Chaos series by Kristen Ashley

“The annoying kind,” I went on.

“I get home, babe, you greet me.”

I stiffened.

Because I got it.

Then I walked the three feet separating us as I said quietly, “I’m right here, Snooks. In the laundry room, doing our laundry.”

He reached to me, one arm around me pulling me closer, one hand sifting his fingers into the side of my hair.

In return, I slid my arms around his middle.

We held each other for a few beats before he spoke.

“Maybe never get used to havin’ you back,” he said. “Maybe never get used to comin’ home to you again. Like it when your eyes are to the door, tellin’ me you’re glad I’m home. Maybe won’t need that forever. Just sayin’, I need it now.”

And I needed to hang on. Hang on to the words Kellie told me. Hang on to rejoicing in the now. Doing that and not sliding into getting stuck on remembering all we’d lost and how that affected both of us.

“Then I’ll give it to you,” I told him.

“Thanks, beautiful,” he replied, bending his neck to give me a swift kiss before he let me go to shrug off his cut.

“You want a beer?” I asked.

“Yup,” he answered.

I went to the fridge.

When I’d popped his beer, I saw him at the kitchen island.

“Got your purse,” he said, his eyes coming to me.

The purse, the same one Deb had at lunch but mine electric blue, was on the island.

I grinned at him and brought his beer to him.

“Yup,” I answered.

He took the beer, then tapped the other things on the island.

“What’s this shit?” he asked.

I looked down at the plethora of gift cards I’d also bought at the mall. It wasn’t the plastic version of a shopping spree to end all shopping sprees, but it did herald fun.

“Gift cards,” I told him.

“Know that,” he said, dropping his beer after taking a pull. “For who? You got someone’s birthday comin’ up?”

“No. I have two tweenie girls coming to spend the weekend at my house so I have two attempts at bribery, this in hopes of using it to pave the way to loving me, even if it’s for a moment and all based on materialism.”

His head jerked to the side. “You’re givin’ that shit to my girls?”

“I would have asked before I got them but they’re gift cards. They don’t expire. If you think it’s a bad idea, I can put them in their Christmas stockings or something.”

He looked down to the cards.

As he did, I tried to decide if I wanted a beer or a glass of wine.

He looked to me.

Then he smiled.

“Zadie’s gonna love that shit,” he said.

I smiled back.

“Cleo’s gonna like it too,” he continued.

I decided against beer and wine and instead getting a dose of Logan.

So I leaned into him, giving him a lot of my weight.

He rounded me with the arm that didn’t have a hand holding a beer.

“They’re gonna love you,” he told me.

I wanted that. I wanted that for me.

But more, I wanted it for him.

“Yeah,” I replied.

His arm gave me a squeeze. “Can’t help but happen, baby.”

I gave him more of my weight.

“Love you, Snooks,” I whispered.

“Back at ya,” he replied. Then he lifted his beer, took another tug, and looked down at me. “Now, what you gonna feed your man?”

“Hamburgers,” I told him, pulling away. “But I need to get a load of laundry in. I don’t wanna be doing it while the girls are here.”

“I’ll pull out your fryer,” he said, putting the beer on the island and moving to the cupboard that held many of my countertop appliances.

“The Foreman, Low. We’re not gonna fry hamburgers. Yeesh,” I said, moving to the laundry room.

“But we are gonna fry tots,” he returned.

“We can bake those,” I told the laundry room as I entered it.

“We could. And they’ll suck. So we’ll fry,” he called to me.

“I don’t know if we have canola oil,” I semi-yelled, bending over the hampers.

“Woman, who goes to the store?” he semi-yelled back.

“Oh, right,” I kept semi-yelling.

I heard him chuckle.

Then I heard a cupboard door close.

I knew my lips were turned up when I shoved a load of lights into the washer.

And this was not because fried tater tots rocked.

Not at all.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Worth It

Millie

THAT FRIDAY EVENING, Logan opened the door for Deb and the girls while I continued my efforts at preparing our dinner.

I still watched as Cleo came in, carrying a small pink overnight bag, smiling and saying, “Daddy,” before she gave him a big hug.

Zadie came in next, rolling her own small purple overnight bag (with big daisies on it), and Logan got his smile and hug from her as Cleo came my way.

“Hey, Millie,” she greeted.

“Hey, sweetie,” I replied, giving her my own smile.

Then she got even closer and I was uncertain for a moment as she did.

I lost my uncertainty when she wrapped her arms around my waist for a quick, timid hug before she jumped back and ducked her head.

It went so fast, I didn’t have the chance to touch her.

But I wasn’t going to let that moment slide.

“Good to see you again, beautiful girl,” I said softly.

She looked up at me from under her lashes and even with her lips pressed together, they were still curled up.