AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We have to take the card from the front each time,” Charlie added as the three of them headed down the hall to her room, explaining all the rules to Caleb as they went.
“Cards?” John asked, his brow raised in question.
“Yes. It’s a long story. On Saturday, my mom gave me five years’ worth of accumulated greeting cards I never received.”
“I see.” His expression turned pensive. “So, your boys want Caleb to join you?”
“It was their idea.” She shrugged. “Charlie and Jeremy feel he had a hand in retrieving the cards. In their minds, that means he should be involved in opening them.”
“What about in your mind?” John arched an eyebrow.
“I don’t see why he shouldn’t be involved. He’s a close family friend,” she muttered as heat filled her cheeks.
“Of course.” One side of John’s mouth quirked up. “Makes perfect sense.
Theresa frowned at John’s sardonic tone and flashed him a questioning look. In answer, he grunted and busied himself with refilling his water glass.
“I have the next card and the chest,” Caleb announced as he, Charlie, and Jeremy entered the kitchen.
Theresa laughed. Charlie and Jeremy had gone to their playroom and dug out their pirate gear. Charlie wore his tricorn pirate hat and the matching vest, while Jeremy had put on the eyepatch, and he’d strapped the plastic pirate sword to his waist. “Where’s your pirate gear?” she asked Caleb.
“Arrr, nothing here fit me, wench. I’ll come up with something for next week,” he said in a piratical voice as he placed the plastic treasure chest on the kitchen table.
Charlie and Jeremy giggled, and Theresa’s heart melted. “Fine. Let’s go sit down on the couch for the third opening.”
“Mommy, we’ll have to find something for you to wear too,” Jeremy said, putting his hand in hers.
“Maybe a bandana around my head and a long skirt. I think I might have those things somewhere.” She sat on the sectional, and Caleb settled beside her. Her two boys bookended them. The four of them sitting together like a family felt so right and so perfect that her heart wrenched with longing.
“Okay, is everybody ready?” Caleb asked, looking from Jeremy to Charlie.
“Aye-aye, Captain McGee,” Charlie responded.
Caleb opened the envelope and pulled out the card. “Looks like this one is a birthday card,” he said. “When is your birthday, Theresa?”
“May first.” She shrugged. “So much was going on this year that we didn’t do anything to celebrate. Honestly, I didn’t even give it a thought.”
Caleb arched a brow. “In that case, we’ll have to make next year’s birthday extra special.” He put his arm around Charlie’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze.” Right, you two buccaneers?”
Theresa’s stomach flipped, and warmth spread through her chest. He spoke in terms of the future, and that stirred hope. How could she nudge things in the direction she wanted them to go with Caleb, especially since she’d been the one to draw a line between them? He never did answer her about whether or not he was seeing someone.
“Aye-aye, captain.” Jeremy rested his head against her. “Sorry about your birthday, Mommy. What’s a buccaneer?”
“A pirate,” Caleb said.
“Oh.” Jeremy grinned.
“It’s fine, Jeremy. I’m the one who let it slip by. Open the birthday card, Caleb. There’s loot to be had for yon treasure chest,” she said, trying to sound like a pirate wench.
“Aye.” He opened the birthday greeting and revealed a five-dollar bill.
“You have to put the loot in the chest, Caleb. That’s the rule. Whoever opens the card puts the money in the box and carries the treasure back to where we keep the cards,” Charlie informed him.
“All right. Let’s give your mom a chance to read what her mother wrote first.” He handed the card to her.
Theresa sighed. “Like the other cards, this one says my mom misses and loves me. This was for my seventh birthday, which was our first year without her.”
“Are you sad?” Jeremy climbed onto her lap and snuggled against her.
