Chapter 20 Everything Changes
EVERYTHING CHANGES
Thaddeus
After the parade ended, we all knew there was only one thing left.
One very important activity before Tarrytown would fall into gloom until next year when Halloween rolled around again—trick-or-treating.
Slowly, Summer and I walked up the hill, surrounded by kids running from one house to the next, growing their candy stashes.
Many houses set out buckets of candy on the honor system as no one was home to hand out the treats.
It was Halloween, the liveliest day in Tarrytown, and the night when the whole town came alive.
Beside me, Summer smiled, and I reached down for her hand.
The same holiday that marked the end of our relationship would also ring in the start of a new one.
Next year, Summer and I would have a baby of our own, and despite our playful argument earlier, I didn’t care what our kid was dressed as for Halloween. I was just looking forward to making memories. Who the hell would have thought I’d be where I am right now?
We finally made it home. Well, to my house. Where we’d end up living permanently was still undecided. Aston stood outside, handing out candy with a big smile. I’d thought with my murderous reputation, parents would keep their children away, but I forgot Tarrytown celebrated monsters and evil.
“When we run out of candy, turn off the light,” Summer reminded him as we entered the house.
I nodded. “What should we do now?”
She grinned. “Let’s watch a scary movie.”
“Sure,” I said. Although nothing could scare me anymore.
“How do you fancy going upstate for a couple of days?” I asked Summer the next day.
“I don’t know if my jerk boss will let me take two whole days off so suddenly, and so soon after I started working for the company,” she teased.
Pulling her toward the car, I played along. “I heard he can be reasonable at times. Maybe the asshole might say yes.”
Summer laughed. Her face lit up, her eyes sparkled, and in that moment, it was as if everything else had faded away. I observed her as she sat next to me in the car, fastening her seat belt, not saying a word, just letting it all sink in. The two of us were finally together, and we were both happy.
“Thad, are you going to start the car?” Summer asked.
I shook my head, grabbed the wheel, and told her all about the lodge I’d booked as a last-minute surprise for us upstate called Scribner’s.
Talking about the baby and the wedding kept us busy for the entire drive, and as soon as we saw the lodge, any tiredness we may have felt from the journey melted away.
The place was gorgeous.
Secluded, beautifully decorated, and cozy as hell. What a place to make memories.
We checked in and headed to our room.
At the center of the room was a large bed, which brought about an interesting predicament I hadn’t considered. Summer was carrying my child, but since we’d officially decided to give it a go again, we hadn’t done the deed.
“What’s first on the itinerary?” Summer asked.
Worried she felt uneasy, I started to ramble. “They have everything up here. Hiking, skiing, bonfires, saunas.”
Summer nodded. “Pregnant women shouldn’t do saunas, but I could definitely eat soon. Maybe a hike, then a bite?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Sorry about the sauna thing,” she mumbled.
I shook my head. “It’s my fault. I should’ve checked what activities were okay during pregnancy. How about ice skating? There’s a little rink on the property.”
I pointed toward it, with the mountain in the background, but Summer shook her head. “I don’t want to risk falling.”
Shit! Was I thinking at all? My eyes opened in horror. “Hiking it is, then.”
Summer smiled. “We have enough experiences on the ice to last us a lifetime.”
I chuckled, knowing she meant the first time we met.
Years ago, like I often did, I’d abandoned all my friends on the hill to meet up with Henry and his friends.
I’d already met Eden, Felix, and Daisy, but Summer had been away visiting family.
So, the first time I laid eyes on her was at the ice rink.
There she was, twirling around in a black and white tutu.
Her shining blonde hair was only rivaled by her bright smile.
“Who is she?” I’d asked, jolting my head from right to left, determined to never take my eyes off her.
Henry answered, “That’s just Summer.”
Just Summer.
I could never imagine describing her as Just Summer. How could he talk about her like she wasn’t a golden angel on ice? “Just Summer . . .”
“Thad,” Henry had said. “Are you coming on the ice or just going to stand there and stare at her?”
I could do both. In seconds, I was on the ice and making my way closer. “Guess I’ll introduce you two, since that’s where we’re headed.”
Henry couldn’t understand. I had no say in anything. From the moment Summer appeared, my free will disappeared. It was like she was a magnet on the ice, pulling me toward her.
Bam! I knew it would happen. She was now against my chest.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you.” She’d smiled shyly.
“I saw you,” I said.
She’d looked up, and finally our eyes locked. I didn’t look away, and neither did Summer. The cold air between us evaporated, and I’d felt a heat growing inside of me.
“Summer, this is Thaddeus. Thaddeus, this is Summer,” Henry said without any enthusiasm.
She slid back away from my body, and I felt a loss. “Nice to meet you, Summer.”
“Oh, I heard about you. You’re the boy from on the hill.”
Why did she say it like that? Like I was from another planet? “Who told you about me?”
She looked to her left. “Daisy.”
“Who?”
Henry cleared up the confusion. “You met my other friends. She has the brown hair.”
I guess none of them were as important as Summer.
“I like your moves.” I knew I sounded lame.
“What moves?” she asked, as if she didn’t look like a pro figure skater on the ice.
The rest of the gang joined us.
“Let’s race,” Felix suggested.
As someone who played hockey at school, I was happy with his suggestion.
Time to impress Summer.
When the whistle blew, I was off, and to my surprise, Summer was close behind me. Faster, my blades sliced into the ice, but I couldn’t lose her. Then, I realized, why the hell should I? I shortened my stride and heard her blades scrape beside me, then eventually, she looked over at me and smiled.
“You’re pretty good. I didn’t think anyone knew how to ice skate up there.”
She sped up until she was leaving me behind. I leaned forward, taking long strides. I wouldn’t let her get away. My blade caught on something. And, before I knew it, my ass slammed into the ice.
How fucking embarrassing. Skates scraped toward me, and I knew it was Summer before she leaned over me, concerned. “You okay?”
From the angle, the fall now seemed worth it. I got to admire her all I wanted. She reached out a hand, and I held it . . . for a bit too long.
She giggled. “Are you going to get up or just hold my hand?”
“I can do both.”
Summer’s mouth flew open, but she didn’t protest when I stood and dragged her around the ice.
That memory came back as I held her hand, all these years later, guiding her up the hiking trail.
We walked in silence until Summer looked at me, and I knew exactly what she was thinking.
It was a skill I’d possessed years ago, and then it disappeared.
Now, it was back. We didn’t always need words between us, and right now, we shared the same thought.
We’d grown tired of walking and wanted to take our butts back to the lodge. We laughed and turned around.
“Well, we finished most of it,” Summer said.
I smiled. “We came to relax. No explanation needed.”
When we got back to the room, I was drained. Summer grabbed a shower first, and then I got a chance to wash off. When I came out, she was sitting on the couch in the room. I sat next to her, leaving the intimidating bed beside us.
It didn’t surprise me when I realized she was watching Hocus Pocus.
It was the chick flick of Halloween movies.
Nothing scary at all. Between boredom and the hike, my eyes grew heavy, and when I opened them again, I was lying on Summer’s lap, my back turned to the television.
Besides not caring about the movie, my view was way better.
Summer wore a V-neck cashmere sweater, and one of her nipples poked out just enough to tease me.
My cock hardened as I licked my lips. The urge to lean forward and suck her nipple overpowered me, and I ran my tongue lightly across it, wanting to worship every inch of her.
“Umm,” she moaned.
Her moans were all the encouragement I needed. I lifted a hand to slip more of her breast out of the sweater.
Summer arched her back and ran her hand through my hair as I rolled my tongue around her nipple. Gently, I pulled and released, and Summer squirmed underneath me, each slow movement making me suck her tit harder.
“Don’t neglect the other one,” Summer murmured, slowly rubbing circles around the breast I needed to give some attention to. With my mouth full, I couldn’t answer, so I lifted a hand and gently squeezed that breast.
I pulled back, and Summer pouted.
“Take off your top,” I murmured in a rough voice.
Eagerly, she lifted her hands and did as I asked.
Then she cupped one of her tits and lifted it to my mouth.
I took what she was offering and rolled my tongue around her soft skin, using my thumb and forefinger to pinch her other nipple.
Her moans became louder. She pushed herself into me.
I began trailing kisses up her neck and then down her stomach, stopping just above her pants.
Over the top of the thin material, I pushed my hand against her heat. She bucked against me.
Obviously, whether we were on the bed or couch, this was happening. We might as well be comfortable. So, I stood, pulled Summer to her feet, and lifted her onto the bed.
As she removed her pants, I took off all my clothes, neither of us taking our eyes off each other for a second.