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“Yeah. A little.”
“I’ll put more ice on it for you later.”
He kissed her shoulder, jaw, and cheek, and she turned her head for him to drop one on her mouth.
“I have a surprise for you.” He slid his fingers between hers. “Come on before I change my mind and do to you what’s going through my head.”
Had they been alone, she would have found a way to convince him to do Option B.
First, they passed Josiah’s room, where he sat in front of a brand-new-looking laptop doing homework at a desk that hadn’t been there before. He looked up, grinned, pointed to his new desk and computer, and returned to his work.
The empty room she hoped Theo would eventually feel safe enough to sleep in now had a wooden platform bed in the middle. A mattress sat on the slats, and there were sealed boxes and several bags in the corner that she wanted to investigate, but Joel pulled her along, down the stairs.
“Joel, what all did you do today?”
“Picked up a few things,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. I wasn’t sure if you’d want more input, but I wanted to surprise you.”
“I’ve had sole input for a while now. I’m good. Where’s Theo?”
The answer to her question stood in the dining area with his hands behind his back, attempting to hide a bouquet of roses almost as big as he was. Joel had dressed him in a tuxedo and bow tie, and he was so excited and adorable, it took everything in her not to squeal.
He presented the flowers. “The prettiest flowers for the prettiest mama!”
She stooped to his eye level, took the flowers, and held them close to her chest. “Oh, Theo. These are beautiful. And you look so handsome!”
“I pickeded them out. You like them, Mama?”
“Ilovethem, baby.”
He stepped aside and opened his arms. “Ta-da!”
Rose petals were scattered on the top of the dining table between glowing tapered candles, wine glasses, and a bottle of wine on ice in a stainless steel bucket. Tea light candles flickered in glass containers, and a steaming, covered bowl held what she guessed was their dinner.
“Joel did it, Mama. I told him to give you flowers and lemonade.” Theo dropped his voice to something not remotely close to a whisper. “And kisses.”
Ayesha pointed to the “wine” bottle. “That’s lemonade?”
Joel nodded. “Yes, ma’am. My guy gives good advice. I didn’t want to stray from a single detail.”
Theo beamed up at Joel.
It melted her heart.
“Joel, did I do good?”
“You did amazing,” Joel said.
They bumped fists.
Theo cheered, dashed up the stairs, and ran down the hallway, calling for his brother.
Joel pulled out her chair.
“Do you do stuff like this often?” she asked. “Is it safe to feel spoiled?”
She took a seat and set the roses next to her on the tabletop. Then he pushed in her chair and took the seat next to her, and the fact that he sat next to her rather than across from her warmed her body like a revved-up car engine.
“Very safe,” he said. “I’m a romantic kind of guy, Eesh. I like it when my lady’s happy.”
