“Does Lacey see your kids often? Because I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“No. She lives in the city. She wasn’t in their life much before Lorelei left, so not much has changed. It’s the same with Lorelei’s parents.”
“I can’t imagine that. When Nick and Jessa have a kid, I’m going to be over there all the time.”
“Because you’re wonderful. Lorelei and Lacey grew up in a cold home where money meant more than love.”
“Most days, when I think of Lorelei and what she put you and the kids through, I want to throttle her, but that makes me feel sorry for her.”
“It’s the same way for me. That’s why I’ve vowed to give my kids a different life, one filled with love and laughter.”
“You’re doing a great job, Grayson. Your kids are wonderful, and that’s a testament to good parenting.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to hear someone thinks I’m doing an okay job.”
“More than okay.” Nora wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a kiss. “You’re doing wonderfully.”
“I appreciate that. And as for Lacey not liking you, I don’t give a damn. I like you, and my kids like you, and that’s all that matters.”
Nora answers by placing a chaste kiss on my lips, and then she pulls her phone out. “Should we send Emma that picture you promised her?”
I nod. Nora holds the phone up. We cuddle in close, and she takes a few pictures. “I’ll send them to Jessa to show to Emma.”
“Send them to me too.”
“Oh my gosh
, that was so much fun.” Nora leans into me as we run from my car to my front door, dodging giant, cold raindrops.
Jessa texted twenty minutes ago that the kids fell asleep at her house and rather than wake them, she suggested I leave them and pick them up tomorrow morning. I wasn’t about to pass up the chance to spend a little extra time alone with Nora.
“Except when you almost took my head off,” I point out.
That makes her laugh harder. “I didn’t mean to let go of the ax; it just flew out of my hands.”
I unlock the front door, and we dash inside.
“Backwards. You literally threw it behind you. I could be in a morgue right now,” I tease.
“Oh, hush.” She pokes my side. “You’re being dramatic.”
It turns out throwing axes is much harder than it sounds. We used the lightest-weight option for Nora, and she still had a hard time flinging the ax at the target. Hence the backwards throwing.
Lesson learned. Don’t stand behind Nora when she’s holding an ax. Scratch that, the lesson should be don’t ever, under any circumstances, give Nora an ax.
Nora shivers. I grab a blanket from the back of the couch and drape it around her shoulders, rubbing her arms.
“Better?”
“Almost.” She tilts her head up and taps her lips with her finger.
I grab the edges of the blanket and pull her to me. Her sweet, warm breath fans across my face. Our noses brush together, and I press my lips to hers.
Nora moans. The sound is smothered by our beating hearts and the raindrops as they slap against the roof.
After several long, glorious moments, we pull apart. Nora’s forehead rests against mine.
“I should go home.”