Page 17 of Reclaiming Kendall

Routines

For the next few weeks, we fall back into our old routines. It’s not that hard considering we’re all creatures of habit. About a year or so ago, I started volunteering for a nonprofit organization that houses foster kids waiting for placement. Growing up, if it hadn’t been for Gramps and Nana, I’d have been one of those kids when my piece of shit parents went to prison. None of the kids there have anyone to rely on. Though I don’t work with them directly at the moment, I’d love to in the future. Maybe give them that spark of hope that no one else has the time to. The optimism that things will get better, even if it’s not until they’re out of the system. As long as they can make the right choices to get there, then life won’t always suck.

I take anywhere from three to eight days off a month and help where I can. Today just so happened to be one of those days. Before the wedding, someone had donated an older house on the other side of town they’d inherited, but it needed to be renovated before it was habitable. They’d spent the last two months fixing it up. This was my first time stepping foot inside, since all of the work was contractual. Today, we just painted the walls and moved in furniture.

An older boisterous lady by the name of Selena will be running the house, and I finally got to meet her. I’d been hoping that whoever it was wouldn’t be some frail human or a psycho with a stick up their ass. She’d been neither of those, thankfully. I just hope she’s that way with the kids, too, and it wasn’t just a show.

I park in the garage and let myself into the house in a daze, still lost in thought. The second I step into the kitchen, I’m picked up and spun around.

Grant’s voice fills my ear before my brain even has a chance to catch up, “Hello, sweetheart.”

“Hi,” I breathe out a little dizzy from the spin. “You’re in a good mood,” I add, noting the dot of color to his cheeks.

Maverick chuckles from where he’s sitting at the counter island with paperwork in front of him.

“Well, it may have something to do with what I found out today,” Grant tells me excitedly. He pulls me over to where Mav sits, and I take the chance to throw my arms around Mav’s shoulders before pressing a kiss against the back of his neck.

“Okay,” Grant starts, “remember how we’d talked before about the Dills talking about selling that old theater over in Brent?” At my nod, he continues, “They officially put it on the market while we were on our honeymoon.”

My mouth drops open in surprise, and my eyes go wide. I didn’t think they’d actually ever sell it with it being in the family for generations. There had been many discussions around our dinner table about buying it if it went up for sale. Both Mav and Teagan thought it’d be a good investment if it could be brought back to life, which had delighted Grant to no end. He’s been working as a personal trainer at the country club, but we all know that’s not where he wants to be forever.

“So, we’re getting it?” I ask, not even trying to hide my enthusiasm.

He nods vigorously with a tight-lipped smile, and I launch myself into his arms. I know how much it means to him to have it. Denying it all he wants wouldn’t convince me that he’s happy where he is. This is a project that could turn full-on career doing something that he absolutely loves.

I wrap my legs around his waist as he lifts me up. Palming his cheeks, I bring his mouth to mine for a sloppy, sublime kiss.

As I pull away with my own grin matching his, a voice sounds out behind us, “Ahhh! Kendall sandwich!”

Teagan’s arms wrap around us as he squishes me between the two of them. I’m begging for air before he finally lets go with a hoot. Grant sets me on the counter with another quick kiss before turning between my knees to face the room. I can just barely see over his shoulder, so I toss my arms around them like I did to Mav moments ago. Grant stretches out his legs, making him a tad bit shorter in the process. It allows me to see past him to where Teagan is now raiding the fridge.

“What are you doing home?” I ask him.

Those chocolate eyes turn to mine, and his hair whips over his shoulder. Through a mouthful of grapes, he replies, “Game doesn’t start until seven. I don’t have to be back at the school for another hour or two, so I figured I’d come home and grab a snack before. Now that I’m here, though, I’m thinking I could go with a little good luck sex.”

He waggles his eyebrows at me suggestively, and a snicker slips from my lips, “Isn’t it supposed to be victory sex when you win?”

“Oh, it can be both,” he supplies, coming around the counter.

I squeak as he elbows Grant out of the way to pick me up off the counter, “What about your snack?”

His voice glides down an octave, “Sweets, you’re my snack now.”

Bolting up the stairs like he’s not carrying the added weight of another human being, he marches us straight down the hall to my old room. Impatient as ever, probably not wanting to take the time to go up the other flight of stairs, he drops us to the bed, never breaking us apart.

I run my fingers through the blond locks that fall around my face as his lips slant down over mine. He sweeps his tongue through my already parted lips and completely conquers my mouth.

“Definitely better than the snack I had in mind,” he teases, pulling back to kiss a path down my neck.

Teagan ravishes my body until Lucas, who just made it home, comes up to inform him he’s going to be late if he doesn’t get going. After another kiss and a promise for more to come later, he tosses his clothes back on, leaving me to gather mine scattered across the room.

Lucas is still propped in the doorway, making it easy to go up on my toes for a kiss as I pass him. With my clothes bundled in my arms, I’m helpless when he reaches out to smack my naked ass. He chuckles as I yelp in surprise.

We don’t have time for me to pull him upstairs like I want, so I race up to take a quick shower as he heads back down to where the rest of the guys undoubtedly are. I dress in a pair of light-blue, respectable-length shorts and one of Primwood’s school shirts. When Teagan landed the coaching job, he bought me at least one of everything from their school store with the comment ‘for when I’m there showing support of my husband.’ It made me laugh but spot-on for truth. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Once I make it downstairs, it’s to realize Grant and Mav both rode with Teagan, leaving me to ride with Lucas. Makes sense, seeing as I know how nervous Teagan is for tonight. They went for support. One of the best things about having a family as big as ours; no one ever has to go through shit alone. We’re all here for each other. My thoughts turn sappy as the two of us load up in Lucas’s truck and head over to the school.

As we pay for parking and find a spot, I can’t help the easy smile that crosses over my face. Back in high school, I met them during football season, so we were out here on Friday nights just like this on more than one occasion. The nostalgia of it all warms my heart. Butterflies take root in my stomach as I look up to Lucas while we’re standing in line at the ticket gate. I didn’t know back then that they’d mean so much to me now. They’ve changed some over the years, but for the better. Maturing a whole lot and maybe a little bit faster than they should’ve. I used to feel bad, but they’ve made it perfectly clear that they couldn’t possibly be any happier with anything other than what we’ve got.

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