles.My eyes then go to Ellison, who is also watching with a similar look.“Got a minute?”Bowen asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah.”I drop the hose and move to turn it off before following him around the side of the house to the front porch.We take a seat on the porch steps and sit in silence.It surrounds us like a weighted blanket, but he’s the one who wanted to talk, so I wait for him.
