His hand slid to my jaw and he tipped my head back.
When he got my gaze, he said, “Gotta have my tee so I can go get my boy.”
I nodded, rolled up on my toes and Mickey met me halfway for a lip brush.
I rolled back and he let me go. I went to get my robe, pulled off Mickey’s tee, pulled on the robe and took it back to him.
He had his boots on by the time I returned. Straightening from the daybed, he reached out as I handed him his shirt.
When he had it on, he pulled me back into his arms. I wrapped mine around him.
“You’re gonna have to store up some smartass so I can fuck it outta you,” he remarked and I smiled at the same time I tingled.
“I don’t think that’ll be difficult,” I assured him.
“For you, no,” he teased.
I grinned at him then tipped my chin down and kissed his chest over his shirt.
He cupped my head to keep my face there, and I kept it there for him, rubbing my nose against his chest then turning my head and pressing my cheek to it again.
“Sorry this fucked our night,” he said quietly.
“No night is fucked when I’m with you,” I replied.
“Christ, Amy.” This came out as a groan right before I felt his lips at the top of my hair.
We held each other for long moments before I pushed my head back, his came up, and I caught his eyes.
“You gonna be okay?”
“Got no choice, but yeah, baby. I’m always okay.”
I hoped he wasn’t lying but to do my bit (the only thing I could do), I gave him a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze.
He dipped down and touched his mouth to mine before he let me go but grabbed my hand and walked me to the front door.
I got another lip brush before he was out the door on his, “Talk to you tomorrow, babe.”
I stood in the door and replied, “Okay, Mickey.” I watched him take five steps away from me before I called, “Mickey!”
He turned to me.
“You’re a great guy, a wonderful father, and walking away from just you, she made the worst decision of her life. Walking away from your family, it’s mean to say, but that’s just crazy.”
In the outside lights I saw his face go soft before he ordered, “Don’t be sweet and make me wanna make out with you to the point I’m fuckin’ you in your foyer when I gotta go get my boy.”
“My apologies,” I said through a smile.
“Now get outta the fuckin’ door wearin’ only that robe,” he kept ordering.
“No one can see me, Mickey.”
“Babe?” he called.
“What?” I asked.
“Get outta the fuckin’ door.”
I squinted my eyes at him and got out of the door.
But before I fully closed it, I stuck my face through and blew him a kiss.
Thus, the last look I had of Mickey was him shaking his head wearing a grin that might not have been easy, but at least I’d managed to give it to him.
* * * * *
Late the next morning, I walked into Maude’s House of Beauty and went right to the pedicure chairs.
I bent to touch cheeks with Alyssa, who was working on Josie’s toes, gave a “Hey,” got a “Yo, babe,” back and then moved to do the same with Josie.
“Careful, her fingers are still wet,” Alyssa warned.
I was careful as I gave Josie her greeting then lifted up the arm in the next chair and climbed into it.
“How’s Jake doing with Conner gone?” I asked Josie.
She tipped her head to the side, sadness seeping into her eyes and answered, “Amber and Ethan aren’t good. They miss their big brother. So he has his chin up for them.” She drew in a breath and lowered her voice. “But I found him in Con’s room the other day, just sitting by himself on Con’s bed. I left him to it and didn’t mention I found him there. But I know he’s melancholy.”
I nodded. Having lost my kids in my own way, I understood Jake and it didn’t thrill me that I got them back just in time to have Auden for two years before I’d be going through the same thing.
“How’s Mickey?” Alyssa asked.
I shook away my thoughts and smiled down at her. “He’s good.”
“I’m sure he’s good, havin’ a hot neighbor who puts out,” Alyssa returned (incidentally, they were my friends, I didn’t go into details—much to Alyssa’s despair—but they knew how things were progressing with Mickey and me). “But I’m not talkin’ about that. I’m talkin’ about his ex gettin’ hauled in for drunk driving,” Alyssa went on.
I stared at her in horror. “How do you know that?”
“Babe,” she replied, then threw out a hand holding the brush of a bottle of nail varnish.