“You look like you’re scheming.” Rip smiled.
My face heated. “Just thinking about putting NyQuil in the kids’ juice boxes. You know, real parent-of-the-year-type stuff.”
He burst out laughing. I’d forgotten how much I loved his laugh. Not that I’d heard it much over the years. But now that I thought about it… I’d been hearing it often the last week and more. I wanted to keep this moment forever, both of us free, laughing, talking about juice boxes, NyQuil, maybe even plotting a way to make a mean casserole. How was this my life now? And why was I suddenly so at peace? So happy?
“I love your laugh.” I found myself sobering, reaching for his face. He was all flawless straight teeth, dimples, and a perfect jawline. So annoying.
But all mine.
“I love that you love it, Colby.”
“For a frog you really can be romantic.”
“Frog prince, get it right.”
“Sure, OK…” I started moving away, only to have him catch me by the hips and pull me back. “That tickles!”
“Shhhhh.” He kept tickling my sides. “If you wake up the kids you get to tell them about the cuddling.”
I laughed harder. “Oh my gosh, you cuddled me so hard, do it again, Rip… pleeeeease.”
His eyes dilated. “Whatever my princess wants.”
“See, that’s why the frog got kissed.” I laughed as he ducked under the covers. “He said whatever she wants, whatever the princess wants…”
And he gave it. He gave himself.