Page 193 of Always You

“I’m gonna block her number.” I place my mouth over hers in a longing kiss as my hand moves up and down her belly. She’s wearing a denim jacket with some light jeans and a white t-shirt. It’s nothing fancy, but she still turns me on effortlessly.

“How are you?” I ask when I look into her green eyes, her wavy dark blonde strands perfectly framing her face.

“I’m good. Tired, but good.”

“How’s the baby?”

A loving smile appears on her face.

“Good. They’re a kicker, just like their siblings were. When you left this morning, they knocked me in the ribs a few times. Made me wonder if they were pissed you left.”

“He probably was.” I chuckle, putting my focus on my baby girl.

“And how was your day, little princess?”

“We made cookies!” Her bubbly cheeks are rosy from the cold air in the rink, but like us, she’s never bothered by the cold one bit.

“Really!? Did you save me some?”

“Course, Daddy. You, and me, and Logan. And some for Mama. They are for all of us.” Her arms stretch out to explain it even better.

“Mama! Mama! Look at me,” Logan shouts from the other side of the rink. We all turn our heads as he shows how he makes a turn while continuing skating backwards, like he’s been practicing.

“Wow! Great job, Logan!” Charlotte claps.

“Can I skate, Daddy?” Lizzy looks at me with a pleading look.

“If it’s okay with your mama?” We both turn our heads to Charlotte, staring back with pursed lips as she thinks about that question. It’s almost dinnertime, and I know she stopped by to make sure Logan and I would close down the rink in time. After I bought the rink a few years ago to really focus on creating an affordable place for kids to skate, I also hired a janitor to help me with these kinds of things. But the times I teach the class Logan is in, I find myself stealing away time, enjoying every minute with him on the ice.

“Ten minutes. I’ve got dinner on the stove.”

“Yay!” Lizzie raises her arms in a hooray, and I stretch my arms to lean over the sideboard, placing her on the bench. Charlotte looks into my bag, knowing I always have the kids’ skates with me, then she helps her put them on.

“All set. Off you go.” Charlotte lifts Lizzie onto the ice, and before we know it, she’s skating off to her brother.

“Hey, sexy.” I pull Charls’s arm, dragging her onto the ice, then push her back against the sideboard.

“I don’t feel sexy.” She pouts when I place my hands on both sides of her. “I feel like a human factory.”

“You’re goddamn sexy.” I huff, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Besides, we make really cute kids, so why stop now?”

“Oh, hell no, Hansen. This is the last one. As soon as this baby has seen the light, we’re done. No more.” A frown forms on her forehead as she scowls at me; it’s damn cute.

“Fine. By the way, I was thinking?”

“Oh, shit,” she mutters.

“Shut up. I was thinking, what about Charlie?”

“Charlie?”

“Yeah, as a name. We got Logan and Lizzie, all named after the people that matter the most to us. But I’d love to name the next one after the most important person in my life. Charlie seems perfect, no matter what the sex is.” I rub her belly tenderly, waiting for her response.

Her eyes well a little and her grin grows from ear to ear.

“What do you think?” I press when she doesn’t respond quickly enough.

“Logan, Lizzie, and Charlie Hansen,” she says. “I love it.”

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