Page 45 of 40 and (So Over) Fixing It
“Okay!” Thad threw his arms around Erin’s waist. A fist squeezed down on Carter’s heart.
“Okay,” Erin repeated, returning Thad’s hug.
When his son let her go, Carter moved in, giving her a kiss on one smooth cheek. “We’ll see you later.”
Erin met his gaze, her own sparkling with a mixture of what looked like amusement and anticipation. “Looking forward to it.”
He ushered Thad out, daring one last look back at Erin before he slipped through the shed door. She looked disheveled, her hair coming out of her braids, her flannel shirt thrown on but not buttoned, her cargo pants straight and zipped but not nearly as attractive fully on as they’d looked around her thighs while he was driving hard inside her. And yet the sight of her made his dick twitch in a way that had him giving her a wink before he hastened out the door.
As usual, Thad talked all the way back to the mansion. After JD and Linc threw him knowing glances, Carter hastened into a quick shower before setting out on today’s promised trip with JD and Lily to visit her grandfather. Henry Easton was in his late eighties, a tall, lanky man who still called Lilypunkinand had the energy of someone half his age. He kept up with Thad easily as the group wandered all over Easton Cove, the former park ranger teaching them about the plants and animals of the Smoky Mountains. They caught sight of a fox scrambling over the boulders in the creek behind Henry’s house, several salamanders and fish. A pair of cardinals and even an owl cleverly camouflaged against the bark of a tree. At one point they climbed to the ridge overlooking the next valley, and Henry pulled out some binoculars to show Thad a big black bear wandering through a far thicket. Carter’s heart nearly thumped out of his chest at the sight of the dangerous animal, but Henry assured them they were a safe distance away. Still, Carter didn’t breathe fully again till the bear disappeared into the brush.
Lily and JD brought a picnic lunch, and they ate near the creak, the gurgling sound of the water a sweet accompaniment to his son’s chatter. Carter insisted on time for a nap back at the mansion before the full night they had planned—the harvest festival for Thad, hopefully much more for Carter and Erin. Though Thad protested, he piled up on the couch opposite Carter with a book, and they both fell asleep for a bit, Carter after long minutes of watching his son, content and flushed with fresh air and sunshine, snoozing with a half-finished copy ofThe Lightning Thiefforgotten on his stomach.
When Carter woke, it was to his phone buzzing on his belly.
Erin: Dad brought my truck over. Gonna run back to the house for a shower. Meet you guys at the festival?
Carter: Definitely. And Erin?
Erin: Yeah?
Carter: Be sure to bring an overnight bag. Oh, and wear lace.
He was grinning at his phone like an idiot when JD came in. “You two gonna snooze the night away?”
Thad stirred on the love seat. It took no more than a second for him to register JD’s words and he was jumping to his feet, book forgotten. “Is it time to leave?”
“We’ve got a little time to get ready,” Carter told him. “Why don’t you run upstairs and clean up? It’ll probably be late when we get home, too late for a bath.”
“Dad…”
Carter held a hand up. “Don’t forget to wash behind your ears.”
Thad frowned, but a lifetime of experience had taught him that Carter wasn’t giving in. As he ran for the stairs, Carter called, “And brush your teeth while you’re at it!”
Thad’s grumbling could be heard until the bathroom door shut. JD chuckled. “Times like these I wonder what kind of parent I would have made. Not nearly as good as you, I believe.”
Carter wiped a hand down his face. “Not in the cards for you and Lily?”
“We’ve talked about it a little, but the possibility that Lily would take that step at this point is unlikely. She’s been happy without kids all these years, and now, with the risks at our ages… It’s just not for us.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” Carter yawned so big his jaw popped. “You certainly get more sleep without kids. That’s an important factor when you’re middle-aged.”
Carter created air quotes around the hated phrase, and they both made expressions of disgust. JD sighed. “No doubt.”
Carter’s phone buzzed again.
Erin: Blue or peach?
The images immediately popped into his head, and Carter’s hands shook as he replied.
Carter: Peach.
“Erin?” JD asked.
Carter set his phone down. “How did you know?”
“The silly grin on your face.”
