Kisses and Near Misses

Chapter 9

Jacq turned and tried to find and eliminate bad spots but her pantsuit was very flattering on her curvy figure. She exited the bathroom in a cloud of perfume.

Cole looked up from playing building blocks with Xuê and nearly swallowed his tongue.

Xuê looked up and pointed at her mom. "Māmā pretty!"

Jacq grinned as she sauntered over to sit on the couch behind them. "Thank you, baby!"

Xuê beamed and handed her mom a block.

Jacq put it atop the tower they'd made.

Carlos decided he wanted attention. He screamed a letter.

"Weirdo." Jacq kissed his cheek, leaving a mauve lip-print on the curve.

Cole set Xuê aside and stood up. "Let me jump in my suit and we can put them to bed."

"Okay." Jacq began singing to the babies.

With her siren voice in his head and her delectable scent in his nose, he rushed to the bathroom to get ready.

The doorbell rang when he was nearly done so he figured it was either his mother or Bobby and Gabi.

He finished getting ready and exited the bath to find it was Cassandra. He came out of the bathroom and walked into the living space. "Hey, Mom?"

Cassandra beamed at him. "You look so handsome!"

He flushed darkly and looked to Jacq, who was watching him with a look in her eyes. Was she not turned off by his mother babying him?

Cassandra was loathe to interrupt them but she wanted baby time. "Okay. You can leave now."

"We should put them down first." Jacq broke eye contact first. "Ready for shuì jué shí juān?"

Xuê loved sleep so she nodded and went to her daddy so he'd carry her, yawning.

Cassandra cooed as Cole picked the baby up.

Jacq picked up the dozing Carlos. "We'll be right back. Make yourself at home."

The parents left to tuck their kids in, Jacq singing an old jazz standard to the babies, eyeing their staring father the whole time.

Once the kids stayed down, Cole and Jacq came back.

Cassandra, of course, heard (the apartment was small and the door had been open). But she said nothing about Jacq's fabulous voice. "What should I do if they wake up before you return?"

"Carlos will. He's a greedy bugger." Jacq said as she picked up her clutch. "He only gets milk at night so I left his formula out in the kitchen. Just follow the directions on the canister and he'll let you know when enough's enough. But please change his diaper before you put him back down."

"As for Snowflake, she'll probably have to pee in the night. She likes classical music to go back to sleep." Cole said as he helped Jacq into her coat.

Cassandra nodded as she committed both instructions to memory. "Got it."

"We'll probably be back way before midnight." Jacq said, hoping it was so.

"Go have fun."

Cole ushered her out and to his car.

Cassandra turned on the television and saw it was on a music channel already. She got up to go through the kitchen for snacks. Specifically tea. This was going to be fun.

≈

Gabi screamed when she saw Jacq come in.

Bobby yanked on his ear. "Ow!"