I laughed. “There’s another one here,” I said. “Just a few minutes away.”

“There is?” Her eyes lit up.

“Yup.” I smiled. “It’s not as big as the one in San Diego, but they do have elephants.”

Sarah’s mouth fell open, and she bounced up and down in her chair. I knew she loved elephants. That one word was enough to push her into overdrive. She didn’t bother finishing her cereal. Instead, she jumped out of her chair and ran around the table.

“Elephants! Elephants!” she chanted. “Elephants!”

“Go get dressed,” I said, laughing. “I’ll be up in a minute to help you. Tommy, you too.”

They ran upstairs together and each disappeared into their rooms. I shook my head, still laughing to myself, and cleared their bowls.

“That was a good idea,” Sean said. “They’ll love it.”

“I thought so,” I said with a grin.

“Well, I should go get dressed too,” Philip said. He finished his coffee in one gulp and laid his mug in the sink. Once he followed the kids upstairs, I walked over to sit in Sean’s lap.

He grinned and pulled me down, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me close to him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first,” I said softly. “About the zoo. The idea just came to me, and I sort of ran with it.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “They’ll have fun. We’ll all have fun.”

“I think so.” I smiled. “It’s not as fancy as San Diego’s.”

“Eh.” Sean shrugged. “San Diego’s is overrated.”

“Really?” I laughed. “Isn’t it supposed to be like the best zoo in the country?”

“No,” Sean said, shaking his head. “I’m sure this zoo is way better.”

He was teasing me, but I didn’t mind. We kissed a few times before I managed to pull myself away from him. The kids were waiting for me upstairs. They would both need my help picking out the right shoes for the day. Sarah was in the middle of a flip flop phase, and I knew she would try to sneak them past me if she could.

I winked at Sean as I walked over to the stairs. He watched me until I disappeared from view. The smile I woke up with still hadn’t left my face. As I made my way toward Sarah’s room to check on her progress, I was grinning from ear to ear. It wasn’t just about last night, although that certainly didn’t hurt. It was about the prospect of spending the entire day with the kids I loved, and with the man who was becoming more special to me every day.

“Emily,” Sarah said when I stepped into her room. “Is this okay?”

I laughed and shook my head. Sarah was wearing a sundress with her little high heels. I walked over to her and helped her pick out something more comfortable before we could finally be on our way.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - SEAN

We made it to the zoo quickly. Tommy and Sarah were arguing over which exhibit to see first. Sarah insisted the elephants were obviously the best, but Tommy said the tigers should be their first stop.

I promised them we would see everything, but that didn’t stop their bickering. For the first time, though, it didn’t bother me to listen to them fight. I sat behind the wheel of my car, Philip beside me, and Emily in the backseat between Tommy and Sarah, with a smile on my face. The radio was on softly, and I had my window rolled halfway down. The cool breeze was whipping against my face.

“You look happy,” Philip said softly so no one else could hear.

“It’s a good day.” I shrugged, and Philip just eyed me closely. There was too much understanding in his expression, but I ignored him and stared straight ahead. When we arrived, there was a sea lion show going on right at the front. Tommy and Sarah took off running, throwing themselves against the railing to peek over. Philip hurried after them. He scooped Sarah up in his arms so she could see. I watched from a few feet away while the sea lions jumped and did tricks. Tommy and Sarah were both alive with excitement as they watched the show.

Emily stopped beside me, and I glanced over at her. My hand twitched as I instinctively went to reach for hers, but then thought better of it. Even if the kids didn’t notice, Philip certainly would. Knowing him, he would make some joke about it, and then Tommy and Sarah would piece things together.

“How are you feeling?” I asked Emily. “After last night, I mean.”

“Good. “She winked. “You?”

I grinned mischievously and leaned over to whisper in her ear. My lips grazed her ear lobe, and I felt her shiver.

Tags: Rye Hart Erotic
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