Bonus Kisses - Freya Barker Page 0,47
other.
“That’s the farm, behind us.”
“I miss her,” Sofie says with a sniffle.
I press a kiss to her hair before echoing, “I miss her too.”
I hadn’t noticed anyone coming in, but apparently they did. Rafe is suddenly crouching down in front of his daughter, while Spencer leans against his father’s back. Rafe’s face is soft as he brushes the pad of his thumb over her cheek.
“Oh, Pipsqueak, all you have to do is look in the mirror to see she’s always right there with you.”
As Sofie flings herself in her father’s arms, I get up, leaving room for him to sit and tuck his children close. I disappear into the kitchen, distractedly cleaning up the remnants of dinner while trying to get my own tears under control.
The kids’ excitement about their upcoming trip is notably subdued when we get them ready for bed twenty minutes later.
“I have something for you,” I tell Sofie, as I take my turn tucking her in.
“What?”
I hand her one of the packages I quickly wrapped in the laundry room this afternoon. I already gave Spencer his, which held an exploration kit with binoculars, a flashlight, and a magnifying glass.
It takes Sofie two seconds to rip the paper off her point-and-click digital camera.
“I thought you might like to take pictures of your trip, so when you come home you can show your dad and me all the fun stuff you guys have done.”
The wobbly smile on her face is thank you enough, but she still throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, honey. Now get some sleep, tomorrow’s an exciting day.”
I kiss her cheek and move toward the door.
“Auntie Taz?” she calls out, as I’m about to duck into the hallway.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
I drop my forehead against the doorpost and take a deep breath in through my nose.
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
With a soft click I pull her door shut.
“Do we have everything?”
Dad’s leaning against the side of the RV, using only his cane today. Mom is rummaging around inside, tucking away the kids’ stuff.
“I think so, Grandpa,” Spencer is quick to answer.
“Then let’s start saying goodbye, my boy. We’ll be leaving soon.”
Spencer immediately turns to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Give Lilo and Stitch lots of snuggles, okay?” he mutters against my stomach.
“You bet, honey. Snuggles every day.” I bend down and kiss the top of his head. “You have lots of fun and make sure you listen to Grandpa and Grandma.”
“Okay!” He’s already turning to his father.
Sofie is next, squeezing me tight. “I’ll miss you.”
“Miss you too, sweetheart. Remember you can call your dad or me any time—Grandma’s got a phone—but you’ll probably be too busy having fun. Don’t forget to take us some pictures.” I notice Mom coming down the steps, observing us closely. “Say goodbye to your dad, honey,” I whisper, before reluctantly letting her go.
I take a deep breath in and walk up to my mother, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Say hi for me in Kentucky.”
“Will do.”
I’m about to turn to Dad when I’m suddenly pulled into a tight hug. “Mom,” I manage, wrapping my own arms around her.
“I’ll take good care of them,” she mumbles before abruptly letting me go.
Dad is grinning when I get to him. “Keep your eyes on the road, Dad.”
“You do know your mother is driving, right?” he points out, wrapping an arm around me.
“Oh, I know. Why do you think I’m asking you?”
Dad is still chuckling as he hoists himself up in the passenger seat. He immediately rolls the window down and leans out. “We’ll be fine, Baby Girl.”
I’m swallowing down that lump long after the taillights disappear down the driveway.
Dad hasn’t called me that in decades.
Chapter Seventeen
Rafe
“I’m off to grab some groceries.”
I hit the button to mute the TV and have to twist my neck to see Taz standing at the bottom of the stairs, trying hard to avoid looking at me.
As soon as the RV had disappeared from view, she’d beelined it into the house and I heard her moving around upstairs when I walked in. I had one foot on the stairway to go up after her when I heard the pups scratching at the back door, so I took them out first.
When I’d come back in and things were quiet, I told myself maybe she was taking a nap. That was an hour and a half ago. Looking at her now, I’m wondering if maybe she was just avoiding me.
“I’ll come.”
“You don’t have to,” she says immediately,