evening, Caleb sneaked a kiss as Carlotta put the
last of the accessories in place. For the last two hours, she’d been running
from room to room, checking drapes, fluffing pillows, straightening out area
rugs, flipping on lights…
“It looks perfect, baby. You’ve done a terrific job. Come
have a glass of wine and enjoy how great the house looks before everyone
arrives.”
Earlier in the day, Tyler, Deke, Jack, and Logan, who had
just gotten leave, brought over all Hunter and Kata’s furniture, setting it
perfectly in place. Carlotta had packed a few of their clothes and essentials
into boxes and brought them over as well. Kata and Hunter would no doubt move
the rest out of their old apartment. But everything in the house now looked
fresh and organized and like something out of a magazine—a far cry from the
house they’d walked into a few weeks ago.
“Everything you did to the house, querido , made it a much better place to live. I merely added
color.”
“Along with a lot of love.”
He hugged her tight as Logan shoved open the front door,
holding Tara’s hand. They both looked around the house with big smiles,
stopping in front of the towering Christmas tree decorated entirely in red and
gold, a shimmering jewel in an otherwise sleek great room.
Caleb approached his younger son and clapped him on the
back. “Good to see you.”
“Hey, Dad.” He turned, and they bumped shoulders.
Then Caleb broke away and leaned over to Tara. As always,
she was such a tiny thing, and he was careful as he wrapped her in a gentle
hug.
“Everything looks great,” Logan’s wife said with a wondrous
smile. “Hi, Carlotta.”
She bustled forward, looking sexy as hell in a black V-neck
sweater with gold flecks, a short black skirt that showed off those legs he’d
become addicted to getting between. It hugged her luscious ass…and damn, he’d
better stop this train of thought or he’d be sporting a hard-on when the party
started.
After Carlotta hugged both Logan and Tara warmly, his son’s
wife handed Lottie some of the drinks they’d brought for the party. The two
women immediately went to the kitchen to chill the cans and bottles.
Logan sent him a speculative glance. “Still just looking at
Carlotta?”
“Nope.” He grinned widely.
His son laughed. “I kind of got that impression. I wasn’t
sure if we were going to have to leave the room quickly because you sure looked
like you wanted to undress her right that instant.”
“I did. I still do. But I can wait. At least five minutes.”
“That long?” Logan drawled, then he laughed. “Good for you,
Dad. I hope you two will be really happy.”
“I think we will. Time will tell, right?” He shrugged. “What
about you? How long is your leave?”
Logan’s smile fell. “A few days. I’ve been promised a longer
one in the spring. In the meantime, I’ve talked to Hunter. He’s going to let
Tara stay here with Kata while I’m on active duty, and it’s a huge relief to me
to know she’ll be with family, just in case.”
“That’s great. It’s perfect.”
“Almost. Yeah…”
Before Caleb could question his son on that comment, Kimber
clattered in on a pair of towering black heels, carrying bags of chips and a
couple of bowls of dip. Behind her, Deke entered with their son, Cal, balanced
on one hip. He held a twelve-pack of beer in his free hand.
Cal lunged out of Deke’s arms to reach Caleb, and he grabbed
his growing grandson, tossing him in the air just to hear the little boy
giggle.
Kimber kissed his cheek, and Caleb marveled again at how
beautiful she’d grown and how happy she looked. Never in a billion years would
he have thought she and Deke would be good for one another, but they’d both
seemed to flourish, their love almost a tangible thing.
“Good to see you, Dad.”
“You, too, little girl.” He smiled at his only daughter and
tickled Cal again.
Deke paused behind his wife. “Kitten, am I icing the beer
down in the
last of the accessories in place. For the last two hours, she’d been running
from room to room, checking drapes, fluffing pillows, straightening out area
rugs, flipping on lights…
“It looks perfect, baby. You’ve done a terrific job. Come
have a glass of wine and enjoy how great the house looks before everyone
arrives.”
Earlier in the day, Tyler, Deke, Jack, and Logan, who had
just gotten leave, brought over all Hunter and Kata’s furniture, setting it
perfectly in place. Carlotta had packed a few of their clothes and essentials
into boxes and brought them over as well. Kata and Hunter would no doubt move
the rest out of their old apartment. But everything in the house now looked
fresh and organized and like something out of a magazine—a far cry from the
house they’d walked into a few weeks ago.
“Everything you did to the house, querido , made it a much better place to live. I merely added
color.”
“Along with a lot of love.”
He hugged her tight as Logan shoved open the front door,
holding Tara’s hand. They both looked around the house with big smiles,
stopping in front of the towering Christmas tree decorated entirely in red and
gold, a shimmering jewel in an otherwise sleek great room.
Caleb approached his younger son and clapped him on the
back. “Good to see you.”
“Hey, Dad.” He turned, and they bumped shoulders.
Then Caleb broke away and leaned over to Tara. As always,
she was such a tiny thing, and he was careful as he wrapped her in a gentle
hug.
“Everything looks great,” Logan’s wife said with a wondrous
smile. “Hi, Carlotta.”
She bustled forward, looking sexy as hell in a black V-neck
sweater with gold flecks, a short black skirt that showed off those legs he’d
become addicted to getting between. It hugged her luscious ass…and damn, he’d
better stop this train of thought or he’d be sporting a hard-on when the party
started.
After Carlotta hugged both Logan and Tara warmly, his son’s
wife handed Lottie some of the drinks they’d brought for the party. The two
women immediately went to the kitchen to chill the cans and bottles.
Logan sent him a speculative glance. “Still just looking at
Carlotta?”
“Nope.” He grinned widely.
His son laughed. “I kind of got that impression. I wasn’t
sure if we were going to have to leave the room quickly because you sure looked
like you wanted to undress her right that instant.”
“I did. I still do. But I can wait. At least five minutes.”
“That long?” Logan drawled, then he laughed. “Good for you,
Dad. I hope you two will be really happy.”
“I think we will. Time will tell, right?” He shrugged. “What
about you? How long is your leave?”
Logan’s smile fell. “A few days. I’ve been promised a longer
one in the spring. In the meantime, I’ve talked to Hunter. He’s going to let
Tara stay here with Kata while I’m on active duty, and it’s a huge relief to me
to know she’ll be with family, just in case.”
“That’s great. It’s perfect.”
“Almost. Yeah…”
Before Caleb could question his son on that comment, Kimber
clattered in on a pair of towering black heels, carrying bags of chips and a
couple of bowls of dip. Behind her, Deke entered with their son, Cal, balanced
on one hip. He held a twelve-pack of beer in his free hand.
Cal lunged out of Deke’s arms to reach Caleb, and he grabbed
his growing grandson, tossing him in the air just to hear the little boy
giggle.
Kimber kissed his cheek, and Caleb marveled again at how
beautiful she’d grown and how happy she looked. Never in a billion years would
he have thought she and Deke would be good for one another, but they’d both
seemed to flourish, their love almost a tangible thing.
“Good to see you, Dad.”
“You, too, little girl.” He smiled at his only daughter and
tickled Cal again.
Deke paused behind his wife. “Kitten, am I icing the beer
down in the
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