Page 36 of Falling Again
All Anthony wanted to do was make Natalie happy, but lately he had bumbled his way through their marriage. Sitting here now, with her and the kids sleeping peacefully, Anthony felt content in a way he hadn’t in a while. Yes, they had a lot they needed to work through. But at the end of the day, Natalie had packed for a romantic getaway. And that meant something to Anthony. It meant everything. He wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to woo his wife back into his life.
CHAPTER 10
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Natalie woke on thesofa, her favorite blanket wrapped around her. She heard rustling papers and lifted her head to see Anthony sitting at the end of the sofa, her feet propped in his lap. He smiled when he saw her and gently squeezed her heel as she pulled herself upright.
“How long was I out for?”
Anthony put down his notebook and shrugged. “Barely an hour. You looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake you.”
Natalie smiled, warmed by his thoughtfulness. “Thanks.” Once she was sitting up, Natalie saw Anthony’s notebook and frowned. “Is that work?” Her tone said it all. They had both agreed to leave work at home during their trip. Natalie knew she shouldn’t be annoyed, since they were still home, but she bristled nonetheless.
“Dad’s notes for packing,” Anthony said, seemingly unconcerned. “I made the mistake of leaving my notebook out when they were here, and he took the liberty of giving us pages of things to do.”
Natalie thought of her type A father-in-law and laughed. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Although I can’t believe he added notes. After singing my praises, I thought we were set.”
Anthony handed her the notebook and pointed to one of the lists. “I wouldn’t take it personally. Look at this: there’s three pages just for the kitchen.”
Natalie took the notebook and scanned the page. She kept laughing when she got to the bottom and saw an added note. Anthony leaned closer to see, his arm grazing hers. The close contact brought a flush to Natalie’s cheeks. “At the bottom he wrote, ‘If you have enough time.’ He does realize we’re two people and this is a whole house, right?”
Anthony raised his arms over his head in a stretch that pulled up his T-shirt, giving Natalie a view of muscles she’d nearly forgotten about. Remembering her suitcase upstairs, Natalie thought of the lingerie she’d packed. Ever the optimist, Natalie was hopeful this week could be something special—a chance to reconnect.
“I have a feeling that as long as things are boxed and tidied, Mom and Dad can handle the rest. I’m sure there’s teenagers on the island who could use some money. If we end up having too much fun, I can throw a few bucks their way.” Anthony faced her then, giving her a look that could melt the polar ice caps. In that moment, quietly sitting together with only the sound of the ticking mantel clock, Natalie felt the old spark between them. It was tangible, like she could reach out and toy with the burgeoning flame.
“Anthony,” Natalie said his name like a prayer, leaning closer, desperate to have his lips on hers again.
“Nat,” he replied, leaning in and cupping her cheek. His thumb absently rubbed the tender skin of her mouth, bringing her from simmering to boiling. This was the moment––Natalie could feel it. They would make love like they used to; they would connect like they used to. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, and her stomach tightened.
“Mommy!” A tiny voice cried from above. “Mommy, I need to potty!” Otis’s voice rang clear as a bell. Their potty training had started, and any other time Natalie would be so pleased with her son. Unfortunately, right now, his timing sucked.
Anthony’s eyes closed briefly as he let his hand fall away. “To be continued?” he asked hopefully.
“Definitely.” Natalie nodded and extricated herself from the blanket and got to her feet. When she stumbled, Anthony’s arms reached out to steady her as she found her footing. Her feet felt relaxed, more relaxed than they should have been after a full day in heels. Absently, Natalie wondered if Anthony had rubbed her feet while she’d slept. He used to do that all the time, and the thought brought a goofy grin to her lips.
When Natalie reached the top of the stairs, she saw Otis hopping from one foot to another. “Readynow!” he shouted.
