My dad glanced down at the container, back up at Ace, over to Lark, and then at me and Luke before he returned his attention to Ace and said quietly,” It’s a surprise. I’ll have to show you after Mom and Dad leave, okay?”

  I had a feeling I already knew what was in the container. It reminded me of the same one my dad had with him when we had one of our special days together when I was a little girl. If I had to guess, there was a ton of art and craft supplies in that container. Despite my certainty, I remained silent.

  “We’re good at keeping secrets,” Lark declared, positively proud of herself.

  “I’ll bet you are, sweet pea.”

  Luke took that opportunity to give me a squeeze on the hip and said, “I think that’s our cue to get out.”

  Laughing, I replied, “I think you’re right.”

  At that, Luke and I grabbed our coats, kissed the kids, and took off. As much as we both loved our kids, I had to admit that it was nice to have the time with just each other. And the best part of it all was knowing that we had not only my dad and Lena there to give us this time alone occasionally, but we also had Luke’s parents.

  So, while I spent the rest of my day shopping and getting all the things we needed for the twins’ birthday party and Christmas gifts for our loved ones, I did it feeling immense joy in my heart.

  And after we got home and got the kids to bed, I made good on my promise to Luke. I made love to him, hoping he knew just how much I loved him for everything he’d given me.

  “Zane, baby, I love you, but I don’t have time for this right now.”

  “There’s plenty of time,” he whispered in my ear.

  I continued whipping the frosting while my husband pressed his body into my backside. I loved him dearly. More than that, I loved knowing that after all these years Zane was still so very attracted to me. He made this known on a regular basis.

  But I really did not have time for Zane to communicate, once again, just how irresistible he thought I was.

  “There isn’t,” I insisted, continuing to add the powdered sugar to the mixing bowl.

  His hands were firm on my hips, I could feel his erection pressing into my ass, and his lips were kissing the skin at my shoulder.

  “Zane—” I got out before he cut me off.

  “We can be quick,” he said, his voice low.

  We wouldn’t be quick. I knew that. Zane would say that just to get me to agree to what he wanted, and then he’d take his time with me. And because I’d be so caught up in the moment with him, there’d be nothing I could do about it besides enjoy it.

  Not wanting to deny him but also unable to give him what he wanted, I stopped what I was doing and turned in his arms. Immediately, a grin spread across his face, and I knew he thought he’d convinced me.

  Throwing my arms over his shoulders, I pressed up on my toes and touched my mouth to his. When I pulled back, I said, “I’ve been up for hours now. I’ve been baking and preparing food and desserts for the party today. We only have a few hours left until everyone arrives, and I’m still not finished. Plus, I have a few things I need your help with.”

  “Emme, nobody that’s coming here is going to care if everything isn’t exactly perfect,” Zane began. “They’re coming here to celebrate Mia and Chloe’s birthday.”

  “Exactly, Zane. We can’t expect them to show up to a party and not have anything here for them to eat,” I argued.

  Zane looked around the kitchen. There was food everywhere. “Em, there’s plenty of food here for them to eat,” he noted.

  He was right.

  There was plenty.

  But I still had things to do.

  “Baby, please?” I begged. “I’ve been going crazy all week trying to get everything else taken care of so that I’d be able to focus on the food this morning. And while I managed to get most of it done, there’s still some stuff that needs attention.”

  I wasn’t lying. Zane knew just how hectic things had been for us over the last few weeks. Overall, November had been chaotic. I still had my photography business, and while I’d cut back significantly and no longer took on weddings or corporate events apart from Blackman Boards, I still did family photo shoots. Christmas had always been one of my busiest seasons. And even though Zane had made it clear that we were financially set and didn’t need the extra money I brought in, I still enjoyed my work. So, I only took on the work I liked the most that caused the least amount of stress.

  To that end, I didn’t want my own family taking a back seat to the work that I did, so over the years, I started adjusting my schedule. I let my clients know that I wouldn’t be doing any portrait sessions in December. Between wanting to have the time to spend with my kids and my husband celebrating the holidays, I also had the girls’ birthday. It was just too much to try and squeeze in a few additional shoots. Thankfully, my clients were incredibly understanding and made arrangements to get their Christmas portraits done before Thanksgiving even rolled around.

  But once my last session for the year was finished, things didn’t get any less frantic.

  We had the craziness of Thanksgiving two weeks ago, and there was also Taj’s birthday party that weekend. The time with our family and friends was magical, and there wasn’t anything I wanted more in my life than being with them. Unfortunately, that wasn’t all that was happening.

  It was Christmastime. I loved this time of year, especially because when I took the time now to think about it, I remember it as being the time when I first met Zane. It felt like a lifetime ago when I’d come back from the Christmas Eve party at Big Lou’s with Zane, Charley, and Wes. That was the night I found the courage to ask Zane for something I’d been craving for a long time, something he willingly gave me. The comfort of his embrace along with his kisses that night was only the beginning for us.

  So, I wanted to be able to make this time of year as special as I could for those that I loved. It truly meant the world to me. But no matter how much time and effort I wanted to put into the holiday, there wasn’t any way I could focus my attention on that just yet.

  I was worried about planning and preparing for a birthday party for my girls.

  My girls who were seven years old today. I couldn’t quite believe how quickly time had flown by. It seemed like yesterday when we’d brought them home from the hospital.

  And now I was here about to celebrate them turning seven. I wanted to cry just thinking about it.

  Luckily, I’d been so busy I didn’t have any time to break down. In fact, things had been so crazy that it hadn’t been until sometime in the middle of the week this past week when I finally managed to pull out all of our Christmas décor. I wanted the house to look nice and festive for the party, but also didn’t want to do it while the kids were in school. It was something we were going to do as a family. So, we spent the evenings after they got home putting up our decorations. On the bright side, we managed to save ourselves some time because we didn’t need to go out and cut down a tree. It was during our first Christmas with Chloe and Mia that we bought an artificial tree. We didn’t want to have to worry about needing to water the tree when we were struggling to get any sleep. Ever since that first year, we’ve just always had the artificial tree.

  “What else could possibly need to be done?” Zane asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I took in a deep breath to prepare myself to share it all. “First and foremost, I’ve got to finish this second batch of frosting so I can get the rest of the cupcakes taken care of. I also still need to get myself ready. I realize it’s just our friends, my parents, your parents, and Levi, Elle, Lexi, Cruz, and all their children that are going to be here, but I’m covered in flour and frosting right now. I still want to look nice for the girls’ day today. To top it off, there’s an issue with the lights on the tree. Half of them aren’t working. And something is up with the video game systems. I had unplugged things when we were getting the decorations up, and now those don’t work. With all the kids coming over, I’m thinking we should have those functioning.”

  Zane’s shoulders fell. He was realizing there was no way we’d be able to pull everything off and have a lovemaking session, even if he attempted to be quick with me.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” I lamented, truly wanting nothing more than to give him what we both wanted.

  Zane kissed my forehead and insisted, “It’s okay, sweetheart. You get back to work on cupcakes and frosting. I’ll take care of the lights and the video games.”

  “Thank you, Zane.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  With that, he gave me one more kiss before he let me go. I immediately turned around and got back to work on the frosting. I’d needed to make two batches of frosting because the girls decided they wanted a Christmas-themed birthday party this year. Of course, when it came to choosing a color for the cupcake frosting, there was no agreement. Mia wanted red while Chloe wanted green.

  I’d already gotten the green ones done and only had the red ones left to finish. After I’d gotten the frosting made, I picked up the bowl and turned toward the island. I was about to pick up the piping bag to fill it when I looked up and said, “Don’t you dare lay a finger on that cupcake, little man.”

  A look of disappointment washed over my son’s face. Kingston was our boy. Zane and I had our twin girls and our little boy. It took me some time after having Chloe and Mia to get back to feeling like myself again. And by the time I was ready to have another baby, Zane was struggling with it. He hadn’t wanted me to go through what I went through after having the girls with the post-partum baby blues. In fact, I knew he was worried that it could be even worse this time around. Thankfully, I managed to eventually convince him, and after a few months of trying, I got pregnant with Kingston.

  He turned four back in July and had been terrorizing our home every day since the day we brought him home from the hospital. I loved him so much; he just drove me up the wall sometimes. And he was completely different than the girls. But I wasn’t stupid. I had a feeling that Kingston was going to be a handful now and would eventually mellow out. In fact, he’d probably calm down just as the girls started dealing with teenage hormones.

  Oh, to be a parent.

  “That’s not fair,” he whined.

  “Fair? What does this have to do with being fair?” I asked, looking at the little boy who was the spitting image of his father except for his eyes. He had my green eyes. “You need to wait until the party just like everyone else.”

  “Why doesn’t Dad have to wait then?” he wondered.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I just saw him in the other room by the tree eating a cupcake,” Kingston revealed. “If he can have one, I can have one, too.”

  I should have known. The minute I turned my back after our conversation only minutes ago, Zane took a cupcake. Of course he did. They were his favorite. He loved my chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Just because this frosting was tinted red didn’t mean he didn’t know what it was.

  It was no surprise Chloe, Mia, and Kingstone all loved my chocolate cake with vanilla frosting as much as Zane and I did. I couldn’t necessarily blame the kid for wanting to take one for that reason alone, but I couldn’t give in.

  “Sorry, kid,” I apologized. “You’re going to have to wait. And Daddy is in big trouble when I see him.”

  “So, can I just take one like him and be in trouble, too?” he asked.

  “Absolutely not,” I declared, struggling not to burst out laughing. “And if you think about sneaking one, you’ll be grounded for a month.”

  I wasn’t exactly sure Kingston could grasp the concept of being grounded, especially for an entire month, at this age. But he must have realized that it was a bad punishment because he huffed as he slid down off the stool and grumbled, “Fine.”

  “Why don’t you go help your dad fix the lights on the tree?” I suggested. “He’s going to be taking care of the video games after he gets the lights done. Maybe you can help, and he’ll get it done faster.”

  Kingston didn’t respond. At least, he didn’t respond to me directly. He mumbled his frustration over not getting a cupcake under his breath as he walked away.

  I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a laugh as I got back to work on the cupcakes.

  It seemed that no sooner had I finished all the desserts when Chloe and Mia came storming into the kitchen. Immediately, I braced myself for whatever was about to come my way. Generally speaking, my girls were easy. But in recent weeks I’d noticed small changes with them.

  “Mom!” Chloe cried. “You need to tell Mia—”

  Chloe was cut off by Mia who shouted over her. “No, you need to tell Chloe that we’re not—”

  Holding my hand up in front of me I ordered, “Stop.” Once they both stopped shouting, I asked, “One at a time, I need you to tell me what the problem is.”

  As though they hadn’t just heard me tell them I needed them to speak one at a time, both girls opened their mouths and started shouting over one another.

  I dropped my head back and closed my eyes.

  This was part of their new relationship. It wasn’t often, but it happened. And when it did, I didn’t know how to handle it. Chloe and Mia were so close. They got along really well. But there was clearly a problem now.

  Thankfully, I ended up not needing to sort out their issue because before I even returned my attention to the girls, I heard Zane’s voice.

  “Girls,” he called. Instantly, they got quiet. He went on and asked, “Mia, what’s the problem?”

  I dropped my chin down to look at my husband and my girls.

  “Mommy got us two outfits to choose from for our party,” she started. “Chloe won’t wear what I want to wear.”

  “I want to wear the one with the red and white leggings,” Chloe declared.

  “I want to wear the one with the red, white, and green leggings,” Mia added.

  Zane’s eyes darted back and forth between his daughters, and I was certain in that moment he was coming to the realization that this was going to be his future. Somehow, he worked past whatever it was he had been thinking and suggested, “So, why don’t you each just wear whatever outfit you want?”

  “Can we do that?” Chloe wondered.

  “Are you your own person?” he returned.

  Chloe looked a bit uncertain but still replied, “Um, yeah.”

  Zane gave her a nod and explained, “Girls, you’re twins. Yes, you look alike. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t an individual. The older you get, the more you’re going to realize how many things about you are unique. None of those things are going to make one of you better than the other. You are who you are. You will have your own style. You are going to like your own things. That’s okay.”

  Chloe and Mia took in their father’s words before looking up at me cautiously. I gave them a genuine smile and assured them, “He’s right. I bought two different outfits because I liked both of them. So, I’m actually going to be really happy to see you both wearing one of them.”

  “I don’t have to dress the same as Chloe for special occasions anymore?” Mia asked.

  “No, Mia, you don’t,” Zane insisted.

  At that, the girls beamed beautiful smiles at each other before they took off toward the stairs, leaving Zane and me alone in the kitchen without another word.

  Letting out a sigh of relief, I watched as the handsome man that was my husband approached me with a grin on his face.

  “Handled that like a true professional,” I pointed out when he stopped in front of me.

  Sliding his arms around my waist, Zane replied, “That was easy. I’m just hoping the disagreements are going to stay that simple for as long as we’re in charge of raising them. I’m getting the feeling we won’t be that lucky.”

  “They’re seven, Zane,” I said, hoping he’d get the warning.

  “I know that.”

  Clearly, he wasn’t understanding. “They’re fighting about clothes at seven, baby. I’m guessing this does not bode well for your future. Just wait until they become hormonal teenagers who are interested in boys.”

  “Stop,” he ordered.

  I pressed my lips together as I struggled not to burst out laughing. Zane was such a good father, but I had serious doubts about his ability to make it through the teenage years. At the mere mention of it, he’d shut the conversation down immediately.

  “I’m sorry,” I lamented after I pulled myself together.

  Zane’s gaze shifted to the spot where Mia and Chloe had been standing mere moments ago. “How are they growing up so fast?” he wondered.

  “I know,” I murmured. “I feel the same way.”

  My husband’s arms tightened around me in response.

  “If it’s any consolation, I think if what you just did here is any indication of what’s to come, you’ll do a fabulous job with them when they get to that age,” I shared. “Your girls are so lucky to have you. Kingston, too.”

  “Like I said,” he started. “This was easy. I’m not sure I’ll manage as well down the road.”

  “You’ll be fine,” I insisted. “I’m certain of it.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because of everything you give to them.”

  Zane’s brows furrowed.

  “Not things, Zane,” I clarified. “Your time and attention. Just now, the argument over what to wear was like a bomb going off in their world. You handled it effortlessly. And that has everything to do with you taking the time to make sure you listen to them before you offered advice and words of wisdom. That’s all they’re going to need as they get older.”

  My husband touched his lips to mine. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and asked, “Did you get everything done out here?”

  I nodded and said, “Yes. I was going to go upstairs and get ready.”

  His shoulders fell.

  Knowing what he’d been hoping for, I pressed up on my toes and brought my mouth to his ear. There, I whispered, “Later tonight, after everyone’s gone home and the kids are in bed, I’ll show you how much it turns me on to see you so effortlessly settle a disagreement between the kids.”

 

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