Page 24 of Summer With You

“But what if something happens? We are both pregnant, Ace.” Amber scoffed, and I cast her a dark look.

“We can handle five kids, Cece. I’m only five months. I can still whip those kids if they step out of line. I’m not bedridden just yet.”

“See?” Ace soothed. I looked back at my husband, uncertainty in my eyes. “If something goes wrong, I will come right back to you. Nothing will keep me from you.” He framed my face with his calloused hands, brushing his thumb against my bottom lip. “It’s just two days and one night apart to have two more weeks in this paradise.”

He leaned forward and pecked my lips. Turning to look at Amber, he smiled. “You better go tell your husband the good news, and don’t come back,” he warned her. “I need a few minutes alone with my wife. I have to show her just how much I love her.” I blushed under his intense gaze, hearing the library door slam behind a giggling Amber.

We might have grown up, but sometimes, we still acted like lovesick teenagers: sneaking kisses and stealing moments alone.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this, Ace. We’re so far from home, anything could happen.”

“Stop worrying. You can just sit at the pool and get a tan. Let the kids swim all day so they fall into bed tomorrow night.”

“But what if—” He placed a finger over my lips, effectively stopping me from speaking.

“No more,” he warned me. “Time to be quiet so that I can kiss you.”

“Ace, I’m trying to be serious.” I smiled when he threw his head back with a sigh, but before I could open my mouth with another concern, he pressed his lips against mine and stole my breath away, effectively shutting me up.

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The next morning, the men left at the crack of dawn. Ace crawled out of the bed, leaving me cold and alone to go shower. I fell asleep waiting for him to say goodbye, but he came and woke me with a gentle kiss on my head.

“Be safe,” I whispered in the dark room, holding his hand tightly in mine.

“Always, my sweet girl. Take care of our kids.” He sat on the edge of the bed. I could make out the smile on his lips from the slither of light coming through the closed blinds.

“Of course, Asshole.” He cracked a grin.

“Take care of yourself. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I love you, Ace.” Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his exposed skin.

“I love you, too, Princess.”

Like a ghost, he was gone, slipping out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. I briefly heard the start of an engine just as my heavy eyelids shut, and I succumbed to my dreams again.

I woke with a start. Charlie was climbing on top of the bed, and sunlight was now streaming into the room.

“Good morning, Mommy. I’m hungry.” He got under the covers, pressing his ice-cold feet to my legs. I flinched. Jesus, no wonder Ace complained so much when I did it to him.

“Morning, baby.” I pulled him into my arms and held him close to my chest, cherishing this sweet moment before he became too big and too cool to hug Mom. “How about pancakes?” He bounced out of my arms and off the bed in one quick motion, quickly jumping up and down in excitement.

“Yes, please!”

Sitting up slowly, I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. I glanced gingerly at the empty spot where Ace should have been. Work was always coming before family time. He nearly owned the company with Ryan, and the two could never take time off for long, even with my dad there running things.

But Dad was getting old and spent less time at work and more time at home with my mom. Thinking of her reminded me that it had been a few weeks since I called last. Life had been so busy since we got here.

“Go get your sister and cousins, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen. Mommy is going to need help today without Daddy here, okay?” He nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet before running out of the room all in one quick movement.

Picking up my phone from the bedside table, I saw a few notifications. Placing my feet on the edge of the bed, I stifled another yawn as I scrolled through a few Facebook notifications and then pausing at one from my weather app.

A tropical storm warning had been issued in the early hours of the morning. It was expected to turn into a hurricane after it hit Puerto Rico in two days.

An icy chill ran down my spine as I read more and looked at the graphs of the growing storm. Florida hadn’t had a hurricane in twelve years, not since the time Ace and I first met, and we both almost died.

And now, I was all alone. I couldn’t face something this drastic, four months pregnant with two kids all on my own.

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