“Ha ha, easy for you to say. What are you turning? Twenty-eight?” I roll my eyes, and even though he couldn’t possibly know I did so, he laughs and says, “One day your eyes are going to get stuck like that.”
“Wow, you’re just full of jokes, aren’t you?”
His response, of course, is to tilt my face up and kiss me. “We should start getting ready soon. Kinsley’s game starts in a couple hours. I imagine you’re going to need coffee and something to eat.”
“You don’t have to go,” I tell him. “We were up all night and you have to work today.”
“I’ll take a quick nap later, but I’m not missing her game.” He gives the tip of my nose a kiss and shifts me off him so he can get up. “Shower with me?” He waggles his brows.
“Sounds perfect.”
Twenty
Quinn
“I’ll make the mashed potatoes, and you can make that cornbread casserole everyone loves.” I’m having lunch with Celeste, Olivia, Willow, and Giselle, so we can discuss Thanksgiving, which is in a few days. We’ve decided to do one dinner at Celeste and Jase’s place since their house is the biggest and has the largest dining room.
“Okay, great.” Celeste types something into her phone.
“I’ll bring the green bean casserole and sweet potatoes,” Olivia adds.
“Perfect.” I check the items off my list.
“I’ll have my mom make the deserts,” Giselle says. Her mom owns an upscale restaurant here in New York. The food is delicious!
“Jax and I can bring the rolls,” Willow says with a laugh, and we all join in.
“I think that covers everything.” I check my phone and see it’s almost time for Kinsley to get out of school. Her babysitter, Ember, took the week off to visit family, and the backup one has moved out of the state, so I’ve been picking Kinsley up every day myself. Today is her last day of school before Thanksgiving break. With the snow falling, making the roads slippery, I need to leave shortly so I’m not late to get her. A text vibrates on my phone, and when I click into it, it’s Lachlan: I miss you. Send me a pic. I shoot him back a text, telling him I’m at lunch with everyone, but he texts back he doesn’t care, which makes me laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Celeste asks.
“Every time I’m not around Lachlan, he’s begging me to send him pictures.”
Giselle laughs. “Killian does the same thing!”
“Really?” Olivia asks. “Do you send them?”
“Of course! Gotta keep his spank bank filled with me,” Giselle quips.
“I would be so afraid of them getting lost in cyber space,” Olivia says.
“I send them to Lachlan, but only ones of me clothed. He’s asked for some nudes, but I feel like I’d need to edit them beforehand,” I say, only half-joking.
“Oh! You should do a boudoir shoot,” Celeste says. “That way he gets his nudes and they’re done tastefully.”
“That’s actually a really good idea,” I admit. “Lachlan’s birthday is coming up. I could give them to him as a gift.”
Celeste’s face splits into a wide grin. “Well, look at you, getting all risqué in your old age.” She winks teasingly. “You know Adam’s husband, Felix, right? I think you’ve met him before.” Adam is a model and one of Celeste’s best friends, and Felix, his husband, is a huge well-known photographer. “Want me to see if he’s available?”
“That would be great. Thanks,” I tell her, feeling both excited and nervous.
“Have you decided yet, if you’re going to Ireland with him?” Willow asks.
“Ireland?” Celeste questions. “You guys really are getting serious, aren’t you?”
“He told me he’s falling in love with me,” I admit. “He asked me to go with him for a wedding.”
“You should go!” Willow says. “You deserve a mini vacay.”
“I do want to go, but I feel bad leaving Kinsley with you guys. He said I could bring her, but I hate for her to miss any days since she’ll be out for Christmas break shortly after.”
“That’s what family is for,” Celeste points out. “You have all of us. I bet Skyla would even stay with her if you wanted her to. It’s okay to lean on us, you know.” Hearing her say the words, knowing my family has my back, solidifies my decision to go.
“You’re right. Thank you. I’m going to tell him yes.” I send Lachlan a text, asking if the invitation is still available to join him in Ireland. A few seconds later, my phone rings. “Hello.”
“Does this mean you guys are coming?”
“This means I’m coming.”
“No Kinsley?” I can hear his disappointment through the phone.
“She has school, but my family said they’ll watch her.”
“I’ll book our flights tonight,” he says with a smile in his voice. “If you change your mind about her, just let me know.”
“Will do.”
We hang up, and when I place my phone down on the table and look up, I see four sets of eyes smiling at me. “What?”