“Are you sure? She needs a diaper change.” Kay didn’t doubt that he had the best intentions, but morning diapers weren’t for the uninitiated.
“I may not have kids, but Jackson’s two boys used to produce diapers that looked like toxic waste. I think I can handle it.”
“Okay. She’ll only eat dry cereal in the morning. She can eat it with her fingers.”
“Got it,” he replied. His voice was muffled since he was in the middle of pulling on a sweatshirt. He stepped into the pair of jeans he’d left on the floor the prior night, then he leaned over the bed to give her another kiss.
“Sleep in a little bit. We’ll be fine.” He tapped the end of her nose and then he was gone.
Kay flopped back down in the bed and listened with half an ear to the familiar sounds of morning. Hope’s chatter was easily distinguishable from Eli’s deep rumble. Then there was the clanging of cabinets and the soft thunk of Hope hitting the table as she ate her cereal. It was comforting, these sounds of home and family. Before she knew it, she’d dozed off again. When she awoke, it was quiet.
She took a shower and dressed before going up front to look for them. When she got there, she stopped short at the sight of the man and woman on the couch.
“Jackson! And Ridley! What are you doing here?” Kay clapped her hands over her mouth.
“Surprise,” Eli whispered. He came up behind her and kissed her on the side of the neck. “I know you’ve been lonely and feeling stuck in the house, so I asked Jackson if they could come by.”
Kay turned to him and kissed him, not even caring that they had an audience. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”
Ridley pulled her into a hug. “I am so happy to see you.”
Her friend had announced her pregnancy over Christmas, and she wore it well, glowing and happy. “You look fantastic. And you haven’t gained an ounce. How is that possible?”
Ridley shrugged. “I just hope I don’t have as rough of a time as Raina did. Although, she wasn’t a healthy weight when she got pregnant. She’s been living the model life so long she thinks it’s normal to eat lettuce and breath mints as a meal. I need food!”
“We can certainly make that happen.” Kay followed Ridley into the kitchen. Apparently her friend had brought along a bunch of food because the counter was covered with Tupperware containers and takeout boxes.
“Did you guys bring us dinner?”
Ridley blushed and looked at the boxes ruefully. “No, that’s just the food I brought along as snacks. I told you I was hungry!”
They laughed and linked arms as they walked back to the couch. “I want to hear everything that you and Jackson have been up to lately.”
Ridley glanced back at Eli. “I think I’d rather hear what you’ve been up to.”
MARA SIMMONS TUCKED her tote bag under her arm and rushed to catch up with her twin brother. She’d brought along several of her favorite movies, a couple of library books, as well as a pack of playing cards and some snacks. All Matt had told her was that Eli and Kay were in hiding but that Eli had asked him to drive up. She’d jumped at the chance to come along, and not just because she figured poor Kay had to be going crazy stuck in a house with Eli for the past two weeks.
There was a good chance she might need Eli’s help with something soon. Now was as good a time as any to start building up brownie points.
“So, why did we park so far away?” Mara huffed, already irritated that she had to lug her heavy tote bag so far.
“I don’t want to park right in front of the house. They’re trying to keep a low profile, not advertise that there’s a bunch of people there.”
“Oh, right. That makes sense.”
They crossed through several yards. Matt seemed like he knew where he was going, so she kept her mouth shut and followed his lead. It occurred to her then that he knew the way because he’d lived here for a few months last year. It was so weird sometimes to think that there were stretches of his life she wasn’t a part of. For years they’d shared so much that it was a foreign feeling to not know something about him. It made her feel distant and more than just a little lonely.
“We’re here. Approaching from the back.” Matt had his cell phone to his ear. He held up his hand to halt Mara’s steps. A few seconds later, the curtains on the back windows of the house in front of them moved to the side slightly.
“Okay, thanks.” Matt hung up and then twitched his head toward the house. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.”
“This is all very cloak-and-dagger. I had no idea your life was so mysterious.”
Matt scoffed and gave her a sardonic look. “There’s nothing mysterious about it. I just had to call ahead and warn them so they won’t shoot us.”
“What?” Mara stopped walking again.
Matt smirked.