Page 105 of Honeymoon Phase
However, when we finish, my plans are put on hold when we spy Calder, Dakota, Wyatt, Trista, and Stevie all bundled up and heading our way. The way they’re looking at us, I can tell they’re trying to gauge if we’re okay. And the look of relief on their faces says it all.
Wyatt and Calder both have sleds in their hands and Calder has a dopey smile on his face... not too dissimilar to the dopey smile on my face.
Everyone loves some snow days.
“Hey,” I say, hopping out of the tractor and turning around to help Addison down.
“Hey, you two,” Trista calls out, shielding her eyes from the bright sun as she looks at the giant pile of snow we just created. It’s the perfect snow for sledding, taking you right past all three cabins, down the driveway, and ending at the more flattened section in front of the barn.
“Baby’s first sledding adventure.” Trista cheers, holding Stevie’s hand up, who looks completely unimpressed by the whiteout conditions all around her.
She’s dressed in tiny pink Carhartt coveralls that match her mother’s tan set. Her chestnut curls peek out under the matching pink Carhartt hat on her head, and I can’t help but reach my hands out to take her in my arms. The cuteness of her is too overwhelming to stay away from. I hold her up to the sky and give her a little toss, causing her to giggle excitedly.
“We made a hill for you, Stevie baby!”
She babbles and slobbers down her chin as I hold her to my body, my chest full of a feeling of rightness that I’ve never experienced before. It’s wild how my brothers and I swore off women just a few years ago and now we’re all standing out here smiling with our ladies like one big happy family dressed for a Carhartt photoshoot.
Because we found the right women.
Except Wyatt, who doesn’t look quite so happy. “She’s too little for sledding.”
“Stop being such an overprotective grump,” Trista says, smacking him in the chest.
“Dakota and I will go first to make sure it’s not too fast,”Calder says, grabbing Dakota by the wrist and dragging her up the giant pile.
“Calder, I swear, if you crash us, I will kill you.”
“Baby, you know I love to make you angry so that’s not even a real threat.”
They situate themselves at the top and Addison climbs up to help give them a push down. With a loud cheer, they skid past us, Dakota screaming and Calder laughing as they go soaring down toward the barn where the golden sun is just beginning to lower in the horizon.
It looks like fucking heaven.
Wyatt’s goat Millie bleats from the pasture and he sighs. “I guess that doesn’t look so bad.”
“Stevie is going to love it,” I confirm, giving him a pat on the back.
Wyatt turns to face me and then subtly cuts a glance up to Addison. “Are you two good?” He eyes me thoughtfully, clearly wanting to check in after all the drama the other night.
I bite my lip and feel a flush of heat crawl up my neck. “Oh yeah, we’re good.”
My grumpy fucking brother actually grins at me and pats me on the back, hitting me with a knowing wink. “You look good, baby bro.”
“Thanks.” I smile sheepishly.
And we spend the next two hours playing in the snow as six grown-ass adults all focus on the one baby on the mountain. Except for the moment when everyone else is down by the barn, and I push Addison up against a tree and kiss the life out of her.
A boner in snowpants is not a pleasant experience, but I’m way too happy to be bothered by it because I finally don’t have to pretend in front of my family. I finally don’t have to be the seventh wheel. I finally get to touch my best friend whenever I want.
After we end the day watching the sunset at our dad’s bench, Addison and I stomp inside out of the fresh powder. We’re cold and out of breath, but the crackling fire in the hearth and the smell of chili she threw together in the Crock-Pot before we went outside warms me instantly.
“I’m starving,” Addison exclaims, her cheeks rosy as we undress each other in the doorway, smiling like a couple of lovesick puppies.
I grab her braid and pull her toward me. “I promise I’ll let you eat food this time.”
She presses a chase kiss to my lips before heading into the kitchen and prepping for our dinner. She begins cutting up a loaf of fresh bread and spreads her homemade cinnamon butter on it, offering it to me as an appetizer when I come to stand behind her. My hands skate around her hips as I pull her back into my groin.
Fuck, this is how we got in trouble last time.
