wife desperately loved that boy.” She stops and sniffs. “Sorry, didn’t know I would get all emotional.”
“I’ll go get his photo albums and be sure he knows how much she loved him.” I swear it. I promise it. I will do it.
“Just so you know, I think I love him already,” she says, her voice loud and proud.
“Good.” I pick up her hand and kiss the back of it again. “Because he totally wants you to be his mom even though he didn’t come out of your hoo-ha.”
She laughs until she snorts. Then we get back to the cabin and she unloads all the stuff on the kitchen counter. She hides the condoms behind her back when her grandmother looks over, and then rushes to take them into the bedroom.
Rachel, Gran, and Mitchell have already cleaned the fish, so I set up the cooker outside and we all stand around and talk while the food cooks. Mrs. Marshall does, indeed, make some kick-ass slaw.
Mitchell notices the bracelets we’re wearing and asks about them. I take the one I got for him from my pocket and he slides it onto his wrist with a grin. “We all match,” he says proudly.
After we eat and enjoy a quick batch of s’mores, Mitchell falls asleep in a chair next to the fire and I let him stay there for a little while as I listen to Abigail joke around with her friends.
Mrs. Marshall suddenly stands up. “I’m going to bed.”
“You’re sleeping in my bed, Gran,” Abigail announces. “I changed my sheets.” She grins at her Gran.
“Where are you going to sleep?” she asks. She glances toward me, but I stay silent and wait.
“On the couch,” she answers. “Camille and Rachel can have the spare room.”
“Mm-hmm,” Mrs. Marshall hums. “Abigail Marshall,” she says, pointing her finger toward the house, “you better get in there and get those boxes you thought you were hiding earlier and you take them with you when you sneak out to go have your sleepover with Ethan.”
Abigail jumps up and rushes toward the house, but she winks and grins at me as she walks by. She comes back a minute later, carrying her pajamas, a toothbrush, and the package that Shy gave me earlier.
“Bow-chicka-wow-wow,” Camille sings out.
“I’m going to sleep on Ethan’s couch,” Abigail announces loudly.
Camille snorts this time.
“That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” She stands up taller and stares at me.
I pick Mitchell up so I can carry him inside. She tells the others good night and follows me.
“I really can sleep on the couch,” she says.
“I’ll wake you up so you can pretend to have slept on the couch, if that will make you feel better, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Mitchell already knows I plan to marry you.”
She smiles at me. “I’m keeping my pajamas on.”
I let my eyes run up and down her body. “I can work around them.”
I watch as a shiver runs up her spine.
I put Mitchell to bed, and he doesn’t even wake up.
Then Abigail and I go into the bedroom and close the door. She does eventually put the pajamas back on, but not until much, much later.
I wake up to find Mitchell staring down at me.
“Did you have a sleepover?” he asks quietly.
I scrub my face, trying to wake up. Abigail is pressed against my side.
“Abigail’s grandmother slept in her bed, so I let her come here.”
He tilts his head to look at me. “She could have slept on my bottom bunk.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” I mutter.
Abigail blinks her eyes open. She’s startled when she finds Mitchell staring at her. “Hey,” she says, her voice groggy from sleep.
“You slept with my dad,” he says.
Her eyes open wide. “I did.”
His brow furrows.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. I’m new to this parenting thing.
“Are we going to be a family now?” he asks.
I look at Abigail. “I’m pretty sure we already are.”
Abigail moves over a little and then she pats the spot between us. “Come here,” she says. He climbs up between us and lies down, and Abigail wraps her arm over him, and reaches over to take my hand at the same time.
Mitchell leans close to my ear and says, “I think she might be a good stepmom.”
“You think so?” I whisper back.
Abigail squeezes my hand ever so gently.
“She smells nice, too.”
I nod. “True.”
He leans close and sniffs Abigail. “Kind of like lemons.” He snuggles a little deeper against her side. “I like lemons,” he whispers.