Chapter Twenty

Tasha

“Fancy meeting you here. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

I giggle, shaking my head and turn from the stove to face my sister. She grins and looks damn near angelic, holding LJ. She’s dressed in a simple black T-shirt and skinny jeans.

“Whatever, smartass.”

“Watch your mouth in front of the baby,” Liam interjects, coming into the kitchen.

I frown at Coral. “He does know he’s barely four months, right?”

She shrugs and laughs, rolling her eyes. “What are you making?”

I turn back to the stove, lifting a few lids and opening the oven to pull out the pancakes I’d placed in there to keep warm. “Pancakes, eggs, bacon and there’s sliced fruit over there.” I incline my head towards the counter.

“I’ve missed you in the mornings.” My sister sighs and hums, reaching for a piece of cantaloupe.

“Me too. It’s not like this one cooks and Ms. Mary’s had off the last two weeks.” Liam frowns.

Coral turns and eyes at her husband. “The only things I’m serving these days are breast milk and takeout.”

“How’s Jeremy doing?” Liam asks, chewing on a piece of bacon.

I chew my bottom lip, contemplating that question. Jeremy’s away on a business trip and he’s supposed to return early this afternoon. That’s the main reason I’m here this morning. It’s been about three weeks since his mother passed. He held a small ceremony for her. Liam and Coral were the only ones who attended besides Jeremy and me. He’d had her cremated and her ashes scattered in the Gulf per her request. He took a few days off after that and we’d gone back to Tucson for the grand opening of the resort. When he came back he’d had the room his mother was sleeping in cleaned out and restored to its usual guestroom appearance. Overall, he was the same. At times, I’ve noticed a faraway look of sadness in his eyes, and he’s definitely been more hands-on with me lately. I bow my head, smiling to myself just thinking of exactly how hands-on he’s been the last few weeks.

“Daaamn!” Coral whistles under her breath. “I know that look,” she says out loud, giving Liam a smirk. He gives her a knowing wink and presses a kiss to her lips. Then he kisses the squirming baby in her arms.

“Whatever.” I wave her off. “He’s okay. I think he’s made peace with it.” I shrug.

Liam gives me a satisfied look before taking LJ in his arms and leaving the kitchen, but not before he gives Coral one last kiss.

“And how are you?”

I look at my sister and shrug. I pull out two plates from the cabinet and fill them with breakfast. “I know you don’t typically eat much in the mornings, but you’re breastfeeding now so you’ve gotta eat to keep up your supply.” I nudge a full plate toward her.

“I asked you a question.”

I sigh, sitting across from her at the counter. “I’m-I don’t know. I was worried about Jeremy after his mom died not knowing how he’d take it. But he’s been okay throughout and he hasn’t pulled back or shut down on me as I’d expected. And although he’s been gone less than forty-eight hours, I know it’s exactly four hours and thirty-eight minutes until his plane lands back in Dallas. And I’ve already got out the nipple clamps I want him to use on me—”

“Whoa! Whoa! Time the fuck out! I do not need to know all that,” Coral protests, holding her hands over her ears.

A giggle rises up through my throat, turning into a full-on belly laugh. I bend over, holding my stomach at the disgusted look on my sister’s face.

“That shit’s not funny, Tash. You’re gonna have me kick his ass just thinking about it.” She shakes her head sternly trying to rid herself of the vision of what I’d just revealed.  

“Okay, okay,” I manage to get out between laughs. Sobering up, I take a sip of my orange juice. “I’ll spare you the details of what I plan on doing to him or rather letting him do to me once he gets back.” I sigh dreamily just thinking about it.

“Tash.” The warning in Coral’s voice evident.

I hold my hand up in surrender. “But really, it’s good.” I shrug. “Great actually. And not just the physical. I felt safe enough to open up with him in ways I’d never imagined.” I pause, looking my sister in her eye, allowing my revelation to sink in. When her eyebrows arch high, I know she’s picked up on my meaning.

“You told him everything?”

I nod, biting my lower lip. “Everything,” I repeat. “And he didn’t run screaming. Not that a man of Jeremy’s caliber would, but I mean, he didn’t pull back or dump me to go find someone with a less seedy past.”

Coral snorts at that. “I’m sure you know by now his past wasn’t all smiles and roses.”

“I know. It’s kinda what makes our connection deeper.” I leave it at that, not wanting to share more. I opt to keep the deeper, emotional details of my relationship with Jeremy to myself. Coral seemed to understand because after staring at me, trying to read my face for evidence of lies or lack of confidence in my own words, she bows her head, and drops any further inquiry.

“Stacey’s coming out this weekend.”

I smile. “I know. She told me.” Stacey and I talk at least three times a week. Getting to know her from her own mouth instead of through Coral has been great. She still didn’t know everything about me or my past but the shame I’d felt about it for so long even after years of therapy has begun to fade. I know that has to do with Jeremy.

“She’ll be happy to see you in person again. She’s already trying to arrange a trip to the ballet out here,” Coral added, bringing me back to the discussion. Stacey is a former ballet dancer who’d suffered a career-ending injury. Things got kinda bad for her after that, but eventually she managed to get back on track, go to school, and became a social worker. Not to mention she married a very handsome and successful business mogul in Atlanta.

“I’m looking forward to it.”