“I’ll take her to the bathroom,” Beck offered. Rainey knew that she was giving her and Slater a few minutes to talk about what he had just overheard, and she appreciated it.
“Thanks, Beck,” Rainey said. “I’ll get the kids out of your hair after she’s finished.” Beck waved her off as if they weren’t any trouble and she giggled.
As soon as she left the room, Slater crossed the kitchen to pull her into his arms. “I overheard most of what you said if I’m being honest. I’m sorry to eavesdrop,” he lied.
“You are not,” she said. “In fact, I think you liked me telling my sister how much I want to see you again.”
“Won’t lie,” he said. “I did. But it’s more than that. I’m glad that you want to spend time with me, but I’m so damn happy that you’re allowing me into your life. I feel the same way—I’ll take you any way I can get you, Rainey.”
“I promise that it won’t be forever,” she said. “I’ll tell the kids sooner than later, that I’m seeing you, but letting them find you in my bed might just confuse them. How about we introduce you as my—um, I’m not sure what to call you,” she said.
“How about introducing me as your boyfriend?” he asked.
She smiled, “I’d like that, Slater,” she insisted. “And then, after a few weeks of us sneaking around, maybe you can come over and we can do a family movie night—you know, something kid-friendly. Let them get to know you a bit before we spring the overnight stays on them.”
“Agreed,” Slater breathed.
“Mom,” Jack called from the family room. “You here?” he asked.
Slater released her in time for three of her four kids to come running into the kitchen. “Hey guys,” she said. “I just got here. How was your sleepover with Aunt Beck and Uncle Knox?” she asked.
“Awesome,” Jack announced. “Uncle Knox is really good at video games,” he shouted.
“Aunt Beck braided our hair,” Sarah said, forcing Penny to turn around and show off her braid. “Ella’s hair is too short to pull up though,” Sarah said.
“Well, you girls look very pretty,” Rainey insisted.
“What did you do last night, Mom?” Jack asked. He looked Slater over and for just a moment, Rainey worried that her seven-year-old could see right through her.
“Well, Slater and I went out to dinner,” she said, opting for the truth.
“Was it a date?” Sarah asked. Nothing ever slipped past her kids, and she sighed, knowing that she was going to have to tell them the truth sooner or later.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m dating Slater. Are you three all right with that?” Her three kids looked Slater over as if sizing him up and then nodded their agreement.
“Good,” she said, “because I like him very much.”
Penny covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. “Did you kiss him?” she asked.
“Well, I think that some things should be kept private, Penny Lane,” she said, using her little girl’s nickname that Jack had given her.
“That means that she did,” Jack, Jr. announced.
“All right,” Beck said, leading Ella into the kitchen. She ran over and held up her hands to Rainey and she picked up her toddler, cuddling her close. “Enough talk about your mother kissing boys. That’s just plain yucky,” Beck said. Her sister knew how to save her ass, especially when it came to distracting her kids’ attention away from what they fixated on. It was how she had gotten through the grief of losing her husband. Beck was always around, distracting the kids when Rainey was having a bad day. There were a lot of those—bad days, but the kids never caught on because of her fantastic little sister’s skills at diversion.
“Well, on that note, we better get going home. You three have your rooms to clean while Ella and I straighten the downstairs up,” she said. It was their Saturday routine and one that she knew the kids hated. They all groaned as if she just told them that they were having broccoli for dinner. “After we’re all finished, how about we order a pizza for dinner?” she asked. Living off her husband’s pension and life insurance policy, to be able to stay home with Ella, didn’t usually leave much left over each month for such luxuries, but she felt like treating them to pizza.
“Really?” Sarah asked. She smiled and nodded.
“Wow,” Jack said. “We haven’t had pizza in months.”
“Well, then, it’s about time for a treat,” she said. “Go and grab your bags and thank Uncle Knox and Aunt Beck for having you. Sarah, help Ella with her things,” Rainey said, putting her two-year-old down to go with her siblings.
“I’ll go help them,” Beck said as if wanting to give Rainey and Slater some extra alone time.
“Thank you, Sis,” Rainey said. Beck nodded and left the kitchen. She could hear Knox chasing around the girls to kiss them goodbye and she smiled. It was somewhat of a tradition for them to try to avoid his kisses, especially since he had grown a beard. The girls like to tell him that his beard prickled their skin and he seemed to take great pleasure in making them squeal.
“He’s going to make a great father,” she whispered more to herself than to Slater.