Chapter 9
Alley
Iwas exhausted in the best possible way.
Landon and I had made love multiple times, barely sleeping at all. When you had a night alone, you should always take advantage of it.
And boy, did we.
But now, as we pulled up to Braxton and Jurnee’s place to pick up our daughter, we had shifted gears. Not that we were any less in love or didn’t want to tear each other's clothes off again; it was just family time.
Landon leaned across the console and wrapped his hand around my neck, pulling me toward him.
“I’m proud of you for yesterday, and last night was amazing.”
He captured my mouth and gave me a sweet kiss before letting me go.
“Ditto about last night,” I told him.
We both moved to get out of the truck just as the front door burst open and Noelle came rushing out. Landon rounded the vehicle just as she made it to us, wrapping her arms around both our legs.
“Missed us, huh?” her father said to her, picking her up in his arms.
“Yes.” She shook her head as she answered. “Did you miss me?”
I leaned in, and Landon pulled me into a hug with them, Noelle’s arms going around each of our necks.
“We missed you so much, baby girl,” I told her as Landon tickled her, and she laughed with delight.
“Can we get the kitty?” She squeezed us. “Pretty please.”
After we had exhausted ourselves last night, Landon and I talked about this. He’d already made an appointment to go get the sweet girl on Monday and finish the process.
“Yeah, baby. We’ll go see her tomorrow.”
She bounced up and down in her father’s arms, her tiny limbs falling from our necks. “Thank you!”
The sound of a car’s engine had us turning around, only it wasn’t just one car. A line of rigs was parked one after another next to the curb behind our truck.
When I said it was family time, I wasn’t kidding. Every one of our friends and their children was getting out of the vehicles and making their way toward us.
“We’re all having breakfast!” our daughter announced.
Adults and kids were lining the yard and pathway now.
“Well, I didn’t know that.” I tapped her nose.
“Jurnee told us to come, and here we are,” Summer said from beside me.
“That’s a shit ton of food. When did she have time to get it when she was out drinking margaritas with all of you last night and making silly calls?”
Summer didn’t answer, just pointed behind me. Letting go of my husband, I turned to find my niece there with her palm out and ready.
“I might not have gotten to put my jar at your signing, but I’m sure I can make some money at breakfast.” She smiled at me. “I guess it starts with you. I thought for sure it would be Uncle Kace.”
“Hey now!” Kace yelled from the middle of the yard where he chased kids.
Turning back to Landon, I kissed him on the cheek. “Pay her, babe.”
“Daddy, I want a swear jar too,” our daughter said as he put her down to dig out his wallet.
“No, you don’t, beautiful, because then Daddy will go broke paying for Mommy’s potty mouth.”
“Oh, okay. I don’t want you to go broke,” she said to her father as he slapped a couple dollars in our niece’s hand.
Embry said thank you but then took a dollar and handed it to Noelle. “Since it was your mom, I’ll share with you.”
Our girl beamed a bright smile at her cousin, and they raced off toward the house together. When all the other kids caught wind of them heading in—at least those who could walk anyway—they took off after them.
Then the adults slowly made their way into the house with the babies, too. Landon and I were bringing up the rear.
Before we could get inside, I tugged on his hand and threw my arms around his neck.
“Thank you.”
He slid his arms around my sides, clasping them at my back.
“For what?” he asked.
“Well, for just being you and loving me,” I told him.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Loving you is the easiest thing in the world.”
“That’s sweet,” I whispered, tilting my head up and licking my lips in invitation.
My husband took that invitation and ran with it, kissing me senseless at our friend's front door.
“You had enough of that last night, you two. Get in here,” Jurnee yelled.
“Yeah, hurry up. I’m hungry,” I heard Gyth say.
“Big Guy, you’re always hungry,” his wife, Summer, told him.
Jurnee, Summer, and I were the original soul sisters, but we found many more along the years, and I adored them all—their husbands too.
“She’s not wrong,” Kace yelled from somewhere in the house.
We hadn’t even made it inside, and they were so loud we could hear them from the porch.
Landon and I both laughed, letting go of each other. He slipped his hand into mine, and we walked inside. It was packed, it was loud, and it was chaotic.
It held everyone and was everything I loved.
THE END