What Love Looks Like

“He started it!” she breathes through her laughter.

I set her down and kiss her quickly. “Stay here, woman.” I give her a wink, then go back for the other two little devils, who are still tickling Lucas.

Because they’re so tiny, I’m able to pick them up with one hand, encircling my arms around their tiny waists. They both giggle while I walk them over to Sawyer, dropping them into their seats.

“Now we have no popcorn,” Lucas says like his ass isn’t the one who started this.

Sawyer turns around to look at him, a playful smile on her face. “Maybe if you say please, I’ll make us more.”

He sighs in defeat. “Will you please make us more popcorn?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely…”

“Oh my God!” Sawyer chokes out a laugh, her hands going to her mouth. “Zoom in on that one.” I do as she says, zooming in on the photo, and she laughs harder. “Well, at least if they’re going to talk, it’ll be about the fact that you have a big dick.” She points at the box I’m holding that clearly shows the size. “It could be worse,” she says through a laugh. “You could have a small pecker, and everyone would know.”

I chuck my phone onto the bed and drop on top of her, tickling the hell out of her. When she screams, I cover her mouth with my own so she doesn’t wake the kids. They’ve fallen asleep watching a movie, and Sawyer and I are in my room, messing around on my bed.

“I should probably head back to my room,” she says when I break the kiss. “I feel like we’ve taken over yours.”

“Not happening.” I kiss my way down her neck.

“I feel bad that I’ve hardly been in my own room,” she says, though the breathlessness in her voice tells me otherwise. “My sister paid for it, and I’ve spent the past three nights with you.”

Just as I’m about to make my argument, my phone rings out through the room. I lift it to see who it is, and when I see it’s my mom, I groan. She no doubt saw the pictures on social media and wants all the details. When it stops and then starts again, I know I have to answer it.

“It’s my mom.”

I climb off Sawyer and sit against the headboard so I can answer it. She nods, sitting up and fixing her clothes. She’s about to get off the bed, but before she can, I pull her between my legs. “You’re not going anywhere,” I murmur against her lips before I answer the call. Sawyer snuggles into me, her head going to my chest as she stretches her legs out.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hudson James Matthews, I haven’t heard from you in several days. You know better than that. I thought you loved me.”

I chuckle at her chiding, knowing she’s only partly messing with me. We do talk several times a week, but she knew with me being away with the kids, I wouldn’t call her as often.

“How are you and dad?” I ask, ignoring her accusation.

“I’d be better if I heard from my only child once in a while. How are my grandbabies? Are they having a good time?”

“They’re good. Loving camp and the beach and the pool.

“That’s good. That’s good. And how are you?”

“Mom, how about you ask the question you really want to ask?” I say with a laugh.

She huffs over the line. “Fine, since you’re going to make me… Who is that adorable woman in the picture with you?”

I know Sawyer can hear our conversation when her entire body stiffens at my mom’s words. I lean over and kiss the crown of her hair. “She’s a friend.”

Mom huffs harder. “A friend with benefits?”

I chuckle. “How do you even know what that is?”

“I watch cable.”

Sawyer snorts out a laugh, then covers her face with her hands.

“You haven’t been seen with a single woman since…” She doesn’t need to finish her sentence for me to know where she’s going.

“I know. I met Sawyer here. She and her daughter are staying at the same resort as us.” Sawyer slides down, so her head is in my lap, and she glances up at me. Her green eyes remind me of a football field. Every time I step foot on the turf, it’s a fresh start. A new game. A new opportunity. Everything else just fades away.

My mom is talking on the other end, but all I can focus on is the woman in front of me. Her bright eyes. Plump lips. The way she smiles up at me in contentment. It took months before I knew I was in love with my wife, yet as I glance down at Sawyer, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, she’s my fresh start.

“Mom, I need to call you back.”