Charmed (Contemporary Romance) by Inés Saint Page A

it.” He looked at her as if she was crazy for asking, and Jamie had to laugh.
    “V-8,” Michael read off Nick’s pickup. “Mom says that’s not good for the en-vi-or-ment. ”
    “Well, she’s right. We should all probably listen to your mom.”
    “Leather seats,” Timmy remarked seconds later. “Mom told Uncle Justin that only mean people sit on animal carcasses.”
    “I don’t remember saying that!” Jamie exclaimed.
    “She didn’t say that,” Michael chimed in. “She said only heartless people sit on animal carcasses.”
    So much for normal interaction. “I don’t have anything against leather seats.”
    “Of course not. Everyone refers to leather as animal carcass.” Nick grinned.
    As she backed out of the parking lot she said, “You know … you guys don’t have to repeat everything you hear me say.”
    “How do we know what we can say?” Michael grumbled.
    “We’ll talk about it later, for about the hundredth time.”
    Both boys groaned. Loudly. Seconds later, Michael asked, “Can I say that Nick’s car smelled really, really good?”
    “Of course you can.”
    “Nick, your car smells really good,” Michael said.
    Nick laughed and stole a quick glance at Jamie. “It’s the leather.”
    Jamie bit her lip.
    “ I want animal carcass seats in my car when I grow up,” Timmy declared.
    “Okay, you know what? Let’s not say the word carcass again.”
    “Why don’t we listen to some music?” Nick suggested. When Jamie nodded, he turned the radio on.
    A new song she didn’t know came on and she tapped her fingers along to the beat while enjoying the scenery. Autumn Falls was a five-minute ride down a winding, narrow road lined with beautiful maple, birch, and beech trees on either side. A few leaves were beginning to turn, and soon the fall season would transform the trees into a fiery palette of blazing golds, reds, and oranges.
    “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones came on, and Jamie began softly singing the lyrics. Nick looked back, smiling, and Jamie peeked at the kids through the rear-view mirror. Timmy was banging air drums while Michael played air guitar.
    “Mom, why aren’t you rocking out?” Timmy interrupted her temporary peaceful mood.
    “Because I’m driving.”
    “That never stops you!” Michael said.
    Timmy reached forward and pulled Jamie’s hair out of her ponytail. “There, now you can rock out.”
    “I’d rather not rock out today. I have to keep my eyes on the road.”
    “But Mom, you really like this song,” Michael pleaded. “We’ve got the drums and the guitar, and there aren’t any other cars on the road.”
    “That’s right.” Nick looked over at her. “It’s not like there are other cars on the road.”
    Jamie shot him a look, and he glanced back at her innocently. “I’m just saying — I see no reason for you not to perform.”
    “Really, you see no reason why I’d be reluctant to perform?
    “None at all.” Nick shot her an adorable and wicked look.
    “Well, you know, I might be persuaded to perform if you help out with the vocals. But only if you know every single word and you sing really, really loud,” she bluffed.
    “Do you think I won’t know every single word? Or do you think I won’t sing in front of you?”
    Jamie shrugged.
    A moment later, the chorus came on, and he began singing. Every word. And he wasn’t making a fool of himself — he was good.
    Timmy and Michael cheered and really got into their own performances, singing along, mostly fumbling the words. They stopped at a red light. Nick looked at her expectantly, daring her to keep her side of the bargain.
    “Nick won, Mom, now you have to rock out,” Timmy called.
    “It wasn’t a contest.”
    “But he won !” Michael cheered.
    Jamie shook her head, laughed, and gave in. She began singing along, just as loud as Nick. Moments later, she began dancing in her seat and whirling her hair around. The one thing she could never resist was making her children