“Until one of them has to pee, is dying of thirst, or so hungry they’ll faint. So, I’d say about twenty minutes, tops.” We still go on adventures. Though, it’s a little bit different now. Greyson and I always make sure there’s some kind of sandy waterfront for the girls, we have way more to pack, and the food, good grief, they’re toddlers and eat their weight in fruit, vegetables, and protein, but they have a sweet tooth a mile long.
“And how’s little momma doing?” Greyson asks me. We’re pregnant with our third and more than likely our last one, especially because this time, we’re getting a boy, plus being pregnant on a hot August day while living in Florida, yeah, it’s a special brand of torture. I’m still trying to convince Greyson we need to build a pool in our backyard. He’s holding out on me though. I think I’ll just do a little something behind his back. There are only so many days the girls can be entertained with the beach. Not that I’m not grateful, but a pool would be so nice to dip into early in the morning or even late at night after the girls have gone to sleep.
“I’m great. Blissfully happy. I peek at the girls.” Skyla has my fair skin, red hair, and her dad’s blue eyes, where Harper looks exactly like Greyson with his dark hair and deeper complexion, but she has my green eyes. Both of them, though, they have my attitude. When the girls do something bad, it’s always ‘Those are your girls’, but if they do something amazing, ‘Those are my girls’. It’s an ongoing joke with us. The fact of the matter is, life couldn’t be any better than how it is now.
“Good, you think it’s about time to upgrade Samantha? It’s getting a little snug with us four in there now, and they’re too little to sleep by themselves. I’m not saying we have to get rid of her.” Greyson’s hands are up in a ‘Don’t come at me’ manner. Apparently, my face is showing the way I feel about what he just said. She’s been with us from the very beginning. She’s the reason we’re together.
“And what would we get? Besides, it’s only a couple of days at a time. It’s not like we live in it full-time,” I battle it out, not even wanting to think about not using her anymore.
“Simmer down. I’m not trying to get you worked up, not yet at least. Have you thought about what we’re going to do when our boy makes his debut? It was hard with two in diapers. Now we’ll have a newborn and two toddlers.” He makes a valid point. A lightbulb goes off in my brain, and I know exactly what I’m going to barter him with.
“I’ll agree to it, but Samantha is saved for a you-and-me trip, plus we look at prices for in-ground pools.” I see the smirk on Greyson’s face. He still has a toothpick in his mouth more times than not, and it’s still sexy as hell.
“I knew this was coming. It’s why I have a guy coming out Monday when we get back. He’s going to give us an idea on what we can build and still be as close to the ocean as we are. And, Red, we aren’t getting rid of Samantha. We’ll keep her at the shop, and when the kids are in school, your fine ass can come and visit. I’ll even eat you while you’re there.” He rolls that small piece of wood to the other side of his mouth, then licks his lips.
“Fine, but no ridiculous motorhome. And I’ll think about coming to visit you.” I wink but then start laughing, because I’m already there, though the girls are with me most of the time. But sometimes, Mazie will watch them for an hour, and I’ll go visit, or on the rare occurrence my family is in town, they’ll push me out of the house. Aunt Cat has even told me it’s time to go take care of Greyson. She just secretly wants all the great nieces and nephews she can get her hands on.
“We’ll see.” Greyson brings me into his body, my head to his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
“You know I’ll get my way, just as you know you’ll get yours. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other,” I murmur. The best part about my job is, I still get to do it without missing a single second of watching our children grow up. And we’re in the hills of Tennessee for this adventure. I have to say, as much as I love Florida, there’s something beautiful about these mountains, especially when I get to enjoy them with the people I love the most.