spend
some time in the pool with my niece and nephews and let you and Shannon go on
time out.”
“This is why we
love you best.”
Mia slid off the
bed. “Don’t you forget it.”
I stayed where I
was and powered up my Kindle. Mia’s bed was more comfortable than mine anyway.
M AVERICK CRASHED AT about eight, which
suited me just fine. He’d been nonstop all day and had tired himself out, as
did my niece and nephew, which meant I got some quality time with my family
without kids.
I headed up to
my room about ten and found several texts from Carter on my phone. I’d left it
on my dresser, partly on purpose, partly because I’d forgotten to retrieve it
after my shower. Instead of texting him back, I called.
“Hey, baby,” he
said, sounding breathless.
“Hi, honey, you
okay?”
“Was just
finishing a run.”
I slid my watch
off. “Want to call me back?”
“Hell, no. I’ve
missed your voice. Just give me a minute to cool down.”
“Okay.” I
grinned. “I talked to Mia. Everything’s good.”
“I wasn’t
worried, babe.”
“Well, I was,” I
countered.
He chuckled.
“You worry too much, Cass.”
“Just because
I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean no one’s following me.”
“Yeah, but I’m
following them , so I got you, baby.”
“Well, there is
that.” I smiled. “Are you really out running?”
“Treadmill.”
“At ten o’clock
at night?”
“Baby, you’re
not here, so I had to work off some pent up energy.”
I bit my lip…
hard.
“Babe, you
there?”
“Yes,” I said,
my voice husky. “I was just imagining how you might work off that pent up energy
in other ways.”
“I’m coming
over.”
“I don’t know if
I feel up to working off anything in my parents’ house, Carter,” I whispered.
“As much as that
sucks, I agree with you, but I am gonna come say goodnight,” he said.
“Do I have to climb the tree?”
I giggled. “Do
you want to climb the tree?”
“Not
particularly, no.”
“I’ll meet you
on the porch, then.”
“I’ll grab a
shower and be there in a few.”
“Okay, honey.”
I hung up and
headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up a bit. I still had no
makeup on and my hair was in a messy bun due to doing nothing all day. I combed
it out, then pinched my cheeks for a little color rather than putting makeup
on. I’d just have to take it off again, and quite frankly, I couldn’t be
bothered.
Carter texted me
to let me know he was on his way, so I checked on Maverick who was sleeping
soundly and then slipped out of the house. It was rather cool, so I grabbed a
blanket and sat on the porch swing to wait for him.
“Hey, baby,” he
said as he jogged up the steps. His hair was still damp, but he smelled
delicious as he leaned down to kiss me.
“Hi.”
He sat next to
me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “Missed you
today.”
“Me too.” I
smiled up at him. “How’d it all go after you left here?”
“Fine.”
“Fine, good, or
fine, meh?”
He sighed.
“Babe, I’m gonna say somethin’ and then you need to drop it.”
I pushed away
from him and sat up. “Well, that sounds crappy.”
“The shit I’m
dealin’ with with my family has nothin’ to do with you. I know you think you’ve
caused a rift or some shit like that, but it’s not true.”
“So your mom
doesn’t blame me for you leaving?”
“It doesn’t
matter.”
“It does to me,”
I said, and stood. “How can we make a life together if your parents’ hate me?”
“They don’t hate
you, Cass.”
I crossed my
arms. “Let me tell you a little secret about boys and their mamas. We are
viscious when someone hurts them and I can guarantee that your mother sees me
as the enemy in regards to you… especially, because I took you away from her.”
He smiled and rose
to his feet. “Baby, you didn’t take me away from her. And my mom might be
working some shit out in her head, but she does not hate you. But even if
some time in the pool with my niece and nephews and let you and Shannon go on
time out.”
“This is why we
love you best.”
Mia slid off the
bed. “Don’t you forget it.”
I stayed where I
was and powered up my Kindle. Mia’s bed was more comfortable than mine anyway.
M AVERICK CRASHED AT about eight, which
suited me just fine. He’d been nonstop all day and had tired himself out, as
did my niece and nephew, which meant I got some quality time with my family
without kids.
I headed up to
my room about ten and found several texts from Carter on my phone. I’d left it
on my dresser, partly on purpose, partly because I’d forgotten to retrieve it
after my shower. Instead of texting him back, I called.
“Hey, baby,” he
said, sounding breathless.
“Hi, honey, you
okay?”
“Was just
finishing a run.”
I slid my watch
off. “Want to call me back?”
“Hell, no. I’ve
missed your voice. Just give me a minute to cool down.”
“Okay.” I
grinned. “I talked to Mia. Everything’s good.”
“I wasn’t
worried, babe.”
“Well, I was,” I
countered.
He chuckled.
“You worry too much, Cass.”
“Just because
I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean no one’s following me.”
“Yeah, but I’m
following them , so I got you, baby.”
“Well, there is
that.” I smiled. “Are you really out running?”
“Treadmill.”
“At ten o’clock
at night?”
“Baby, you’re
not here, so I had to work off some pent up energy.”
I bit my lip…
hard.
“Babe, you
there?”
“Yes,” I said,
my voice husky. “I was just imagining how you might work off that pent up energy
in other ways.”
“I’m coming
over.”
“I don’t know if
I feel up to working off anything in my parents’ house, Carter,” I whispered.
“As much as that
sucks, I agree with you, but I am gonna come say goodnight,” he said.
“Do I have to climb the tree?”
I giggled. “Do
you want to climb the tree?”
“Not
particularly, no.”
“I’ll meet you
on the porch, then.”
“I’ll grab a
shower and be there in a few.”
“Okay, honey.”
I hung up and
headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up a bit. I still had no
makeup on and my hair was in a messy bun due to doing nothing all day. I combed
it out, then pinched my cheeks for a little color rather than putting makeup
on. I’d just have to take it off again, and quite frankly, I couldn’t be
bothered.
Carter texted me
to let me know he was on his way, so I checked on Maverick who was sleeping
soundly and then slipped out of the house. It was rather cool, so I grabbed a
blanket and sat on the porch swing to wait for him.
“Hey, baby,” he
said as he jogged up the steps. His hair was still damp, but he smelled
delicious as he leaned down to kiss me.
“Hi.”
He sat next to
me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “Missed you
today.”
“Me too.” I
smiled up at him. “How’d it all go after you left here?”
“Fine.”
“Fine, good, or
fine, meh?”
He sighed.
“Babe, I’m gonna say somethin’ and then you need to drop it.”
I pushed away
from him and sat up. “Well, that sounds crappy.”
“The shit I’m
dealin’ with with my family has nothin’ to do with you. I know you think you’ve
caused a rift or some shit like that, but it’s not true.”
“So your mom
doesn’t blame me for you leaving?”
“It doesn’t
matter.”
“It does to me,”
I said, and stood. “How can we make a life together if your parents’ hate me?”
“They don’t hate
you, Cass.”
I crossed my
arms. “Let me tell you a little secret about boys and their mamas. We are
viscious when someone hurts them and I can guarantee that your mother sees me
as the enemy in regards to you… especially, because I took you away from her.”
He smiled and rose
to his feet. “Baby, you didn’t take me away from her. And my mom might be
working some shit out in her head, but she does not hate you. But even if
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