He grinned and leaned over to give me another kiss. "Let's hope it stays that way."
He winked and left the room. I knew his words were meant as a joke, but if our relationship over the past few years, over the last week even, was any indication. We would be bumping heads again before long.
I told myself not to worry about it and instead focus on the here and now. And right now, after having some pretty spectacular sex, along with a long flight back from Hong Kong, I was exhausted. I set my alarm just in case I was so tired I would sleep through the night because I wanted to take Noah up on his offer of dinner. Then I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
Ringing. My phone was ringing. I startled up to sit. Disoriented, I looked around trying to figure out where I was and when it was. I stumbled out of bed and found my phone in the pile of clothes I shed on my way to having sex with Noah. I picked it up and checked the time. It was still midafternoon. The caller ID indicated it was Jess.
"Hello," I said, hearing the sleepiness in my voice.
"Aunt Andi," Tanner's three-year-old voice came over the line.
"Hey hammer. How are you?" I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
"It’s my birthday almost. Can you come?"
I smiled at how sweet this little boy was. “I'd love to come. When is it?"
"Mommy she's asking me when it is," he said to Jess.
"Hey Andi, it's Jess."
"Well, I hope so, because I'm talking to your son."
She laughed. "Yes. I can’t believe he’s almost four. He's wanting to have a birthday party and was hoping that you might be able to come. It will be here at the pool and he'll have a couple little friends but mostly he wants family and, of course, you."
For some reason, her words reminded me that while I was very close with the Strong family, I wasn't actually family. For the first time I envied Jess, and Kellie and Natalie. I reminded myself that I appreciated how they included me even though I wasn’t a member of the family.
“Just name the time and place, and if I'm not required to be somewhere else because of Margaret, I'll be there. Also maybe give me an idea of what I can get him for his birthday."
"That's great, I'll text the information right over." There was a slight pause and then she added, "So, did everything with you and Noah turn out all right?"
I lay back on bed and stretched my body feeling like I had just gone through a strenuous workout, but in a good way. "Yes. At least for now."
"Does that mean?"
"Noah and I have a way of sometimes annoying each other. But for right now all is good."
"I think you and Noah annoy each other because you are denying all that explosive chemistry between you two."
I couldn't be sure that that was true, but I couldn't also deny it either.
"Is he there now? Am I taking away some quality time?"
"No. He went to visit his dad."
"I don't think I've ever seen a group of kids as dedicated to their father as they are. I hope someday that Tanner feels the same about us as Carter and his brothers feel about Alex."
"I'm sure he will."
There was something about Alex that was extra special. There were some people who thought that he was weak for not stepping up to be a part of his mother's business or that he'd never completely recovered from the loss of his wife so many years ago. But to me, he seemed like a man of strength and conviction because everything he'd done since the moment he lost his wife was in service to his sons.
He’s succeeded in raising kind, smart, talented men. And while not so long ago I might've said, except for Noah, the truth was, I always knew that Noah was the same. In all honesty, my gripe with Noah was knowing that he wasn't living up to his full potential. Then again, I still wasn't sure about his secret project he'd been working on. All I'd really known about him was how much he liked to ride his motorcycle, womanize, and annoy me.
I couldn't stop wondering how long he would be satisfied with me before he got bored and went back to his old ways. But again, I shoved that away, and decided I would focus just on the here and now.
"Listen Andi, I’d love to stay and talk some more, but I'm not quite sure where Tanner is and that's never a good sign."
"You go find him. And text me that birthday information."