Chapter 34
I wake to the sound of my alarm the next morning with Jameson sleeping soundly beside me, sprawled on his stomach with his arms wrapped around a pillow. Thank goodness he’s not a snorer.
I have to get Jess to school.
I try to slip out of bed quietly, but the second I move, he stirs and grabs my hand. “Good morning,” he murmurs, his voice sleepy, raspy. His accent somehow sounds even better in the morning.
“Morning. You can stay and sleep—I just need to get her up and dropped off at school. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
“Okay,” he mumbles, flopping his head back onto the pillow.
Not a morning person, but a night owl, like me. I’m glad he’s comfortable here.
I get dressed quickly and sneak out, trying to act normal so Jess doesn’t get suspicious.
“Good morning, sweetie,” I say in greeting when I find her in the kitchen sorting through her backpack. She’s already dressed. Sometimes she wakes up earlier than me just so she can spend extra time picking out an outfit and doing her hair.
“Morning,” she replies. She’s a lot more chipper in the morning than I am.
“Big test today, right?”
“Yep.”
“You’ll nail it.”
“I know.” She grins.
“That’s my confident girl.”
“It’s going to be easy, that’s all.”
“For you, maybe. Not everyone is as smart as you, remember?”
“I just pay attention,” she comments with an eye roll.
I can’t help smiling with pride. She’s such a good kid. I didn’t do badly in school, but I can already tell she’s smarter than I ever was.
“I’m off work today, so I was going to hit a few stores. Do you need anything?”
“Hmm…a new book?” She looks at me with her bottom lip tucked back against her teeth, like she’s bracing for me to say no. As if I ever would say no to a new book.
“You got it, toots.”
“Toots?”
“Yep.”
“Please don’t ever call me that in public, Mom.”
“Okay.” I laugh.
We chat a little more over breakfast, and I wonder if Jameson really drifted back to sleep or if he’s lying in there listening. Either way, the thought of him being there fills me with a warm, tingly feeling, and I can’t help but smile to myself.
When we get in the car, Jess gives me a suspicious look.
“What?”
“Carly Paige, why are you so smiley today?”
“I’m not!”
“Yes, you are. You’re never this cheerful in the mornings.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
**
When I get back home, Jameson is still fast asleep in my bed. Smiling, I crawl in beside him. He stirs just enough to pull me into him with a sleepy groan, then drifts off into a peaceful slumber again.