AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Me: Mom, can you go pick up Micah and Michelle? Bring them here when you come. Lydia is having some issues. She’ll pick them up from here.
Mom: Sure. Is there anything else I can do?
Me: She needs a shark. Colton is cheating on her.
Mom: I know just who to call. I’ll give her suggestions tonight when she picks up the kids. She can stay at my place or in the rental.
Mom turned Gram’s old farmhouse into a rental property. Colton doesn’t know about it, so it would be the perfect place for her to hide out with the kids.
Mom: Tell her I’ll get a restraining order processed if she wants.
Me: I don’t think she needs that yet, but I’m worried he’ll come after the kids.
Mom: I’ll get a hold of a friend who can get things rolling.
Me: On a Saturday?
Mom: I’ll explain more later. See you in a few.
I set my phone down and go back to looking through my closet to figure out what to wear tonight. I decide on a skirt since Tucker said he was going to bring the truck to pick me up. Something about wanting to enjoy looking at me before he has to share me with everyone else. I jump into the shower and take a quick one, washing my hair to bring out the natural waves and loose curls. I hear Mari on the monitor as I’m stepping out of the bathroom after scrunching my waves. Slipping on my robe, I make it across the house to Mari’s room.
“Hello, beautiful.” I smile at her chubby, smiling face. Her little arms are flapping around as she sits up waiting for me to come pick her up. I lift her into my arms and she nuzzles into me. On our way back to my room, I grab her saucer walker and set her down in it while I finish getting ready.
It’s so nice to be able to wear my sexy under garments again now that I’ve had to stop nursing. After going through my closet for a bit, I find the safari style pleated skirt that lands mid-calf in tan with a slit up to my knee. I pair it with my Doc Martens and a denim long-sleeved shirt I leave mostly unbuttoned with a white lacy camisole underneath. The thin leather suspenders complete the safari look. Spinning in front of my full-length mirror, I like the affect and hope Tucker does too. Again, my makeup is full face to hide the dark circles that are ever-present.
I’m lacing up my black Doc boots when I hear the alarm system disengage and then my mom’s voice.
“Angels, I’m here.”
Mari coos, recognizing her voice, and I let her know where we are.
“In here, Mom.”
“Wow! You unpacked your photos,” she comments when she steps into the room with Micah and Michelle behind her. She looks over my bed at one of my favorite pictures of a female rhino and her calf in the grass.
“Hey, kiddos.” I greet them and ignore my mom’s comment. I don’t need to acknowledge what she said because I know how she’s felt about me not showing my pictures. But it was too hard to do it before. Just looking at the images reminded me of everyone that I lost. It makes me feel despair that I’m still alive living my life and they can’t. I should have done more. But I know I need to move on. Therefore, I really need to start seeing someone and discuss what happened to me.
“Aunty Syd, why are we here? Mom said we would get the weekend with Krystal,” Michelle asks me. I take her in. Her dark blond hair has grown so much it is long down her back. Lydia and I would video chat when we could, and the kids would join in. They had started calling me aunty even though Colton disagreed with it.
“Kids, your mom is coming home tonight and she wanted to pick you up from here.” I hate lying to them but it’s Lydia’s job to explain to them what is going on.
“She isn’t staying with Father?” Micah asks. His hair is a bit darker than his sister’s, but they both have the same startling blue eyes. He’s currently sporting a longer hairstyle in that messy but styled way. It reminds me of Edward fromTwilight.
“Your father is going to be busy all weekend, so she decided to come home and spend time with you both.” I also hate that Colton insists the kids call him Father and not Dad. He puts a lot of pressure on them for as young as they are.
“Okay,” they both say and look around bored.
“How about I order us pizza and we watch a movie?” my mom asks them. Both their eyes light up. I’m about to tell my mom they aren’t allowed to eat pizza because Colton says it’s too processed and makes them hyper. But they deserve to be kids.
The doorbell rings and I pick up Mari as I move out of the room to answer the door. I swing it open, and Tucker moves on me before I can say anything to him about the kids or my mom. His lips are on mine, moving across them. His arms wrap around me and Mari, holding us to his body. I open and feel one of his hands slip down to cup my butt.
“Who are you?” Micah’s voice breaks through the fog of lust. Tucker pulls back and looks over my head.
“Spitfire, who’s the mini protector?” Tucker lifts his chin. I turn my head while still in Tucker’s arms to see Micah standing there with his little arms crossed. My little seven-year-old guardian has his chest puffed out trying to act tough. I try to pull away, but Tucker refuses to let me go.
“That’s Micah, Lydia’s son. He and his sister are going to wait for their mom here.” I try to push away again. “Could you let me go?” I drop my voice.
Tucker leans down to my ear. “Baby, I’ve been thinking about your lips all day. Plus, this outfit has lots of dirty thoughts going through my mind right now. I just need to hold you here for a moment longer or I’m going to show the boy something he isn’t ready to know about.” His words register and I blush as my mom comes around the corner.
