Page 181 of The Legend
“I wasjust thinking of Charlie.” I wiggled loose from him smiling as I looked overhis tired features. “Are you okay?”
His eyessearched mine before returning the smile. “I’m fine honey.Justtired.”
“Takingthe wrong plane will take a lot out of you.”
“Apparently.”Heexhaled as though he’d run a marathon.
“Do youwant to take a nap before dinner?”
“Nah,Justin just got here so I figured I’d hang out with him for a while.”
“Okay,well I’ll be in there shortly. I just need to get these appetizers going.”
Ariewalked in just then with Lexi and Lily holding Jack. “You need help mom?”
Jamesonsmiled before hugging all three girls and then headed in the family room where theboys were now gathered watching football.
Axel madehis way in there when I stepped inside to deliver the appetizers to the boys.
Jamesonsmiled up at him reached for Jack who was now in his arms. “Hey buddy, how’d itfeel to win Turkey night?”
Axel smiledreaching for the bacon wrapped scallops. “Yeah, it feels good.”
Castenleaned over to take Jack away from Jameson. More than likely he was going touse little Jack to impress this girl. I don’t gather she needed muchencouragement though. Casten was adorable.
Jamesongave in eventually and gave up Jack to Casten.
Spencerand Alley showed up shortly after Casten broke his rule for the double digits.Spencer limped over to me, threw his burly arms around me. He had a recent kneereplacement. All the years of working on the pit crew had taken its toll on hisbody.
Once theeating was underway, our family did what it did best. We were dysfunctional.
Charlieand Noah showed up, got in a fight with one of Cole’s friends. Cole eventually showedup wearing a speedo and a Christmas hat. We found out that night him and Castenboth had nipple rings. Lane had a tattoo ofTinkerbellon his ass that he surprisingly, after six shots of Fireball, showed us.
Like Isaid, it was never dull.
Jameson satin the chair in the corner laughing at his kids while I sat securely on hiswatching Nancy and Casten drinking wine. He always had a way to get hisgrandmother in the Christmas spirit. Though the no one said it, Casten was whatkept her going. They were never far apart. If Nancy wanted to go to a dirttrack and watch racing, Casten went with her. If she wanted to go get apedicure, Casten went with her.
Hisspirited demeanor was hard not to be happy around and Nancy appreciated that.
I began torealize while sitting there that everything between us happened for a reasonand all these people brought in and out of our lives for a reason. Where Ithought Casten was a complete accident, he was what pulled Jameson’s mom andkept her going after Jimi’s death.
Anaccident that had Jameson hanging up his helmet and eventually retirement leadArie to Easton, probably the sweetest boy you’d ever meet.
And anarrangement that began out of pure sexual frustration led to a little boy whochanged our entire lives and the lives of people all over the world.
Later thatnight after everyone had left, Jameson and I were walking back inside the houseafter saying to Justin and Ami when Jameson reached for my arm. He whirled mearound so I was facing him, his lips crashed urgently to mine. Pulling my lowerlip inside his mouth, he tugged gently, his breathing increasing. “I’ve beenwaiting all night,” he shook his head gently pressing his forehead to mine. “...to kiss you like that.”
TheChristmas tree in the living room lit up the foyer we were now standing in. Hiseyes sparkled with the hunger as he leaned in to find my lips again.
Instinctively,my legs wrapped around his waist and he carried me with more speed than Ithought he had in him to our room.
He losthis footing once inside the room and fell on top of me landing on the bed.That’s exactly where I wanted him too. There was nothing more pleasing than thefeeling of my husband weight on top of me. I couldn’t describe it but it wasjust the idea of this was him and me, together.
I watchedhim carefully, reveling in every touch, every moan, and every hitch of hisbreath knowing I was causing the sensations, and more so, he was feelingexactly the same way I was.
We reallywere one soul.
Overtimewe went through cycles. People were added, people were taken away from us. Butwe stayed together. Together is where we belonged. We had no idea who would beadded or even taken away eventually but I knew with this man by my side, wecould do anything. So many times it tore families apart, but not the Rileyfamily. We weren’t strangers to heartache but we had one thing that kept usgoing, we had each other.
