Page 32 of Steamy Ever After

"You, of all people, would understand," Declan interjects.

"She says she likes to cook for her boys and wants to make sure they don't pick up any germs," Lacey informs.

Declan and I exchange a look. "Riiiiiiight." We both laugh as we chime the word in unison.

"We know better. The woman is militant when it comes to cleaning things." Declan says.

"Well, she isn't hurting anyone," I defend. "And she doesn’t really get the chance to do much cooking anymore. Besides, she likes doing it."

Declan shakes his head in disbelief. "Why is she cooking on her vacation, anyway? All three of us work. We should be taking her out to dinner."

I shrug off my brother’s comment. "Everybody's got their thing, Declan. Leave her be."

I look over at Lacey, who's now come to Mom's defense. She's so damn cute in her cut-off shorts and tank top. She settles back into her chair and lets out a contented sigh. The breeze gently blows a few loose strands of her hair and, when she leans her head back, she closes her eyes and breathes in a deep lungful of the tranquility known as vitamin sea.

"I can feel you staring at me," she says, her eyes still closed.

"I can’t help myself," I admit. I love every inch of her and have since the moment we met. Her long blonde hair, now captured in that erratic topknot, normally cascades down her back in loose waves when not pulled into a runner's style ponytail. Her sun-kissed skin glows in the golden light of the lowering sun. It’s hard to believe that little more than a year ago, we were complete strangers. Our blind date, set up by mutual friends, led me to my fate.

Her eyes open wide, the gorgeous emerald color reminding me of Springtime at the lake when everything comes to life. She tips her head and smiles at me. "It’s peaceful here." Her expression mirrors the feeling in my soul.

I couldn’t have guessed that date would lead me to the girl I’d one day want to marry—not that she has a clue. I study her face, losing myself in her eyes. Before this week is over, I’m going to propose to her and ask my brother to be my best man.

CHAPTER 2

Lacey

Watching my parent’s shitty marriage, and living with my own idiosyncrasies, had all but turned me off on the idea of marriage. It’s amazing how one person can come into your life and completely change your perspective. Before Carter, I was content to focus on my career as a teacher. But now, I can’t imagine my life without him.

He interrupts my thoughts for just a moment as he takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. His eyes meet mine and I revel in how cherished he makes me feel and how happy I am.

"I love you, woman."

My smile widens, and he leans in to press a soft kiss to my mouth. "I love you, too," I whispers against his lips. The man makes my heart feel full to bursting.

"Would you knock it off?" Declan playfully chides. "You're making me sick with all this lovey dovey crap."

Carter's brother breaks through the sweet moment, and we turn to see him rolling his eyes and pursing his lips. He loves to give us shit.

"You're just jealous," I accuse.

"You're making me nauseous," he jokes with a flattened tone.

"Declan, pull up a chair for me." Rose smiles as she comes through the doorway. Perched in her hand is a glass of wine. She waits as her son does her bidding and I smile. A pang of bittersweet emotion washes over me as the sucker punch of my own loss hits below the belt, so to speak. It hasn't been easy for Rose and it’s bearing witness to moments like these I cherish. Rose has become such a dear friend. She's overcome so much raising two boys alone. She joins our group and takes a seat. Her relaxed expression warms my heart. I wish moments like these could last forever, frozen in time like a cherished photograph. It's a nice thought but I'm a realist. I'm well aware life is ever changing, like the seasons, and always moving forward.

As Rose relaxes in her seat, the sky morphs into cotton candy with soft shades of pink and blue. I whisper to Carter, "I’m so glad we have this time together."

"Me, too," he answers, squeezing my hand. "It feels good to be here with family."

Never in a million years did I expect to hook up with a cop but, as in many things, Carter Sinclair is an exception.

Willow Acres wasn’t exactly the nicest place to grow up. In the trailer park most did what they could to avoid the police. The majority of kids who lived there got in trouble with the law by the time they'd reached their teenage years. I was the exception. My mother wanted better opportunities for me than she’d had for herself, so my upbringing was strict. Mom put great importance and heavy emphasis on my schooling. Lucky for her I loved to learn. She instilled in me a passion for education along with a heaping dose of ambition. Her efforts paid off. I never fell into the pitfalls suffered by my peers. I suppose every decent parent wants their child to do at least one step better than they did and, by the time I reached my junior year of high school, offers for university scholarships came rolling in. It seemed only fitting that I go into teaching.

I'd saved enough money from waitressing jobs to afford moving into a small apartment of my own. It wasn't far from the high school where I accepted a teaching position. Carter was the love story I never saw coming.

A few months into the school year, a teacher friend named Julie set me up on a blind date. Only after I insisted I wouldn't meet alone with a total stranger did she arrange for her and her husband to join us. Her husband, Ken, was a Trooper and Carter was their friend. Julie told me three things about Carter. One, he was a Trooper. Two, he was handsome. Three, he lived on the lake.

From the moment I met him, I knew he was different than anyone I'd met before. He had this aura of strength about him that enveloped me as he approached. It wasn't intimidating. It was more like a sense of protection I had never felt in Willow Acres.

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