Page 115 of Impending Consent

After they were gone, the house seemed quieter and too empty without Skylynn's constant motion and sweet little voice. I moved through the rooms, straightening the minor chaos left from Hurricane Skylynn, thinking about my conversation with Skylar.

The idea of children running through this house brought a smile to my face and surprisingly I could see their faces matching mine and Rival’s.

Once they were gone I ended up at the dining room table with a stack of contracts I needed to review for a new client, but my mind was stuck on the words Sky put in my head.Room to grow. Me and kids in the same thought would have never happened but now it seemed to be on repeat and I didn’t hate the idea.

I was halfway through the third contract when I heard Rival pull up and I grinned then rolled my eyes when I realized knowing he was home had me smiling.

"Sail, where you at?"

"Dining room.”

I felt his presence before I saw him which was still so damn weird, the subtle shift that always happened when he entered a room.

"You been working all day?" He pressed a kiss to my neck.

"Sky and Skylynn were here earlier. We had an adventure-filled afternoon of lizard-hunting and flower crown making."

“Damn, hate I missed that."

I tilted my head back and grinned at his sarcasm. "She left you a surprise.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep. Our yard is now home to Pancake the lizard who lives in a luxury rock and towing palace behind a tree."

"Sounds like our property taxes are about to go up?"

“Completely gentrifying, so yep.”

"Did you finish today?" He had been hired to do a custom wall unit for someone’s entertainment room and what should have been a week-long job turned into two after they changed their mind about the wood type which cost him two daysremoving half the wall. Rival didn’t care because they were willing to pay for the extension of his time and lost time and materials.

"Yeah, but they hired me to build out a wood encasing for an in-ground fire pit. I’m about to get a beer, you want anything?"

"Just water.” He left and returned with his beer and water for me before dragging me to the living room with him. I settled onto the couch next to him and he dragged my legs over his thighs and reached for the remote.

"Did Hurricane Skylynn leave any permanent damage?"

I laughed. "To the house, no, but she delivered emotional damage, telling me my hair would lookprettierif it was purple."

“I could fuck with purple.” He tugged at a strand of my hair but I knocked his hand away. "Today was good. I think me and Sky both needed it."

He lifted his beer but kept his eyes on me then frowned. “What’s up, Sail? You've got that look."

"What look?"

"Like you're examining evidence in a case."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have a look."

"Yes the fuck you do." He leaned forward and put his beer on the coffee table. "Who’s on trial in that brilliant mind of yours and I pray it’s not me?”

"It’s you, or rather us, but not in a bad way. Can we have the kid talk?"

His expression remained neutral but he nodded. "I told you whenever you’re ready."

"Watching Skylynn today, I kept wondering what our kid would be like. If they would have your persistence or my stubbornness."

"Both, probably and that’s a dangerous combination."

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