Page 31 of Tempting Tessa

Tessa: Ok no problem. The Roberts family will be here around 5:15.

I continue to get things prepped for tonight and then go play with Ty outside. He has been bugging me since we got home to play catch with him. We play until I hear Jack and Oliver before they come around the side of the house to find Ty. Of course, as soon as the boys all see each other, our game of catch has been abandoned and they all run off to play together. I love that our kids are all around the same age and play so well together. Caroline and Luke come walking around the house a few seconds later.

“Hey, how was your day?” I ask Caroline.

“Good, just hung out at home. The boys were getting stir-crazy being home all day, and kept asking me if it was time to leave yet to come over here. Do you have wine open yet? I need some, pronto.”

I love my best friend and it’s like she doesn’t know me. “Of course, I do. I actually made the sangria we both love so much. Want a glass of that?”

“Like you even have to ask,” she replies.

“Luke, can I get you anything?”

“I’ll take a beer if you have one.”

“I’m sure we do, let me see what I can come up with. If we don’t, I will just text Jake to pick some up on his way home. He got tied up with an inspector a little while ago and said he was going to be late getting here.”

I head inside to get the beer and glasses of sangria for Caroline and myself. I notice we only have a few beers left, so grab my cell to text Jake quick.

Tessa: Hey babe, I just noticed we are almost out of beer. Can you pick some up on your way home? We have plenty of sangria for us girls. Love you.

I head back out to deliver the drinks and we all settle on the deck chairs to chat and wait a little bit before starting the grill for dinner. I had hoped Jake would be here by 5:30 so we could eat on time but he still isn’t home. I figured we should at least throw on the hotdogs for the kids, so I go and grab them and my cell from inside.

Luke takes over manning the grill for me and we get the kids’ food cooked up and set them to eat. He offers to grill the meat I have for the adults since it’s already after 6 and we are getting hungry.

Luke finishes grilling the steaks and Caroline and I get the sides I made earlier outside on the table. I still haven’t heard anything from Jake. I hope nothing is wrong with the big job they are currently on.

We are almost finished eating when my phone starts ringing. Jake’s picture pops up on my screen, so I answer it immediately.

“Hey, babe, everything ok?”

“Yes, or it will be. We had some issues that took forever to get through with the inspector and my head foreman. I also had to deal with an employee who got injured today. He fell and broke his leg and arm and needs surgery, so I was dealing with getting the workers’ comp insurance notified and dealing with all of that while trying to deal with the inspector. It was just stressful but I’m finally done for the day.”

“Luke grilled the steaks up for us, so the food is ready for you when you get here. We are down to just one beer, so can you stop and grab some more before getting home?”

“Yep, I saw your text. I’m almost to the store and then will be home shortly after that. Need anything else?”

“Nope, we’re good.”

“Ok, then I will see you soon, beautiful.”

Jake arrives about 15 minutes later and looks so stressed and tired. He immediately sits down and starts to eat and drains his beer. “Sorry I was so late, guys. I’m starving and it has been one hell of a day,” he tells us between bites.

“We understand. Who got hurt today?” Luke asks him as he grabs another beer.

“One of our day laborers. He fell from some scaffolding and broke some bones. When I left the hospital earlier he was headed to surgery to place a couple pins in his leg.”

“Ouch, that doesn’t sound like a fun day,” Luke replied.

“No shit. And, of course, it had to happen while I was there with the inspector. We had to call an ambulance for him. I had the office staff starting all the paperwork with our workers’ comp insurance company, but since I was a witness they wanted a statement from me.”

Jake is finally able to relax after having such a stressful day. We continue to relax and hang out with Caroline and Luke. It’s getting late and they need to get their boys home and to bed. All the boys passed out on our living room floor a few hours ago, which is usual when we get together on the weekends and want to hang out past bedtime- the boys all watch a movie and fall asleep allowing the adults to still have time for us. I help them get their boys all packed up and we say goodnight. While I’m doing that, Jake scoops up Ty and carries him upstairs and tucks him into bed for me.

“Come here, you,” he says to me after I come back in from bringing in what we had left out on the table.

I walk into his arms and just feel myself melt into him. I love being in his arms and feel so right when they are wrapped around me.

Jake rests his head on top of mine and relaxes into me as well. “God, I missed you today,” he says as he lifts my chin up with his finger so he can kiss me. He then scoops me up and carries me over to the couch and sits down with me on his lap. I turn so I’m straddling his lap.

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