Instead of responding, he turned to the water and screamed at the top of his lungs.
I smiled and then turned to the lake. And I screamed at the top of my lungs too. I screamed for the baby we lost. I screamed for the dozens of wasted pregnancy tests. I screamed out my frustrations. I screamed so loudly that my throat hurt.
I was panting when I was done, my chest rising and falling fast. “Wow that felt good.”
“You know what else would feel good?”
“What?”
He shoved me off the deck and into the cold water before I had a chance to register what was happening. “What the hell?!” I yelled when I came up for air. I splashed water at him.
He jumped into the lake beside me. “I thought a late-night swim might be fun.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“It’s a shame that you think so. Because you’re stuck with me.”
I laughed and wrapped my legs around his waist. “Oh, I happen to love ridiculous things.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.” I kissed the tip of his nose.
He smiled and held me tight. He was right. This did feel good.
Runaway - Chapter 55
3 Months Later - Thursday
Jacob barged into our room and jumped on our bed. “I’m hungry,” he said and nestled in between us. “I want pancakes.”
“Sweet boy, it’s too early,” I said with a yawn.
“No. The sun is out.”
I blinked and turned toward the window. The sun was streaming fiercely through the blinds. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and it was blinking.Shit.I sat up and lightly shook Miller. “Miller, the storm must have knocked out the power.”
He groaned in his sleep, somehow having not been woken up by Jacob running in and jumping on him. “What?” he yawned.
“The storm last night.” I reached over him and grabbed his watch off the nightstand. “It’s past 8!”Shit.There was no way I’d be able to have all the baked goods ready for my normal noon drop off. I was hours behind my schedule.
“Crap,” he said and sat up.
“Daddy said a bad word!” Jacob said.
“Yeah, don’t say that word,” Miller said and ruffled Jacob’s hair. “I gotta run. I’m late for work.”
This was not a good start to the day. We were going to double piss off Alice, first with Miller coming in late and then medropping off the desserts really late this afternoon. “I should have been half done baking for the day by now.” I scrambled out of bed.
Miller was already pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
“I’m hungry,” Jacob said again. “Can I go to work with Daddy today? I wanthispancakes.”
I was going to be frantic the rest of the morning trying to bake at twice my usual speed, which of course wasn’t possible. If Jacob wanted to sit around the kitchen at the restaurant for hours instead of stealing cookies from me, that was fine. “Yeah, you can go with Daddy.”
“Yay!” He jumped off the bed and ran toward the door.
“You have to wear a shirt!” I yelled after him.
