times before, but this time was different. This time the sound skittered across her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"My pleasure." She poured more batter on the griddle.
"Are you going to work today?" Danny asked as he stepped back and stared at his father.
Craig leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Nope. I'm off for the whole weekend."
"Wow! Can we practice baseball?"
"Sure. Whatever you want."
The three boys grabbed him again and held on tight. Craig turned away from the table, dragging them along. C.J. laughed. Even Ben giggled.
"You boys going to let me go?" Craig asked.
"No!" they answered as one.
With that, Craig dropped to his knees, taking the boys with him. They swarmed over him, like bees on a flower. They were one mass of tickling, wrestling, hugging bodies.
"I've got you now."
"I'll get you back."
"Let's tickle Dad."
"Let's not."
Bits of conversation overlapped. Jill turned the pancakes and stared at the Haynes males enjoying themselves. She felt as if she were on the outside of the inner circle. The familiarity of the emotion startled her. In that moment, she realized she'd spent much of her marriage on the outside looking in. She'd fooled herself into believing that she belonged, but it wasn't true. It had never been true.
She set the cooked pancakes on the warming tray.
"You boys planning to finish your breakfast anytime soon?" she asked.
"No!" Danny said. He was tugging on his father's leg. Ben had wrestled one of Craig's aims to the ground and was trying to pin it there. C.J. lunged for her.
She tried to jump back, but she wasn't fast enough. He tugged on her leg. Her knee gave, and she started to fall. She didn't know what to brace herself on. She didn't want to hurt any of the boys.
Before she could figure out what to do, Craig twisted free and grabbed her. He spun her as she fell, so she landed across his lap. Her bottom connected with his rock-hard thighs.
She barely had time to absorb the feeling of his body so close to hers when Danny flung himself on top of them both. His bony legs splayed over her hips and he leaned down to press his nose against hers.
"I'm the winner," he said.
She smiled. "You are?"
"Yep."
Craig laughed. She felt the vibration of sound against her arm, which was pinned against his chest. C.J. came up behind her and started tickling her. She shrieked.
"Stop that," she demanded between gasps.
"She's real ticklish," C.J. crowed in delight.
Ben started to attack, too.
Jill tried to slip away, but she was trapped. Craig leaned over, trying to shield her with his body. As his weight shifted, they all tumbled together, a wild assortment of arms and tangled legs.
She laughed until her sides ached and she couldn't catch her breath. For that moment, she was a part of the family. She knew it was temporary, but she didn't care. The warmth and happiness thawed the ice around her soul.
"Okay, boys, get up," Craig said. "While we finish breakfast, we'll decide what we're going to do this weekend. But whatever it is, we're going to do it together."
"Everything?" Danny asked as he stood up. "Even go to the bathroom?"
"You are so weird," Ben said and lunged for his brother. Danny shrieked and took off around the table. In a matter of seconds, all three of them were racing around the room.
Craig shook his head. "I think my brothers and I were worse. I don't know how my mother stood it."
"I'm sure she loved you all."
Jill stood up and brushed off her behind. Without thinking, she offered her hand to Craig. He took it and rose to his feet. Once there, he towered over her. Six feet of sexually enticing male.
"What do you want to do this weekend?" Craig asked her.
"I get a vote?"
"Sure, you're part of the family."
C.J. stopped running and leaned against her. "Let's go bike riding."
Danny flopped into his seat. His light brown hair fell into his eyes. "I wanna play baseball."
"I want to go to the movies," Ben said.
All four males stared at
"My pleasure." She poured more batter on the griddle.
"Are you going to work today?" Danny asked as he stepped back and stared at his father.
Craig leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Nope. I'm off for the whole weekend."
"Wow! Can we practice baseball?"
"Sure. Whatever you want."
The three boys grabbed him again and held on tight. Craig turned away from the table, dragging them along. C.J. laughed. Even Ben giggled.
"You boys going to let me go?" Craig asked.
"No!" they answered as one.
With that, Craig dropped to his knees, taking the boys with him. They swarmed over him, like bees on a flower. They were one mass of tickling, wrestling, hugging bodies.
"I've got you now."
"I'll get you back."
"Let's tickle Dad."
"Let's not."
Bits of conversation overlapped. Jill turned the pancakes and stared at the Haynes males enjoying themselves. She felt as if she were on the outside of the inner circle. The familiarity of the emotion startled her. In that moment, she realized she'd spent much of her marriage on the outside looking in. She'd fooled herself into believing that she belonged, but it wasn't true. It had never been true.
She set the cooked pancakes on the warming tray.
"You boys planning to finish your breakfast anytime soon?" she asked.
"No!" Danny said. He was tugging on his father's leg. Ben had wrestled one of Craig's aims to the ground and was trying to pin it there. C.J. lunged for her.
She tried to jump back, but she wasn't fast enough. He tugged on her leg. Her knee gave, and she started to fall. She didn't know what to brace herself on. She didn't want to hurt any of the boys.
Before she could figure out what to do, Craig twisted free and grabbed her. He spun her as she fell, so she landed across his lap. Her bottom connected with his rock-hard thighs.
She barely had time to absorb the feeling of his body so close to hers when Danny flung himself on top of them both. His bony legs splayed over her hips and he leaned down to press his nose against hers.
"I'm the winner," he said.
She smiled. "You are?"
"Yep."
Craig laughed. She felt the vibration of sound against her arm, which was pinned against his chest. C.J. came up behind her and started tickling her. She shrieked.
"Stop that," she demanded between gasps.
"She's real ticklish," C.J. crowed in delight.
Ben started to attack, too.
Jill tried to slip away, but she was trapped. Craig leaned over, trying to shield her with his body. As his weight shifted, they all tumbled together, a wild assortment of arms and tangled legs.
She laughed until her sides ached and she couldn't catch her breath. For that moment, she was a part of the family. She knew it was temporary, but she didn't care. The warmth and happiness thawed the ice around her soul.
"Okay, boys, get up," Craig said. "While we finish breakfast, we'll decide what we're going to do this weekend. But whatever it is, we're going to do it together."
"Everything?" Danny asked as he stood up. "Even go to the bathroom?"
"You are so weird," Ben said and lunged for his brother. Danny shrieked and took off around the table. In a matter of seconds, all three of them were racing around the room.
Craig shook his head. "I think my brothers and I were worse. I don't know how my mother stood it."
"I'm sure she loved you all."
Jill stood up and brushed off her behind. Without thinking, she offered her hand to Craig. He took it and rose to his feet. Once there, he towered over her. Six feet of sexually enticing male.
"What do you want to do this weekend?" Craig asked her.
"I get a vote?"
"Sure, you're part of the family."
C.J. stopped running and leaned against her. "Let's go bike riding."
Danny flopped into his seat. His light brown hair fell into his eyes. "I wanna play baseball."
"I want to go to the movies," Ben said.
All four males stared at
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