“Okay,” she said, grabbing a handful of his shirt before he could stand up straight. “Don’t be late tonight.”
“You could come visit me, any time.”
She smiled, pulling him down for another short kiss. “Bet the guys already give you shit for the missus coming to check on you all the time.”
“When the missus looks like you, there’s no shit to give. If you need me, come find me.”
“Okay,” she said, accepting another kiss.
“I love you,” he said before straightening up.
Poppy grabbed the bagel from her plate to hold it up for him. “Oh, take this.”
“What is it?” he asked, examining it.
“Food, just eat it.”
“Okay,” he said, drawing in a breath. “The rest of you behave, don’t give the Maddoxes a bad name.”
“Uncle Turner! Uncle Turner,” Noah said, clambering onto his feet on his seat to lean over the back.
Turner steadied him. “Be careful there, Sport.”
“Can I come build the house with you?” The youngster raised up a straight leg. “I got my big boots on.”
“Later, Sport, okay? I’ll talk to Aitken, we’ll find something for you to do. Your mom or one of your aunts can bring you down later.” Grinning, Noah nodded his head so fast he’d have lost his balance if it wasn’t for his uncle. “Sit back down.”
Noah did as told. Turner bowed to kiss Noah’s head and then hers.
Emmie gasped. “Uncle Turner! We need kisses too.”
“Geez,” he muttered under his breath, but went around the table, bagel still in hand to kiss each of his nieces. “Can I leave now?” The rest of those at the table were just amused by the demands. “I live on the damn site and I’ll be the last one there.”
He didn’t get a direct response, which was enough to tell him what he wanted to know, so he started for the door.
“Turner,” Poppy said.
“Yes!” he said, spinning around, though when he registered she was the one who’d said his name, he softened. “Yes, baby?”
“I love you,” she said, letting her simple smile turn sly.
Showing his teeth, the sound in his throat was both a growl and a groan. Although she didn’t ask him to, he came back over and hunkered down next to her seat. “Right here in front of everyone?”
Though the conversation hadn’t been much affected by her declaration, Poppy had made the conscious choice to say it there and then. She’d put it off for too long.
She cupped his face. “Here in front of everyone.”
“You just keep doing it to me,” he said, rising enough to kiss her.
Rather than the chaste lip kisses they’d exchanged in farewell already that morning, his kiss was much more demanding and far more intimate.
If Poppy hadn’t separated them, he’d probably have kept going all morning. “Go to work.”
“You find us that corner, Candy,” he murmured, bobbing up to kiss her forehead before standing up straight. “Okay, I’m going. Bye, all.”
Various farewells went around the table, though no one really took their attention away from what they were doing. He was her focus until he disappeared from view. Even after he was gone, Poppy’s focus stayed there.
Together. They were together. Was there any denying it anymore?
Preston coming through the door was the only thing that distracted Poppy from her daze. She just caught a glimpse of the smile Val was laying on her when someone suddenly swooped into the seat Noah had been in. The little one had somehow gone around to his mother and sisters without her noticing.
“Here,” Zoey said, slipping something onto her lap under her napkin.
As Poppy’s fingers curled around the object, she realized what it was: her phone.
Zoey, she was the one in the seat beside her, huddled in close.
Recalling their conversation the previous day, Poppy twisted around to huddle with her. “How did it go?”
“She was trying to call,” Zoey whispered, the noise of the kids and other conversations giving them cover to talk quietly. “It’s all a mess. She misses me.”
“That’s something.”
“But what does it matter? Her mom says she’s going to send her to a different school for senior year. It will be awful. Horrible. She doesn’t want to be the new girl in the last year.”
“And she won’t want to be away from you either,” Poppy said, taking her hands under the table. “There’s still time for her parents to come around before you have to worry about that. Did you talk to her about coming here?”
“She wants to, but there’s no way her parents will let it happen.”