was never overly spoiled. My mom and I are very close, though.”
“She probably hates it that you’re away all summer, then.”
“Oh, she keeps very busy. She has a group of friends she goes out with , and she’s involved in all kinds of things. She even occasionally has a date now and then, but no one special. She has a widower friend she goes out with sometimes.”
“I think that’s great she stays active.”
“I do, too. She’s a wonderful person, even if she is my mother.”
“Daddy, will you read to us again?” Allison asked , looking at Chase beseechingly with her big, baby-blue eyes.
“I sure will, go on in the den. I’ll be in there in a minute. Brice, go with your sister.”
“They adore you, Chase,” Sunny remarked.
“They’re pretty fond of you, too, you know.”
“I’m going to clear the table for Alice while you read to them. I want to give them some time alone with Daddy.”
“Thank you, Sunny. Why don’t you go relax after that?”
“I think I’ll take a bubble bath and read for a while. You’ll be up after you put the kiddos to bed? Will you need my help?”
“You just relax, I can handle it.” He flashed that wonderful smile of his as he left her to join his favorite little boy and girl in the den.
Sunny began carrying plates into the kitchen where Alice was already cleaning up.
“Thank you, Sunny. Did you have a good time at the beach?”
“Yes, we did. We built sand castles with the kids.”
“I heard from Alma. They left on their road trip. They’re driving to a place called the Amana Colonies.”
“Wonderful place, my mom and I went one year. Are they having a good time?”
“They seemed to be. She asked about all of you, of course. She’s very fond of you, Sunny. You know Chase is like a son to her.”
“I know, she told me she and George ha ve no children of their own. How about you? Do you and John have children?”
“Yes, we do, t wo sons, who both live near Orlando. We see them quite a bit when the Duponts are in Iowa. We devote all our time to Chase, when he and the kids are here. He’s been so good to us.”
“ He’s a good man, Alice. I see it more and more every day.”
“You won’t find one any better, Sunny.”
“Thank you for this little chat. I’m going to go upstairs now if you’re okay here.”
“I’m almost finished in here. You go on up.”
“Goodnight, Alice.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, sweetie.”
As she eased herself into the hot, bubbly water, she thought about all that had taken place since she’d come to Florida with Chase and his children. She was growing closer to all of them, she realized as she sank back and relaxed in the water.
She stepped out of the tub a short time later . Wrapping a large towel around herself, she stepped over to the sink to brush her teeth.
That ’s how Chase found her a few minutes later. He opened the bathroom door, apparently forgetting to knock first, which had been their habit since they were sharing.
“Whoops, sorry, Sunny.” He seemed slightly embarrassed. His shirt was unbuttoned to the waist and she guessed he ’d been planning to take a shower.
“Uh…it’s okay, Chase, I’ll be finished in a minute.” She rinsed her mouth with water, spit it into the sink and clutching the towel tightly around herself, started to walk into her bedroom. “See, I’m all finished.”
“Goodnight, Sunny.”
“Goodnight.”
She ran to the bed as soon as she returned to her room. I should have let my towel drop. After the kiss last night, I wonder what he would have done.
Chapter Eight
The alarm clock went off much too soon the next morning. Sunny would have loved to have lingered in bed a while longer but knew she had to get up and see to her babies. She stretched leisurely before going into the bathroom to get ready for her day.
She pulled on a pair of denim shorts and grabbed a pink tee shirt from the drawer. Then slipping her feet into a pair of pink
“She probably hates it that you’re away all summer, then.”
“Oh, she keeps very busy. She has a group of friends she goes out with , and she’s involved in all kinds of things. She even occasionally has a date now and then, but no one special. She has a widower friend she goes out with sometimes.”
“I think that’s great she stays active.”
“I do, too. She’s a wonderful person, even if she is my mother.”
“Daddy, will you read to us again?” Allison asked , looking at Chase beseechingly with her big, baby-blue eyes.
“I sure will, go on in the den. I’ll be in there in a minute. Brice, go with your sister.”
“They adore you, Chase,” Sunny remarked.
“They’re pretty fond of you, too, you know.”
“I’m going to clear the table for Alice while you read to them. I want to give them some time alone with Daddy.”
“Thank you, Sunny. Why don’t you go relax after that?”
“I think I’ll take a bubble bath and read for a while. You’ll be up after you put the kiddos to bed? Will you need my help?”
“You just relax, I can handle it.” He flashed that wonderful smile of his as he left her to join his favorite little boy and girl in the den.
Sunny began carrying plates into the kitchen where Alice was already cleaning up.
“Thank you, Sunny. Did you have a good time at the beach?”
“Yes, we did. We built sand castles with the kids.”
“I heard from Alma. They left on their road trip. They’re driving to a place called the Amana Colonies.”
“Wonderful place, my mom and I went one year. Are they having a good time?”
“They seemed to be. She asked about all of you, of course. She’s very fond of you, Sunny. You know Chase is like a son to her.”
“I know, she told me she and George ha ve no children of their own. How about you? Do you and John have children?”
“Yes, we do, t wo sons, who both live near Orlando. We see them quite a bit when the Duponts are in Iowa. We devote all our time to Chase, when he and the kids are here. He’s been so good to us.”
“ He’s a good man, Alice. I see it more and more every day.”
“You won’t find one any better, Sunny.”
“Thank you for this little chat. I’m going to go upstairs now if you’re okay here.”
“I’m almost finished in here. You go on up.”
“Goodnight, Alice.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, sweetie.”
As she eased herself into the hot, bubbly water, she thought about all that had taken place since she’d come to Florida with Chase and his children. She was growing closer to all of them, she realized as she sank back and relaxed in the water.
She stepped out of the tub a short time later . Wrapping a large towel around herself, she stepped over to the sink to brush her teeth.
That ’s how Chase found her a few minutes later. He opened the bathroom door, apparently forgetting to knock first, which had been their habit since they were sharing.
“Whoops, sorry, Sunny.” He seemed slightly embarrassed. His shirt was unbuttoned to the waist and she guessed he ’d been planning to take a shower.
“Uh…it’s okay, Chase, I’ll be finished in a minute.” She rinsed her mouth with water, spit it into the sink and clutching the towel tightly around herself, started to walk into her bedroom. “See, I’m all finished.”
“Goodnight, Sunny.”
“Goodnight.”
She ran to the bed as soon as she returned to her room. I should have let my towel drop. After the kiss last night, I wonder what he would have done.
Chapter Eight
The alarm clock went off much too soon the next morning. Sunny would have loved to have lingered in bed a while longer but knew she had to get up and see to her babies. She stretched leisurely before going into the bathroom to get ready for her day.
She pulled on a pair of denim shorts and grabbed a pink tee shirt from the drawer. Then slipping her feet into a pair of pink
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