today and I was shooed out of the kitchen. She’s at the house now.”
“Yay, Grandma! I love it when she cooks.”
“Wait a minute! My spaghetti is pretty darn good.”
“It is, Mommy. But you can’t be great at everything.”
“Oh, yeah? What am I so great at?”
She put up her fingers and ticked off the points. “Singing, piano, guitar. And you’re a great mommy, of course. Much cooler than the other moms. Everyone says so. Even Dina D’Garzo and she hates everybody.”
Her compliments warmed me. I had an awesome family, and I wasn’t quite sure what I did to deserve them.
When we arrived home after the short drive from the school, Southern home cooking greeted us. If my nose served me correctly, I smelled baked chicken, some sort of fried cornbread, and sweet potatoes.
“Hey, baby,” James greeted me, with his namesake cradled in his arm. He leaned down to kiss my cheek and then settled our son on the floor.
“How was your day?” He pulled me close and gave me a better kiss.
“Gross!” JJ yelled.
“Eww!” Bria echoed.
“Settle down, children.” James shook his head. “There is nothing wrong with showing the woman I love affection.”
“Facts,” I told the kids and gave my husband a deeper kiss. Warmth spread throughout my chest as I pulled away. No need to get too hot and heavy in front of the kids and Mama.
“So, how was work? Is that noob pop star still giving you trouble?”
“Nah. She’s good, now that I provided her with a few charities she can cut a check to, to keep her taxes lower.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs. “Mom, can you watch out for the kids for a minute?”
“Sure, hon!” my mom yelled back.
“Got a surprise for you,” he whispered.
“If it’s the same surprise you’ve been giving me the past decade, the cat is out of the bag. I got two kids out of your surprises, and I already know you’re packing.”
He stopped on the landing of the stairs, threw his head back, and laughed. “God, I love you.” He bent over and kissed me again. “And no, it’s something else.” He directed us to his home office. In two steps, he reached into his desk, pulled out a piece of paper, and gave it to me. Sheesh. What was it with my family pushing pieces of paper in my hand? I read the slip of paper. It was a travel itinerary to . . . I squealed. “We’re going to St. Lucia?”
“Yep. Just you, me, and the beach. No kids allowed, and a sexy bikini is all you’ll need.”
I jumped him, wrapping my legs around his waist. “We’re going to St. Lucia!” I screamed.
His strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He kissed my neck and then trailed kisses along my ear. “Told you I’d always take care of you.”
My heart stuttered as I remembered his promise. We had been happy, in love, but dirt-ass-poor while he was in grad school full-time. I’d just found out I was pregnant, and I’d freaked.
James, however, was typical James. Cool, calm, happy. When I broke the news of our expanding family, a flair of possession lit his dark eyes. He scooped me into his arms and made love to me.
Slowly. Lovingly. He worshiped my body and whispered so many promises that I couldn’t help but believe. One of the promises he’d made was that he would always take care of me: mind, body, and soul.
“What brought on this surprise?” I slid down from his arms, but he still held me close.
“I noticed you’ve been busy with the Mastermind group and the PTA. I know being a stay-at-home mom is tough.” His eyebrows creased. “You’re always Mom, but I get to go to work, talk to my peers, then I crash after dinner. I want us to have time to ourselves, too. I’m sorry if I’ve been neglecting you.”
“Never.” My voice was hoarse, altered by all the damn guilt weighing me down. I’d been sneaking around, playing my gigs, making music, and my husband thought I was tired, unhappy, and ignored. My fingers grazed his face, traced a path from his silken eyebrows down to his thick, full lips to the beard that covered his milk chocolate skin. “You’re perfect, James. Absolutely perfect. Marrying you was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Worry dropped from his face, replaced by the dangerous smile I fell in love with when I spotted him in the smoky crowd all those years ago.
“All right.” He titled