Page 126 of But For You

“He’s the prettiest pirate I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“What?” I was defensive before the whine popped out. “No, he’s scary.”

“I think he can walk right out onto a Broadway stage in that and be okay.”

“No, he’s evil.”

“He could be a singing pirate.”

“Sam!”

“He’s a Pirates of Penzance pirate.”

“No, he⁠—”

“We need to get you an eye patch, buddy,” Sam told him. “And we can draw on some scars and maybe rip the sleeve on your coat and⁠—”

“Rip it?” I interrupted.

“Ooh, yeah!” Kola was excited. “Can we put fake blood on me too?”

“Oh, now you’re talking.” Sam was nodding, gesturing his son over to him. “And we need to get you some ugly teeth because pirates had scurvy.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a disease you get if you don’t get enough vitamin C, where some of your teeth fall out and the rest are all brown and disgusting.”

“Awesome,” Kola breathed out.

“Not awesome,” I grumbled, walking back to the kitchen to check on the meatloaf we were having for dinner.

The mashed potatoes were done and on the stove. I just had to toss the salad and finish steaming the broccoli. Not that I was going to get the vegetables down anyone in my house, but I was working on it. Sam was just as bad as the kids as far as roughage went.

As I put the salad on the table, there were suddenly arms around me, and I was drawn back against the wall of hard muscle that was Sam.

“Yes, costume killer?”

He kissed behind my ear and down the back of my neck, and it felt amazing, so I tipped my head sideways so he could reach more.

“I’m improving, not killing, and I had too nice of a day once I got home to fight with you about anything, so if you don’t want me to⁠—”

“No,” I said, my smile quickly turning to laughter as he turned me in his arms and dipped me. “You and Kola fix it up and—are you okay?”

“I can’t dance with the man I love?”

We never danced, but as the kids returned in their jammies, we were swaying around the dinner table. The afternoon thunderstorm had blanketed everything, and it was still pouring outside at six at night.

“What are you doing?” Kola asked as he started setting out the plates and napkins, like he did every night. Hannah’s job was the silverware.

“Dancing with Pa,” Sam said, pressing me closer, his hand on the small of my back. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Kola shrugged. Apparently, we were too strange to deal with, but Hannah smiled and nodded.

“Me next!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sam agreed before he spun me into the living room and then lifted me off my feet. “Wrap your legs around me.”

“You realize you have children right there,” I reminded him, even as I complied, sliding my legs up his thighs and over his hips as his hands went to my ass, holding me against him.