“I bet.”
“And let me tell you, the sex has been fantastic.”
“Well at least one of us is getting some. Good for you guys, girl. I’m so glad it’s going better.”
“Me too, thanks.”
“Okay, well, our rest stop is over, so I’m going to get back on the road. I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay, sweetie, drive safely. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
I set my phone on the table and look up as my adorable waiter has a seat across from me.
“Hi there, beautiful.”
“Uh, hi. Can I help you?”
He laughs and sips on a glass of water he’s brought with him. “I just thought I’d spend my break time with a gorgeous woman.”
What the hell?
“I’m Scott,” he continues and holds his hand out for me to shake.
“Stacy,” I respond and shake his hand.
“Great name.” He flashes another smile, and I see two deep dimples wink at me from each cheek.
He’s adorable.
What is he doing here?
“So, why are you here alone?”
“She’s not.”
We both turn our heads at Isaac’s cold voice. He’s glaring at the poor kid.
“Oh, sorry man, didn’t know she was taken.”
“Right. The wedding ring wasn’t a clue?” Isaac asks sarcastically, not taking his intimidating gaze away from Scott’s face as he hastily climbs off the stool.
“I was too blinded by those amazing hazel eyes and wavy auburn hair to notice her hands, bro. You’re a lucky guy.” He winks at me, grabs his water and is gone, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.
Isaac takes the seat Scott just vacated and glares over at me.
“What did I do?” I ask innocently.
“Do you have to make yourself look that good in public?” He’s dead serious.
I glance down at my white button-down blouse and dark denim jeans.
“I’m not dressed up,” I reply.
“You don’t have to get dressed up. Now that you’re not pregnant anymore, I’m gonna have to kick ass again.” His eyes soften and he takes my hand in his, linking our fingers.
“Yeah, right.” I laugh and toss my hair over my shoulder. “Besides, you didn’t have anything to worry about. That kid was way too young for me.”
“He was old enough.”
I glance over toward the bar where Scott is standing, talking to the bartender, and he smiles over at me again, his dimples winking in his cheeks.
Holy hotness.
Isaac sighs and I glance back over at him. His eyes are narrowed on my face. His too-long hair is brushed back and disorderly from his fingers. He’s all broad shoulders and tanned skin and sexy blue eyes.
“I prefer men over boys.” I grin at him and take a sip of my margarita. “I especially prefer the man I’m looking at right now.”
He smiles and kisses my fingers. “That’s better.”
“Would you like a drink?” I start to signal for the waiter, but he stops me.
“No, we’re not staying.”
“We’re not?”
He flashes me that cocky grin and shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Where are we going?”
“I have a surprise for you. We’re going away for a couple days.”
My eyebrows climb into my hairline and my jaw drops. “Days? Have you forgotten that we have an infant?”
“Of course not,” he frowns at me and links our hands together. “My parents are going to keep her.”
“Isaac…”
“She’ll be fine. We’re not going far. We can be home in the blink of an eye if need be.”
Leave Sophie for a couple of days?
“Is there cell reception where we’re going?”
“Yes, and wifi. We can be in constant contact if need be.” He kisses my fingers. “I’ll miss her too, baby, but I really think we need this.”
“But, you have work. It’s the middle of the week.”
“Babe, we own the company. I can take all the time off I want. And I want to spend a few days alone with my gorgeous hazel-eyed, wavy auburn-haired wife.” He winks and I laugh loudly.
“You’re such a smart ass.”
“It’s the truth. The kid has good taste. I might have to kill him, but he has good taste.” He shrugs and grins.
Wow.
“A few days?” I ask weakly.
“Yes.”
“Where are we going?” I ask and finish my margarita.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
***
‘There’ is a cabin on a lake about an hour outside of Seattle. Actually, to be more accurate, it’s a huge two-story log home nestled in tall evergreens, hidden on the shore of a large, breathtaking lake.
The house has a deck on the upper floor, facing the water, complete with a hot tub. It has a wide open floor plan with cathedral ceilings in the living area, modern gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and brown granite countertops, and three large bedrooms upstairs with en suite bathrooms.
It’s incredible.
“You rented this whole house for just the two of us?” I ask.
“Yeah. A hotel isn’t private enough, and I wanted to be close to home in case Sophie needed us. A colleague owns this place.”
“It’s great.” I smile over at him as he wheels our suitcase behind him. A suitcase I didn’t even know he’d packed.
“It is.” He grins back down at me. “The kitchen is stocked in case you’re hungry. I’m going to start a fire.”
“That sounds good. Are you hungry? I can make us some dinner.”
“Yes, please.”
I cross to the kitchen and start looking through the fridge and pantry, deciding what to whip up for dinner. This kitchen is amazing. “Who stocked this?” I ask.
“I don’t know, Ben said he’d take care of it.”
“Ben?”
“The owner.”
I find a bunch of fruit, cheeses, sliced meat and crackers and pile it all on a plate. There is also a bottle of good white wine chilling in the fridge, so I pull that out, uncork it and pour us each a glass. Gathering the glasses and plate, I join Isaac by the fire. We curl up at opposite ends of the couch, the plate between us, and nibble, watching the flames dance in the fireplace.
I check my phone for any Sophie updates and smile at the photo of Sophie taking a bath in Gail’s kitchen sink, then put it on the coffee table.