Ati busts out laughing, wiggling her way out from under me and covering up with the sheet. “I swear my sister has a warped sense of humor.”
As I roll onto my back, allowing for Ati to sit up, I see a smile grow quickly on my mother's face. “Oh. Oh! Matilda, it’s so nice to see you. I have to tell you—”
“Mom, seriously! Now is not the time to play catch up.”
My mother draws her hand to her mouth in astonishment as though she just realizes what she has walked in on. “Oh dear, you are absolutely right, I’m so sorry. I’ll get out of your hair and let you two continue on with your business.”
“Mom!”
“Yes, yes, I’m leaving. But before I go, Gwen said to let you know that breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes—see you two in a bit.” And with that, she leaves closing the door behind her.
Ati lets out another roar of laughter. “Oh my God, your mother is the best.”
“Yeah, you say that now, wait until she makes this a regular thing.” I lean over, taking Ati in my arms. “I was hoping we could just stay in bed all day, but now that she knows we’re up here, that will never happen.”
“I wonder why she’s here so early?” Ati asks.
“I heard Gwen saying something to Liam about the Christening for Sawyer; my mother’s probably here to help her with planning it.”
“Shoot, I almost forgot about that. I’ve been so busy with work, and well, us, that it slipped my mind.” Ati pauses a moment. “I wonder why Gwen didn’t remind me?”
I move back on top of Ati and start to kiss her where I left off before, but this time I don’t get the same lust-filled reaction. I look up to her and realize that she is no longer in the moment. “I’m guessing the mood was shot when my mother walked in on us?”
She looks down at me with an apologetic smile. “You’d be guessing correctly. Sorry, dude, but this is a ‘to be continued’ kind of situation.”
I give her a light shrug and rollover. “At least I know there will be a ‘next time.’”
Ati sits up, getting out of bed then turning to me. “Oh, I don’t know; what if this is one of those times like when they leave it in a cliffhanger only to not renew for another season. You may be left to continually wonder what would have happened next.”
I look to her in feigned horror. “You wouldn’t?” She offers a shrug and nonchalantly turns, heading out the bedroom door. “That’s not funny, Ati. You can’t joke about things like that.”
Her head pops back in. “Well, then maybe you should join me in the shower and pitch your idea on how to keep this show alive.”
I quickly jump out of bed. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
***
When Ati and I enter the kitchen to the main house, Gwen and my mother are all smiles.
“Well, it’s about time; the food was starting to get cold. I thought I was going to have to send Maia back up there,” Gwen says; her smirk a clear indication that she knew exactly what she was doing the first time she sent my mother up to the apartment.
“Yeah, no—once was good. Oh, and dear Gwenie; remember, paybacks are a bitch.”
Gwen lets out a devious laugh. She knows very well that my threats are empty. Partly because my brother Liam would kick my ass, and partly because it was kind of funny too, seeing Ati get all flushed with embarrassment at my mother catching us.
“So, what are you two up to today?” My mother asks.
I look to Ati with hopeful eyes, but she just gives me that apologetic look and replies, “I’m scheduled for nights this week, so I’m headed back to the apartment. I haven’t been there in a few days, and I need to get some laundry done.”
“You should have brought your clothes here,” my mom mentions.
“I honestly didn’t think I would be staying this long.”
Gwen lets out a snicker. “Little Benny working his magic on you?”
I groan and turn to Ati. “She’s never going to stop, is she?”
“Nope, I’m here all day, folks,” Gwen slips in before her sister can answer.
Ati turns to me and shrugs. “Just be grateful you’re not the one married to her. Think of what Liam has to deal with.”
“What do I have to deal with?” Liam questions as he walks into the kitchen, leaning down to hug my mom and kiss Gwen before he takes a seat.
“Ati and Ben were just expressing their discontent with my candidness.”
Liam looks to Gwen then up to Ati and me. “I hear you, I told her to mind herself when talking about your sexcapades, especially with Mom around, but you know Gwen, she loves herself some good gossip, and you two make for some good stories. I mean, have you two ever heard of a breather?”
Gwen and Liam burst into a fit of laughter, and I think my mother is still trying to figure out what a breather is. “I don’t know which one of you is the worst.”
Liam throws an arm around Gwen, bringing her into his side. “Neither, we’re a team; right, Gem?”
“Right, babe,” Gwen replies while leaning over to give Liam a kiss.
“You’re something alright,” I mumble.
An infant’s cry sounds in the background. “Duty calls.” Gwen stands, giving Liam a kiss before she heads out to tend to Sawyer.
“I should head out as well. We have some fresh blood starting at the station today. I want to be sure to give them a proper Emerson PD welcome,” Liam says with a snicker.
“Liam, you be good,” my mother scolds.
“I’m always good, Mom.” He steps away, giving me a pat on the back. “See you later, Benny.”
“Later, Li.”
My mother stands clearing off the table, then she turns to Ati and I. “Well, you two have a good day. Ben, your father wanted me to remind you that the painter is coming by the house today.”
“Oh, I didn’t forget. That guy has been pushing me off forever. When he said he could come in this week, I marked it in and cleared my schedule to make sure everything else was done before he got there. This way, he has no excuses and can get right to work.”
“Why didn’t you hire another painter?” Ati asks.
“No way, Val is the best around. That’s why he’s so hard to nail down.”
Ati shrugs. “Well, if you say so.”
“Ben’s right. Val has worked with Aldric on his homes for years. There is no other like him.” My mom offers us a smile, then turns. “I’m going to head upstairs to get the boys up. Have a good day.”
“You too, Mom.”
“Have a good day, Maia.”
With just Ati and I left in the room, I turn to her. “When will I get to see you again?”
She moves toward me, her arms wrapping around my waist. “Not soon enough. Nights always suck, I feel like I have no life. I sleep all day and work all night.”
“So, what you are telling me is that I should get my fill of you now?”
Ati lets out a laugh. “Ben, we are standing in my sister’s kitchen—calm yourself.”
“You’re no fun. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
She leaves a quick kiss on my lips, taking a step back. “There’s a big difference between being adventurous and being an exhibitionist.”
“You have met my family, right? To an Adair, they’re one and the same, angel.”
Ati lets out a subtle gasp, and her eyes turn from playful to emotional.
“Ati, what’s wrong?”
“I haven’t heard that in forever. I guess I just forgot how it always made me feel when you called me that.”
“Angel?”
“Yeah.”
I did, because she was...still is. I grab her hand and pull her back into my arms. “You never stopped being my angel. Never will.”
She looks hard into my eyes. “It’s finally our time, isn’t it?”
“You better believe it, and nothing and no one can tell us differently.”
I lower my lips to hers; the sweet taste of her mouth always a pleasant surprise, then as
soon as the kiss deepens, the silent sound of crunching has Ati, and I bursting into laughter.
Crunch, crunch, crunch. “Kiss?”
Ati takes a step back, peeking behind me. “Hey, Sammy.”
Crunch, crunch, crunch. “Kiss?”
I turn to my little nephew, who is standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a bowl of dried Cheerios in his hand. “Yes, buddy. I kiss Auntie Ati.”
Sammy shoots me a confused look, walks over to Ati, and raises his hand, resting it on her belly. “Baby?”
Ati lets out a shriek. “What? No!”
Sammy looks to me for verification. “No buddy, no baby.”
He lets out a little disappointed sigh, just as Gwen enters the room. “Great way to burst your nephew's bubble.”
“Gwen, why would Sammy think there was a baby in my belly?”
“That’s what you two get for groping each other in front of impressionable minds.”
Ati rolls her eyes. “We were kissing, not groping.”
Gwen lets out a laugh. “Ah, that’s why! Tommy asked me the other day how babies were
made. I told him that when a mommy and daddy kiss, they make a baby.”
“And he believed you,” I question.
“Yep, said that explains why he has so many brothers because Liam and I are always
kissing.”
Ati looks down at Sammy. “You’re Mommy is coo-coo.”
Sammy shrugs and walks away, having obviously heard enough.
“Well, as interesting as this has all been. I do really need to head out. Call me later when
you get a chance?” I ask Ati. She gives me a nod, and I give her a quick kiss and wave farewell to the two of them.
With a jump in my step and feeling better than I have in a while. I head off to my truck and head out to start my day...although I have no idea how I am going to be able to focus when all I can do is think about Ati, and painfully count down the long days before I can see her again.
***
After meeting the painter at the house, and taking care of some last-minute details that needed my attention, I headed over to the Sims' new home build. Since Mr. and Mrs. Sims are still away, I will be running through things with Alex. Things between us ended amicably, but I still feel nervous about seeing her again, especially now since Ati and I are together.
“Hey, Ben.” Alex’s voice echoes through the empty shell of a house.
I turn and greet her with a smile as she makes her way through the foyer and into the back. “Hey, Alex. Thanks for meeting me.”
“No problem. With my parents gone, it’s been pretty quiet. I actually appreciate the distraction.”
“Well, then, I’m glad I could help.” I give her a smile then direct her to the small table I have set up. “Take a seat, and we can go over some of the finishing touches before we get this all closed out.” It doesn’t take us long to review what I had for her, then we easily fall into light conversation.
“So, how have you been? I haven’t heard from you since the brunch at Liam and Gwen’s. I thought maybe you were avoiding me,” Alex asks.
I take a deep breath. I was kind of hoping that we didn’t have to get into any of that, but I guess better to get it over with. “Actually, a lot has happened since that day.”
“Let me guess—you are now dating Ati.”
I check her expression, but it tells me nothing, so I decided to err on the side of caution. “Well, we have been talking. I want to tell you, I really did think things between you and me could—,”
“Ben, let me stop you right there. There was never going to be a you and me. There would never be a you and anyone other than Ati. I saw it at Althea’s baby shower. I heard it in your voice the first time we went to dinner, and we had a brief conversation about her. Don’t get me wrong, you never made me feel as if your intentions were less than honorable, but anyone with half an inclination as to what a love-struck fool looks like could tell your heart belonged to her completely.”
Her words leave me speechless and apologetic. “Alex, I am so sorry. I never meant to make you feel like I was using you in any way.”
She lets out a soft chuckle. “Ben, it’s okay. I know you weren’t out to hurt me. Honestly, I don’t think you knew the extent of your feelings for her...or hers for you for that matter.”
“You could tell?”
“Like I told you that time at the restaurant, you needed to figure out where you were at with her before we could start anything.”
I look to her for a moment, only nodding my understanding, then I find my words. “I hope we can still be friends.”
Alex adjusts in her seat, sitting a little straighter. “Ben, there is no way you are keeping me from your family, they are awesome. I’ve actually already made a lunch date with Ginny. She’s hilarious.”
I give her a smile. “That’s great. And yeah, Gin’s cool. Although, I think my brother Kai has corrupted her over the years. She used to be a lot sweeter and less...well, less like my brother.”
“Well, they say after a while, you take on the traits of your partner.” I pinch my brows at that comment, and Alex must notice. “What?”
“I was trying to imagine all the women in my family with full-on beards—let me tell you, not a pretty sight.”
Alex almost falls to the ground, unable to contain her laughter. “That would be hilarious. You should pitch that idea for Hallowe’en.”
“You know, they would probably all go for it. They love that kind of stuff. I shudder at the thought of some of the costumes Gwen and Gin have coerced me into wearing over the years. Let me tell you, they have no shame.”
“Well, if they do, you have to tell them to stop by my place because I want pictures.”
I let out a sinister laugh. “Alex, they have you in their grasp now; do you honestly think they are going to let you weasel your way out—not a chance in hell.”
“Great,” Alex utters with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
“Hey, you said you wanted in. Next time, be careful of what you ask for where my family is concerned.”
***
After the meeting with Alex, I checked on a couple of the sites that are finishing up, then headed home. It’s been nice having my dad help out, I’m actually ending my day at a decent hour, and I think he likes getting out of the house for a bit. I head into the main house before heading to my apartment. When I enter the backdoor to the kitchen, I see Liam sitting at the table with Sawyer in his arms.
“Hey,” I let out quietly.
Liam looks up, offering me a nod. “You all done for the day?”
“Yeah, Dad’s been a Godsend.”
“Ben, I told you, you should have brought him on long ago. Had you, you wouldn’t have been slowly killing yourself.”
I take a seat across from Liam and let out a breath. “I know, but he had just retired, and I didn’t want to bother him.”
My brother smiles. “Was it that, or was it a pride thing. Dad had been pushing off, giving you the business for years until he felt you were ready. So, could it have been more that you didn’t want to make him think he made a mistake?”
I lay back into the chair. He’s right, and he knows it. “Yeah, I guess that was part of it.”
“Yeah, a big part. But, Ben, you know Dad as well as I do. He never makes a mistake, and he knew it was time and that you were ready. What he didn’t account for was you feeling like you had something to still prove to him.”
“Don’t I?”
Liam shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but I have, so let me tell you. When Dad talks about you taking over the business and about all the projects you have on the go, the man beams with pride. Ben, in Dad’s eyes and Mom’s, you have accomplished so much, and all with still keeping true to who you are. That there is all, they could have wanted for you.”
“I just always feel like I’m missing something,” I mention.
“You are!”
; I look at my brother. “You care to enlighten me?”
Liam offers me a smile. “Little brother, there’s only one other thing that in a family like ours, would make it all complete.”
“And that is?”
Liam stands, a sleeping Sawyer in his arms. He looks to the doorway to the upstairs. “Mines upstairs, putting our five other children to bed.”
With no other words, Liam walks out, leaving me there to take it all in, and I realize...
...He’s right!
Chapter Fifteen
-Matilda-
“I can’t believe you and Ben went a whole week without seeing one another.”
I turn to Quinn, who is standing by the kitchen sink, rinsing the last of the vegetables we picked up at the market for tonight’s dinner that I planned for Ben and me.
“We’re not attached at the hip, you know,” I reply.
“Pfft, could have fooled me. Since the two of you came to your senses and professed your undying love for one another, you have been inseparable.”
“Okay, first of all, we haven’t really professed anything. And second, with the work schedules we have, it’s highly unlikely that we have been inseparable.”
Quinn lands me with one of his ‘who do you think you’re trying to kid’ looks. “Ati, you know what I mean. I’m just saying, with a man like that, I don’t know many women that could keep away. Maybe he’s just not your type.” I chuck a piece of the cucumber I was slicing, hitting Quinn square in the forehead. “Ow!”
“That’s for comparing me to most women. Also, you’re one to talk. I haven't even seen this mystery man you’ve been sneaking away with. He’s either hideous or imaginary,” I reply.
A slight gasp leaves Quinn’s lips, and feigned shock plays at his expression. “How dare you suggest I would date anyone that was imaginary?”
“So, he’s hideous than?”
Quinn straightens his shoulders proudly, his look, sincere and intense. “I judge only by one’s inner beauty; that’s all that really matters.”
“Wow, okay, now I feel shallow. I’m sorry, Quinn, I didn’t mean to suggest...well, I mean, I’m sure he’s—”
Ben & Matilda- Infinite Promise Page 13