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Prologue
One year ago
“Guys, breakfast is ready!” Jo called out to her family as she pulled back to admire the spread she’d prepared for them. On the table lay eggs, bacon, English sausages, croissant, French toast, hash browns, muffins, a dish with freshly made strawberry jam, and a tray of fruits. The dark liquid in the coffee maker slowly trickled into the receptacle, waiting to catch it on the kitchen counter.
She felt a pair of hands pull her into a firm chest before a soft kiss was placed against her temple, making her shiver with pleasure.
“Good morning, beautiful,” her husband’s raspy voice whispered against her ear.
Jo placed her palm against his cheek tenderly.
“Hi, honey,” she replied softly. “How was your sleep?”
Jo felt herself being turned around until she was facing him. Charles tilted her face upward so that she was looking into his chocolate brown eyes.
“I slept extremely well,” he informed her. “Why didn’t you wake me? I could have helped you with all of this.” His gaze swept past her to the display on the table.
“You looked so peaceful. It felt like a sin to disturb you considering how hard you’ve been working these few months,” she told him. She brought her hands up to wrap them around his neck as she slightly pulled him down to her—her intention clear.
“Eww! Get a room.”
Jo pulled away from her husband and moved her head to the side to look behind him. Charles turned his torso a little to look also.
Their seventeen-year-old son stood by the stairs, looking at them with mock disgust.
“Close your eyes if it’s too much for you,” his father retorted before turning back to Jo and firmly enclosing her in his arms once more before his lips were on hers, kissing her soundly.
Jo laughed against his lips at the gagging sounds Nicholas made behind them.
“Don’t worry, Son. When you find the one person you can’t live without, you won’t be able to keep your lips or hands to yourself,” Charles threw over his shoulder as he smiled down at his wife.
“That won’t be anytime soon, though,” their son returned.
“Definitely not,” Jo agreed readily. “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you to get it right,” she finished.
Just then, their daughter Tracy came bounding down the stairs. She stopped by her brother and looked from him to her parents in confusion.
“What’d I miss?” she asked, walking over to her parents. Nicholas did the same.
“Nothing much, sweetie. Only your brother interrupting me giving your mother the perfect good-morning kiss,” Charles explained.
“Sounds boring,” Tracy replied, moving toward the table that had her full attention.
“Wow, Mom. You outdid yourself today. What’s the occasion?” she asked, popping a piece of fruit in her mouth.
Jo finally separated from her husband and turned to her daughter.
“No occasion, sweetie. I’m off from the restaurant for the next two days, and I just wanted to do something special for all of you,” she informed her.
“Oh, that’s great. Maybe you could help me with a few recipes that I could make for Josh, you know, for when we move in together,” Tracy suggested as she took a seat.
“Did you say recipe? Don’t you mean poison?”
“Shut up, Nick!” Tracy seethed, not appreciative of her brother’s comments.
“Nicholas, be nice to your sister,” Jo implored her son as she too went to take a seat at the table.
“I can’t help it, Mom. She makes it too easy,” Nicholas snickered.
