Better in the Long Run

Need You Now

"How was everyone's first day of camp?" I slid two pizzas in the oven and the kids gathered around the kitchen island.

"I had a lot of fun playing baseball. I'm one of the fastest runners!"

"Wow!" I smiled as his grey eyes were glistening as he told me about the skills they practiced. "That is great sweetie. Easton, how about you?"

"We did archery and rock climbing!" He smiled telling me how he got to wear a harness and tomorrow his camp was going to learn how to make fire.

"That's pretty cool," I nodded, "and Sutton? Babe, you gotta shower. You smell like a barn."
She laughed and nodded.

"I rode a horse named Teddy and we trotted. My legs are so sore!" I laughed and told her to wait until tomorrow. She headed upstairs to shower while dinner was still cooking. The boys and I got talking while I made a salad to go along with our pizzas.

"Where is dad?" Beckett asked.

"Dad is on the road for work this week. I think he will be back by Saturday." I smiled, "He's in New York right now, and he will probably call us when he has some free time." I handed Beckett the placemats. "Set the table please, Easton can you get the forks for the salad?" They hopped to it and we enjoyed dinner together before having a movie night. The week of camp was filled with exciting stories until Thursday when I got a call from the ranch where Sutton was riding.

"Is this Mrs. Hayes?"

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"Your daughter took a tumble off the horse she was riding and she is expressing that her wrist is really sore. It's not broken but I wanted to let you know. She is eating lunch now."

"Did she hit her head? Does want to come home? Or is she okay to stick out the rest of the day?"

"No she didn't hit her head, just slid off the side and kind of flopped over. Let me put her on the phone for you." She passed me off to Sutton and she told me that falling scared her a bit and she landed on her left arm. I reminded her when she was little that she broke that arm but I think she would be okay.

"From what I heard, you gotta fall three times to be a real cowgirl." She laughed and told me she felt better after just talking. "Okay sweetie, you have a good rest of your day. You don't have to get back on the horse but if you have the opportunity, I think you should." I hung up and texted Steph.

J: You around. All the kids are in camp and my house hasn't been this clean since before children.

S: in Georgia with D, I come back tomorrow. Back to work Monday.

J: have fun! We will catch up when you get back.

Unsure of what to do with myself, I sat down on the living room floor with my guitar and decided to work on one of the incomplete songs from my journal.

"The real me is a northern girl
with a ball cap on and an open heart
Wish I could save the world,
As if I could be super girl
The real me used to laugh all night
lying in the grass just talking about love
But lately I've been jaded
My life got so complicated.."

"Ooh I like that." I penned it down and ran through it before recording what I had so far. I continued my way through a chorus and another verse before deciding that the song was complete.

J: "With You"

I attached a voice clip for Hunter and sat back. The easiest songs to write came from the heart, the feelings right then and there. I smiled as I looked at my loopy half-cursive writing in my notebook before my phone buzzed.

H: I love it. Good work babe! Miss you. I'll be home Saturday XO

The week of camp wrapped up and Saturday rolled around. I was highly anticipating Hunter's return home and decided to surprise him with a night for just the two of us. Sutton had a sleepover at Savannah's while Beck and Easton went to their grandparents. Hunter texted me when he was just twenty minutes away. I bought red rose petals and sprinkled them on the floor from the front door, up the stairs and made a trail to our room. I had candles lit and bought myself a black, satin robe.

"Hey babe," I heard Hunter call from downstairs, "you home...oh." He saw the petals. I heard him lock the door before coming up the stairs. He found me just as I turned the water off in the bathtub. "Where are the kids?" He asked.

"Not here tonight," I said quietly, kissing his lips before continuing, "I got you all to myself." I kissed him more, my hands running through his hair and he let a little moan out when he untied my robe to find I was completely naked underneath. I worked off his belt as he took off his shirt, kissing me softly. We stepped into the warm water of the bath, relaxing, talking and kissing before drying off and getting tangled up in the bed sheets.

"That was quite the surprise," he whispered, rolling into me to lay another kiss on me, "thank you."

"Don't need to thank me. It was a little selfish of me but I basically spent this week alone and was really craving you, missing you." He pulled me in close.

"How can you be alone with three kids?"

"I meant like adult socialization." I smiled, he knew what I means. "I'm glad you're home, for now."

"For a while." He smiled. We fell asleep cuddled up, my heart happy to be back in his arms.