Leaning into her from behind, one hand met the counter as the other circled her waist. "What can I help you with?" He whispered, a soft smirk on his face as he nuzzled into her neck.
With her head tilted to the side, she continued to cut up vegetables even though he was being awfully distracting. "Hmm," she thought about it for a second, motioning towards the empty wine glass sitting next to her. "You can pour me a little more." Her voice was soft, a sweet little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she felt him let go of her waist to grab the open bottle.
She had made dinner for Nora's last evening at home. She was set to leave for New York the very next morning, so to send her off with all of the kids was all Stevie had asked for and that was what she got.
They had a house full- five kids, two in- laws, and six grandchildren running around the house as she finished up dinner... It was just how she liked it.
He took a sip before her brought it up to her lips, a small smirk on his face as he tilted it back for her to drink.
She leaned her head back, trying not to laugh as he helped her sip. "So helpful." Stevie let out a soft giggle when he set it down in front of her.
He chuckled, leaning his back into the counter right next to her to look at that sweet face. "I like this..." he tugged at the fabric of her dress, looking down it at before he looked back at her side profile.
She smiled, nudging him playfully. "Thank you, baby." She tossed the vegetables into the salad bowl, pushing it over to the side to begin cleaning up some of the clutter she'd created.
"Red is my favorite." Lindsey mentioned, pulling her back softly.
She giggled again, pushing his arm lightly. "I have to finish dinner, Lindsey." She could feel him tugging her in closer, which caused her cheeks to grow red as her eyes melted into his.
"Just dance with me," he said in the softest tone of voice as he took her hand in his to slip his fingers in between hers. "Only for a minute, please." He really just wanted to hold her and she'd been so busy all day, he had to pry her away for a second... she needed the break, anyway.
She stared at him for a moment, getting ready to protest but instead, just sinking right into him. "There's a lot of hungry people out there..." she whispered, motioning towards the patio door, where all the kids had gathered to have a drink and talk.
Stevie never wanted help in the kitchen... it actually drove her crazy to have someone in the way while she cooked, so she sent them all out there to get out of her hair for a moment. So, by then they had cracked open some wine, each of them found a seat and turned up the radio so loud- the couple could hear it all the way inside.
He nodded, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "And right now, you're the only person I'm worried about..." Lindsey watched her lean back, just so they could really look one another in the eyes. "My favorite lady." He brought one hand up to her face, cradling her chin as he ran the pad of his thumb along her jawline.
Her heart fluttered, not sure how he could still do that to her after all those years. They'd had it all... the kids, the house, the careers, the vacations and everything in between, but what they always reverted to in the end was one another.
"On the morning we got married, I told you I didn't think I could ever love you more than I did in that moment..." her hand met his chest, still holding eye contact with those two blue orbs. "Do you remember that?" Stevie smirked, raising a brow lightly.
He squeezed her hip, nodding his head. "I do," he assured, leaning in to kiss her neck. "I also remember how gorgeous you looked that day..." he added, which caused another little laugh to fill the air around them.
She closed her eyes, head meeting his shoulder as her hand stayed locked with his. "I was wrong." She whispered. "It was possible to love you more and I do." She added, one thousand percent certain of that.
His lips turned up as his hand got lost in her blonde curls. "I-" he was getting ready to tell her just how much he loved her, too when the sliding glass door came open and loud voice flooded the room.
She chuckled, patting his arm softly. "I know." She assured before she slowly pushed herself out of his arms to grab stuff off the counter. "Dinner's ready, kids." She half shouted, taking her wine glass in one hand and handing her husband the salad bowls with the other.
Only a moment later, the entire group gathered at the long dining room table, each of them slipping into their own conversations. It was loud and chaotic- like most moments with a family that size was, but in the midst of it all, her attention was focused on Lindsey.
He was sitting at the head of the table, across from her as he helped Quinn cut up her salad into tiny pieces. But he was also talking with Matt and Jackson, who were telling him all about the golf trip they had planned for the next weekend.
And suddenly, as she stared at him from across the room, she found herself thankful... Thankful to be back where they belonged.
It was nice to feel young for a while, but this is what she loved the most. Of course, she had a soft spot for the spontaneous, carefree people they once were, but they had changed and grown.
Once Quinn no longer needed help cutting up the lettuce and the boys got lost in some other subject to discuss, she pushed herself up, excusing herself from the conversation she'd been having with Louise and Harper.
She trailed around the table, slipping both arms around his shoulders from behind to whisper in his ear; "I take it back..." she smiled, "I actually do want to hear what you had to say." She added, which caused him to chuckle in return.
Turning his head to the side, his blue eyes found hers as his hand met her forearm. "I love you more."
The End
