Chapter 2
James
Along, loud yawn stretched my face as my body started to wake up slowly. New aches tweaked my calf, so I quickly straightened my leg and rubbed it to avoid pulling a muscle.
As much fun as yesterday was, being out in the sun for hours and trudging up and down hills really did a number on you.
Thank fuck I didn't end up going again today.
There was no way I'd be up for it, despite my initial enthusiasm yesterday afternoon when the suggestion was brought up.
You tend to say and promise a lot of shit after a good day on the course and you're two beers deep.
It wouldn't have gone down well with Zara, though, and I doubted she would've let me out the door even if I was up for it.
I checked my watch and cringed. Ten a.m. One glance at my wife's side of the bed told me that she'd been up long before me to take care of our girls.
Fuck. I'd gone to sleep last night, determined to get up early with Kehlani and Sienna so Zara would have a well-deserved lie-in.
But I'd been in such a deep sleep, I hadn't heard a thing and slept on well past my usual body clock.
With a head that still felt groggy, I quickly used the bathroom and cleaned my teeth before donning a clean shirt and sweatpants. I could hear the girls arguing downstairs, and renewed guilt wrapped around my gut. I was not looking forward to the looks of annoyance Zara would be shooting my way.
"Alright, girls, stop arguing," I called out as I made my way down the stairs. "C'mon, it's a nice day outside. Why aren't you out?"
I rounded the corner to find Kehlani lying back on the couch, attempting to kick Sienna away as my little three-year-old wild child flung her arms in big circles, trying to hit her big sister.
I tempered down my amusement and schooled my features into a stern frown.
Nine times out of ten, they got along like a house on fire.
But when they fought, oh, boy, they did not play around.
They reminded me so much of my brother and me—even our age gap was the same.
"Girls! Stop fighting," I ordered. I glanced into the kitchen and spied my wife rinsing out the breakfast dishes. Usually, she'd greet me with a smile and a cheerful good morning, but I guess she was still annoyed.
"Hey, baby. Sorry I slept in. It was a long day in the sun."
Even though her back was turned, I could feel her eyes roll.
Honestly, I was a little pissed that she was still upset.
Yes, I should've gotten up early to let her sleep in, but it was not like I golfed every weekend.
It was a stupid coincidence that Kehlani's one Saturday ballet class happened to fall on the same day.
If I'd known the boys would be going again today, then I would've stayed home yesterday and golfed today instead.
I worked so hard; surely I could take a day off now and then to unwind.
"It's fine," she flatly replied. I watched her swirl a rag around the countertop a little too aggressively.
I rolled my eyes behind her back and shook my head. She was pissed, I got it, and it was deserved. But there was nothing I could do about it now.
"I'll make us a coffee, then I'll take the girls outside," I offered, hoping to soften her attitude towards me a little.
As I waited for the coffee machine to heat, I flicked through my phone messages, pointedly ignoring Rob and Pete's texts trying to tempt me to come out.
A picture message pinged on our group chat, and my breath puffed out in a snort when I saw them grinning like fools in a selfie.
Okay, maybe I did have a little FOMO. The weather today wasn't as hot as yesterday, so the conditions would've been perfect for a day outside.
But I didn't want to face my wife's wrath if she caught me longingly staring at a golf course, so I exited our chat and checked the sports news.
"Hey, it's January fifth today," I commented. "Our anniversary's coming up."
She finally turned to face me, a small smile curving her lips. "You remembered."
I huffed out a breath as I sauntered towards her, relieved that she was talking to me. "Remember the happiest day of my life? Of course I do."
My hands grasped her curvy hips, linking my fingers behind her.
Her hands smoothed up my chest, and I studied my wife's lovely features.
Long black hair, honey brown eyes with a smattering of freckles across her nose that drove me crazy.
Full lips that always tempted me to kiss them, and twin dimples on her cheeks.
She was beyond pretty with a body that had curved with each child we had; tempting me every time she wore tight-fitted clothes that pulled across her juicy ass and generous breasts.
"Hmm," she hummed, seemingly unimpressed. I spied a twinkle glinting in her eyes as a soft blush painted her cheeks.
A niggle of arousal stirred my groin as my thumb rubbed in a gentle circle against her smooth skin. I bent and placed a soft kiss at the spot behind her ear, and I felt her shiver in my arms. My cock started to perform a stiff salute in her honour.
"Daddy, we wanna go outside!" Sienna yelled.
And just like that, my desire was extinguished. I groaned against her cheek as her soft frame shook with silent giggles.
"Those little cockblockers," I griped without malice before pulling away.
I quickly made two coffees and handed her one of the steaming mugs. "Let's go out for dinner. I'll book something for us."
Surprise flitted across her features. "You will?"
I gave her a mock glare. "Hey, I'm not totally incompetent."
Her brown eyes rolled, and she hid her grin behind the rim of her mug. "I can't remember the last time we went out for dinner," she mused.
"Well, eight years of marriage deserves to be celebrated in style." I winked and lifted my mug at her. "I'll take the girls outside for a run around."
"Okay, but you'll book something? I wanna sort a babysitter."
I waved her off. "Of course. Don't you worry about a thing."
I was still slightly tired from the sun and beers, even though I'd only had two.
Still, I chased the girls around the yard until I got a stitch in my side and waved them off to play on their own.
I sat in the shade with a bottle of water as they played in our backyard playground, swinging on swings, climbing the monkey bars and jumping on the trampoline.
Zara called them inside for lunch, so I dozed in my chair for half an hour until the girls demanded I play tag with them.
I was thirty-eight years old and a builder by trade, so I considered myself relatively fit.
My stomach wasn't as hard as it used to be, but I was still trim with solid muscles.
But running after a seven and a three-year-old really humbled you.
My arms ached, and I was puffing like a long-term smoker.
After more chasing and a bout of tantrums from Sienna because Kehlani was very obviously cheating at hide-and-seek, I claimed tiredness and sat back down in my trusty chair in the shade.
The friendly neighbourhood stray cat came around for attention, and my girls abandoned their play to kneel at my feet to pet it.
"Daddy," Kehlani started. "I heard you and Mummy talking about going out to a restaurant."
I cracked one eye open. "Mmm hmm. Do you know, your Mummy and I will be married for eight years next week. So we're going out to celebrate."
"Aww, I wanna come," Sienna whined. "Please can we come, Daddy?"
I shook my head. "I think Mummy's trying to get Rachel to come watch you. You like Rachel, right?"
Rachel was Zara's cousin and occasional babysitter when we were in a pinch. She was twenty-two and studying Early Childhood, so apart from being the only reliable adult we knew and trusted to watch our girls, she was also really good with them.
"I like Rachel," Kehlani confirmed as she continued to pet the black cat on her lap.
"I like Rachel," Sienna parroted. But then her little mouth twisted down. "But I wanna go back to Select!"
I swallowed back a groan. Select was a buffet-style restaurant. We took the girls last year for Zara's thirty-fourth birthday, and they both loved it—but mainly the dessert bar where they could fill their bowls to their heart's content.
The thing was, I was actually going to book Select for our anniversary dinner. The food was good, and you got your money's worth if you went for two refills. Zara seemed to like it. I mean, she did book it last year, so I presume she enjoyed the food.
"Oooh, yes! I like the ice cream sundae," Kehlani gushed.
I scratched my jaw. "Well, I was planning on taking Mummy there next week," I revealed.
I was sure she wouldn't mind if the girls tagged along with us.
It would sure save the hassle of sorting a sitter and paying her.
Well, Rachel refused payment, but we made sure to order enough food for her and the girls to feed a small army.
"Well, I guess you two munchkins can co–"
Their cheering drowned out my sentence, and I laughed at their antics. Before I forgot, I went online to Select's booking portal and booked a table for four for next Saturday.
The rest of the day went by quickly. The girls went inside soon after, and I urged Zara to have a lie down while I supervised their play.
Turns out all they wanted to do was play on their tablets, so I handed them their devices while I read the sports news on my phone, in between fetching snacks for them.
By the time dinner rolled around Zara was up making them mac and cheese, while I dozed off on the couch.
When I woke, I could hear the girls splashing in the bath.
The kitchen bench was clean and void of the dishes that the girls and I had accumulated during the day.
I quickly picked up the few toys left on the floor and fluffed the couch cushions in a half-hearted attempt to help out.
Once their baths were over, Zara shuffled them off to bed as was routine on a Sunday before school.
I kissed the girls goodnight, but when I came back to the kitchen, Zara was waiting for me. Her hands were on her hips, and she had a face like thunder.
"Did you tell the girls they could come with us to our anniversary dinner?"
My brow knitted together as I slowly nodded. "Yeah. They wanted to go back to Select. I was already planning on booking it, and the girls love the place, so why not?"
"Wait. You were going to book us Select for our anniversary dinner?"
"Yeah. You liked it last time, and you were the one who booked it."
Her breath puffed out. "Yeah, cos' we had no one to watch the girls, so I had to pick a family-friendly restaurant. It's not somewhere you book for a romantic meal."
Incredulous annoyance travelled through me at her words, and I was pissed that my good intentions were being thrown back in my face. "Okay, sorry! I thought it was a decent place."
She sighed, rubbing the spot between her eyes. "Well, I guess we're bringing the girls now."
"C'mon. I didn't know. The girls love that restaurant, and it'll save us not having to sort a sitter–"
"James, it's fine. I got a headache, I'm going to bed."
I bit back a frustrated retort as I watched her retreat up the stairs. I couldn't fucking win.