“It’s great.”
The kids wanted to walk on the boardwalk, so James drove them all over to Kay’s house to park in her driveway. Just as they were heading onto the boards his phone rang.
“Now?” he said, looking annoyed. “That delivery wasn’t supposed to come in until the end of next week.”
Ethan climbed up onto the metal guardrail that ran along the boardwalk. “Careful,” Kay said, not wanting him to tumble head first onto the sand below.
“My dad lets me do this.” Ethan bent at his waist, hanging over the edge of the railing.
“No, he doesn’t.” James scooped him up and set him down on the boardwalk. “Hey, guys. I have to go to the restaurant, there’s a problem. What do you say we head over there for a bit and we walk the boards later?”
“I don’t wanna go to the restaurant, we just got here. Can’t Kay walk with us?”
Kay felt panic rise inside her. What if one of them ran off? Got lost? Fell and scraped a knee? She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
James nodded then narrowed his eyes. “Would you mind if they just stayed at your place? I won’t be long. They can watch TV. I’ll be back before two shows are over, I promise.”
Two shows. That sounded reasonable. “Okay.”
“What do you say we go to Kay’s house first for a bit? She’s got a cool house right here on the beach, and I bet she’s got lemonade in her fridge.”
“Okay,” Cindy said, slipping her hand into Kay’s.
Ethan grumbled a little, but nodded. “Do you get Nickelodeon?”
“She’s got all the channels, don’t worry.”
James rubbed his hand across Kay’s shoulder, strong and reassuring. “You’ll be fine.”
She was fine, for the first half hour, until the cable went out. “Don’t you have any DVDs?” Ethan whined.
“Sorry, I don’t.” Kay didn’t think the handful of movies she’d bought Gram to go along with her new DVD player last Christmas were anything that Ethan would or should be watching. “I’ve got pens and paper. You could draw.”
“I hate drawing.” Ethan dragged his sneakers along the floorboard, making an annoying squeaky sound. “Uncle James lets us cook. Can we cook something?”
Kay was skeptical. “Like what?”
“He lets us make cookies.”
Cindy shook her head. “He does not.”
“Yes, he does. Remember, we made the M&M ones.”
“Oh yeah.” Cindy was fidgeting, tugging at her dress. Kay couldn’t tell if she was nervous or had to use the bathroom.
“You okay, Cindy?”
She nodded, still pulling at her dress.
Ethan moved in front of her, his face impatient. “So can we make cookies?”
“I guess. Come on in the kitchen, we’ll get started.”
Kay gathered the ingredients and set a big bowl on the kitchen table. She put in the butter and sugar. “What parts does Uncle James let you guys do?”
“All of it. I get to break the eggs. Cindy only ever stirs the dough.”
That sounds reasonable. I think. Kay got the egg carton out of the fridge and set it on the kitchen table. Ethan grabbed one of the aprons from the countertop and wrapped it around his back like a cape, racing through the room, making a loud growling sound. Oh God. Cindy was leaning against the doorway, her hands clutched at the front of her dress. “Cindy, are you okay? Do you need to use the little girl’s room?”
Cindy nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she proceeded to pee on the kitchen floor.
Shit. Kay looked around for something to grab. Dish towel? No. Paper towels. There was only one left on the roll. Dammit. “Hang on, Cindy, let me get something to dry that up.” It’s not that bad, it probably didn’t get on her dress. Kay grabbed the paper towels out of the cupboard just in time to see Cindy slump to the floor, still crying, her dress landing right in the puddle. Great.
“It’s okay, Cindy. Don’t cry. I’ve got a washing machine. We can take care of this.” I can do this. She blotted the floor around Cindy, debating what to do next.
“Cindy peed her pants. Cindy peed her pants,” Ethan chanted, still pretending to fly with his apron cape.
“Don’t tease your sister. Everyone has accidents.”
“Do you pee your pants?” Ethan asked, a cheeky expression on his otherwise angelic face.
“No, not anymore. But your sister is three. Sit down at the table while I get her cleaned up.”
“Okay.” He plunked himself into a chair, his sneaker kicking at the leg in rapid thumps.
“Come on, Cindy. Do you have any clothes in your bag?”
“She’s always got underpants in there. She does this a lot.”
Gee thanks, Ethan.
“Do not.” Cindy sniffled, wiping her eyes as she glared at her brother.
“Of course not. Let’s grab your bag.” She took Cindy by the hand, snapped up the pink tote bag and headed to the bathroom.
Cindy raised her arms so Kay could strip off her little dress. She’d never touched anything covered with anyone’s pee before. Eww. The sad look on Cindy’s face made her forget how disgusting it all was. “How about if we give you a quick rinse in the shower?”
“I don’t like the shower, it sprays in my eyes.”
Kay’s mind raced. She wasn’t prepared for a full-on bath. “How about if you just stand in the tub and we rinse you off? I promise I won’t spray in your eyes.”
Cindy looked skeptical but nodded.
“You want me to use one of my hair clips to hold your hair up so it doesn’t get wet?”
That idea Cindy liked, and a smile tugged at her small lips. Kay held out the basket of hair clips and Cindy picked the purple one without hesitating.
“There you go.” Kay secured it into her thick curls. “Beautiful. Now, the tub.”
When the water was warm Kay lifted her in. She grabbed a new bath puff from under the sink and squirted on some body wash. “Can you squeeze this and make bubbles?”
Cindy nodded, eagerly squeezing the puff. Bubbles started to lather all around her hands.
“Good job.”
They got her soaped and rinsed in no time, and Kay wrapped her in a towel, wondering what to give her for clothing. She did have underpants in her tote, but no other clothes. “You want to wear something of mine?”
Cindy smiled. “Okay.”
Kay took her shortest drawstring beach skirt and slipped it over Cindy’s little body. She tied the drawstring under her arms, creating a mini tube dress. Cindy looked down at herself then back at Kay.
“Let’s see what we can use for a belt for you…” Kay sifted through her drawer then remembered a hair scarf she’d seen a few days earlier. “How about this?” She tied the scarf around Cindy’s waist, the long ends hanging down just to the bottom of the “dress.” Not bad. “Here, what do you think?”
She hoisted Cindy up onto the bed so she could look in the mirror above the dresser. Cindy grinned from ear to ear. “It looks like a princess dress.”
“You’re right, it does. Let’s go find your brother.”
Kay took Cindy’s hand and they set off for the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of Ethan. He was standing on a kitchen chair, flour sifter in his hand. Flour everywhere.
“What are you doing?” Kay’s voice was far louder than she’d intended but she was horrified. Oh my God. Everything was covered in white powder, even the air was misty with it.
“Baking cookies,” Ethan said, wiping a floury hand across his bangs.
“This is not baking cookies. Put that down. I thought I told you to sit in the chair and wait for me.”
“I am in the chair,” Ethan said.
“That’s not what I meant.” Kay was getting more aggravated by the minute. “Cindy, can you go sit on the couch? Don’t step on the paper towels, they’re still wet. Ethan, don’t move. I’m going to see if the cable is back on and I’ll be right back.”
Kay’s heart was pounding. Please be on, please be on. She sighed with relief as SpongeBob appeared on her TV. Cindy curled up with a throw pillow. “Stay right there. Call if you need me.”
“Okay.”
“SpongeBob!” Ethan yelled, trying to dash past Kay to get to the couch.
“Oh no.” She grabbed him by the arm before he got out of the kitchen. “No sitting on my couch until you’re dusted off.”
She took a dishrag and started trying to wipe the flour from him, but it seemed hopeless. More poofed out every time the rag touched him. “You know what? Wait right here. We’re going to vacuum you.”
Kay had done a cooking photo shoot years ago and someone had dropped an industrial sized bag of flour off a high countertop. Flour went all over everything, and the stage crew had vacuumed up most of it before wiping everything down. She grabbed her vacuum cleaner and screwed on the upholstery attachment.
Ethan squirmed and complained, but Kay had the impression this wasn’t the first time this kid was having stuff vacuumed off him. When she’d gotten as much flour off him as possible she sent him into the living room to sit with his sister while she continued cleaning.
She was Clorox-wiping the last of the pee-zone when she heard James come through the front door. “Hey guys. How’d everything go?”
“Cindy peed her pants,” Ethan announced.
“Shut up,” Cindy yelled.
Oh God, he’s going to think I’m totally incompetent. I am totally incompetent. An hour with these kids and my house is a wreck. They’re fighting.
James appeared at the kitchen doorway. “I’m so sorry. Here. Let me get that.”
Kay shoved the last handful of wipes and towels into the trash and stood. “I’m all done. I just have to go throw Cindy’s clothes in the wash.”
James cringed. “I should have warned you.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m just not used to kids.”
“Go get yourself cleaned up. I’ll take care of this. What were you guys doing anyway?”
“Ethan told me you let them bake. He talked me into making cookies.”
James shook his head. “Ethan. I’m sorry. I really should have prepared you. I wasn’t thinking.”
She’d been really pissed off, but hearing how guilty James felt, her anger evaporated. “It’s no big deal.”
“I owe you for this.”
“I’m okay with that.” Kay winked at him and headed for the bathroom. Showering seemed like an ideal way to get rid of the rest of her tension.
Chapter Nineteen
By the time he heard Kay coming back down the hall, James had the kitchen cleaned and had managed to get the cookie dough well under way.
“You didn’t need to actually make cookies.” She came up behind him and smoothed her hands up his back, making him wish they were alone in the house.
“I think you’re owed some cookies after what those two put you through.” James stirred the last of the flour into the dough as she continued to rub his back. Each stroke created a now familiar tug in his belly.
“They seem to be behaving now.” She eyed the living room. They were at opposite ends of the couch, but weren’t arguing.
“I read them the riot act while you were in the shower.”
“You didn’t have to do that. Cindy didn’t actually do anything bad at all.”
James shook his head. “When I went in to talk to them I noticed she’d plucked about half the fringes off one of your throw pillows. She does the same thing to her stuffed animals, and I know she’s not trying to be bad, but we had a talk about respecting other people’s things. I’m really sorry, Kay.”
She went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Don’t be sorry. I have to learn how to deal with kids.”
Is she thinking she’ll have some of her own some day? Maybe with me? The thought was exciting but scary as hell. He knew he wanted kids, always had, but never with someone in particular. Even with Patricia he’d never really gone there. It was easy to imagine with Kay. Maybe too easy. I’ve got the restaurant now. No time to start a family.
“What’s going through that head of yours?” she asked, her eyes narrowed, her lips slightly pursed.
I’m thinking about our future and freaking out. I’m thinking my plan to keep this simple and fun is a total failure. “Just wondering if we should let the rugrats have any of these when they’re baked.” He scooped balls of cookie dough onto the sheet pan, trying to focus on the present. Enjoy what you have now. Right in front of you. He took the advice literally, wrapping his arm around Kay’s waist and drawing her into a slow, sweet kiss.
“Cookies and kisses. I’d say you’ve more than made up for the less fun parts of my afternoon.”
They took the kids for pizza on the boardwalk, then James headed home with them so he could get them to bed. He was regretting having agreed to watch them overnight. He wasn’t done making things up to Kay. Kissing her goodnight after he piled them into his car had been torture. His body burned, every nerve ending tingling. He wanted her like he’d never wanted anyone else.
The kids were tired and went to sleep with a minimal amount of complaining. He went into his room and closed the door, debating for a moment then deciding to lock it. He changed into pajama pants. It was too warm to bother with a shirt.
Kay had said she’d talk to him tomorrow, but he couldn’t resist calling her to say good night.
“Hello.” The gentle sound of her voice was enough to send his heart racing.
“Hey.”
“I was just thinking about you.”
He sat down on the bed. “Oh you were, eh? What about me?”
“That you make damned good cookies. I’ve eaten three of them since you left.”
He chuckled. “It’s always about the food with you.”
“It’s always about your food. Everything you make is yummy.”
He felt a swell of pride, along with a rush of heat to his groin. He shifted, lying back against the pillows, thankful he’d locked the bedroom door. “Flattery. It works like a charm.”
She giggled softly and his body pulsed. He closed his eyes, his hand going to the bulge in his pajamas. “What time do you want to get together tomorrow?”
I wish we didn’t have to wait until tomorrow. He moved his hand up and down along the hardened ridge. “How about I swing by after I drop the kids off at home?” He didn’t think he could wait longer than that. His body was in full agreement, twitching under his palm.
“You sound awfully eager,” she purred, kicking the heat inside him up an unbearable notch.
He slipped his hand beneath the drawstring waist, swallowing the sigh that almost escaped him on contact. Jesus. I’m like a goddamned teenager. Memories flashed into his mind of jerking off silently while he spent hours on the phone with his high school girlfriend. It heightened the sensation even more. He tugged the loose fabric down, freeing himself. “Eager is an understatement where you’re concerned.”
She laughed again, and he could feel the vibration through his ear, carrying straight down to his erection. A loud buzzer sounded on Kay’s side of the line. “That’s the laundry. I’d better get going. I’ll see you around noon?”
“You can count on it.”
He hung up the phone and reached into the nightstand drawer for a towel. The sound of her voice lingered in his head, accompanied by a shifting collage of images. Her breasts, the curve of her hips, every steamy inch of her body flashing through his memory with total recall. Every scent, every texture of her burned into his brain, waiting to be replayed. He stroked with increased fervor, careful to stay quiet, vaguely aware that kids were sleeping in the next room, but desperate for release. The pleasure quickly built to the point of no return and he gladly gave in to it, throbbing in deep, hot bursts. He barely remembered cleaning off and tugging his pants back up before drifting into a dream about Kay.
Chapter Twenty
Kay had felt nervous about spending the day with James’s famil
y. She felt equally tense about the upcoming dinner she had planned. It would have been Gram’s 86th birthday. That, in itself, made Kay feel unsettled and upset, so she’d decided something should be done to commemorate the day. She’d asked Rosalie and Trixie to come for dinner, and she’d asked James to join them.
Initially she’d thought she wanted to keep it super simple. Just a chance for them all to spend some time together. But it had quickly turned into a much more elaborate plan. Rosalie and Trixie wanted to bring over the dishes they’d most often shared with Gram. And James had suggested that he and Kay prepare some of her favorite recipes. Together.
He came over at two p.m. with a bottle of wine and the most breathtaking bouquet Kay had ever seen. “Hey, beautiful.” He kissed her hello and handed her the arrangement. Deep blue hydrangeas surrounded by tiny white flowers she couldn’t identify. It smelled like childhood and summer. Sweet. Homey. Did he know Gram always kept hydrangeas on the kitchen table in the summer? Everything about James mystified her. She’d never had a guy be so in tune with what she was thinking. What she needed.
James rubbed his hands together, looking eager to get started. “What are we making first?”
“We can put the pork roast in, since that takes the longest, then work on the mushrooms and dessert.”
“Sounds good. Lead the way.”
She loved that when she was teaching him Gram’s recipes he completely deferred to her. She’d seen him with the staff at the restaurant. In charge. She also knew firsthand how hard it could be to hand over control to someone else. It impressed her every time, and made her care about him even more. Care about him. Who am I kidding? I’m totally in love with him.
Kay mixed all the spices together in Gram’s old marble mortar. James went to work crushing them for her. “You’re pretty handy with a pestle.”
He chuckled, his hand gripping the handle tighter. “Glad you approve.”
“Okay.” She unwrapped the roast she’d picked up at the butcher shop that morning. “Now we have to rub the meat.”
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