Last First Kiss by Kimberly Killion, Lori H. Leger Page A

here, and happy to take the girls.” She watched as Giselle’s eyes narrowed in anger. Oh, that’s good...Anger is better than nothing.
    Carrie decided to take advantage of the situation. “Well, look at it this way. After you starve yourself to death, Jack would be all too willing to adopt those two. They’re crazy about him, and God knows he adores them. They’d miss you of course, but they’d get over it with the love of a good father-figure like Jackson.”
    “ Those are my children! I’m their mother!” Giselle sneered.
    Carrie cocked her head. “I’m glad you finally remembered. Maybe now you’ll start acting like it.” She put on her glasses and cleared her throat. “Now finish your lunch so I can go spend time with my husband, who actually likes having me around.”
    Carrie’s temporary feeling of guilt vanished completely when Giselle finished a slice of pizza then took another from the box. She knew Jackson would catch hell over this, but if that’s what it took to bring Giselle back to the land of the living, there was no help for it. She’d get over it.
    Carrie left her friend sitting at the patio table working a crossword puzzle, and drove home to meet Sam.
    Sam seemed surprised when his wife walked into the door. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
    “ It seems I’ve stumbled on the right motivation to get her up and moving. Too bad I had to piss her off to do it.”
    “ What did you use to motivate her?”
    Carrie grimaced. “I used Jackson, and he won’t be pleased about it.” She told him about her and Giselle’s conversation.
    Sam nodded. “Sounds like you did what you had to do. It was time.”
    “ I think so. I just hope I haven’t done anything to damage Jackson’s cause.”
    “ I wouldn’t worry about Jackson. That boy can take care of himself. Those little girls are all the motivation he needs to keep on plugging away at it.”
    Carrie groaned in satisfaction as her husband pulled her into his arms for a big hug.
    “ You know, I’ve never seen those two kids take to someone so quickly before,” Sam said. “And God knows he and Bill are crazy about them.”
    “ Noticed that, have you?” she said, grinning up at him. “Now if their mom would soften her heart towards him, it may do them both some good.”
     
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    Jackson pulled his Avalanche up into his driveway. “Here we are.”
    As soon as he unlocked his door, they ran inside. “This place is nice, Jackson,” Mackenzie exclaimed.
    “ I love your sofa! It looks so big and comfable for you. Is it?” Lexie asked him.
    He laughed. “Yes, sweetie, it’s very comfortable for me.”
    “ I like this one.” Mackenzie climbed into the oversize lounger. “We could all fit in this chair.”
    Lexie ran down the hallway, paused to inspect the guest bedroom, his office, and then gasped as she made it all the way to his bedroom. “This is the biggest bed I’ve ever seen!”
    Mac joined her sister. “Oh my gosh, Jackson, it’s beautiful. Did you pick it out, or did your wife?”
    “ No, I picked it out. The bed I had before was small and ugly, and didn’t fit me.” “Because you’re not small or ugly,” Lexie said.
    “ No, you’re big, and tall, and very handsome!” Mac said, with attitude to spare.
    “ Yeah!” Lexie agreed.
    “ Well, thank you very much ladies, I appreciate the compliment. Now let’s get you two set up watching some t.v. in the living room, while I shower and change.” He turned on his equally impressive large screen television set, and they watched the cartoon network while he showered quickly and changed into some clean clothes. He walked in the living room to see his uncle seated in between the girls, watching cartoons.
    Mac’s eyes glistened with happiness as she met Jackson’s gaze. “Bill is coming with us!”
    “ I thought you were out of town, or I’d have called you to help me. I’m kind of new at this stuff,” Jackson told Bill.
    “ I got back and came