Page 17 of Take My Kiss
“Of course. You grew since I saw you last, Sam.” I wink at him.
“Mom says I had a growth spurt last year and now I’m taller than my friend Logan.” He straightens his spine and puffs out his chest.
“Better slow down or you’ll tower over me in no time.”
“How tall are you?”
“Six-foot-three.”
His eyes bug out. “Whoa…you’re a giant.”
“My brother Bodie is an inch taller than me,” I tell him. “Can you believe that?”
“I wanna be that tall!” Sam squeals, standing on his tiptoes. “I hate being small.”
“Hey, he’s only an inch taller than me,” Wilder teases, also standing on his tiptoes.
Delilah pats his arm. “Size ain’t everythin’, baby.”
Wilder glares in return, and I just know he has a comeback he can’t say in front of the kids.
“And this must be Lily.” I step toward Delilah, who’s holding her since Amelia’s carrying their luggage. “You got bigger too,” I add, and she buries her face in Delilah’s neck.
“She’s shy, but she’ll come ’round,” Amelia says, setting one of the bags down and holding out her hand toward me. “I know we met once, but I saw a lot of new faces at the weddin’ and don’t have the best facial memory. It’s nice to meet you again.”
Narrowing my eyes, I take it in mine, but when she tries pulling back, I give it a hard squeeze before releasing her.
“Thank you for lettin’ us stay here…um?—”
“Colton,” I mutter when she pauses.
She smiles weakly. “Yes, right.”
Is she serious right now?
Either she’s acting like she has no clue who I am to avoid any awkwardness between us or she’s being careful around Wilder and Delilah so they don’t get suspicious. Either way, I refuse to believe she doesn’t remember our night together. We’d been drinking, but we weren’tthatdrunk.
“Well, anyway…” I run my tongue along my bottom lip to see if her gaze tracks the movement and hold back a knowing grin when she notices the barbell. “I got most of the place cleaned up for y’all. Fresh sheets on the beds and removed all sharp objects I could find. Fridge is pretty stocked, but I’d be happy to get anythin’ y’all need. Just make me a list.”
“I’m sure whatever you stocked will be fine,” Amelia says in a phony customer service voice.
“Alright, well… gimme a few to get dressed, then I’ll give you the tour.”
Sam walks with me until I show him where to find Remy, then head to my room to put on jeans and a T-shirt. My head spirals with confusion and dozens of questions, but they’ll have to wait until after Wilder and Delilah leave.
“Okay, so I’ll show you where the kids will sleep,” I tell Amelia once I return fully clothed.
Wilder and Delilah stay with Lily in the kitchen, which gives me a few minutes alone with her.
“There’s only one queen-sized bed, but I figure they could share it or I can get?—”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. They’re used to sharin’ a room anyway,” Amelia says, brushing against my arm as we stand in the doorway. “Sam ends up in mine half the time anyway.”
I nod, then direct her down the hall. “The main bedroom has an en-suite with a tub and shower. There’s plenty of space if you wanna unpack your things.”
When we enter, her face lights up.
“Oh wow.” She glances up at all the windows. “It’s so bright and airy.”
