“Good, I’m sure both of you will do much better at home. Don’t worry about P; I’ve got her covered for however long it takes. I’ve taken the rest of the week off already, and if you still need help with her next week, Mom is more than willing to help. That goes for anything. If you need help during the day with Owen, and Mike needs to go to work, just call her; she’ll be more than willing to pop over, I’m sure of it.”
“Thanks, Tucker. We really appreciate it,” Lilly says again.
“Let me go get our girl, and I’ll be right back.” I do just that, bringing Paisley in to say goodbye to her mom, then stop at the nurses' station to say goodbye to Lindsay before I take her out to Lee and my waiting truck.
“Nona wants to know what kind of ice cream or popsicles you want her to bring you,” I tell Paisley once I’ve got her home and settled on the couch. I insisted on carrying her inside the house. Even though I know she’s perfectly fine walking on her own, I still don’t want anything else happening to her. The pain meds they gave her at the hospital made her a little woozy and sleepy. The last thing I need is her falling while trying to walk because of the side effects of the meds.
“Strawberry,” she says as Buckley hops up on the couch next to her, settling into her side. He licks at her fingers that stick out of the cast on her left hand.
“Anything else you want to request before Nona stops at the store on her way over?” I ask, kissing her forehead.
“No, I’m just tired,” she tells me.
“Okay, sweetheart. How about you watch some princesses and maybe take a nap, then.”
“All right, Daddy,” she agrees, shifting until she’s comfortable on the couch. Her eyes hardly open as I flip the TV to her favorite channel. I don’t expect her to even last this full half-hour episode with how heavy her eyes are.
15
Lindsay
“How’re things going?” I ask Tucker as I approach the porch. He’s rocking back and forth on one of the chairs he keeps out here.
“She’s been sleeping for a while. I think the pain meds are still in her system,” he tells me, holding out a hand for me to take. I do so immediately, and he pulls me onto his lap. I accept the seat, leaning against him and resting my head on his shoulder.
“God, today was terrifying. It feels like an entire week has gone by, and here it is, only seven,” he murmurs after a few minutes of silence.
“Traumatic events can do that to you.”
“All I want to do is have some dinner and take you to bed. I need to hold you, and I need to sleep,” he says, pressing a kiss to the crown of my head.
“Well, you’re in luck, because I can make both of those things happen.”
“Mom brought over some food, a pan of lasagna and some fresh garlic bread, if that sounds okay to you?”
“That sounds perfect,” I assure him. “Do we need to bake it?” I ask. My stomach is already growling in hunger, so I’m hoping that we just need to heat it up.
“Nope, she already cooked it. Wanted it ready and easy for me to heat up.”
“Perfect, then I’ll go make us up two plates, and we can eat out here, if you want,” I offer.
“You don’t have to do that; I can help,” he offers.
“I know you can, but let me do this,” I say, kissing his cheek.
“Okay.” He concedes quickly, the exhaustion he’s feeling evident.
I hop off his lap and head inside. I find the pan of lasagna in the fridge and portion us out two servings. After both heat up in the microwave, I carry them outside, handing one plate over to Tucker. I settle in on the second rocking chair, and we both dig in to our dinner.
“Has she eaten anything since being home?” I ask once we’ve both finished our dinner.
“A little peanut butter toast when she had her pain medicine, and a popsicle.”
“Good, sometimes the pain meds can make kids’ stomachs pretty upset, so making sure she eats when she takes it is important.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Hopefully, she won’t need the prescribed medication for more than a day or so. I’d rather her take over the counter strength than the narcotics they gave her. I know they are needed for a day or two, but I hope that’s long enough.”
“I’m sure she’ll be back to her normal self quickly. Kids are pretty resilient and bounce back a lot quicker than we do.”
“I hope so. You ready to head inside?” he asks.
“Yep, let me grab our dishes, first.”
“I can help,” he insists, standing up and grabbing both of our plates. I follow him inside, and while he washes up from dinner, I check on Paisley. She stirs on the couch, her eyes slowly opening up as she comes to.
“Hey, munchkin, how are you feeling?” I ask, holding up and offering the water bottle someone stashed next to her.
She takes the water, sucking down a few mouthfuls before finding her voice and answering me. “Hungry,” her little voice squeaks out.
“What would you like to eat?” I ask.
“Maybe a PB and J,” she says, snuggling in deeper with her blanket. Buckley jumps down off the couch and heads for the door, obviously needing outside for a bit. Tucker opens the back door for him and steps out on the back deck to watch him while he does his business. A few minutes later, Tucker comes in, just as I’m putting the finishing touches on Paisley’s sandwich, slicing it into two large triangles.
“Thanks for taking care of this for me,” he says from behind me as he cages me in against the counter. His lips find my exposed neck and shoulder. As they slide along my skin, a shiver runs down my spine, and I can’t help the shudder that runs through my body. “Cold?” Tucker chuckles, his lips still pressed against my skin.
“Nope,” I tell him, popping the P as I press my ass against his hardening cock, and he groans.
“You’re going to pay for that later.”
“Promise?” I ask, spinning in his arms. He boxes me in closer and brings his lips to mine.
“Oh, I promise.” He grins before stepping back. He grabs the plate I’d placed Paisley’s PB and J on, along with a banana and cup of milk, and turns for the living room. He doesn’t usually let her eat out there, but today’s events are a good reason to break the rules.
* * *
“Did you get her off to bed, okay?” I ask Tucker as he enters the bedroom. I set my kindle down. I was thoroughly engrossed in J. Nathan’s newest book.
“Yep, took her meds like a champ. I got her changed into some pajamas and all set up in bed. One book and she was out,” he tells me as he pulls off his T-shirt. He’d lost his uniform before I got here, having replaced it with jeans and a well-worn firehouse T-shirt. I don’t hide the fact that I’m ogling his sinewy form. All those muscles are popping as he moves, making my mouth water and core clench just thinking about what he can do to my body.
“Might want to wipe that drool up before it hits the bed,” Tucker quips, catching my ogling.
“Asshole,” I mutter, yet, not really meaning the jab. I swipe a hand along my lip to make sure I’m not actually drooling, and I’m not.
“What was that?” Tucker asks, boxing me in against the bed as he hovers a few inches from my face, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“Don’t be a jerk,” I say, smacking his chest as I lose control and start giggling.
“Me? A jerk? Never.” He gasps and tickles my sides.
“St-stop.” I full-on laugh as he finds a very ticklish spot on my side.
“I’m going to go take a quick shower, and then I’ll be back to make good on my earlier promise,” Tucker says, dropping a kiss to my lips. I slide a hand into his hair at the base of his neck, holding him against me. His tongue slips inside my mouth as he deepens the kiss. I nip at his bottom lip when he pulls back slightly. “Naughty girl, I love it.” He smirks against my lips, and I do it again.
“Just keeping you on your toes,” I tell him as he pushes back, my hand falling to the bed as he heads for the shower.
I fall back into
my book while I wait for him to shower and come to bed, which takes less than five minutes; damn guys and their ability to take a speed shower.
“Miss me?” he asks, sliding into bed and aligning our bodies so we’re facing one another. I save my place and tuck my kindle under my pillow.
“Always,” I tell him, kissing his cheek. “Hmmm… you smell good.”
“Just for you, baby.” He slides a hand up my bare thigh, finding me in only panties and a sleep tank. “If I’d have known you were already down to just these,” he says, snapping the elastic of my panties, “I don't know that I would have made it into the shower.”
“Can’t have a dirty boy coming to bed,” I tease him.
“Who you calling boy? I’m all man, sweetheart.”
“Are you now?” I grin as he plants a kiss on my lips. He tugs me closer, closing the few-inch gap that was previously between us. I can feel every ridge of his abs against my softness. My body is already so ready for him. Knowing precisely what he does to me, my insides are already trembling, ready for the release he’s sure to bring.
16
Tucker
I open my front door, tired from a long-ass shift. I’m ready for a shower, beer, food, and bed, and not necessarily in that order.
“Hey,” one of my favorite voices calls out from the living room. “How was your shift?” Lindsay asks.
“Humph.” It is my only answer.
“Okayyy...” she says, dragging out the word. “That good, huh?” she asks, standing and coming over to give me a hug and a kiss.
“It was long, and we had a really weird-ass call. I’ll tell you about it later,” I tell her, squeezing my eyes shut as I slide a hand along my forehead and into my hair. I can’t unsee the images that are now burned into my head from that call.
“I’m intrigued,” she says, pushing up on her toes to kiss me. I slide my hands up her curves until I can cup her cheeks in my palms. My fingers slide back and into her hair; the brown locks feel like silk between my fingers. I deepen the kiss, Lindsay opening up for me without a second thought.
“Daddy,” Paisley’s voice calls from the other side of the couch, and pulls me from devouring Lindsay right here by the front door.
“Yes, baby?” I call out, my forehead resting against Lindsay’s as I calm my breathing and heart rate.
“I’m hungry!” she proclaims.
“Well, then, maybe Daddy should fire up the grill and get some supper made; how does that sound?”
“I want a hot dog!” she calls out.
“That I can do,” I call back to Paisley. “And what would you like?” I ask Lindsay.
“I made us some foil packets with potatoes, veggies, and shrimp. They’ve been marinating for the last few hours.”
“Damn, woman, you know your way to a man's heart.” The words slip out, and my breath catches. It's way too fucking soon for me to be proclaiming my love for this woman, but I feel it in my bones. It isn’t like we haven’t known each other our entire lives, but this—whatever this is between us—is still new.
“Gotta keep you on your toes somehow.” She winks.
“I’m going to go change quick, and then I’ll fire up the grill. Please tell me I have hot dogs in the fridge?”
“You do, a brand new package. Paisley and I stopped at the store after I picked her up this afternoon.”
“Thank you.” I drop a quick kiss to her lips before I head for my bedroom so I can change.
I was shocked when Lindsay asked if she could pick Paisley up for me this afternoon so that she’d already be here when I got off. Since she was free for the day and didn’t have much going on, she wanted to hang out with her. Something about some baking or something girly she wanted to do with her: I just love the fact that Paisley loves her as much as I do, and that Lindsay reciprocates.
“So, what did you girls get into this afternoon?” I ask Paisley as she sits on one of the deck chairs as I grill dinner.
“It’s a surprise, Daddy,” she tells me, rolling her eyes. Damn sassy attitude.
“You sure you can’t tell me?” I prod, trying to get her to crack.
“Nope,” she states matter of factly.
“Okay.” I exaggerate the word, making Paisley fall into a fit of giggles. “I love you, baby girl.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
“Since you won’t tell me what you did with Lindsay, can you at least tell me if you had fun?”
“Yes! She’s the best!”
“It makes me happy that the two of you get along so well,” I tell my daughter, knowing that she doesn’t get the meaning behind my words. If my daughter disapproved of my girlfriend, then she wouldn’t be my girlfriend. Paisley is number one in my life, and she’s got to approve of someone that I have in our lives. That realization hits me square in the chest. How with past women, I never even dreamed of introducing them to her, but with Lindsay, I didn’t even second guess it. I just did and never looked back. Maybe that was my conscience helping me out.
“Are we eating outside?” Lindsay asks, poking her head out the sliding glass door.
“Sure, the weather is nice,” I reply. “Hey, P, can you pull out the cushions for the table?” I ask Paisley. She hops off the chair she was on and opens the deck box, pulls out the cushions, and places them on the three chairs we’ll sit at for dinner. Once she gets them all situated, she steps inside and grabs the little container I keep stocked with napkins and condiments for ease of carrying, and places it on the center of the table.
“All done, what now?” Paisley asks, standing a few feet from the grill so she doesn’t accidentally touch it and burn herself.
“That’s all I have for you to do. You can poke your head back inside and see if Lindsay needs help with anything.” She opens the door, but before she can ask Lindsay, Buckley comes racing out the door, almost knocking into her.
“Go throw the ball for Buckley,” I suggest. She picks one up off the deck and heads down onto the grass. Her cast hasn’t really slowed her down these past few weeks. Once she got past the first day or two after the accident, she was basically back to her usual, carefree self, just with a few bumps and bruises and, of course, the broken arm, as takeaways from the accident.
“Smells good out here.” Lindsay's voice pulls my attention away from watching Paisley throwing the ball for Buckley.
“Sure does. Have you made these packets before?”
“Not this specific recipe, but I’ve made similar ones. The sauce for this one was a recipe, so hopefully, it's good.”
“I’m sure it will be perfect,” I tell her as I take the food off of the grill, placing it all on a platter. “Paisley,” I call out. “Dinner time,” I tell her once she stops and looks my way.
I take the platter to the table a few feet from the grill. Before I sit down, I duck inside and grab Buckley’s food bowl, getting it ready so that we don’t have a dog begging for food while we’re eating.
“Buckley, come,” I call out, standing next to the sliding glass door. “Good boy, now sit,” I tell him, and he obeys. I place his bowl down, giving him a look to stay put until I tell him otherwise. I don’t make him wait long. “Okay, you can eat,” I tell him, and he dives right into the food, lapping it up as only a dog can.
“So, my cousin is coming for Thanksgiving this year!” Lindsay says excitedly as we eat our dinner.
“Awesome, when is she coming in?” I know that she was hopeful that Reese would be able to come back for the holidays.
“She’s going to fly in on the Tuesday before and stay for, like, ten days. Austin can only be here for two of them because then he’s out on a road trip, but at least they’re coming, and I get to see them!”
“That’s great,” I tell her. “Speaking of Thanksgiving, I was thinking today about it and what we’re doing. I’d kind of like to spend it together, if we can. Hit up both of our family’s dinners, if possible.”
“What is your family's tradition? Early or late dinner?
”
“Well, it's never really set in stone because of me and Dad’s work schedule. There have been many years that we’ve celebrated on a different day because one or both of us were working. In the last few years, we’ve eaten at a normal dinner time because I’ve had to work.”
“Do you know if that’s the plan this year?” Lindsay asks.
“I haven’t asked Mom what her plans were, but I can. What does your family do?”
“We’ve always eaten at two o’clock on the dot. That was something my Nana started, and Mom had continued the tradition on, when she took over hosting when Nana no longer could.”
“I’ll get Mom to have ours around six, then. We can go to your parents’ place for your family’s get together and then head to my parents’ around five,” I suggest.
“Sounds perfect to me. Will Paisley be with you this year? Or how do you guys handle holidays with her?” she asks.
“We usually split the day if I’m off, and if I’m not, then she’s with Lilly on the holiday and with me on whatever day my family ends up picking. So, she’ll probably have to miss your family’s, and we can pick her up on the way to my parents’.”
“That works. Mom will probably give us crap for not bringing her with us, but will understand. She likes having little kids around, so she’s going to be so excited that Reese, Austin, and Nicole are coming; well, she’ll mostly be excited about Nicole, but ya know she can’t be there without Reese and Austin.” She laughs at her own statement.
“How old is she?” I ask.
“A little over a year.”
“That’s a fun age.”
“Reese says she's into everything now that she’s walking and running around.”
“How do they handle having a baby out on the road when she’s touring?”
“She hasn’t done a full tour yet since Nicole was born, just a few shows here and there. If Austin hasn’t been able to go with her, then her mom flies out to be there to take care of Nicole when Reese is busy.”
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