Page 69 of Revival

“I told you to stay away from that taco buffet last night.”

The light sheen on Spencer’s forehead is a paid actor in this little charade. His hand finds mine on our trip back down the aisle.

Delaney catches my eye at our seats, and she winks. I wish I could return her enthusiasm, but my heart is too full of turmoil.

14

Cortney

“Mom,you’re hugging me way too tight.”

Ollie’s complaint only makes me squeeze extra hard for emphasis. My flight arrived late last night, and after the long drive home from the airport, I didn’t get a chance to see him before he left for baseball training this morning. This is my first time getting to see my son in two weeks.

He looks healthy. His dark hair is long around his ears with a natural wave I’m sure the girls love. Even with his face pinched in a frown, he can’t hide the relief in his eyes that I’m home.

“There’s no such thing.”

“Tell that to my ribs,” he wheezes.

“I missed you. Did you stay out of trouble while I was away?”

Ollie rubs his side with a grimace. “Bro, be for real. My uncles didn’t let me do anything fun.”

I swing my arm around his best friend, Lincoln, for a quick hug. “Did you stay out of trouble too?”

“Of course, Ms. Powell,” he says, side-eyeing his big sister, Juniper, and my brother, Lee. “As if I can ever get away with anything.”

Those two take their responsibility to Lincoln more seriously than some parents. Juniper’s been taking care of him since he was around eleven, so it’s only natural for her to keep him in line.

Not that she has to work too hard. We have some good kids around here. These straight-A, varsity baseball players make us more proud than they’ll ever know.

A heavy arm lands on my shoulder. “Glad you’re home,” Lee says, kissing the top of my head.

“You act as if I was on some treacherous quest. I went to the Caribbean, not Mordor.”

Juniper snorts from her position on the couch. “Clearly, you were very missed.”

“I can see that.” I fight the tightness in my throat. As much as they annoy me, the welcome home committee sure fills me with warmth. I never knew belonging until I joined the Powell family, and they embraced me with open arms.

Much like they’re doing right now.

A steaming cup of coffee is thrust into my hand.

I carefully reach around and tightly hug the family matriarch. She curled her white hair this morning and her blue eyes hold a familiar spark. “Hi, Momma.”

“Look at you, my beautiful girl. What a lovely tan!” She holds me at arm’s length. “Two weeks on the beach looks good on you.”

I let the pause linger, waiting for someone to interrogate me on the extended stay, but it doesn’t come.

Huh. Weird.

Apparently, staying on vacation didn’t set off any alarms.

I respond cautiously. “I could have stayed a whole month.”

“I’ll bet!” Mom squeezes my shoulder and starts cutting a pan of brownies on the kitchen counter. “Are you rested and refreshed? What am I saying, of course you are. All that uninterrupted sleep is good for the soul.”

My mind flashes to the consecutive nights of marathon sex until two o’clock and the lazy mornings sleeping in. Hopefully, that tan hides my blush. “It was nice.”

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