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A shark in the water. Glistening teeth.
Imaginary, though. The danger only had as much power as he gave it.
Amber had taught him that, a long time ago.
“I know.” She smoothed her thumb over his forehead. “It was a big step for you. You had to talk it over with your wife for months before you made up your mind.”
“I can see that I’d have to.”
“Oh, and also you shouldn’t be picturing our kitchen, because we’re not in this house. We put it on the market, and we’re renting Caleb’s place from him.”
“Katie lives in Caleb’s place.”
“Not in a year. In a year, she lives with Sean.”
“That happened fast.”
“Yeah, it’s going to.”
“There are only three bedrooms in Caleb’s house.”
“I know. Clark and Ant are sharing, and Jake’s got the little one, and you and I have the big one at the end of the hall.”
Tony thought about that. Tried to imagine how it would work. How it would feel to pay rent to his brother-in-law.
Not fantastic.
On the other hand, what would a house like that rent for? A third of what he was paying now? Less, maybe.
Knowing Caleb, a lot less.
“Don’t forget that we’ve still got our bed,” she said.
He mentally placed it in the master bedroom, and that helped.
It helped even more when Amber slung a leg over his hip and kissed him on the mouth.
He worked his hand farther up under her shirt, her skin smooth and warm beneath his palm.
“So the kids get on the bus,” she said to his chin, “and you head to work, and you’re whistling because you like building houses. The economy’s not quite so bad a year from now—”
“Housing starts were up again last quarter.”
“Exactly. Things are looking better now—imagine how great they’ll be in a year. And I have a cup of tea in my little kitchen, and then I shower and get dressed and go to work at the gym, where they pay me minimum wage to more or less run the place.”
“But you like it.”
“I love it.”
“Because it’s got excellent boundaries.”
She kissed next to his ear, her voice an audible murmur, humming with satisfaction. “That’s right. And at about two, I go home, and I get changed and start dinner, and then I meet the boys at the bus and drive them to their judo or whatever it is they’re doing in a year. We come home, I finish dinner while the kids do homework, and you walk in at five-thirty sharp and we all eat.”
“Look at me, working forty-hour weeks.”
“Maybe fifty sometimes when it’s busy.”
“Fifty would be sweet.”
