AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I just noticed something. You’re calling Eric ‘Slate’ again. What’s up with that?”
I enjoyed watching the blush cross over her face as she started back in on pouring the pumpkin filling into the pie shells.
“Really, Lindsey; you come up with the strangest observations at times.”
By late afternoon, all of the preparations were finished.
The turkey was stuffed and roasting in the oven; the pies were cooling. The cranberry salad was in the fridge; along with the mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole and glazed carrots that just needed to be nuked before we sat down to eat. The dinner rolls were baked and would be reheated as well before dinner. The dining room table was set.
Bryce was down for a nap with Slate. Mom and I had cleaned up the kitchen after all of our preparations.
“Well, Lindsey, I don’t know about you but I am going to take a nice, long soak in the Jacuzzi tub and get dressed. What about you?”
“I might grab a short nap and then a shower, Mom. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”
“Oh?”
I tried as hard as I could not to let the amusement show on my face. I failed.
“Yeah, some weird banging noises woke me up.”
I saw her face flush as she realized just how much I had heard.
“Enjoy your soak, Mom. See you in a couple.”
I set the alarm on the clock in my room and napped restfully for an hour. It was enough to refresh and give me my second wind.
I showered and blew my light brown hair dry, using some gel to make the short cut spiky and playful. I had put some coppery and dark blond highlights in my hair over the summer. I liked the depth it had given my hairstyle.
I carefully applied eye make-up. Darcy said my eyes were my best feature. They were green like my mom’s; not nearly as green as Taz’s though.
I selected a pair of black leggings with an oversized sweater and pulled a pair of black heeled boots on. I put earrings into the four piercings I had on each ear. I spritzed a tiny bit of cologne on and took a final look. This was as good as it got.
I descended downstairs, hearing Bryce chattering his baby-talk to Slate who was lounging on the sofa his legs perched up on the coffee table in the family room.
I scooped the baby up just as Slate’s cell phone chimed.
“Speak, loser,” he said with a laugh.
My ears perked up. Was he talking to Taz? I couldn’t imagine Slate talking to anyone other than his best bud that way. I continued to play with Bryce, keeping my ears peeled trying to confirm it was Taz.
“Sure, bro. No problemo. The more the merrier.”
It had to be Taz, but what was with the more the merrier’?
My eavesdropping was interrupted when Mom came into the room, putting her earrings in. She looked great as usual.
As soon as Bryce saw her, he immediately raised his arms for her to pick him up. I couldn’t get over how much he looked like Slate. He sure didn’t look like Mom or me.
“What does my baby boy want?” she cooed, picking him up.
I saw Slate roll his eyes as he tossed his phone back onto the coffee table.
“Sammie,” he said, his tone slightly admonishing but mostly playful, “what have I told you about talking ‘wussy’ to my boy like that?”
“Oh, for crying out loud, Slate,” she said, kissing Bryce’s chubby little fingers, “he’s still a baby. He loves his mommy; yes he does, yes he does,” she continued to cooing to him. He was totally infatuated with Mom. It warmed my heart.
“Oh, that was Taz on the phone,” Slate said. “He wondered at this late time would it be okay if he brought a date. I told him no problem.”
