On Hart's Boardwalk (On Dublin Street 6.7)

“I’m going with girl band,” Nate said.

I made a face. “You would say that.”

He just laughed.

“Me too.” Lily chirped.

I looked at Jan and she appeared just as disgusted as me. “Dog poop,” she said, as if there was no other possible choice.

I raised my hand in a high-five and she reached up to slap it. “Right there with you, sister. We’ll walk around with dog poop on our shoes listening to good music.”

Jan nodded with great conviction.

Lily heaved a sigh. “You’re in denial.”

She sounded so serious and grown up about it, I couldn’t help but share a grin with Nate. We had the best freaking kids on the planet.

* * *

* * *

Later, after the girls did their homework and we’d watched some television, after I’d explained what happened to Lily to Nate in the kitchen, after I’d called Kathleen who was convinced Lily had gotten the wrong idea but would talk to Lucy nonetheless, after I’d assured Lily everything would be fine at school the next day, and after we’d put the girls to bed, Nate and I curled up on the couch together to watch grown-up TV.

However, we were barely paying attention to the crime drama on the screen. We were too busy catching up on each other’s day.

“I can’t believe that little witch did that to Lily,” he grumbled. “And over a boy. When did boys come into the picture?”

I smiled, snuggling deeper against his chest. “I blame you.”

Nate tensed. “How so?”

“She got all that beauty from you. Girls who haven’t been taught better are going to be jealous of it, and boys are going to want a piece of it.”

“I’m ignoring that last part entirely,” he grumbled. “As for the first part . . . She has your gorgeous bloody eyes.”

“Mixed with your gorgeous bloody coloring and dimples. Let’s face it, baby, in a few years’ time, Lil will be a knockout. And in ten years’ time so will Jan. Life is going to be equal parts easier and harder for them because of it.”

“I don’t even want to think about it,” he whispered.

At his melancholy tone, I lifted my head to look at him. He looked sad. “Baby?”

Nate met my eyes. “They’re growing up too fast.”

“I know,” I whispered back, giving him a sad smile in return. “So we should enjoy the hell out of them being kids while we can.”

He nodded and his arm tightened around me.

After a while, we grew silent and I was getting into the TV show when Nate suddenly said, “I’ve got that wedding coming up this weekend.”

I’d almost forgotten about that. Usually Nate’s colleague, Alex, took on the weekend wedding photography because he was single and didn’t mind working the weekends, whereas, Nate begrudged being away from me and the girls. Unfortunately, there was one wedding Alex couldn’t work because it was his birthday, and Nate agreed to do it.

“It’s at that country house in Loch Lomond.”

“I remember you saying.”

“I meant to tell you I booked a room for it as soon as I took the job.”

I lifted my head, frowning at him. “Why would you book a room?”

Nate’s gaze warmed with heat. “I also asked my mum and dad if they’d watch the kids.”

Understanding hit. “You booked a room for us?”

“Aye. Thought you could be my assistant for the day and I’d reward you for all your hard work by shagging your brains out in a five-star hotel.” He grinned wickedly.

Anticipation and thrill moved through me. “You romantic bastard, you.”

Nate threw his head back in laughter.

“You meant to say make love to me in a five-star hotel,” I continued.

He shook his head, still chuckling. “No, I meant to say shagging. In fact, no, fucking. Fucking your brains out in a five-star hotel.”

I pretended to huff, though his words made me tingle all over, and tried to get up off of him, but he pulled me back down on top of him.

“Okay, okay.” He tried to appease me as he ran his hands up my sides and brushed the swell of my breasts with his thumbs. “I’ll fuck your brains out and then I’ll make love to you.”

I relaxed immediately. “Well, why didn’t you just say that?”

Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around me as I settled against his chest again. We lay there, watching TV, our awesome kids sleeping contentedly upstairs, a weekend love fest waiting on the horizon for us, and I knew I couldn’t get any happier than I was in that moment.

But my husband had to go and prove me wrong by suddenly saying, “I love you so much it hurts sometimes.”

Tears pooled in my eyes, and I lifted my head again to meet his gaze. Reaching up, I brushed the backs of my fingers over his jaw and replied, “I know the feeling, baby.”