kid.” I gave her a thumbs up. “Can you imagine that little lady running this house someday?”
“And that reason right there is why you need to have a kid or two of your own. You can’t leave her alone with the twins.” He laughed as foam bullets sprayed down the conference room hallway.
“I think she’ll be just fine.” I was happy to see the stress leave Cole’s shoulders. He carried a lot these days, and it was important for us to remember to enjoy the times we had before we couldn’t anymore. Kids were not at the top of my list right now, and I knew Sloane felt the same. We were more interested in spending time alone together. There were lots of kids for us to enjoy right here. The pure joy I got at being able to hype Mark’s twins up on sugar and then send them back right at bedtime like wound-up cats on catnip was awesome.
“Babe?” Savi called from the other side of the glass door. “We’ll need to knock out the wall in the playroom.” She smiled as she held up a pregnancy stick that read positive.
“Holy shit!” Cole jumped up from his chair and raced out to wrap Savi in a huge hug.
“See, you just evened out the score.” I slapped Cole on the shoulder and kissed Savi on the cheek. “Congratulations, guys. I’m so excited for you both.”
“Thanks, John.” She wiped her cheeks dry and beamed up at Cole. “Wow.”
“Wow.” He mirrored her excitement. Cole really needed that right now.
“Oh,” I turned around, “and before Mark gets his bets in, I’m calling it now. It’s a girl.”
Savi laughed and buried her head into Cole’s chest.
“All right, I’m out.” I waved at them to give them their moment and blocked Ethan’s path when he tried to race by.
“Uncle John!” he shouted, and I laughed all the way outside.
***
The warm morning sun beat down on our backs as we climbed the mountain for the twenty-some odd time this year. I was proud and honored Sloane took such an interest in something I loved to do. She probably would never climb without ropes or a helmet, but the fact that she’d been pushing her limits since Christmas was impressive. She wasn’t going to let this cliff beat her.
“You think you have enough in you to keep going?” I asked when we were about three-quarters of the way up. We had yet to reach the top of the peak in any of our climbs, but I knew that was her goal for today.
“Why? Are you tired, Black?” She beamed at me, and I saw her determination to make it. That was good, because I needed her to.
“Just making sure.” I motioned with my head for her to keep going. Just like Mike and I had taught her, she went slowly and made sure every move was calculated and well thought out.
“Oh, your brother called yesterday. Said he and your parents are coming in tomorrow morning. I thought I’d bring Mark, and we’d grab them on the way through town.”
She laughed and hooked her rope through the next loop. “Poor Mark. You just like to see my father make him sweat.”
“That’s exactly why,” I answered without an ounce of shame. “Besides, he’s a charmer and gets your mother all flustered.”
“That is pretty funny to watch.” She paused when her hand suddenly reached the top of the ledge. “Oh, my God,” she whispered through a smile, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Use your arms to hike yourself over and hook your leg,” I started to direct her, but I might as well have saved my breath as I saw her adorable ass disappear above me, and I quickly followed suit.
“John?” She stood a few feet from the edge while I hopped to my feet. “What is this?” She stood, holding a small box of tiny heart-shaped cookies I had placed there for her.
“This…” I brushed the rock dust from my hands and wrapped an arm around her and turned her to face back out over the house. “This is me making something right.”
“What do you mean?”
I rested my chin on her shoulder and kissed her slender neck. “See, right there,” I pointed to the lake by the house, “this view is my most favorite place in the world. It’s where I come to think, where I shake off the stress of a mission, or just to get away. I’ve only ever shared it with Mike, but now…” I held