Yeah, the peaks were high, the valleys deep. Dark and deep. Tommy and I being married would mean I really did have to take my ‘for better or for worse’ promise to heart.
Since it was just me, Sarah joined me for breakfast, teasing me about making eight pieces of toast for the two of us (but I was used to the bustle in the Crenshaw kitchen so had done that out of habit) and then I helped her clean up and she went over a bunch of stuff with me about running the household and gave me her cell number. She was planning to come by twice a week for half days to do some deeper cleaning but we figured I could handle the rest and if I couldn’t or wanted to change things, she was open to it. She also promised that when she did freezer meals for the girls she’d make batches for Tommy and I. She did a day of cooking once a month to put several entrees into everyone’s freezers. She was here to pack her room up as she was moving into Tessa’s now to help out for now and would be working between here, Luc’s, and Tessa’s. I offered to help her pack up her room. I had nothing else to do, really. We had a nice afternoon together.
Tommy texted me that afternoon and told me we’d have to wait until the following day to go to the farm. He said he’d be home late and told me not to wait up.
The next day we left to spend two nights up the hayloft and filled our time, making love, fishing, hiking, making love some more. He’d been sweet and attentive and we avoided talking about touchy subjects. We just took those few days to de-stress and it was mostly vanilla and totally…well…wonderful.
But the next day when we’d gotten back to the city, Tommy told me that he had to take off for about a week to clear up some stuff to do with his father. He wouldn’t tell me very much, just packed a bag, made love to me, and then he left. He told me he’d text me daily. He told me his brother was staying at the house while he was gone to keep an eye on things and keep me safe.
I stayed home the whole time, other than hanging by the pool. I baked, I watched Tessa’s boys one day, I played Miss Pacman, I burned through a half a dozen romance novels on the kindle app on my phone and computer, and not much else. It was really boring. Dario and I had a few meals together but he seemed pretty busy, pretty preoccupied, mostly spent his time in Tommy’s office.
Tommy and I had texting conversations daily. Most of it was just quick check-ins from him. On the fifth night I was in bed and hadn’t heard from him all day so texted, “Hope you’re okay. Love you. Miss you. Xo”
When I got his message back a few hours later, it woke me up,
Tommy: “Hey.”
Me: “Hey”
Tommy: “Whatcha doin?”
Me: “Zzz’ing. Dreaming about you. Missing you. You?”
Tommy: “Send me a pic of your face.”
Me: “I’ve been sleeping. I’ll look all sleepy and messy.”
Tommy: “Don’t care.”
I snapped a selfie with my lips puckered. Gah! It looked sleepy. I sent it anyway, “You asked for it.”
Tommy: “Gorgeous.”
I smiled and cuddled into the pillow, “Send me your face.” I wrote.
“Send me a pic of your boobs first.” He replied.
I laughed out loud and snapped a picture of my chest with a bit of cleavage and the use of my arms to squish my boobs together and up but I had a tank top on. I sent it.
“Naked boobs please…” He wrote.
I giggled, “I’m not that kind of girl.” I replied, “Send yours first and maybe a dicture (lol) I’ll think about it. ;0)”
“Dicture?”
“Dick picture. LOL.”
“You first.” He replied.
Then it hit me. What if this wasn’t him? I cringed and thanked my lucky stars that I hadn’t sent a naked picture.
“Gimme the code word,” I replied, “So I know it’s really you!”
Five minutes passed. I started to feel sick. It’d been instant replies up until that point and now nothing. I dialed his number.
He answered, “Tia?”
“Hi!”