AllFreeNovel
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“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. “Just relax. I’m yours.”
With those words he sank into the pillow, carrying me with him until I was resting against his chest. He pulled the blankets over us and settled me into the crook of his arm. “And your mine. No one else matters, right?”
“Right,” I whispered, my eyes heavy after the long day. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he whispered, stroking my cheek until I dropped off into dreamland.
The farm was hopping with parents and kids and I was having trouble keeping up with the cookie table. “Lance,” I called, waving a frosting-covered hand in the air. “More cookies, please!”
“On it,” he called back, jogging to the back room and carrying another pan of cookies to me. “Is it always this way?”
“It is on Family Day,” Becca said on her way past with a tray of eggnog and hot cocoa. “Don’t worry, this group is almost ready for a story and then you can clean up and set for the next group. You’ll have an hour.”
“Thank goodness,” I said, helping a little tot dump sprinkles onto her gingerbread cookie. “I was starting to think we’d never get a break.”
“What’s the matter, Gumdrop, can’t hang with the little kids?” Lance teased, tickling my side and making me giggle.
“Not when they come in waves one after another. All you had to do was hand out hot cocoa.”
“You were the one who insisted that you could handle the cookie table alone,” he reminded me with one brow up. “What do you say now?”
I turned and grabbed the front of his shirt, leaving frosting in my wake. “Please, for the love of God, please, help me clean up and get ready for the next group.”
He pecked my lips once and nodded. “You got it, Gumdrop.”
“Why do you call her Gumdrop?” the little girl asked as she took her cookie off the table.
Lance chuckled and winked at the little girl. “Because she loves gumdrops. If you ever see any sitting around, you’d better eat them before the gumdrop monster gets them!”
The little girl squealed as she grabbed a gumdrop and took off running. I leaned my forehead on Lance’s chest and laughed. How could I not? “You’re so good with the kids, Lance.”
“That’s because he’s just a giant kid himself,” Mel said, swinging past with Noel in her arms. “Have you seen my big kid? She’s missing.”
“I haven’t, but if I had to guess, I’d say she’s in the barn with the horses and Bradley.”
Bradley was usually couriered everywhere by Becca in a baby sling, but on days like today, he hung out in the barn or the house so he didn’t get stepped on or hurt.
Mel’s shoulders sank and she sighed. “Can you watch Noel so I can go look for her? I don’t want to bundle him all up.”
“Better yet, I’ll go find her. You stay here where it’s warm.”
“Thanks, Lance,” we both said in unison as he jogged toward the door.
“He’s the best,” Mel said, shifting Noel to her other hip.
“He absolutely is,” I agreed. “And I’d take the baby but you’d be cleaning frosting off him for days.”
She eyed me up and down and then shook her head. “You’re not kidding. Who taught you how to frost a cookie?”
“This spot,” I said, pointing at my apron, “was not my fault.”
Mel held in her giggles, but she shook so hard even Noel noticed. He giggled too and patted his mom’s chest with his tiny hand. “Well, I’m glad you’re having fun. Are you going to stay for story time?”
“I’m going to clean up this mess and then grab a clean apron. I have a feeling it will take me the next hour to get that much done.”
“Just have Lance help you,” she said on a wink as Miss Holly came running in the door.
“I can’t believe I almost missed the story!” she exclaimed, her shoulders heaving from her run. “I was playing with Bradley and lost track of time.”
