Page 97 of In The Game

“Baby rabies,” Michelle mumbles into her drink, leaning into me.

I smile into mine and nudge her back.

* * *

“Call me later, I want to know how your interview goes.”

“Oh, I will. Trust me!” Jill says with a snicker.

I laugh and wave as she walks toward her car.

Finally, the last of the guests have left. Well, everyone except Barrett. After the deadbolt clicks shut, I slide down the door and slump on the floor. I need a minute.

Barrett comes out of the kitchen and finds me in a heap.

“There she is.” He smiles and holds his arm out. “Tired?”

“Exhausted.”

“I ordered us a pizza.”

I take his hand, and he pulls me to my feet.

“You’re amazing.”

“I know… Your friends told me so about twenty times.” He rolls his eyes and pulls me in for a hug. After a moment he murmurs, “I can’t wait to have you and Arthur all to myself soon.”

I’ve been so preoccupied with party planning I forgot to keep him informed of my conversations with work regarding my vacation time.

“I talked to HR about it.”

He keeps me in his arms and slips the tie out of my hair, letting it fall down my back. “And?”

“I got approved for three weeks. They said Sondra can cover for me.”

An appreciative grunt rumbles in his chest. “Have you talked to Arthur?”

He runs his big fingers through the strands, and I’m not sure if he even realizes he’s doing it.

“Not yet,” I say with my ear pressed to his chest. I love the sound of his heartbeat. “Wanna do it together?”

Pulling back, he kisses me. “Yeah.” He gives me a small swat on my ass and pulls away. I miss his arms around me already.

“Hey, Mini Bear! Come in here, buddy!” I smirk at the nickname.

Arthur meets us in the living room, his head down and focused on one of the presents he got. The koala backpack Barrett gave him is strapped on his shoulders.

Barrett sits down and pats the couch next to him. “Can I see your new helicopter?”

“Uh-huh.” He hands it over to him and sits beside him on the sofa. Mini Bear is a fitting nickname. It’s exactly what Arthur looks like perched next to him.

“This is pretty neat. What does this button do?”

Arthur presses the button and triggers the sound of chopping helicopter blades through the toy’s tiny speaker.

“Man, that’s awesome.”

“Yeah, and look…” He churns some crank on the side, releasing a tiny gurney on a string. “It has a little thing so they can rescue people.”

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