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“No,” he retorted, hearing Lisette mimic Emily… and smiled.
“Tiddymeee, daddy…”
“Kidding me...ma petite coco. Watch me say it,kidding keh keh keh… sounds sweetie.”
“Kiddymeee?” Lisette hollered, causing John to chuckle in amusement as Emily laughed easily, walking up to the dock… her burgeoning belly growing with their second child that was due in four months.
“Why are you teaching her to float?” Emily smiled tenderly, gazing at them. “And why is your skiff floating instead of tied up?”
“Well, we were boating… and it got warm.”
“We’refwimming, mama…”
“And Lisette wanted to ‘fwim’,” John smiled tenderly. “How could I say no?”
“Where are your clothes?”
“In the skiff,” he grinned, holding Lisette up to reveal her little Barbie undies. “I’d show you mine, but the neighbors might say something.”
“They’re probably going to talk if you are in your underwear now, John Masden…” Emily laughed.
“Nahhh… just my shirt, watch, and wallet are safe. I’m in my shorts, but little Miss Lisette’s day dress is in the skiff along with her kitty cat and my things,” he said to Emily, but his voice was distinctly babyish as he looked at Lisette, who was kicking and splashing.
“Meowwww!” Lisette hollered and scrunched up her face to smile at Emily.
“You want to swim with us, my love?” John said tenderly. “Might help take the weight of the baby off your back.”
“As tempting as that is? I just got a phone call from Jana – who was crying – and said she needed to talk to both of us, promising to call back in ten minutes.”
“What?” John gaped, shocked. “Why?Did she say?
“No – and that’s why I wanted to come and get you right away.”
“We’re coming,” John said immediately, pulling Lisette out of the water and setting her on his shoulders, before wading over to get the skiff… tugging it towards the shore. “Hang on, Lisette,” he ordered, and flinched as one handful of hair and his ear were grabbed immediately.
“Gotchuuu, Daddy.”
“Yep… you got me…” he winced.
He heard a click and looked over, seeing Emily was taking a picture of the two of them in the pond. His sweet girl loved taking pictures of them together, building a treasure of memories of their world, their happiness… and he was so stinkin’ grateful for the uncompromising beauty that was his wife – both inside and out.
“Wanna swim tonight, my love,” he asked softly, climbing out of the water. “Just you and me? We can bring the baby monitor down…”
“That’s how I ended up like this,” Emily smiled knowingly.
“True,” he laughed, pulling her into his arms as she screeched at the water dripping off of him… and Lisette laughing, slapping him on the head playfully in her excitement. “I love our world… and you can’t get any more pregnant than you are now.”
“That’s true…” she chuckled, plucking Lisette off his shoulders, and putting her on her hip. “Let’s get you dressed and something to snack on so when your sweet Auntie Jana calls? Your daddy can talk to her.”
“Auntie Jana’nana…”
“Yup, Auntie Jana… and yes, you can have some banana.”
John leaned over to kiss Lisette on the cheek – and then kissed Emily intensely, his body thrumming at the thought of swimming with her later alone in the evening. His wife’s eyes got this warm heated look that felt like lightning straight to his heart.
“Swim with me tonight and we can float for a while,” he whispered passionately. “Just you and me… under the stars.”
He couldn’t resist the knowing smile that touched his lips as he saw Emily bite hers and nodded, blushing softly. He yearned for her as much now as he did the first moment that he’d kissed her… but before he could say anything else?
