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So much to do.
“I’m fine,” I told Kelly. “I just wanted to check on the last of the desserts so the pies would be hot from the oven.” As it was, I also didn’t want to sit still too long. We’d been home from the tour for a little over a week. We had another week then we would spend two more weeks on the road.
I had to see Doctor Patterson next week first though. So far so good, except for the swelling in my legs. That had been happening far more quickly this time and it was making riding on the bus a challenge.
“I know you are,” she said, raising her arm with a question. I appreciated the fact she never just hugged on me or invaded my space without asking. We’d grown to be very good friends the past few years. She’d been invaluable when Izzy was first born and I second-guessed everything.
I couldn’t ask for a better stepmother.
That said, I still wasn’t totally used to it. Maybe I never would be. Then, I would never take her for granted either.
“Let us spoil you some,” she said, then lowered her voice as Josh raced through the kitchen with Kyle right behind him. The cousins were close. Charlie was too young to be a partner in crime yet. Kyle was not.
“Boys,” Jeremy said without even glancing behind him. I swore you could hear the screeching brakes as the kids halted.
“Sorry, Grandpa Jere,” the boys said in unison.
He spared them a look and both ducked their heads. “I’ll let the infraction go this time. No running in the house.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then they were nudging each other and hustling out only to start sprinting as soon as they were clear of the door.
“It’s a circus,” I murmured and Jeremy chuckled.
“Even circuses have ringmasters, Miss Frankie.”
A whistle cut through the din beyond and Jake’s voice rose. “And I nominate Jake for today.”
Jeremy and I grinned, then I looked at Kelly who was still waiting patiently.
“Jeremy—”
“Go,” he said, moving over to take charge of the pie I’d been prepping for the oven. It just needed crimping on the edges. “Enjoy some peace and quiet in the old drawing room before the kids notice. Dinner will be in forty-five minutes.”
Needless to say the chaos would begin, followed by game night. The guys were in the other room watching a football game, but they were also rotating with the kids.
“Sounds good, thank you, Jeremy.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek before I rinsed my hands off and dried them. There was a cup of hot tea waiting, like he’d known I’d be taking a break.
Then again, maybe he’d planned it. Sounded like him.
“Wonderful,” Kelly said, wrapping an arm around me as we went out via the dining room and then down the hall to the drawing room. It was the old drawing room because the piano was still here, but we’d been debating what we wanted to do with it.
For now, we had a couple of sofas, the piano, and some guitars. I had a feeling it would eventually become a music room. Maybe.
The upside of it though, was it was quiet. It was a rare, sunny day and though it was cold, it was dry and the kids were outside and in. We’d put the dogs up for a few hours cause this was just too much chaos.
Overstimulated kids were bad enough.
As we stepped into the room, I had to swallow a laugh. Sara, Alicia, Klara, and Carly were already ensconced. Chloe was here along with Becca, but Blake and Trina were missing.
Blake and Trina also had kids, so they were probably wrestling them. Someone had moved some more seating in here, including one of my favorite arm chairs and I settled into it with a sigh.
My back and feet were both annoyed. While I had tea, they all had wine. “I’m suspecting a setup,” I teased as I shifted a pillow into a more comfortable spot.
“Yes and no,” Alicia said. “But you’ve been in the kitchen all morning, and you were up early. Sometimes, it’s nice to just have a breather.”
“That’s true.”
