Page 69 of Tulips and Lost Time

“Bet you were,” Kane snorts. “Total martyr. Make the bottle, I’ll change the diaper. Then you’re cooking me breakfast. Jess and the girls are gonna drop by in a little bit. And I don’t know about you, but listening to your heartbreak and six wasted years makes me yearn for my family.”

“Glad I could be of assistance,” I drawl. I slump in my chair and drop my head back until I study the ceiling above. There’s no popcorn texture in this house. No water stains in the paint. There aren’t even spiderwebs taking up residence in the corners.

While he’s gone, I try not to think of those lost six years. The massive chunk of my life wasted on all the wrong things.

Most importantly, I try not to think of this past year of us being together. The ways I didn’t hold up my end of every deal we made. The pregnancy Kari carried, not alone, but certainly not with the partner she deserved. The house she worked for, once again, not alone, but not with the husband she was promised.

I try not to think of the car accident that ended everything.

Or that Billy and I are home again… alone. Not with the wife and mom we wished for.

“Shhh…” Jess’ soft, sweet voice carries across my house and into the kitchen. “We have to be quiet,” she whispers. “Uncle Luc and Baby Billy might still be asleep.”

“They’re not.” Kane traipses down our stairs, squeaking on the third from the top, and again on the fourth from the bottom. Then he stops by the front door when a bevy of little girl squeals surround him and, I’m certain, Billy. “The baby just dropped a giant turd, girls.” He animates his voice and makes his twins giggle. “Swear, it was bigger than my whole arm.”

“Eww!” Luna—a.k.a. Nugget—cackles and stomps her little feet. “That’s gross!”

“She’s your cousin, Nug. That poop was your family.”

“And now it’s down the toilet.” Rosalie—a.k.a. Chicken—giggles. “Billy’s butt isn’t even the size of your arm, Daddy. Her whole body isn’t the size of your arm.”

“That’s because Daddy is super strong.” I hear the peck of a kiss. The familiar sound of a husband and wife greeting each other after being apart. “Blondie. I missed the shit out of you.”

“We missed you.” I catch a glimpse of her sweeping Billy from Kane’s hold, then as she sets bags on the floor and wanders this way. “Uncle Jay and Aunty Soph hardly ever sleep. Like,” she presses a noisy kiss to Billy’s cheek. “Barely at all! Which is something I guess they’ve taught their girls. Who then felt the need to keep our girls awake. So now Aunty Jess needs coffee and a long vacation.” She steps into the kitchen and flashes a smile for me. “Hey there, handsome. You look like you haven’t slept in a thousand years.”

“Kinda feels that way.” A long yawn wracks my frame and stretches my mouth wide. My jaw clicks, and my eyes water as I squeeze them shut. But I pull it all back in. Forcing my mouth shut and my body to relax. “We’ve been up since two, I think.”

Surprised, Jess peeks over her shoulder at Kane. “Billy give you guys a hard time?”

“Not at all.” He holds his girls, one on each hip, and makes it look easy. “Baby woke at two for something to eat. But then Luca got lonely, I suppose, because he came downstairs and sat at that table to tell me a story about a dude known only as Ten.”

“Ten?” Jess’ cheeks flame bright red. Her eyes widen as she glances back around to me. Then she barks out a laugh loud enough to have her girls stare. “Oh my gosh! Ten! I forgot all about that name.”

“How much of Ten did you know, Blondie?” Kane wanders up behind her. And since his hands are full, he leans in and bites the back of her neck.

He bites. My sister’s. Neck.

Gag.

“Did you see proof of this appendage you and your girly pop friends declared a ten?”

She cackles, her chest and shoulders bouncing with humor. “He’s such a fun guy.”

“He slept over at your apartment! Luc is over here telling me the dude was gay, but the first part of his story had Blake sleeping with Kari.” His eyes widen, faux shock. “Did she turn him?”

Jess drops her elbow back and nails her husband in the middle of his stomach. “Blake was gay. Blake also stayed at our apartment every now and then. Ya know,” she firms her lips and looks over her shoulder to him, “people can be friends, platonically. Even if one is a guy and the other is a girl.”

“I’m calling shenanigans.”

“You would.” She meets my eyes. “He doesn’t think anyone of the opposite sex can be friends without at least testing the tip.”

“Not completely true,” Kane grumbles. “I’m friends with the Twink.”

“Laine?” She rolls her eyes. “She’s married. She’s a mom. Ang would kill you. And that’s even if you survive me. Since I don’t accept sleeping with someone’s sister.”

“Ironic.” Midnight black eyes swing across and pin me to my chair. “Considering where we’re up to in Lenaghan’s story. He bedded Britt.”

Jess grits her teeth, her lips thinning and her eyes dancing. “Admittedly, that was a bad move.”

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