Page 108 of Poppy Kisses
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Jensen
One year later…
“Dad? Poppy? Are you awake yet?”
I cracked an eye open. Another gorgeous June day tried to push its way past the darkening blinds on the bedroom windows.
“Yeah,” I croaked, clearing my throat and checking the time. My alarm would’ve gone off in five minutes, but my son was super excited for this weekend. “We’re up.”
“’Kay. I’m gonna feed Luna.” His footsteps receded.
A groan came from the other side of the bed. “It’s so early.”
It was a first for him, but he was getting better. Poppy had gotten him timers to use, and it’d helped him be more punctual. “He’s excited for his first tournament. I’m excited we don’t have to travel.”
Last summer, Aspen had set up some friendlies, but none of the tournaments had worked out, except for the team Poppy took to the Black Hills. She’d coached all weekend, and we’d stayed longer for our family honeymoon. Auggie still talked about that weekend. He also wouldn’t quit going on about the pumpkin picking. If Evander ever had a fan, it was Auggie. In fact, all of Poppy’s siblings were adored by my kid, and he had cousins to run and play with.
Hassie hadn’t set up her riding school here after all. She was looking for places in Wyoming instead. No big surprise, and while Auggie was disappointed, the Dukes had swooped in—no one more than Poppy. But Hassie called more, and she paid for riding lessons for him. She’d even asked when his games were so she could watch a few this summer.
I rolled over and wrapped my hand around the waist of my wife. “Happy anniversary, Coach,” I murmured into a nest of soft hair.
She put her hands over mine and snuggled back into me. “Happy anniversary.” She exhaled. “Tell me it’s going to go well.”
Poppy and Aspen planned a small tournament. The city had been supportive, and there was no reason to worry. They’d even asked if a rec program could be formed in the evenings during the fall.
“It’s going to be amazing,” I said, meaning every word.
“And if it’s not?”
“Then we’ll walk through town in shame, and it’ll affect your center, and you’ll have to close. But I won’t leave you. We’ll order everything to be delivered so we don’t have to be seen in town for years. You’ll recruit new students from the East Coast and West Coast, but Auggie will always want you to tutor him.”
She chuckled. “Fair enough. But he’s going to be done with his lessons soon.”
“He’s a well-connected dyslexic.”
“Happens when you’re the model for a tutoring center pamphlet.”
“And a cabinet shop.” My business was busier than ever. When the town got to see the inside of the Perez house, with a cohesive look on the woodwork that matched the shaker cabinets, word spread and I got more inquiries than ever.
Poppy didn’t have to proof all my marketing materials anymore. Word of mouth was all I needed now, but I liked having her input whether she was making corrections or not. Likewise, she came to me to talk over plans she and Aspen made for the soccer club. She was even thinking of bringing on another instructor so she could host workshops for local teachers.
Her phone buzzed, and she groaned. “Don’t tell me trouble’s already starting.” She tucked her head under her pillow.
“Want me to check?”
She nodded, still hiding.
I grinned and reached over her for her phone.
Clover: Get your tickets for Vegas!! I’m getting married!!!
“You might want to see this for yourself.”
“Is it bad?”
I clicked my tongue. “Not in the way you think.”
