AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Caleb reached for Theresa’s hand as Charlie and Jeremy tore off across the beach after Sully. If he had to come up with a word to describe how he felt right now, it would be euphoric or maybe ecstatic. How long had it been since he’d felt this … happy? More importantly, how could he be this happy while at the same time feeling once again like he stood on that proverbial cliff while the ground crumbled under his feet?
What if Theresa changed her mind? He’d taken the risk he’d sworn he never would, and he now faced the possibility of another devastating loss. No wonder humans called it falling in love.
He scanned the beach, his gaze coming to rest on their entourage. John kept his eye on their surroundings, and Elli watched the boys. He didn’t worry about the dog. Sully never strayed too far from his human packmates. “The recording went well today. I’m looking forward to hearing what Mary thinks of our second song.”
“Yes. Being totally relaxed helped.” Theresa chuckled. “Maybe we should begin each recording session with the same kind of relaxation exercise.”
“You won’t get any argument from me.” He gave her the side-eye, grinning like a fool. “Speaking of relaxing activities, how would you like to handle things with Charlie and Jeremy? Are we going to have sleepovers at this point?”
This beautiful talented woman walking beside him stole his breath, and he could hardly trust his good fortune. Please let there be sleepovers. For a moment, he imagined waking up to early morning sex with Theresa—the slow, languid kind of lovemaking that started off the day on a sweet note.
“I don’t know. I’ll talk to my therapist about how to handle things.” She glanced at him, her smile looking a little shy. “This is all new to me, Caleb, but Charlie and Jeremy have already made it clear how much they like you. Plus, you’ve pretty much been a constant in our lives since spring. I don’t think the change in our relationship is going to be difficult for them to accept. They love having you around, and so do I.”
“So … sleepovers?” he teased and flashed her what he hoped was a sexy look. Grinning, Theresa leaned against his side for a moment, and her scent and warmth filled his senses.
“That’s the tricky part.” She studied him. “How do you suggest we handle this?”
“Maybe we should sit down with the boys, have an honest conversation about the changes and see how they react.”
“Hmm. In the meantime, I do have a master bedroom suite on the second floor. It’s completely refurbished, and it’s a guest room. As far as sleepovers go, and until we work things out with my children—”
“So, as long as I emerge from the guest room in the mornings, while you exit your current bedroom….”
“Exactly.” She glanced at him. “What do you think?”
“It beats having you leave in the middle of the night to drive home from my place.” Knowing she’d be on the road late at night would worry him. They were nowhere near the moving-in-together stage, though he had hopes for the future. In the interim, Charlie and Jeremy’s feelings needed to be their priority. “Do your boys know where their father is?”
“No, or at least I haven’t told them. They know David isn’t healthy and can’t spend time with them. I’m sure they miss him, but they haven’t brought him up recently. I suspect Charlie understands what’s going on more than I want him to. He’s made comments that lead me to believe he knows his father is an addict.”
She shook her head. “There’s no telling what they might’ve heard or seen regarding David’s incarceration. You know how mean kids at school can be, especially if their parents had something to say about me, David and our divorce.”
John strode toward them, his expression grim. “You have paparazzi on your trail,” he said, canting his head to the right.
Caleb glanced in the direction John had indicated. Sure enough, a cluster of telephoto lenses were aimed their way through the grassy knolls. “Time to change doggie parks,” he muttered.
“If it weren’t for the kiddos, I wouldn’t care.” Frowning, she caught Elli’s attention and gestured for her to gather the boys and Sully.
“Life in a fishbowl,” Caleb muttered, placing his arm around Theresa’s waist. Sometime in the near future, he might bring up the idea of finding a private wilderness retreat where the four of them could go to get away. A place with no trespassing signs posted all over and an electric fence meant to keep out the snoops. Maybe somewhere near his parents or near Theresa’s mother might work. No au pair, no bodyguard, just Theresa, Charlie, Jeremy, and him … as a family.
Aren’t you jumping the gun here, buddy? the sensible angel on his right chimed in.
Nah. Lock this thing down ASAP, the rogue angel argued. Don’t let what you have with her slip through your fingers.
His throat tightened at the thought of having what he shared with Theresa slip through his fingers. A sliver of panic edged it way into his mind. He’d been given a second chance, and again he was reminded of the terrifying possibility of loss. He’d wanted this, and now that his hopes were realized, would history repeat itself?
Chapter Twenty
“Jenna, I have so much to tell you.” Theresa put the books she’d borrowed back on the bookshelf. Then she settled into the leather chair across from Dr. Grayson for their Tuesday morning session.
“I’m all ears.” Jenna smiled and set her tablet on the coffee table. “So, tell me what’s going on.”
“I heard back from one of my brothers after I sent the cards and the letter about our mom. Turns out, Jacob is in therapy, too, and he’s making a lot of positive changes. We’ve talked a few times on the phone since that first call, and we’re reestablishing our relationship. He and his family are going to be with us for Thanksgiving this year. I also invited my mother, and she’s going to join us as well. Last I heard from Jake, he’d planned to head to Washington to visit our mom this coming weekend.”
“Getting together for Thanksgiving sounds like a very positive step, but be prepared for setbacks, Theresa. All families experience conflict, and given your collective history, there are bound to be issues that arise. Holidays can be stressful.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” She frowned. “I’ll try to handle my part in a healthy way.”
“Good. I hope you found the book about communicating effectively helpful.”
