A Special Summer (Love Conquers All) (32 page)

Nick was touched by his father’s humility. He thought he’d never see the day when his father would apologize for his past deeds, let alone tell him he loved him. Although they couldn’t replace the years of hurt and disappointment, Nick graciously accepted his father’s apology.

Having failed at being a decent father, the elder Stiles was determined to be the perfect grandfather. Like clockwork every Saturday morning he would visit his son, grandson and new daughter. Even on occasion the elder Stiles accompanied his newly expanded family to church on Sunday mornings.

Going to church was another area of Nick’s life Summer enriched for the better. Every Sunday he’d have NJ bathed, dressed, fed, and ready to go as Summer scurried around getting herself together. “Come on, Beautiful, you’re gonna make us late. I don’t want to miss the choir.”

Hopping on one foot while putting a pump on the other she’d huff, “All right, I’m hurrying, stop rushing me already!” Though she pretended to be annoyed by his rushing, Summer always sent up a silent prayer of thanksgiving for her husband’s newfound interest in going to church.

“Isn’t the snow beautiful?” Summer said as Nick eased up behind her circling her tiny waist drawing her away from her reverie.

“Not as beautiful as you are.” He told his wife as his nibbled on her earlobe.

“You better load the dishwasher before you get yourself in trouble Mr. Stiles.”

Summer knew exactly where he was trying to go as she untangled herself from his embrace and moseyed over to the kitchen table taking a seat.

Glancing around the huge country kitchen, which she, her mother, and Joan decorated, Summer was still as elated as the first time Nick surprised her bringing her to the cabin for a quiet weekend.

Unbeknownst to her he had built their family a six bedroom, four-bathroom home. And of course the master bathroom had a gigantic Jacuzzi in it with enough room for at least four adults. The house was just as enormous with a spacious living room, formal dining area, family room, office, library, and exercise room. The outdoor grounds rivaled one of those fancy resorts with an in-ground pool, hot tub, tennis court and basketball court. A playground with swings, sliding board, sand box and jungle gym was also on the grounds. This new luxurious home was built a half a mile down the road from the old cabin.

Rising from the chair, Summer stretched and yawned. It had been a long day. They had celebrated their second Christmas in the new house with Henry, Nick’s father, Summer’s parents, Starr, Ava, Joan, and Kevin. Summer softly chuckled to herself as she thought about the

obvious attraction between Kevin and Starr that they both tried to down play. It was useless on their part. Summer had seen the attraction clear as day. She was certain if the others were paying attention they saw it too. Shaking her head she also thought about how Henry shamelessly flirted with Joan. All the women cracked up when Joan teasingly snapped, “Go on now and leave me alone. I ain’t stuttin’ you. You old fool.”

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Are you almost done honey?”

She’d tell him later about Starr and Kevin. Now was not the time when all she wanted to do was to snuggle up next to her husband and watch the snowfall as she drifted off to sleep.

“Yeah, just let me put this last dish in.”

♥♥♥

Slipping under the covers and quilt, Summer nestled against Nick’s large frame.

“You sleep?” She whispered softly.

He answered by rolling over gathering her petite body in his arms.

“No, I’m not sleep. What took you so long woman?” He asked as he kissed her on the forehead.

Summer smiled as she wiggled trying to get even closer to her husband. “I was just checking on everyone. Making sure everybody was comfortable.”

Summer’s parents had left earlier to stay at the cabin down the road while everyone else filled up the other five bedrooms.

“Doing your nightly rounds, Nurse Stiles?”

Summer threw a shapely leg suggestively over a muscular thigh. “Mmmm hmmm. Now it’s time for your back rub, Mr. Stiles.”

Neither one of them heard the sounds of tiny feet padding down the hallway as Summer pulled her gown up to her waist straddling Nick’s hips.

“I think you’ll enjoy this better than a back rub.” Summer rotated her pelvis as her hands caressed Nick’s bare chest.

Nick slid his hands up her gown massaging her nipples with the pads of his thumbs. “Girl, I thought you were tired.”

Summer smiled seductively, “I was until
―
” Neither of them heard the turning doorknob.

“Mommy, what are you doing to daddy?” The tiny boy asked as he grounded his eyes with his small fists.

Summer nearly hit the ceiling as she shrieked and jumped off Nick pulling down her gown, landing on her bottom next to him.

Thank goodness
she thought to herself that Nick hadn’t taken off her gown and she his pajama bottoms.

Nick snickered as he deflated. There was nothing like a wondering toddler to douse you like a bucket of ice-cold water. “Yeah, Mommy, what are you doing to Daddy?”

Cutting her eyes at Nick, she held her hands out to her son. Climbing onto the king size bed the toddler sat in his mother’s lap. Summer ran her finger through the soft curls on his head before kissing him. “I was only playing with your daddy, that’s all.” She nudged Nick with her elbow. “Right Daddy.”

Nick snickered again. “Yeah,

Mommy whatever you say.”

“Oh.” The little boy said with large expressive dark eyes.

“Momma, Daddy?” A tiny voice called as another toddler entered the room rubbing sleepy, tired eyes.

Throwing back the covers, sliding out of the bed, Nick’s face lit up as he held his arms open.

“Come here sweet pea.”

The little girl’s long braids bounced as she ran and leaped into her daddy’s arms. Nick sat down on the bed with his daughter in his lap.

“Daddy, I couldn’t sleep. Autumn kept moving around in her bed.” NJ complained.

Nick’s voice was soothing when he spoke. “Sweet pea, you’re having a hard time sleeping?”

Snuggling against her daddy sucking her thumb, Autumn’s tiny head bobbed up and down. “My poor baby is probably scared.” Summer pouted, rolling her eyes at Nick.

Last year Autumn had been just a little over a year old, still sleeping in a crib in the room with her parents. Although Summer wanted to keep Autumn in the room with them this year pleading, “Nick she’s still a baby. Besides she’s not used to this house.” Nick firmly told his wife, “Beautiful, the
baby
goes.”

“I can’t sleep either, Mommy.” NJ told his mother feeling left out.

Summer gently pulled her son’s head to rest against her bosom, kissing his forehead.

“Baby, I know you can’t sleep, too.” Summer told her little boy making him feel better.

Within five minutes, the sleepy toddlers had fallen asleep in their parents’ lap. Smiling at Nick Summer whispered, “I guess we’ll finish playing later, maybe tomorrow?”

“You can bet your sweet little a—”

“Nick! The babies. I thought you said you were working on not cussing like a drunken sailor.” Summer hissed between clenched teeth.

Nick hushed the laughter that wanted to rumble through his chest at Summer’s reaction. “Baby I am. They’re sleeping, they can’t hear me.”

“The first time one of them says a bad word I’m washing
your
mouth out with soap.”

Nick chuckled. “Come on baby let’s go to sleep, it’s been a long day.”

Placing the sleeping toddlers in the center of the bed, Summer laid on her side next to her baby girl, while Nick laid on his side next to his son. Gazing lovingly at each other over the tops of the heads of their sleeping children, Summer was the first to speak.

“Nick?” She said softly as not to wake the children.

“What’s up, Beautiful?” he whispered.

“We almost made a baby tonight.”

Summer had stop taking her birth control pills three weeks ago when Nick mentioned one night after making love that their children could use another sibling as a playmate. He even went on to confess how he loved having her pregnant. He loved the way her body transformed to

accommodate the growing life in her womb. He loved feeling the baby’s movement beneath his hands. Then later when it came time for the baby to be born, he expressed how he felt as if he was being reborn again. Tears came to her eyes when he told her, “Beautiful, I know God created you for me and me for you. He created you to be the mother of my children and me to be their daddy.”

“We still can.”

Summer frowned. “Man, what are you talking about?”
I know my
freaky husband don’t think we’re doing it with my babies in the same bed.

Nick leaned up on his elbow and tilted his head towards the bathroom with a sly grin. Summer returned the grin. “All right, but you better be good. Don’t be in there making a bunch of noise.”

“Yeah right. You’re the noisy one. ‘Oh Nick, Oh Nick, Ohhhhh Niiiiick.’” he teased.

Sucking her teeth, she popped Nick on the forehead with the palm of her hand. “Shut up, boy. You know you like it.”

“Never said I didn’t. Now stop playin’ and get your sexy self out the bed.”

Tiptoeing out of bed the lovers met at the bathroom door. “Come here woman.” With one swift movement, Nick had Summer in his arms going through the bathroom door and gently closing it with his foot.