Page 20 of Frog

I WASsurprised in the morning when ice cubes were put on my stomach. When I yelled and the squeals of delight filled the room, the giggling and little arms wrapped around my neck, I realized that it wasn’t ice, but feet. Micah and Pip were both giggling like psychopaths as Tristan snickered from where he was flipping channels.

“Why are you here?” I asked the spawn of Satan. I had obviously missed that they were evil the night before. Maybe sleep deprivation had finally melted my brain.

“We came to pick up you and Uncle Cyrus to go to Nana and Grandpa’s.”

What?

Family?

More family? Was he high?

I tossed the comforter off of me, put it back over Pip and Micah, and walked out into the kitchen where I smelled coffee.

“Good morning,” Carolyn greeted me as I staggered over first to her brother to kiss him and then to the coffee pot.

“Ma’am, your children are evil.”

She laughed softly. “Tell me they did not put their freezing little feet on your stomach.”

“They did.” I glared at her.

“God,” she said and sighed, “they are one hundred percent in love with you.”

I grunted as Cyrus walked over to me.

“How did you sleep, cowboy?”

“Ain’t a cowboy no more,” I said, sipping the black coffee.

“You’ll always be my cowboy,” he said, gravel voiced and sleepy, placing soft kisses along the underside of my jaw. I couldn’t stop the rumbling purr that came out of me.

Carolyn made a noise, but I couldn’t be bothered to look at her. I was far too interested in her brother and his hands roaming up under my T-shirt.

“This weekend,” he began, fingers tracing over the muscles in my abdomen, “I promised my folks I’d drive up to their place in Half Moon Bay because my brother Brett and his family are spending the holidays with his wife’s family this year so we won’t see them again until after the New Year.”

“Okay.”

“Carolyn was supposed to go as well, of course, and take her kids.”

“And my husband.” She sighed. “Don’t forget I was supposed to have a husband as well.”

“That ain’t your fault, darlin’,” I reminded her.

“I know, but still.”

I put the coffee down, even though I needed it to wake up, because I needed Cy more. The allure of the man was overwhelming. “Well, you should go.” I yawned, wrapping my arms around him, drawing him close. “I can stay here.”

“Oh no,” Carolyn chimed in from behind me. “I want you to spend more time with the boys, Weber, and I want to talk to you about Micah.”

“I don’t wanna be in the way,” I said, smoothing a hand down Cy’s back, pressing him tighter against me.

“You won’t be.” She sighed. “I promise. Believe me, both my brother and I need you as a buffer from our parents.”

“Is that right?” I asked Cy as I tipped his chin up so I could see the cognac-colored eyes for myself.

“Yes.” He sighed. “My father and I are different kind of men, and my mother worries about me incessantly.”

I grinned at him. “So you get that from her, do you?”