Page 83 of Feels Like Home

“You’requiet.”

I grunt inresponse.

“Excited?”

I look down at her, her eyes full of mischief. She winks, and I roll myeyes.

“Oh, come on, sourpuss. It’ll be fun.” She pokes me in the ribs then tickles my side. I jerk a little bit and I feel my lip quirk. “It won’t be so bad,” she says, laughter filling hervoice.

I raise an eyebrow at her and she returns it. She redoes her pony tail and then slides her arms around my waist, looking up at me as her thumbs hook in my back pockets. I wrap mine around her and lean down, kissing her lightly on thenose.

We haven’t been overly affectionate in front of the boys yet, a kiss here or there, but they know what’s happening. They get that she’s not just someone their dad’s dating — but someone who’s going to be around a while. And, from what they’ve told me when we discussed things progressing further with Christine, they approve. They like Christine and love having her around. I think they like her more than they like me mostdays.

“You’ll protect me?” I halftease.

“I’ll protect my man, scout’shonor.”

“I’m your man,huh?”

“Damnskippy.”

“I’m on board with that.” I nuzzle my nose in her neck, inhaling her incredible scent. She always smells a bit like vanilla and sugar. It’s intoxicating, and I know I’ll never be able to get enough of it. I groan, not being able to control myself, letting my tongue sneak out, getting a taste, too. I hear her breath catch, and I place my lips on her neck, kissing and sucking with just a small amount ofpressure.

“Dad!” My head jerks up to see the boys smiling over at me. From their point of view, it probably (and hopefully) looked like I was just resting my head on her shoulder while I gave her a hug. I don’t need the boys to know, or see, that I was just perving on mygirlfriend.

“Yeah?”

“We’re up.” Reece nods his head toward the line, indicating that it’s ourturn.

Yaa-aa-yyy.

* * *

“Stop! No! What wasit?”

I twist around, hitting at the offendingobject.

“Andy! Relax. It was just the plastic curtain at the entrance.” Christine is laughing at me already, not even trying to hideit.

“Okay, okay. Yeah. You’re right. I’m just a little onedge.”

“You think? Mr. Simpson, you need to chill man,” Nolan tells me. The three boys walk ahead, and a surge of panic roars throughme.

“No! Don’t go in! Not withoutme!”

All three boys give me a look. “Dad. I think we can handle it. Probably better thanyou.”

Okay. Thathurt.

Might have been truthbut…

“I can protectyou!”

“Right,” the boys say at the same time, shaking their heads at me and venturing farther into the haunted house while I’m still standing by theentrance.

“Youready?”

“Let’s just get this crap over with. You owe me a lemon pound cake all my own afterthis.”

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