“Considering you want a passel of kids, we might have to do that.” My arms loop around his middle, my lips meeting his warm smooth skin as I place them over his heart.
“Damn right, I do. If I’m not wrong, I’d say by the number of kids you said you want, we both want a big family.” Chance looks down at me, a grin on his face. He’s not wrong, but he wants something the size of a baseball team, not really, but the number four was tossed out, and I was more on the maybe three children. Growing up, there were times us four children had to share a bathroom, and on the rare occasion Berkley was in town, there were five of us bitching and moaning about who was getting the shower next.
“Okay, fine, but max three. If our future kids are in sports, I refuse to tote them around in a minivan. I’m far too pretty for that kind of vehicle,” I joke around, but seriously, if he told me he was buying a minivan, I’d stomp my foot, return it to the car dealership, and buy a bigger SUV. Even my mom with all of us kids, she still didn’t own a minivan, and neither will I.
“No minivan, I promise, but we’ll circle back to the number of four. You want to stay home today? I’ll take my calls in the living room. We can be vegetables.”
“That sounds so good, but I have payroll to do today, so that’s a no for me. You can stay home though. It won’t take but a few hours until I’m coming back.” I move out of Chance’s arms and head to the fridge to pull out something for both of us to eat.
“Then I may as well go with you, but I’m not working in the field today. That will be on tomorrow’s agenda. Is there anything I need to know about what the crews are working on?” I’m pulling out the eggs, bacon, and thinking about making grits with it when I whip my head around to look at him.
“No, but you know this already. Are you worried about something?” I ask.
“I feel like I’ve left you in the lurch, baby. I’m not real thrilled about how much you’ve had to do. You’re run ragged, and you still have to go into the office. I felt like I’ve failed you. It’s no wonder you were on the verge of a breakdown last night.” I look over at him. Chance’s shoulders are slumped, and now it’s him who looks defeated.
“No, you didn’t. Not at all. We’re a team. I should have called you before it got too overwhelming or, I don’t know, let the foreman help out?”
“Either way, it won’t happen again.” Chance is wearing a pair of gray sweatpants hanging loosely off his hips, that happy trail of his catching my gaze.
“Not sure you can promise that if we’re expanding Adams Construction, you know?” I arch my eyebrow but am licking my lips at the same time.
“Don’t look at me like that. We don’t have time for what you want if you have payroll to do. Paul, the foreman I’m using in South Carolina, I think he’ll be a huge asset. If it weren’t for this being Fox’s place, I’d let him take the lead.”
“Well, then I guess we should make breakfast and head out. Are you good to have dinner at my parents’ place this weekend?” I ask. It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve seen them. Sure, we’ve talked on the phone and whatnot, but physically seeing them and having our Sunday dinner, it’s been awhile.
“I’ve got no bones about that. Is your mom making her banana cream pie?”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll have to put a bug in her ear.” Now it’s Chance who comes up to me. He moves me away from the stove, holding me in his arms.
“You do that. I’ll be sure to pick up that bottle of bourbon your dad likes so much.” He knows the way to my dad’s heart already.
“I’ll let Mom know, then. Give me a kiss so I can cook our breakfast and maybe we can clock out of work early for a Friday delight.” I wink, but his lips are already on mine, giving me a searing kiss that has me curling my toes and yearning for more than just his lips.
“Woman, you keep mewling like that, I’ll say fuck payroll and we’ll end up back in bed.” Chance swats my ass, and then I get back to making us breakfast even if I’d rather lie around in bed with him all day.
Fifteen
Chance
“Who all is here today?” I ask two days later as we pull into Peyton’s parents’ house. There are more cars than I figured there would be.