Page 2 of Summer With You

“I’ve been missing you, of course, Debbie.” She winked at me before turning to Ace.

“And you, handsome! You look tired! This young thang keeping you up at night?” She laughed, playfully nudging his shoulder. She sure did love to tease us about our sex life.

“Oh, I wish, Deb. This one has been so busy with the kids that she falls asleep before I even get into bed.” He grinned reaching for my hand, his gold wedding band glinting in the light of the room.

“Alright, lovebirds, I’ll be back with the usual—two piping-hot coffees and two American omelets.”

She turned quickly, giving her attention to the next table. I glanced at our joined hands before looking up into his ocean-blue eyes. The same warmth swirled in his eyes that he had shown me all those years ago when our lives were at risk.

I loved this man more and more with each passing day.

“Ace, we need to talk.” His fingers tightened around mine, frown lines appearing on his forehead. Time had been kind to his face, no signs of aging anywhere. He looked as young now as he did back when we first met. Sure, his face had angled out more, but that was the only sign of him growing older.

“What’s wrong, Princess? I knew there was a reason you didn’t want to bring Charlie.”

“I’m pregnant.” When I asked him a few months ago if we could have another, he refused, telling me that two was enough, that our family was complete. But I wanted to be pregnant again. I wanted to make another version of us. I wanted to watch him hold our baby, and mostly, I wanted to be pregnant with my best friend, who was already four months pregnant with twins.

We had been pregnant together once, and she lost her child. I knew the memory of that year left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth. I wanted a chance to change that, to erase the evil of that year, and I had that chance now.

I bit my lip, taking in his reaction which was so far emotionless. Anxiety swirled in my gut, fear sliding through my veins. I was terrified of his reaction.

“Are you sure?” he whispered, looking away from me as Deb put two coffees on the table in front of us. He didn’t let go of my hand when she walked away. He didn’t even spare the steaming cup of coffee a glance, his eyes focused only on me.

“I went to the doctor yesterday. I’m sure.” I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat. “Please don’t be mad.” Tears glistened in my eyes, and he blurred in my vision.

The frown left his face at my soft plea. He hated it when I cried.

“Baby, I’m not mad. I just know how hard the last pregnancy was on your body and you. I want you to be happy,” he blew out a soft breath, “and if this is what makes you happy, then I’m blessed to bring another child into the world with you, especially if he or she has your big, blue eyes.”

Laughter bubbled out of my throat at his cheesy smile, my anxiety sliding away and replaced with happiness.

“Now, I have a surprise for you.” I pulled my hand away from his to put two packets of sugar in my coffee and a splash of milk.

“You know I love surprises, Ace. What have you planned this time?” I brought the still steaming cup to my lips and took a small sip.

There was nothing like that first sip of coffee, nothing like the warmth that immediately flowed through me.

“Your father mentioned that they weren’t going to the lake house this summer. Instead, they’re flying to Hawaii. So, I thought we could take the kids for a few weeks and spend some time together there, show them a different side to Orlando other than theme parks.”

“Can we both be gone from work for so long?” He nodded, raising his cup to his lips and taking a big gulp of it, the heat of the coffee not even fazing him.

“We’ll go for three weeks, right before your parents leave for their trip. We can leave tomorrow if you want.”

Deb interrupted our planning by placing our breakfast on the table. My mouth practically watered at the sight of the big arrangement of food before me—a giant omelet, hash browns, bacon, and a fruit medley. I was in heaven.

“Tomorrow,” I mulled, shaking my head after a moment. “Summer isn’t finished with school yet. She has at least another few days of exams.”

“Then we’ll leave as soon as she’s done. Don’t panic. We have plenty of time,” he assured me.

The next few minutes were filled with silence as we devoured our breakfast, and I thought over the last few summers Ace and I had spent at the lake house before the kids were born.

My parents bought the house spontaneously as an anniversary gift to each other, and then, they spent an entire year renovating it. In that time, they sold the beach house and used that money to make a small lake house into a massive three-story manor that overlooked one of the many lakes in Orlando.

It was in a secluded area with another twenty-nine homes, very little traffic, and sometimes, no internet. The place was a haven in a city of tourists.

Ace and I had gotten married there, and the thought of showing the kids a different type of summer was enthralling. Summer and Charlie loved Disney World, but the frequent trips we made were beginning to take a toll on both of us as the kids became more demanding. Spending some time on the lake, roasting marshmallows, and spending a few weeks with Ace away from the hustle and bustle of the city sounded like heaven.

“We can’t cave when the kids ask to go to Disney,” Ace said after finishing his food, swallowing his last bite down with a sip of coffee.

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