She came out of the front door, jogging down the porch steps until she slid to a stop. I could hear music coming through the screen door. “You’re back.”
“So are you,” I said, glancing around. When I realized no one was looking, I pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Did you get everything you needed?”
“I did. What about you?”
I nodded. “Cleared the list and then some. Charlie decided she wanted to have a movie night, so we got all the goods. Isn’t that right, sunshine?”
Charlie came bounding around the truck with the bags in question. “Yup! We got popcorn and chocolates and pickles—which seems kind of gross, but Daddy really likes pickles, so I guess it’s fine.”
“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it,” Cleo said with a laugh. “I happen to love them, too. Want to take that bag inside and set it on the table?”
Charlie climbed the steps as Cleo and I grabbed the rest of the groceries. We were halfway up the stairs when my daughter came skipping out with a big smile on her face. “What’s in the box, Miss Cleo? Is it a present? It looks like a present?”
“You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out,” Cleo said, laughing as Charlie began to pout. “Trust me, it’ll be worth waiting. Grab the door for us?”
Charlie did as Cleo asked and held the screen door open so we could walk through. I didn’t have to wonder what she was talking about for long because there was a big, blue box sitting on top of the kitchen table when we stepped inside.
“Now you’ve got me curious,” I mumbled, setting the bags down nearby. “What is this?” I asked.
Cleo ducked her head. “It’s nothing. Our conversation this morning made me think about something. So,” she gesturedtoward the box, “It’s something small, but I think she deserves it.”
I wasn’t sure how she did it, but Cleo had me falling more in love with her every day. I just hoped we weren’t about to get pulled into a mess that’d fuck everything up before we even had a chance to rebuild.
cleo
. . .
“Can we watch another one?”Charlie pleaded, glancing between her dad and me. “Please, please, please?”
Grady looked at me over the top of her head, and I shrugged. I didn’t care how late she stayed up, but I wouldn’t say no to some time alone together. All day, he’d driven me crazy with the most minuscule touches. When he laid his arm along the back of the couch, his fingertips would brush my shoulder, or if we were in the kitchen and he needed to get by, his hands would find my hips to subtly move me out of the way. It was such a silly thing to be turned on by, but I’d spent god only knew how long shying away from any kind of physical touch. Knowing it came from a place of nothing but affection and need had me craving more.
“While you bribe your dad, I’m going to make some more popcorn,” I said, holding up the plastic tub with nothing but kernels at the bottom and giving it a little shake.
Since Charlie had mentioned a movie day when they’d gotten back from the grocery store, we decided to hold off on the baking until tomorrow. We’d already sifted through Marsha’s recipe cards for a couple of treats that would be funand easy for her to help with. She seemed genuinely excited. While I was nowhere near the baker Marsha was, I knew enough I could make the learning process fun.
Halfway through the second movie, storm clouds had begun to roll in. The sky looked ominously dark for most of the afternoon, but it seemed the weather was all talk and little bite. With the curtains open, we watched nightfall and lightning strikes in the distance. The smell of rain filled the air, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the downpour began.
Putting the bag in the microwave, I leaned against the table and gazed into the living room. Charlie and Grady were howling with laughter as he tickled her mercilessly. “Miss Cleo! Miss Cleo!” she screamed, holding out her hand for me to take. “Help me!”
I couldn’t resist. “I’m coming!” I said, jogging up behind Grady. I ran my fingertips along his sides, and he shrieked.
“You’re going to pay for that,” he said, narrowing his eyes as he flew off the couch to the other side of the room. “Both of you.”
“Run, Charlie!” I said, urging her toward the hallway as her dad started my way. “Save yourself.”
I tried to follow, but he caught me around my waist and pulled me back toward the kitchen. He covered my mouth with his hand as I screamed. My shirt rode up as I fought back through giggles, giving him access to run his calloused fingertips across my abdomen. Did it tickle? Sure. But I was more attuned to the way his touch made goosebumps crop up along my skin. Charlie was just on the other side of the wall, likely hiding and waiting for someone to call a truce. The truth was, I didn’t know if I wanted to. Not when his hand stopped just above the waistband of my pants.
“You’re supposed to be fighting me, Cleo,” he whispered. I could feel his smile against the shell of my ear. “You’re supposed to stop me from having my way with you.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
Grady let go of my mouth, though it wasn’t uncovered long. The next moment, he crashed his lips into mine, and I lost all sense of self-control.
“Did you get him, Miss Cleo?” Charlie called from the hallway.
We broke apart instantly, both of us aroused and panting. I glanced down at his crotch, raising my brows at the apparent bulge there. He hung his head, grimacing as he adjusted it.
“I sure did. Coast is clear,” I called back breathlessly. “The tickle monster has been vanquished.”
