Bruises

Epilogue

"Mommy! Mommy! Daddy's home! Daddy's home!"

I smiled at Holly, my four-year-old daughter, jumping up and down excitedly as I frantically hurried to finish the peach cobbler. Our family and friends were coming over from Maine to see our new house and they would be arriving soon. I didn't have anything on the table yet.

After nearly tripping over Holly for the third time, I blew out a long breath and forced patience into me. "Why don't you go greet him?" I suggested. "I'm sure he's missed you."

She gasped, staring at me like it was the best idea in the world. "Okay!"

I blew hair out of my face as she ran off. There were two moments of silence before her piercing squeal echoed throughout the house, signaling Sam must have arrived. She was such a Daddy's girl.

"Hey, munchkin," I heard him voice near the door, and my stomach flipped, as it did every time I heard his voice. Even after four years just the sight of him excited me. I hoped that never changed. "How are you?"

"I'm good! Hungry, but good!"

He chuckled, and I turned just in time to see him walk through the doorway, Holly hitched up on his hip. "Wow. Look at you, Betty Crocker."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't make jokes unless you're going to help me get all of this food ready."

Holly giggled. "Mommy's stressed."

Sam bit his lip to keep from grinning as I glared at him dangerously, just daring him to crack a smile. "Yes, she is," he agreed. He set our daughter on the ground. "Why don't you go and color until everybody arrives?"

She squealed again. "I can draw Grandpa a picture of a horse again!"

Sam patted her on the head. "Yes. I'm sure he would love a tenth one to add to his wall."

That had Holly running off excitedly. I heard the sound of crayons scattering everywhere and hung my head. "That child worries me sometimes," I muttered. "I don't know where she got all that energy from."

"Hm." My husband walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, propping his chin on my shoulder. "Can't imagine where she could have possibly gotten her personality."

I threw him a look over my shoulder. "Watch it, bud. I can stick something in your food and your food only."

He grimaced. "Ouch. The woman really is stressed."

I turned off the burner and leaned against the counter. "They've never visited before, Sam. Never. And I just want everything to be perfect."

He cupped my face in his hands. "It will be, angel. Don't stress, okay? Seriously. Because when you get stressed, I get stressed, and who will play with Holly if we're both stressed out?"

I released a suffering sigh, rising to my tip-toes to press my lips against his. I meant for it to be a quick peck, because I was pretty sure I heard the doorbell ring, but like always when I delved into just a little bit of Sam's heat, I was an addict and I needed more.

I heard pattering feet running across the floorboards somewhere in the back of my mind as I opened up to Sam, lips parting eagerly.

"Ew! Auntie Cher, my parents are giving each other cooties!"

A familiar feminine chuckle pierced through my passionate haze. "Because your mommy and daddy love each other very much, Holly Bolly, and so they always have quite a hard time keeping their hands off of each other, even when they have company over."

I broke away from Sam, face bright red. "Cher!" I greeted, the awkwardness making my voice extra loud. "Hey!"

She gave me a dry look. "Are you two just about done shacking up in the kitchen?"