Page 29 of Our Lips Are Sealed
Devon grabbed hold of his wife, dipping her back for a kiss. “Do you need to burn off some energy, too?”
“Maybe.” Simone giggled when he reached her neck. “Be sure you don’t blow up any important parts I might want to use later.”
Devon took off with the twins, leaving a pouting CeCe behind. “I wanted to go, too.”
“Well, you don’t have shoes on,” Simone said, hurrying her out. “And you’re wearing half your dinner on your face. Go upstairs and get ready. Tell the others to meet in the ballroom when they’re dressed. We’re leaving soon.”
A series of rapid-fire pops went off outside a few minutes later.
“My husband is a giant child sometimes.” Simone turned up the volume on the stereo system, the bass hitting hard enough that Laura Jean could feel it in her toes. “But I do love it.”
Making their way to the ballroom, they sang along to the song playing. A piece of Laura Jean’s heart ached knowing that this chapter of her life was over. Never again would she settle in the library at bedtime to read one of Simone’s steamy romances or wake up at sunrise to paint in the conservatory. There would be no more crazy science experiments with Devon, or long talks with Ty over morning coffee.
She would miss Haven House and all the love in it, but it was time to turn the page and start writing her future with Ben.
“Have you guys thought about what you’re going to do with the ballroom?” Laura Jean spun in the space that once held the family classroom. “There are so many options.”
“We thought about one of those fancy theater rooms.”
“Oh, that sounds nice!”
The kids came in one by one, and Laura Jean grabbed Evie’s hand, twirling her as the music played. “We could have movie nights every weekend.”
The front door slammed shut, and Samuel sauntered into the ballroom with a scowl set firmly on his face.
Laura Jean raised an eyebrow. “How was practice?”
“The coach said I’m no good and accused me of unsportsmanlike conduct.”
“What did you do?”
Samuel smiled, the annoyance on his face fading into a picture of impish innocence. “I won.”
Ben swept into the ballroom next, clearly irritated with his son. “Remind me why I thought it was a good idea for Samuel to play in group sports.”
“Where’s Selah?”
“Getting the equipment out of the car.” Ben poked Samuel in the shoulder playfully. “And I stand by my earlier statement. Selah is my only normal child.”
“That’s because he’s mine,” Simone said, grabbing hold of CeCe. “Young lady, you have on two different shoes.”
CeCe tapped her toes on the wood floors. “My bad.”
“I’ll go with her to get new ones,” Livy said, setting Jamison down.
Simone shook her head, taking CeCe’s hand to head upstairs. “I’ll do it.”
The song changed to one of Laura Jean’s favorites, and she swayed her hips, attempting to get Ben to join her for a dance.
Jamison also wanted to dance, and came over to kick Samuel in the shin. “Pick up.”
Samuel obliged, setting her on his hip to bounce to the beat. The music began to build, and Laura Jean tried again with Ben, but it only made him laugh. “Crazy woman,” he said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me forever?” she suggested. “Deal?”
“Deal.”
Rising up for a kiss, Laura Jean saw movement over Ben’s shoulder in the doorway. At first, she didn’t recognize Rebecca. The disheveled woman standing there, with marks of red staining her clothes, looked nothing like her friend.
