“For sure. Good to see ya, Brody.”
“You, too.” We watched as he and Rosie walked off, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
ChapterFourteen
It’d been over a month now since Julian came home. He slipped into being the owner of Luke’s Auto Body effortlessly. I couldn’t deny how much I loved him living here again. We’d been testing the dynamics of our new little family for the last month. Julian came over every morning for breakfast and has been taking Ben for walks on the beach, or sail boating in the afternoons. Coincidentally, he’d been here every evening as well.
We’d been sleeping together, against my better judgment, and I was getting addicted to the way it made me feel; the wayhemade me feel.
It felt like we just picked up right where we left off six years ago, minus a big change or two. I was an adult now with a kid, so there was no sneaking off and wondering if we’d get caught by our parents. No, now the fear was getting caught by our kid.
I really didn’t want to traumatize Ben because, eventually, he’d realize that Mom and Dad weren’t really cuddling or wrestling.
“Hey, babe.” Julian said as he came up from behind to kiss me. I’d been cleaning the kitchen all morning when he got here and was just finishing.
I turned in his arms.
He’d clearly showered this morning because the scent of his cologne lingered on his skin like a warm caress. His lips nibbled up and down as his breath caused a chill on the curve of my neck, and a moan slipped from my lips at just the mere touch.
“Where’s my boy?”
“He’s in his room reading an astronomy book. Hailey called earlier to let us know a new one just came in at the library, and she’d hold it to the side for us. Sometimes, I think she buys them just for Ben. He’s become quite the little reader.”
His expression was one of awe. “You did a really amazing job raising him, Anna.” I covered my face with my hands, and he reached up, pulling them away. “Hey, why are you embarrassed?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess no one has ever said that to me before. Some days, I feel like I’m completely failing him. But all I can do is keep getting up and doing what I need to for my son.”
He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine before whispering. “You’re a good mom and an incredible woman. Always have been, always will be. So let’s circle back to why I came, shall we? I have something really fun planned for Ben today.”
Interesting. I wasn’t even worried about what it was going to be because Ben would love it regardless. If it had anything to do with his father, he was always in. Julian was going to make an amazing dad to Ben. Hell, he had been since he found out about him. “Oh yeah?”
Tapping his hands on the kitchen island, he did a dramatic drum roll. “Go-Kart Racing. Think he’ll like it?”
I beamed at him. “Absolutely. You going to let him win, though?”
“What kind of dad would I be if I didn’t?” His face lit up with a grin as though he was incredibly pleased with himself.
“Good.”
He was bouncing on his feet like a kid who couldn’t contain his sheer excitement, and it was fucking adorable. “Well, let’s go see what he thinks.”
“After you.” I pointed down the hall, and he turned to head that way. The thump, thump, thump of his large feet made a solid rhythm as he traipsed down the hall in front of me. If anyone was wondering… big feet, big hands. What they say is true. It definitely matches other large appendages on his body.
Ben’s door was halfway open already, so Ace slowly pushed it the rest of the way.
“Hey, little man.” Ben’s eyes lit up, and his body thrummed with energy as he jumped to his feet from sitting on the floor.
“Dad!” He exclaimed.
Rubbing his hands together, he started to speak. “So… I’ve got something really fun for us today. Want to know what it is?”
Benjamin couldn’t stand still, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. “Yes! Tell me, tell me.”
“What do you think about Go-Kart racing?”
A buzz flowed through him as he gave Julian a lopsided smile. “Are you serious?”
Jullian nodded. “Yep, so get yourself together, and we’ll head out.”