Page 29 of Take My Kiss
She chews her bottom lip, looking between Sam and me. “Maybe, yeah.”
“Remy will protect you, Mom,” Sam reassures her.
Said fierce gremlin arrives at the sound of hearing his name and sits next to Sam. He giggles, kneeling and wrapping his arms around Remy’s neck. “See?”
“I think you’re right.” Amelia smiles wider, crossing her arms.
The movement has me lowering my eyes to her chest before I catch myself and look away.
But not before she catches me doing it.
“Let’s go so your Mom can get dressed.” I lead Sam and Remy toward the door before turning back around. “Oh, don’t forget your water. It helps flush out the toxins.”
“Got it.”
“If you’re hungry, I’d be happy to make you somethin’ when you come out.”
“Why don’t you let me cook tonight? As a thank you…” Her bright green eyes hypnotize mine, making it impossible to argue.
“Sure, as long as you don’t poison me.”
She chuckles. “If it were that easy, I’d be livin’ in a different tax bracket right now.”
“Hey, never say never,” I quip before exiting the room and closing the door.
“Colton.” Sam’s gentle voice grabs my attention. “What’s poison?”
Ah, shit.
“Um…it’s somethin’ that when ingested can make you very sick.”
“Mom wouldn’t do that to you,” he argues.
“I was only teasin’ her, buddy.”
“Oh, okay.” He shrugs, then skips ahead of me before adding, “’Cause she told Auntie Raven that when you two had a sleepover at Uncle Wilder’s wedding, it was all she thought about for months. I asked her why I wasn’t invited, and she said it was for adults only.”
My throat makes a choking sound, causing me to struggle to breathe for at least five seconds.
“Are you alright?” He spins around, studying me.
“Mm-hmm, I’m good. Just need a drink.”
He follows me into the kitchen, where my mother and Bellamy sit at the breakfast bar, one scrolling on their phone and the other flipping through a magazine.
“Everythin’ okay?” Mom asks.
“Oh yeah…” I take a sip of water, the liquid cooling me from the inside out. “Perfect, actually.”
chapter five
Amelia
I don’t knowif it’s the comfort of the house, being surrounded by nature, or both, but I’ve slept so well the past two nights. Sam and Lily slept like angels, which means I didn’t get woken up by Sam’s alien nightmares.
Amazing how a spa day and eight hours of sleep can change a person.
Although I’m not going on today’s fishing trip, I asked Colton to wake me before they leave, so I can say goodbye to Sam and remind him to be on his best behavior. I’m not worried about his attitude as much as I am about him running off again. Granted, we’re in a secluded area, and they’ll be nearby, but that fear as a Mom really never goes away.
