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“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, buttercup,” I retorted, standing from my chair. “You’re right. This isn’t us. I’m trying to be something I’m not,” I admitted. “And I got bitten in the ass for it.”
That spurred on another giggle attack. “Yeah, don’t do that,” she said, standing and giving me a pat on the cheek. “I love who you are.” She lifted on her tip-toes to press a kiss to my jaw.
“Love you too, babe.” I held a hand to her lower back. “Let’s get out of here. I’m just gonna run to the bathroom real quick.”And get my ring back,I mentally added.
Finally back in my truck with the ring securely in my pocket, I looked over at her pretty self in my shotgun seat. “Where to?”
“Let’s go get Stevie.” She smiled. “I miss having her with us. She totally would’ve roasted you so hard back there.”
I grinned as I eased my truck into drive. I missed having her with us as well. And that was true– while Josie laughed at me, Stevie would’ve cackled and video taped the whole thing to show her friends… and then it’d probably end up on social media.
Josie and I were always sneaking away for little make-out sessions lately and we always talked big game about hiring a sitter to get some alone time, but as soon as we were away from Stevie, it seemed we both missed her like crazy. That really said something to me about Josie as well– that she felt the same way as me, that she loved my daughter like she was her own.
As I pulled onto the highway toward Casey and Addie’s house where Stevie was surely tearing it up with TJ and Beau, Josie said, “By the way, my sixth hour is saying they’ll track you down and rough you up if you guys don’t make the playoffs this year.”
“Oh really?” I grunted, unimpressed. I could take those teenyboppers.
“You know they love you,” she said with a laugh.
“Yeah, yeah.” I loved those little shits right back, and I loved hearing about all their nonsense in class. I just wasn’t a fan of them highlighting all my mistakes to my girl as soon as she walked into class the morning after games.
“Ever since your little stunt coming in my room, they ask about you every day and they keep jokingly calling me ‘Mrs. Jettersen.’ They say they’re just manifesting for me.” I could practically hear the eye roll in her voice.
I grinned. “I do love the sound of that.”
She paused for a beat. “Yeah?”
“Do you?” I briefly shifted my eyes off the road to sneak a peek at her. She was blushing. I nodded and couldn’t keep the grin off my face. “Noted, wifey.”
She laughed. “Okay, hubby,” she added, matching my energy.
“Ooh,” I blew out a sigh and adjusted my pants.
“That did not just make you hard?” she deadpanned, her eyes narrowing on me.
All I did was grin.
________
As soon as I let us into Casey’s house, Stevie came barreling at us for a hug, then she quickly ran back to the den.
“We’re all in here!” Addie yelled.
In the den, Stevie was on her knees in front of a mini-sticks net while Beau and Ty were battling it out for the mini-puck on the rug. Addie, looking ready to have her baby at any second, was stretched out on the couch with her laptop in front of her.
“You guys are back soon. Casey’s manning the grill out back. He’s making dinner, why don’t you go tell him you’re here?” she said, not taking her eyes off her work. “Ooh,” Addie grunted in pain.
“You good?” I asked, my eyes zeroing in on the hand rubbing her belly.
“I’ll go tell Case,” Josie said, going to her tip-toes to plant a quick kiss on my jaw.
“No need to tell him about me!” Addie called after her. “Just tell him to add steak for you two!” She finally directed her attention to me. “He’s such a worry wart these days.” She winced in pain again and shifted on the couch. “It’s just braxton hicks.”
“I don’t blame him. You don’t look too…”
“What?” she demanded with an arched eyebrow.
I lifted my hands in innocence. “Comfy. You don’t look too comfy, Adds.”
