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I uncork a bottle of Pinot Grigio and pour two glasses. Then I gesture to the outdoor fridge. “Boys, help yourselves to juice or soda.”
Once we’re all seated and the food has been dished up, the only sound is from forks and knives scraping against plates. Once we’re finished, Ash, who always wants to know what’s coming next, asks, “What’s next?”
“I was thinking you could watch a movie in the screening room,” I tell him.
“Thewhat?” Colton demands.
“I can’t wait to go home and tell Travis all about this trip. I want to rub his ugly face in it.” Wyatt is wringing his hands together fiendishly like a villain from an old-time movie.
“Wyatt,” Moira warns. All a mother has to do is say her kid’s name in a certain tone to shut them right up. Moms are all-powerful that way. She turns to me and says, “That sounds perfect. It’s been a long day and the boys need to settle down.”
“What movie?” Colton asks.
“How aboutBlack Panther Two?”
Wyatt narrows his eyes. “That one’s not out yet.”
“I know, but I have an advanced copy,” I say with a shrug.
This news sets off cheers like I’ve just announced Ironman was coming back from the grave. I glance at Moira, who’s shaking her head and laughing. “Black Panther Twoit is.”
The boys go nuts when they see the screening room. They hop over the lounging chairs and try out several before choosing their seats. I hurry to put the movie on for them so Moira and I can have some time alone.
Back in the kitchen, I load the dishwasher while she puts the leftovers in some glass containers. “What do you think of California so far?”
“It’s amazing. Your home is …” She pauses as though looking for the right words in the middle of a word search puzzle. She finally settles on, “It’s like something out of a magazine. To be honest, I’m a little nervous we’re going to break some priceless artifact and I’ll wind up having to turn the deed of the restaurant over to you to pay for it.” She grimaces like she’s only joking, but I can tell she’s serious.
I dry my hands off on the nearest towel before pulling her into my arms. “There is nothing in this house I can’t happily live without.” Except for her and the boys. I can no longer imagine a future without them.
“Maybe so, but you bought all of this because you like it.”
I give her a lingering kiss before murmuring, “Please stop worrying. You work so hard; you deserve a wonderful vacation. Let me give you that.”
She lets her shoulders drop a little, then wraps her arms around my neck. “You’re going to spoil me rotten, which is a problem, because I’m never going to want to go back to Gamble.”
Catching her mouth in another kiss, I make this one count. I settle my hands on her hips and pull her closer to show her how very much she means to me. After several minutes, I force myself to stop. Leaning my forehead against hers, I say, “Want to go out back and gaze at the stars?”
“I would love nothing more.”
Taking her hand, I lead her back out to the pool. Flipping on the switch starts the fountain that runs the entire length of the water. Turning on another starts the light show—blues and greens that slowly move into every other color of the rainbow.
“Holy cow!” Moira declares. “It looks like the water is on fire.” I love the look of awe etched across her face.
“It’s hooked up to the sound system and moves in tempo with the music,” I tell her.
“The boys are going to flip over that.”
Settling down on a chaise built for two, I pull her close. “I could sit out here every night with you.”
She leans her head onto my shoulder and snuggles into me. I feel a sense of completion I never knew existed.
After the movie, the boys come out to find us. As expected, they spend several minutes running around the pool, investigating the fountain. I overhear Wyatt ask Colton, “Whatdoesn’the have?”
Ash runs over to me and asks, “Do you want to read to us? We get a chapter every night before bed.”
My heart feels full as I stand up so I can ruffle his hair. “Absolutely, buddy. What book are you reading?”
“Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants,” he announces.
