“I want to play trucks with Gabe.”
“We have your trucks,” she said. Again, not for the first time. “Are you excited to spend two whole weeks with your cousins?”
He actually clapped his hands, which made her and Sean both laugh. He had a lot of play dates with Lily and Gabe, and with Brianna, but it was never enough for him. He was an energetic little extrovert and he got bored having just Mom or Dad in the house. So they “borrowed” his cousins as often as they could, and they’d had a few discussions about letting him go to day care part-time just to have time to play with other kids.
Mostly they’d been trying to give him a little brother or sister, but he was three now and it still hadn’t happened.
Emma watched as the trees whipped by the windows, trying to put the brakes on that train of thought. Not only did she want to focus on enjoying the next two weeks, but she’d be spending them with someveryperceptive women and she didn’t want to talk about it. She and Sean hadn’t even really talked about it yet, other than a few passing remarks here and there.
“We’re here, Johnny,” Sean said at the same time Emma felt the RV slow. “It’s time for the Kowalski family vacation!”
“Of doom,” Johnny added, clapping his hands again.
They were laughing when the lodge came into view, which Emma took as a good sign. She couldn’t stop herself from looking over the landscaping, which had fared well since her last visit. The flowers were Rosie’s choice and some of the trees and shrubs had been there as long as the house, but Emma’d spent some time helping them with the rest of the property. Drainage and borders when they’d expanded the parking areas, and to make an area where they could power-wash ATVs without worrying about erosion.
“I’m going to park out here so we can say hi and find out where we’re putting this thing,” Sean said.
“And put it in place withoutsomebodyyelling to get out,” Emma added, having to speak up since Johnny was already demanding to be released from the car seat.
Sean shut off the engine and, by the time Emma popped the buckle to release Johnny, he had the passenger door open and caught their son as he jumped down. “Let’s go find Nana Rosie.”
Emma slid into the driver’s seat and out that door, since it was the easiest way to exit, so she was a few steps behind them. A knot of emotion lodged in her throat as she watched her two men—one tall and strong, and the other so little in his father’s arms—walking toward the lodge. Sean was already pointing things out to Johnny, like the tree he’d fallen out of when he was five and the window he’d accidentally broken trying to teach himself golf in the front yard.
For Emma, the Northern Star Lodge was where they’d be spending their two-week vacation. To Sean, this was home. Not the place he lived, but the place he wasfrom.
When he reached the front door, he stopped and turned back to wait for her. Sean was practically beaming, his blue eyes framed by laugh lines that she loved to kiss sometimes, even though it drove him crazy. He looked like he was about to say something, but then the door opened and Rosie was there.
She threw her arms around Sean, wrapping up Johnny in the process, and Emma watched Sean hug the woman who had been like a mother to him. Rosie squeezed back until Johnny protested, and then it was Emma’s turn.
“I’m so glad you’re finally here! I can’t believe how big this guy has gotten since the last time I saw him.” Rosie kissed Johnny’s cheek, making an exaggeratedmwahsound that made him giggle.
“We got started later than we intended and then stopped a few times,” Emma explained. “He’s at that age where he doesn’t want to be strapped to a seat for very long and I was hoping he’d nap some, since I know the kids will be wound up tonight, but he was too excited to see everybody to stop talking long enough to fall asleep.”
“Well, I think Johnny and I will go have a quick visit in the kitchen while you guys get your RV settled. I’m not sure where Andy got off to, but Laney’s out in the camping area and she’ll know the best way to pull you into your spot.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Sean said. “Josh likes her and you know we were all in favor of you having some help around here. Not that you need it, but you deserve it.”
Rosie smiled, and then patted his cheek. “I like her, too, and thank you. Now go get set up so we can put up the canopy for the kids to play under if the sun’s too hot or it’s raining. You have to drive through the grass where it’s going, so we can’t do it until you’re parked.”
“Nana Rosie, where are the cookies?” Johnny asked, because he knew she’d have some in the jar.
“Be good,” Emma told him, and then she went back outside with Sean.
He reached out and grabbed her hand as they walked, lacing his fingers through hers. “I can’t believe how good it feels to be back here.”
“I can’t wait to park my butt in a camp chair and do nothing.” She sighed. “For a few minutes, anyway. Johnny’s going to keep us on our toes.”
“That he will.” He leaned closer, bumping her shoulder with his. “But between Aunt Mary and Rosie and all his aunts, I bet we’ll manage to sneak away for a few minutes now and then.”
“To a camper surrounded by your family?”
They’d reached the RV, so he let go of her hand, but he slapped her ass before going around to the driver’s side. When they were both inside, he paused before turning the key. “Guess you’ll have to be really quiet.”
“Oh, I thinkyouare the one who’ll need to be quiet.” When he raised his eyebrows suggestively, she laughed and gestured for him to get going.
She had a camp chair to park herself in.
* * *
