Cruz (Hot Shots 2)

“Well, shit, usually when they come down, which, by the way is a rare occurrence with their work schedule, I’d just put Sailor in with me and they’d sleep on the air mattress.” I grab a piece of bread, dipping it into the sauce when Mateo says, “We’re going to have to add on. I’m thinking we’ll have to go up and not out. I wonder if we can get the city of Cocoa Beach on board with that.” I nearly choke.

“What are you talking about, Mateo?” I croak out. He pats my back until I’m back to normal.

“Mi diosa, we can stay here forever. I’m more than okay with that. It’s prime real estate, but if we have one more kid and it’s a girl, they can’t share rooms. Then what about if both sets of parents want to stay?”

“Well, when you put it like that, but I can’t afford that. This house was a steal, but it took every bit of savings I had to keep the mortgage manageable in case something happened with work.” I look at our home. The kitchen is small, so is the living room, but it’s quaint and cute. It’s also being overridden with toys, surfboards, and just everyday things.

“I know that, but you have me now. I’m not going to let you flounder, and while I’m not loaded, I have money in the bank that I’ve been saving for years. The only thing to my name is Wet Spot, and it’s in the black. The only one who isn’t on board with this yet is you.” He takes the food out of my hand, cups the back of my neck, and kisses me, his lips sweeping across mine lightly until I moan, allowing him access to my tongue. He twirls it around mine, teasing me slowly. It’s always this way with Mateo. A fire lights up inside me with one look from him.

“Okay, but nothing exuberant. That’s not how either of us are, and if we go up instead of out with the house, the master bedroom stays downstairs,” I tell him once we pull a part.

“I can work with that, and seeing how I do most of the cooking now, I think we open it up, nix the eat-in kitchen, and just have a bar instead.” I nod my head.

“Yep, works for me,” I agree. “How much longer till dinner is done?” Mateo sent me a text while I was at work letting me know Sailor was taking a late nap. We don’t usually allow it, but with him teething and still getting up and down in the middle of the night, he needs his sleep.

“Probably another thirty minutes or so. Want to have a drink out on the back deck before we wake up our boy?” He opens the fridge, pulls out a bottle of beer for him, the wine bottle for me, so I pull out a wine glass.

“I’ll never miss an opportunity to spend time with you.” I came home, stripped out of my work clothes, found a shirt of Mateo’s that he leaves out for me, and threw my socks on before I found him in the kitchen.

“That’s good to know, because I have one more important question to ask you.” Mateo pours the wine before handing me the glass.

“Well, I guess we better go see if I have an answer to this important question,” I retort, darting out of the kitchen. Last time, we definitely christened just about every surface of the kitchen.

“Yep.” I watch as he walks in front of me, opening the door, letting me slide in front of him, squeezing my hip. A new outdoor couch with two swivel chairs appeared one day when I got home from work. He does little things like that, helping out around when he could.

Mateo settles down on the couch and places his beer down on the table. I make my way to sit with him, my legs going over his thighs.

“This seems ominous. Is everything okay?” He’s staying quiet entirely too long.

“Yeah, mi diosa.” He’s lost in thought, so I sit there looking at him, taking him in like I always do. The way things have changed for the better, how much good he’s brought into our lives, I’ll let him be. He must need this. There’s no telling what has happened since River was served. I’m sure he has a lot to think through. My head meets Mateo’s shoulder, and I breathe in his scent and just be still.

21

Cruz

I need to suck it up, but I gotta say with the ocean air, the soft breeze, and those waves crashing along the shore, I clear my mind, take in one last deep breath, and let it out.

“Do you want the good news first or the bad?” Luna lifts her head up from where it was resting.