Page 51 of 40 and (So Over) Fixing It
He had no idea how long they lay there in the aftermath. When his brain finally came back online, he stood and moved to the dresser where he’d stashed a damp rag and some towels earlier. Erin’s eyes opened as he walked back to the bed.
She didn’t stop watching him as he cleaned her up, cleaned himself. He tossed the cloth onto the floor and stretched out full-length beside her. The kiss he gave her was gentle, sweet—enough, for now.
Then he placed his hand on her lower belly, right above her womb, and pressed down, waking her up once more to the sensations he’d given her.
“Again.”
It was going to be a long, long night.
ChapterTwenty-One
Erin was sound asleep when Carter woke the next morning. From the angle of the sunlight against the blinds, he figured it was about eight—not surprising given how little sleep they’d gotten. Wanting to allow Erin a bit more rest, he eased out of the bed, slid on his boxer briefs, and exited through the bathroom door.
A quick shower washed away some of his fatigue, and anticipating the coffee that would help even more, he dried hastily and went into his and Thad’s room to dress and take his morning insulin.
Thad’s palette lay already empty. Carter threw on warm clothes and hurried downstairs to catch up with his son.
The other two couples were eating at the kitchen table—French toast and bacon, it looked like. The room was redolent with the scent of maple syrup and salty meat. Carter’s stomach rumbled. “Where’s Thad?”
“He’s eaten and gone outside already,” JD said around a bite of bacon. He chewed and swallowed. “Don’t worry. I made sure he was wearing shoes and warm clothes and his coat”—he counted off on his fingers—“and warned him to stay in the backyard.”
Carter raised a brow. “But did he brush his teeth first?”
JD gave a mock groan. “I knew I forgot something.”
Carter beelined for the coffeepot, shaking his head solemnly. “And I thought I could trust you.”
“Hey, you could trust him to keep the secret of where you were sleeping,” Lily said. “We told Thad you’d already gone for your run.”
The flush he felt in his cheeks was probably just the heat rising off his coffee, right?
“Want some French toast?” Linc asked.
“Would love some.” Carter took a couple of sips from his cup, then set it on the counter and headed for the back door. “You get started and I’ll check on my son.”
He hadn’t considered that Thad would wake up before him and wonder where he was. He was such an early riser, and Thad had always been a good sleeper. Guess JD had saved his ass with that one.
The French doors opened onto a cool but bright morning. Carter scanned the back patio but didn’t see the sturdy ten-year-old body or thick curls of his son. Calling Thad’s name, he headed around the side of the house. He’d allowed Thad to roam pretty freely as long as someone knew where he was. Since he’d been told to stay close—and there was no Erin to sneak off to visit—Carter assumed Thad was somewhere around the periphery of the house.
Five minutes later, a quick search and regular calling showed no signs of his son. Still, Carter wasn’t too worried. He jogged up the hill to check Erin’s shed. All was quiet. The build site was silent this weekend with the town festival to occupy everyone. Keeping an eye out, Carter ran back to the house, going inside without a glimpse of Thad.
“JD.” He was breathing a bit heavy as he entered the kitchen.
“Plate is ready,” Linc said.
Carter held up a hand. “I can’t find Thad. Can you help me look?”
“He’s not in the yard?” Lily asked, rising from her seat.
“No.”
Carter turned to go back outside just as Erin reached the bottom of the stairs. One look at his face and her soft smile faded. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t find Thad.”
“Did he go up to the shed?” she asked.
“First place I checked,” Carter said, shaking his head. “I’m going to look again.”
