Page 85 of Freedom's Kiss
Adam bore his gaze into Amber and gave a small shake of his head. Her eyebrows creased, but she shrugged. “Go ahead.”
He positioned himself to the side of the board so everyone could see.
“Aaanndd…” Trent flipped the sand timer. “Go!”
Adam pressed the chalk to the board, first drawing a sorry excuse for Florida and then moving to the other side of the board to draw England with dots in between to connect them.
“Transatlantic!”
“Christopher Columbus!”
“Pounce De Leon!”
Adam shook his head at each guess. He knelt down to reach an empty part of the board and drew a stick figure. Head, body, one leg, one arm.
“Is that supposed to be me?” A new voice asked, and the shouts of wrong answers turned into shrieks from the women of the family as they all whipped around and stared at Michael standing behind the back of the couch. Jack stood beside him, long brown hair pulled back in her signature ponytail, a smile dimpling her cheeks.
Mom didn’t even bother with going around the furniture. She launched herself over the couch like a track-star athlete, throwing her arms around her middle child and squeezing him tight.
Adam grinned as everyone in his family laughed and smiled and wiped away tears of joy. Eventually Mom released Michael, and he was able to hug everyone else.
Adam slapped Michael on the shoulder. “It’s good to have you back.”
Michael studied Adam a moment before grinning. “You too.”
Adam moved on to give Jack a warm hug. She lifted herself on her toes, placing her mouth next to his ear. “That girl of yours is a keeper.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “So is my brother’s.” He lifted his head and looked around. Where was Olivia?
As if reading his thoughts, Jack pointed behind her. “She said she didn’t want to get in the way of a family reunion.” She squeezed his arm. “If you ask me, you better make her family real soon so she doesn’t think that way.” Jack winked, then stepped to the side to get swept up in a hug from Summer.
Adam walked around his dad and made his way through the arched entryway into the foyer. Olivia stood on the other side of the screen door, inspecting one of his mom’s wind chimes as the sun backlit her and cast her in a dark silhouette. It reminded him of the first time she’d pushed her way into his food truck and, consequently, his heart. This woman, so full of spunk and determination, touched places inside him he didn’t even know could be reached.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
She startled, then grinned guiltily at him through the screen. “Sorry. They make such an interesting sound that I wanted to see what they were made of.”
“I don’t mean the chimes. What are you doing out there?”When you should be in here with me.
She looked down at her shoes. “I didn’t want to barge in where I didn’t belong.”
He took two steps forward, capturing her gaze and not letting go. “Who said you didn’t belong?”
Her head tilted. “A family reunion is forfamily, Adam.”
He opened the door and peered down into her eyes. “Exactly.” Letting his back hold open the screen door, he swooped down and hooked his arm under her knees, lifting her into his arms.
The door shut with a slap.
Olivia laughed. “What are you doing, you crazy man?”
Adam lowered them both onto one of the front porch chairs, settling Olivia in his lap. “Following your family tradition. Pretty sure your dad would approve.” His mouth quirked into a wicked grin. “I have to say, I quite like it.”
She swatted his shoulder. “You haven’t seen Michael in what, a year? You should be in there.”
Her hair pulled back in a bun on top of her head exposed her slender neck. He pressed his lips to the soft flesh there. “And I haven’t seen you in days. Who do you think I missed more?”
“But he’s going to—” Squeals rent the air.
