by Kahlen Aymes
His smile broadened and his white teeth flashed as he sauntered past her toward his son. “He’s the son of an engineer, and he’s curious. He sits on my lap when I work sometimes and asks question after question.” His fatherly pride emanated from every pore. “Was my wife here earlier?” Caleb already knew the answer but he wanted to remind the woman he was married, and happily so.
“Yes. Around 3:30.”
Caleb nodded. “Good. Hey, buddy!”
Drake’s little head turned and his face broke out in a grin. “Daddy!
Drake struggled to get to his feet and then took off in a run toward Caleb who bent to scoop him up in his arms. He’d just turned three, and was just past the toddler waddle stage, as Caleb liked to call it.
Chubby little arms hugged Caleb’s neck hard, and Caleb rubbed his son’s back as he held him with one arm. “Did you have a fun day?”
Drake nodded. “Yup! We played outside on the slide!”
“Did you see Mommy?”
“Yeah. Are we going home now? I’m hungry.”
Caleb set his son back on his feet. “We’re going to Mommy’s studio. Get your shoes on.” The little boy ran to a cabinet that held row after row of cubbies and pulled one out. His shoes were inside and he came back holding them in his arms. Caleb crouched down on one knee, hoisted his son to sit on his leg and helped him on with his shoes, then scooted him off and took his hand.
“Where’s Yark?” Drake asked on the way out the door, looking up at Caleb questioningly.
Caleb smiled at his pronunciation of his twin sister’s name. She was the spitting image of Wren. Wren let Caleb name them both, and now he had three little birds. It warmed his heart thinking about them. Wren was a wonderful mother. He was so proud of her. She worked hard. She was the lead in almost every production, and no matter how tired she was, she still made time for her children and her husband. The dance class with Lark was a good example. She taught three classes a week in pre-ballet just to spend time with her daughter. They were like two peas in a pod.
“Lark is at the studio getting her dance lesson. Didn’t you see her leave with Mommy?”
Caleb opened the back door of his SUV and lifted Drake into one of the car seats. Both of the vehicles they drove the most had two sets of car seats to avoid switching them back and forth. Drake shook his head then took the sippy cup of juice Caleb had brought for him. It would tide him over until dinner.
When he was behind the wheel and buckled in himself, he glanced at Drake in the rearview mirror. “You didn’t?”
“Nope.”
It was opening night for Wren and Jonesy was going to keep the kids and feed them dinner, but Caleb needed to pick up his daughter and take them both home before he could meet Wren at the theater.
Caleb never got tired of watching her dance and he never missed a performance. Lux supported the theater with large donations and they had one of the balcony boxes just off the right of the stage. While he invited employees and managers to join him on most evenings of the performances, he always went alone to all of Wren’s opening night performances. It had become a ritual; he’d fill her dressing room with white roses and then they’d spend a romantic night with candles and champagne afterward. It was always something he looked forward to.
Drake’s eyelids were drooping and his head lolling to one side by the time they arrived at the same dance studio that Wren took classes as a kid. Every time he pulled into the parking lot, he was hit with the sweet memory of the first time he’d surprised her and signed her up.
Caleb couldn’t leave Drake in the car, so he found himself pulling the empty sippy cup from his little hands, unbuckling him and pulling his pint-sized body into his arms. Drake’s head fell onto his father’s shoulder, his eyes fluttering open, to quickly shut again.
Caleb was well known at the studio and so walked in and went into the studio he knew Wren was teaching the class. Lark was in the front row, dressed in pink leotards, tights and a matching tutu. The other little girls all had on similar getups. They loved dressing up and it helped keep their attention on the lesson.
Wren saw her husband walk in with her son sleeping on his shoulder. He flashed her a beautiful smile and she nearly lost her breath. He was so handsome and her heart still raced at the site of him. She made a kissing motion with her mouth and his smile broadened as he took a seat on the bench that ran along the back wall of the studio. Wren stood in front of the mirrored wall, facing the little ones, who all watched her every move, except for two who were distracted by each other.
“Okay, remember first position?” Wren asked them all. “Jessy, heels together, like this. Watch me.”
Caleb watched Lark. She stood up straight with her little arms curved gracefully as she waited. He could see her face in the mirror and her little forehead was furrowed into a frown as she glanced at the little girl to her left who was bent over at the waist and touching her toes. “That’s not first position,” she said.
“Lark,” Wren admonished gently, shaking her head.
“Well, it isn’t,” Lark returned matter-of-factly.
Wren had to bite her lip to keep from smiling, but Caleb chuckled softly. He loved it. Both of his children were quite precocious, but he told himself that intelligent children were bound to be. The room upstairs that used to be Wren’s was now redone in pink, with teddy bears in tutus painted on the walls. The adjoining studio was unchanged and his little girl played in there quite often, and spent more time there having private times with her mother.
“Bend your knees; Plié, then up on your toes; relevé.” The little girls watched Wren and themselves in the mirror, except for the one next to Lark who sat down on the wooden floor and held on to both of her feet. “Plié, relevé.” Wren repeated the words slowly as she went through the movements. “Plié, relevé.”
“Remember second position? Your feet stay the same, but you move them a little apart. Stand tall, and hold your arms out like this. Bend them a little at the elbows, and have ballet hands. Do you see how I’m holding my fingers?”
Despite having the twins, her body was unmarred. Caleb couldn’t help take in her slender curves, unhidden by the leotard and chiffon wrap skirt she wore. He glanced at his watch. It was almost six, which would mean the lesson was over.
A few more instructions and Wren went to change the music. “Okay, these last few minutes are free style. You can do whatever you want!” Wren turned on a clean version of “Cake by the Ocean” that she knew her little girl particularly liked. As the little girls started jumping around and randomly twirling, Wren walked toward Caleb. Her hand reached out and slid down the back of his head, and then she sat down and leaned in to kiss Drake on the cheek. “Wake up sleepy head. Jonesy is making Pizza.”
Caleb leaned toward her and she met him in the middle so he could place a soft kiss on her mouth in greeting. She closed her eyes and savored the way his lips lingered on hers. Caleb’s hand reached for hers as their mouths separated. “Mmmm,” he said so softly she barely heard it with the music playing.
Wren’s heart and body quickened at the sound. “How was your day, babe?”
“Good. How did rehearsal go? Are you tired?”
“I had a class this morning, and then rehearsal afterward, so I’m a tad tired. Maybe the schedule is getting to me.”
“But you’re so beautiful doing it. And, I know you love it.”
“I do.” She cupped Drake’s head, her fingers lingering in his silky hair. “I have to go straight to the theater after this, Cale. I have stage call at 6:30.”
The song ended. Wren dismissed the group, and right away Lark bolted over to her father. “Hi, Daddy. Did you see me dance?” she asked excitedly. Her bright blue eyes sparkled.
He smiled and lifted her up so she could sit on his knee. “I did. You were incredible, sweetheart. Just like Mommy!” He kissed her temple. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Are we going to Mommy’s show?”
“No, Grandma
Jonesy is waiting for you and your brother. She said you guys are having a pizza and movie night. She made Rice Krispie Treats, too.”
“Yay! I love Kispie Teats!”
Wren and Caleb both laughed. Drake stirred after his sister’s presence and voice intruded on his nap, lifting his head as Caleb rose with both kids in his arms.
“Go ahead, I’ll grab her stuff and put it in my car.”
Wren loved seeing Caleb with the children. Their relationship was so beautiful and the way he was with them made her love him even more. They both had rotten parents, but the opposite was true for their babies. Drake idolized Caleb and Lark adored him. She knew how they both felt because love for him made her heart flop inside her chest every time she looked at him.
She leaned in to give him a kiss goodbye, just before he turned to leave the studio with both kids still in his arms. “See you later, Superman.”
The End
Special Interest Stuff
There is a RELEASE WEEK GIVEAWAY
& a NEWSLETTER sign-up link,
so you receive ALERTS at the at the end of this section!
Remembrance Trilogy Readers
You will be happy to hear that I’ll be offering the complete series in a box set with extra content for a limited time, coming soon.
(The extra content will include the outtakes I’ve written in the past, but something NEW, as well.)
This set will be at a special price for a couple of days only
so those of you who already have the series will have an opportunity
to get the extra content without breaking the bank.
KEEP WATCHING FOR IT.
(Because it depends on a few things when I can get it done.)
FAMOUS Readers
Many of you have asked for a follow-up to The Famous Novels and I’ll be writing a novella called After Famous, coming soon.
Keep your eyes peeled!
After Dark Readers
I’ve had many, many requests for a book for Aaron and Becca, and maybe one for Kyle. You’ll find two titles on the UPCOMING Titles list that I think you’ll like.
Again… Stay tuned!
If you haven’t read all of these books; why the hell not? GO!
RELEASE WEEK GIVEAWAY
Go here!
http://www.kahlenaymes.com/release-week-giveaway
Newsletter Sign-up
Go here!
https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/v7t7k0
Kahlen Aymes is a USA Today bestselling author who writes steamy romance novels that cross genre lines between New Adult, Adult Contemporary, and Erotica.
Kahlen has been on several bestseller lists including Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, Publisher's Weekly, iBooks and USA Today! She began her writing career without ever planning on publishing a single word and won multiple awards in the world’s second largest fan fiction community, including BEST Author, BEST RPF, Best All-Human that Knocks You Off Your Feet, and several others! Encouragement and support from her readers was what prompted her to publish.
Her interests include reading, as well as writing, theater arts, cooking, roller skating, and going for long walks. She is the proud mom to one teenage daughter and two golden retrievers, who basically rule her world.
Kahlen has a strong love of writing and romance, and you can count on her to deliver strong, relatable characters, deep and detailed plots, sexy love scenes, and emotion overflow!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kahlen.aymes.author?fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768062.Kahlen_Aymes
Twitter: @Kahlen_Aymes
Instagram: Kahlen.Aymes
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kahlenaymes/
For merchandise, signed books, Julia’s recipes, missing scenes, events, my blog, and series playlists: OFFICIAL WEBSITE: KahlenAymes.com
For news, giveaways, appearances, and book discussion sign-up for my newsletter here: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/v7t7k0
To hang out privately with me on Facebook, join our READER GROUP: Kahlen's Book Babes https://www.facebook.com/groups/252301134873105/
Request an eBook autograph at: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/Kahlen_Aymes
If you have interest in joining Kahlen’s STREET TEAM, please contact us at
[email protected]
Rights information: [email protected]
The Remembrance Trilogy & Prequel
Prequel: Before Ryan Was Mine
1. The Future of Our Past
2. Don’t Forget to Remember Me
3. A Love Like This
The After Dark Series
1. Angel After Dark
2. Confessions After Dark
3. Promises After Dark
The FAMOUS Novels
1. FAMOUS
2. More Than FAMOUS
3. Beyond FAMOUS
Soulmate
Daddy After Dark
Rock Me After Dark
After Famous
Trading Yesterday
Unfinished Business
Marriage Material
Covered in Rain
Love Notes
You, and You Alone
