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But right now, much as I shouldn’t be thinking it, I just want to be back in that hotel room holding my Joey.
Chapter Thirty
The Scorpions havethree days free in the schedule, and Ashton is back home. He’s waiting there for me, hopefully with something to eat, because I am starving after a busy shift at Starlight Vets.
I’ve silently thanked Colt’s intuition a thousand times over for not helping me start my own practice and jumping into the stress of being both a vet and a business owner. Having the freedom of being a consultant has allowed me more leeway over my own schedule, and I’ve been able to watch my brother and Ashton at a few away games,even taking my mom to Boston and Montreal for a few cold, wintry getaways. And of course now, when my gorgeous boyfriend has a few days off, I can take time off, too.
Voicing my boundaries has gone a long way toward helping me enjoy the profession. But it wasn’t a silver bullet, and I also decided to have a once-a-month session with Colt’s therapist. She opened doors to new ways of looking at my relationship with death, and I know that exploring this will eventually help me make peace with the things I need to do in my job. I’ve never felt more supported in my life.
Ashton offered to take me away during this break, but I know how much he needs downtime and being away from the fast pace. I’m fine with it, too, because the past few months have been like living a thousand lives. I want to get back to living one. I still have dreams of traveling, and that safari is still on my mind, but if I had to choose one life, it would have always been the one I’m coming home to right now.
I turn the knob to my unlocked door, and as I push it open, I hear a kid’s voice whisper, “Shh. She’s coming!”
I’d recognize the raspy little boy anywhere. Mrs. Mason finally took me up on that offer to babysit and is out with my mom at her book club tonight. I pretend to be surprised at seeing nobody.
“Ashton? Gareth? Anybody home?” I sense a rustling behind a floor-length curtain just next to me. I drop my keys and cell on the console table. “So strange. I thought they’d be here.”
Suddenly, Ashton jumps out from behind the curtain and takes my arms behind my back, holding me captive.
“Oh my God!” I feign fear and pretend to struggle to get out of Ashton’s clutches. “Let go of me, you beast!”
Gareth jumps out from behind my armchair with a lasso in his hand, holding it like the most menacing weapon in the world. “Give us your candy!” he demands in his most wicked voice.
I wrestle my shoulders as if trying to break free and defy the little boy. “I don’t have any candy, you thief.”
He sashays a few feet closer with the sass of Billy the Kid and repeats his demand. “Give us your candy or you get the rope!”
He twirls it around, and though he’s doing a pretty nice job, I dart my eyes around quickly to make sure Ashton has put away anything that could be broken. It’s all clear. He’s going to make a good daddy.
“Never!” I shout. “I’ll never give it up. These Twizzlers belong to me!”
Ashton pretends to grip me harder. “So youdohave candy.” He commands Gareth, “Give her the rope.”
Gareth circles the rope several times, making pretty good work of it, then releases it in my direction but knocks my cell off the table and hits me in the hip instead of entrapping me.
I slide my arms out of Ashton’s grip and chase my attacker with fingers outstretched like I’m going to get him. “Ha! Ha! You’re mine now!”
Ashton, Gareth, and I chase each other in circles until I’m not sure who is chasing whom, but I do eventually catch up with the firecracker and give him a tickle on the couch.
“You think you can steal from me? I know every trick in the book, mister.”
His mischievous giggle fills the space with warm joy. “I give up! I give up!” His words ring out through laughter.
I stop tickling him and step back. “That’ll teach you.”
Gareth covers his mouth, and his body shakes as he laughs into his palm.
I walk over to Ashton and grab his cheeks on either side and squeeze them. “And you…”
His voice comes out of his now-puffy lips all muffled. “We got pizzas in the oven.”
Gareth turns around. “Oh. They must be done.”
“Come on, squirt.” Ashton gestures for Gareth to help in the kitchen. “We don’t want this woman to get hangry.”
Gareth runs to his side, and they head into the kitchen.
“She might eat all our Twizzlers.”
