At least one of us is warm.
“I know how to warm you up, baby.” Isaac winks at me and flashes a wolfish grin and I can’t help but laugh.
“Yes, I’m aware, but I’m not taking my clothes off out here, buddy. So which one do we want?”
We are wandering around a tree farm, Isaac with axe in-hand, trying to find our Christmas tree. I’m not exactly sure why we’re getting a real tree, especially one we have to cut down ourselves, when I have a perfectly good fake tree in a box at home.
Isaac thinks that Sophie needs a real tree for her first Christmas.
“You know, Sophie isn’t going to remember this tree, Isaac. The fake tree would be fine.”
He turns to glare at me. “I’ve let you put that ugly ass fake tree up for the past eight years. We are getting a real tree this year.”
“What if we get it home and it has spiders in it? Or a squirrel?” I bite my lower lip, trying to keep my smile at bay.
I love irritating him.
“This is not National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
“Oh, I’m so relieved.”
“You’re a smart ass today,” he mutters as he continues to peruse through the trees.
“I’m cold. If I keep talking my lips won’t freeze shut.”
Suddenly, Isaac’s gloved hand grips the back of my head and pulls me to him. His lips claim mine, and he kisses me long and slow, his tongue tracing my lips and then tangling with my own. He nibbles the side of my mouth, rubs his cold nose against mine and sinks into me again, his lips soft and lazy. Finally he pulls back, his blue eyes shining, and exhales.
“Lips warmer?”
“Yes, thanks.” I’m struck speechless. Wow.
“Good. Let’s find Sophie’s tree.”
“This is a nice one,” he points to a large, full, tall evergreen.
“It’s way too tall.”
He eyes me speculatively, like I’m deliberately raining on his parade and I giggle as he reaches for his tape measure.
“Damn it,” he mutters and looks to the next tree.
Finally, we find the perfect tree and Isaac quickly chops it down, yelling “Timber!” as it falls to the ground.
“You’ve always wanted to do that, haven’t you?” I ask.
He laughs. “Yeah.”
He grips the freshly cut trunk and lifts it, ready to pull it behind him as we make our way back to the truck. On the way out, we stop by the farm store and buy some fresh garland, a wreath for the front door and poinsettias.
Isaac grabs some mistletoe and throws it on the pile and winks at me. “I love getting you under the mistletoe, baby.”
“Yeah?”
He grins again.
“You don’t need mistletoe for that.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Our house is going to be very festive this year.
***
“So, where are you?” I ask Brynna and glance around the pub from my corner table. Isaac asked me to meet him here when he got off work for drinks, thus beginning our new dating life, and I’m excited to see him.
“We’re somewhere in nowhere North Dakota,” Brynna responds dryly.
“How has the weather been?” I ask.
“Shitty. That’s why we’re in nowhere North Dakota. We’re taking it slow. I’m in no huge hurry, other than we’re running out of clean clothes and the kids are restless so I can’t drive as many hours of the day as I’d like.”
“I’m sorry, Bryn. What happened?”
“I’ll tell you about it when I get there,” she responds with a sigh. “There are listening ears in the backseat.”
“Okay.” My really cute, young, and possibly working his way through until his modeling career picks up waiter brings me my drink and winks at me.
“Thanks,” I mouth at him.
“No problem. I’ll check on you in a minute.”
The margarita is cold and tart and that first sip is heaven.
“How are you and Isaac doing? Any better?” she asks. I’ve confided in Brynna about the recent distance between Isaac and me. She’s the only person I’d confide everything in.
“We are doing better. As a matter of fact, I’m sitting in a bar waiting for him to meet me. We’re dating.”
“Dating?” she asks with a laugh. “Where’s Sophie?”
“With Isaac’s parents. They were thrilled to take her for a few hours. I’m getting used to that part. I text poor Gail like crazy.”
“I bet.”
“And let me tell you, the sex has been fantastic.”
“Well at least one of us is getting some. Good for you guys, girl. I’m so glad it’s going better.”
“Me too, thanks.”
“Okay, well, our rest stop is over, so I’m going to get back on the road. I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay, sweetie, drive safely. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
I set my phone on the table and look up as my adorable waiter has a seat across from me.
“Hi there, beautiful.”
“Uh, hi. Can I help you?”
He laughs and sips on a glass of water he’s brought with him. “I just thought I’d spend my break time with a gorgeous woman.”
What the hell?
“I’m Scott,” he continues and holds his hand out for me to shake.
“Stacy,” I respond and shake his hand.
“Great name.” He flashes another smile, and I see two deep dimples wink at me from each cheek.
He’s adorable.
What is he doing here?
“So, why are you here alone?”
“She’s not.”
We both turn our heads at Isaac’s cold voice. He’s glaring at the poor kid.
“Oh, sorry man, didn’t know she was taken.”
“Right. The wedding ring wasn’t a clue?” Isaac asks sarcastically, not taking his intimidating gaze away from Scott’s face as he hastily climbs off the stool.
“I was too blinded by those amazing hazel eyes and wavy auburn hair to notice her hands, bro. You’re a lucky guy.” He winks at me, grabs his water and is gone, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.
Isaac takes the seat Scott just vacated and glares over at me.
“What did I do?” I ask innocently.
“Do you have to make yourself look that good in public?” He’s dead serious.
I glance down at my white button-down blouse and dark denim jeans.
“I’m not dressed up,” I reply.
“You don’t have to get dressed up. Now that you’re not pregnant anymore, I’m gonna have to kick ass again.” His eyes soften and he takes my hand in his, linking our fingers.
“Yeah, right.” I laugh and toss my hair over my shoulder. “Besides, you didn’t have anything to worry about. That kid was way too young for me.”
“He was old enough.”
I glance over toward the bar where Scott is standing, talking to the bartender, and he smiles over at me again, his dimples winking in his cheeks.
Holy hotness.
Isaac sighs and I glance back over at him. His eyes are narrowed on my face. His too-long hair is brushed back and disorderly from his fingers. He’s all broad shoulders and tanned skin and sexy blue eyes.
“I prefer men over boys.” I grin at him and take a sip of my margarita. “I especially prefer the man I’m looking at right now.”
He smiles and kisses my fingers. “That’s better.”
“Would you like a drink?” I start to signal for the waiter, but he stops me.
“No, we’re not staying.”
“We’re not?”
He flashes me that cocky grin and shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Where are we going?”
“I have a surprise for you. We’re going away for a couple days.”
My eyebrows climb into my hairline and my jaw drops. “Days? Have you forgotten that we have an infant?”
“Of course not,” he frowns at me and li
nks our hands together. “My parents are going to keep her.”
“Isaac…”
“She’ll be fine. We’re not going far. We can be home in the blink of an eye if need be.”
Leave Sophie for a couple of days?
“Is there cell reception where we’re going?”
“Yes, and wifi. We can be in constant contact if need be.” He kisses my fingers. “I’ll miss her too, baby, but I really think we need this.”
“But, you have work. It’s the middle of the week.”
“Babe, we own the company. I can take all the time off I want. And I want to spend a few days alone with my gorgeous hazel-eyed, wavy auburn-haired wife.” He winks and I laugh loudly.
“You’re such a smart ass.”
“It’s the truth. The kid has good taste. I might have to kill him, but he has good taste.” He shrugs and grins.
Wow.
“A few days?” I ask weakly.
“Yes.”
“Where are we going?” I ask and finish my margarita.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
***
‘There’ is a cabin on a lake about an hour outside of Seattle. Actually, to be more accurate, it’s a huge two-story log home nestled in tall evergreens, hidden on the shore of a large, breathtaking lake.
The house has a deck on the upper floor, facing the water, complete with a hot tub. It has a wide open floor plan with cathedral ceilings in the living area, modern gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and brown granite countertops, and three large bedrooms upstairs with en suite bathrooms.
It’s incredible.
“You rented this whole house for just the two of us?” I ask.
“Yeah. A hotel isn’t private enough, and I wanted to be close to home in case Sophie needed us. A colleague owns this place.”
“It’s great.” I smile over at him as he wheels our suitcase behind him. A suitcase I didn’t even know he’d packed.
“It is.” He grins back down at me. “The kitchen is stocked in case you’re hungry. I’m going to start a fire.”
“That sounds good. Are you hungry? I can make us some dinner.”
“Yes, please.”
I cross to the kitchen and start looking through the fridge and pantry, deciding what to whip up for dinner. This kitchen is amazing. “Who stocked this?” I ask.
“I don’t know, Ben said he’d take care of it.”
“Ben?”
“The owner.”
I find a bunch of fruit, cheeses, sliced meat and crackers and pile it all on a plate. There is also a bottle of good white wine chilling in the fridge, so I pull that out, uncork it and pour us each a glass. Gathering the glasses and plate, I join Isaac by the fire. We curl up at opposite ends of the couch, the plate between us, and nibble, watching the flames dance in the fireplace.
I check my phone for any Sophie updates and smile at the photo of Sophie taking a bath in Gail’s kitchen sink, then put it on the coffee table.
“This was a good idea,” I sigh and rest my cheek on the back of the couch, facing my impressive husband. He flashes his smile and nods.
“I’m glad you think so. I was afraid you wouldn’t want to leave Soph overnight.”
“It was really, really hard, but she’s in capable hands. I’ll just call and check up on her a few thousand times.”
He chuckles and removes the plate from the couch, placing it on the floor, and pulls me to him, cradling me between his legs, with my head on his chest. I bury my nose between his pecs and take a deep breath. He smells of fresh laundry and my husband. I feel him rest his lips on the crown of my head and he runs his hands down my back.
“It’s supposed to snow,” I murmur and feel him smile.
“They always say that, but it rarely happens. This is Seattle.” He brushes his hands through my thick hair and I sigh. When was the last time we were able to do this? Just be us, without any interruptions?
I don’t remember.
“How’s work been?” I ask.
“Busy, but good. I haven’t been able to work in the field as much as I like. Too many phone calls and desk work to get done.”
“That’s what happens when you’re the boss.”
“I think I’ll hire more office help so I can be out with the guys more.”
“That sounds good.” Isaac grips my chin and tilts my head back to look up at him.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, making me smile.
“I’m good. Hormones are finally starting to stabilize.”
He chuckles. “Thank God.”
“I wasn’t that bad.” I murmur and sigh when he brushes his fingers down my cheek.
“Let’s just say I’m happy to have my wife back.”
“They warned us when we started the whole fertility treatment thing that the hormones would make me wacky,” I remind him.
“Well, they were right.” He narrows his eyes at me. “I’m still pretty sure you were trying to kill me by hypothermia.”
I giggle and kiss his chin. “The meds gave me hot flashes.”
“Well, it’s nice to have you back to normal, and I’m so damn thankful it worked.”
God, I love him.
“Me too. The clinic called, checking in on me, and to let me know that in three months we can start trying again if we want to.”
“So soon?” His eyes go wide and his hands still, while his body stiffens beneath me.
“Some couples start trying again right away because it can take so long for it to work, and we’re not getting any younger.”
“Not yet.” He shakes his head adamantly and palms my cheek in his hand.
I frown up at him. I’m not ready to try again either, especially with as rigorous as fertility treatments are, but this response surprises me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “I thought you wanted more.”
“I do, but not yet. Sophie is four months old. We’re still getting used to being parents. Besides,” he swallows and kisses my forehead. “The emotional shit that came along with it not working for three years before we conceived Sophie was hard enough on me, but I know it was ten times harder on you. I’m just not ready to watch you go through that again. Not yet.”
His magnificent blue eyes are fiercely serious, the frown-line between his them prominent. I reach up and smooth it with my middle finger.
“I’m not ready, either, Eyes. I’m happy with it being the three of us for a while.”
“Good.” He sighs and rests his forehead on mine. “Let’s just enjoy our family for a while. Make love when we feel like it, rather than when a chart says we should.”
I grin up at him. Having a normal sex life again sounds great to me.
“You know,” I sit up, straddle his hips and run my fingers through his soft, dark blonde hair. One of his big hands cups my ass and the other trails leisurely up and down my spine.
“Yes?” he asks gruffly.
“There’s nothing that says we can’t practice.” I grin down at him and nuzzle his nose.
He nods thoughtfully, as though he’s considering my words carefully.
“True. Plus, there’s this new technique I’ve wanted to try with you.”
“Oh? And what is that?” My body begins to hum as he slides those hands under my shirt and over my skin, up my back, around to cup my breasts.
“Dirty Fireplace At A Lake Cabin Sex.” He gives me that seductive smile and I giggle down at him.
“Oh, please, by all means, give me a demonstration.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice, baby.”
Chapter Five
Thunk
I wake slowly, disoriented as I push my hair out of my face and look about the spacious bedroom. Shit! Sophie hasn’t woken me up this morning! Then it dawns on me that I’m not in my own bedroom.
That’s right, we’re at the cabin. I smile as last night’s events of making love by the fire flash through my mind. I glance over and frown at the empty bed.
/>
My phone vibrates on the table next to me. It’s a text from Gail; a photo of Sophie curled in her grandpa’s arms, drinking her bottle and looking up at him while he reads the morning newspaper. We’re all fine. Don’t worry. Enjoy yourselves.
I smile and respond. Thank you. We are. Love you guys. Will text later.
I drop the phone to the bed and scrub my hands over my face and then hear it again.
Thunk
What the…?
I cross to the sliding door that leads out to the deck and pull the sheer curtains aside and gasp.
Snow! It freaking snowed! There must be six inches of soft white powder covering everything. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
It never snows in Seattle, my ass.
Of course, we are up in the mountains, so Seattle might very well just be wet today.
Thunk.
What the hell is that?
I pull on my jeans and sweater, socks and shoes, and search the house. Isaac is nowhere to be found. I peek out the back door and find him near the lean-to by the house, splitting firewood.
Holy shit!
His faded blue jeans mold around his perfect ass and long legs. He’s wearing a black t-shirt, and his fleece Northface jacket is lying over the railing nearby. The hair at the nape of his neck is dark with sweat.
He props another log on the stump, raises the axe over his head and brings it down with a loud thunk, sending the two new pieces flying in either direction.
God, the man is strong, and can do amazing things with tools.
I stand and just watch him for a moment, enjoying the view. The muscles in his shoulders flex and move with each swing of the axe.
I take a deep breath enjoying the scent of the pine trees and cold snow. It’s not unbearably cold, just enough to make my cheeks pink and I can see my breath with each exhale. The snow has hushed everything around us, and it feels like we’re the only two people for miles and miles.
Thunk.
Okay, time to get his attention. I grin slyly and gather a large hand full of snow, forming a ball, and take aim. I hit Isaac right at the back of his neck, sending cold snow down his shirt.