Cade grinned.
“There she is…”
“I’m mad at you,” I managed, although my heart was still stuttering over him calling me Delila, my love.
“I know you are, darlin’, but you have to know, I only said what I did because I’m worried as hell over what’s going on here. It’s bad enough that Ni Ni and her friend have been in contact with this asshole … The thought of you anywhere near him makes my blood boil.”
I turned onto my side and said, “I understand that, Cade, I do, but you know me, and you know what I do. I can’t stand the thought of that monster harming girls, and I hate that he’s laid his disgusting eyes on your beautiful sister’s face. I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
Cade closed his eyes, and lost his smile.
“Yeah, I pretty much figured that two seconds after I told you to back down.”
That made me smile. I lifted my hand and ran my finger along the tip of his nose. When his beautiful, dark eyes opened back up, I leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss.
“I’ll be careful, I promise,” I said, and he just sighed. Then I frowned at him and added, “Now, about you waking me up like that, even though you knew I didn’t want to have sex in this bed with your family right down the hall…”
That got me a smile, and a chuckle, before Cade responded with, “Sorry, not sorry.”
Jeez, he’s been hanging out with my kids too long.
“Everything looks great, Mama,” I said as I settled into my chair, my eyes wide on the plate in front of me. I’d been unsure of what to call Cade’s mom, and when I’d finally worked up the courage to ask, she’d insisted I call her Mama.
“You’re a part of the family now,” she’d said simply, and I’d been so unbelievably touched by the sentiment, I’d agreed. Elin and Elena were already calling them Tutu and Pops, so I figured I may as well join in on the love.
Still, it scared me a bit. Made me worry that I was jinxing things between Cade and me. Everything seemed to be moving so quickly … our relationship, the ease at which his family accepted us. I didn’t want the kids and I to get attached, then have something happen between Cade and me, and have them not only lose Cade, but the family that they’d learned to love so quickly.
After about three seconds of those negative thoughts, I’d kicked myself in the ass to give a reminder that I was no longer living my life afraid. I was taking chances, and willing to take risks for my, and the twins’, happiness.
Mama beamed at me, obviously pleased that I was calling her that.
“What is this dish called?” I asked, because it totally looked like I was about to eat Salisbury steak for breakfast, and I was completely on board with it.
“Loco Moco,” she replied, smiling at Elin, who was tearing into his breakfast like a dog with some table scraps.
“Easy, buddy,” I chided with a laugh.
“So good,” he replied, his mouth full of food.
“Is it like Salisbury steak, or meatloaf?” I asked cautiously. I was curious, but didn’t want to come off offensive with my ignorance.
“Kind of. It’s a hamburger patty on rice, smothered with brown gravy and topped with a fried egg.”
“It smells amazing,” I said, because it totally did.
Cade’s mom looked pleased and nodded, indicating that I should dig in.
My eyes were rolling back after my first bite when Cade walked in, fresh from the shower, and said, “Loco Moco; thanks, Mama.” He stopped to give her a kiss on the cheek, then served himself a heaping plate, sat next to me, and promptly shoveled it in his face.
I looked from him to Elin, shaking my head briefly, before tucking in and doing the same.
It was seriously delicious.
“Morning,” Elena greeted sleepily as she walked in the room, then headed straight to Cade’s mom and gave her a side hug.
My heart would have gotten squishy, but I was too busy satisfying my stomach. I tilted my head up in greeting, not willing to be like Elin and Cade, who returned her greeting with their mouths full of tantalizing beef and gravy.
“Tutu, the phone’s for you,” Elena said as she bit back a yawn.