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“Not hip. I like Pawpaw.”
“I don’t want Pawpaw.”
I tipped my head. “What about Pappy?’
His face scrunched more. He pointed at the fading tattoos crawling up his muscular forearm. “Pappy sounds like scrappy. I’m no scrappy guy.”
“No, you are definitely not.” I traced a finger along his tattoos, that familiar longing starting inside me as I brushed his skin.
“Oh! I’ve got it! Pops. I’m gonna be Pops. It’s cool. It’s easy for the little tyke to say, and I think it sounds good. ‘Nana and Pops.’”
“I like that!” I grinned. “Nana and Pops. Perfect.”
He smiled and grabbed me around the waist, hoisting me on top of him.
A flurry of desire traveled through every nook and cranny of my skin as he gazed at me with that oh-so-familiar look.
“Hey, Nana. You want to take a last tumble with Pops before you go?”
I giggled and kissed him, memorizing the taste of his lips and the feeling of his breath against mine. The coming separation would be torture, but at the same time, I longed for an adventure with my best ladies.
Just as I started to lose myself in his kiss, the doorbell rang.
“Ah, shit,” he grumbled. “They’re early.”
“Doris is always early,” I said on a sigh. “Sorry, Pops. Nana needs to leave you longing until I get back.”
“Damn you, evil temptress.” He grabbed me tighter and pulled me against him.
“Tom!” I laughed as I struggled free. “I have to go! I don’t want to be late, or we’ll miss our flight to ...” I paused and tipped my head, then shrugged, “to wherever the hell I’m going.”
He grumbled, then kissed me again and let me go. “You really have no idea where this flight is going, huh?”
“Nope.” I stood and smoothed my shirt back down. “Marge insisted on making all the travel plans so it would be a surprise.”
“And you trust Marge to make travel plans? Didn’t she get you lost in the jungle and locked up at border patrol?”
“Yes, and yes.” I laughed. “But hopefully, she won’t bungle this up. She’s really excited about her wish.”
“Now remember, if you ladies get in any trouble, wherever you are in the world, I still have connections high up. All you need to do is get ahold of me, and I’ll come bail you out.”
He stood, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, levering up on my toes. “I know you will. I love you, Tom.”
“I love you, too.” He lifted me off the ground and pressed his lips against mine so hard it hurt, but I relished the exquisite pain.
The doorbell rang again, and Tom groaned, then set me down. “I’ll walk you down.”
I smiled as he grabbed my bag, and together we headed to the front door. When I opened it, the three familiar faces of my best friends grinned back at me.
“We’re here, dear!” Doris said with a giant smile that caused her rosy cheeks to swell.
“Hello, ladies!” I opened my arms and pulled them all in for a group hug.
They all squeezed me back, and when I let go, Marge stepped back and grinned widely from beneath her silver bowl cut, the one that hadn’t changed since the first day I’d seen her on this very step.
She waved a hand at the limo parked on the street behind her. “Ta-da!”
“A limo? Really?” I asked.
