Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
We found a house one day, not far from town, that had been used as a bed-and-breakfast. Right on the ocean, it was perfect for us. Two large halves linked by a common area, which the owners used to use for the customers to relax in. We lived in one half, Sean and Julia in the other, and the middle area was now our family room. Most nights and weekends, we were all in there. The view was spectacular, no matter the season, and it was filled with adults and kids, toys, games, books, and movies—and laughter.
Our lives contained so much laughter now.
Skylar’s watercolors hung in every room of our home and in the bar. The scenes and stories she told in her art sometimes only meant something to us, but everyone who saw her work loved it. We had a small gift shop in the bar that featured her work, and it sold well. They signed by Mac Gyver and labeled as work by a local artist who wished to remain private, and people ate that up. Sklyar preferred the anonymity, and we agreed it was for the best. Still, she loved it every time a painting would sell. Julia’s sea glass creations and shell jewelry were also big hits, with tourists and locals alike.
Although Julia ran the kitchen in the bar, Skylar helped out when needed in the busier times. Her soups were a local favorite, often making Sean and me chuckle with memories. She and Julia also worked on the foundation, which aided countless people monthly—and all done anonymously.
Life was simple here. We worked hard in the summer and fall when the area was busy with tourists, and the rest of the year, we enjoyed the quiet beauty of the region. It was a good life, pretty much perfect, in fact, mostly because of who I shared it with.
Skylar came around the corner, holding our daughter, Raymie. Both of them smiled widely at me, and Raymie reached out her chubby arms so I could swing her into mine and nuzzle her curls. At two years old, she bore a striking resemblance to me, including the red curls and her stubbornness. She was a quiet child, letting her brother talk most of the time. But when she wanted to, she could yak your ear off, and she always made me laugh. I adored her.
Leaning over, I kissed Skylar’s mouth. “Hey, Kitten.”
“Hey. How was your day?”
“Busy.” I grinned. “I had to rough up a customer.”
“Really?”
“Yep. He got lippy. I cuffed him—made a citizen’s arrest.”
“Oh, busy indeed. Some things never change, do they…” She lifted up on her toes, close to my ear. “…fuckwit?”
Turning my head, I brushed my mouth over her ear. “Careful, Kitten, I still have those cuffs. I’ll use them later if you’re lippy.”
“You like it when I’m lippy.”
I smiled against her skin, feeling her slight shiver.
“I do.”
Laying my hand on her slightly rounded stomach, I smiled down at her. “How’s my little one doing today?”
Sklyar smiled. “Good. Making Mommy tired, but good.”
“Ultrasound next week?”
“Yes.”
“And we’ll find out…” I let the words trail off.
“Yes.”
I fist-pumped the air. We hadn’t found out the sex of the first two, but I wanted to know this time. Be prepared. Only paint once. Skylar had been so convinced that Raymie was another boy, she had me paint the walls in the nursery blue, then wanted them yellow when our daughter was born, insisting the color was too bright now. I promised her a new piece of furniture if she let us find out the sex early. I had taken up woodworking as a hobby and loved losing myself in the craft. The harvest table she asked for was slowly being planned, and I would start building it soon.
I pressed a kiss to her head. “I’ll handle grilling the burgers and bathtime. You can rest.”
She smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Daddy!”
I looked down the driveway to see my son running toward me, grasping something in his hand. Sean and Julia followed behind him, holding hands. They had picked him up from school today, always enjoying spending extra time with him.
I handed Raymie back to Skylar with a wink. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”
“I look forward to it.”
I kissed her hard and fast, then stepped forward, dropping to my knees as Colton flung himself into my arms.
“Hey, bud! How was school?”
“Good! I made you this!”
I looked over the picture, grinning. I was pretty sure the figures in it were our family, but I wasn’t sure what we were doing. There was a lot of blue in the drawing. “Are we, ah, on the boat?”
“Yeah!” he exclaimed gleefully. He tapped the little blob to the right. “That’s the baby! I made sure he has a vest on!”
I squinted at the picture, understanding the orange splotch better now. He was excited about being a big brother again and included pictures of the “baby” all the time in his drawings. He was actually pretty good at it, inheriting the talent from his mother. He also had her smart mouth, dark hair, and engaging smile. He was irresistible.