by A. D. Ellis
Smiling against her lips, but never breaking the kiss, Decker raised his middle finger at his cousin while he angled Kate’s head so he could kiss her deeper.
“Damn lucky bastard,” Kendrick chuckled as he walked out. “See you lovebirds at home. We can pop some corn, crack open some beers, and cuddle on the couch.”
As Kendrick left, Decker ended their kiss. “One thing about living with those guys, there may be an issue getting some privacy this weekend. It wasn’t something that occurred to me before because I wasn’t bringing girls home, but those assholes will purposely hang out and bug us the whole time.” He smirked as he spoke, but Katie could tell that he wasn’t too angry; he loved his brother and cousins with all that he had.
Leaning into him for one last kiss, she whispered, “Your door locks, right? We have all weekend; we can hang with the guys and retreat to your room for privacy as needed. Now, go run and I’ll be there at 6:00 p.m.”
Decker smiled and winked, thinking ahead to all he needed to do at home, as he kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
**********
After a two-mile run, a shower, and a quick stop at the grocery store, Decker was home and elbow deep in his first foray into the baking world. While it had seemed like a cute, funny, romantic gesture at first, he was feeling unsure of himself yet he was determined to make a damn cherry pie.
He was cleaning up the kitchen, enjoying the scent of cherry pie filling the room, when a knock sounded at the door. Checking the timer to be sure the pie wouldn’t burn, he ran to answer it. Pulling open the door, he found his girl looking beautiful and a bit unsure of herself. He smiled and gestured for her to enter.
“Hi, Bug. I’m glad you could make it.” A kiss to her mouth and then he took her bag, setting it on the stairs. “We’ll put your bag somewhere later; I want you in my room, my bed, but if you’re more comfortable in the guestroom, that’s okay too.”
“Thank you, Decker. I want this weekend with you more than anything, but I’ve never spent a night with a guy, let alone a whole weekend. I know I’m a consenting adult, but I’m nervous. I’m also a little worried that it will look bad for you at work.” She spoke with concern, somewhat for herself, but mostly for him.
“Kate, the rules at work for no dating colleagues were basically ‘strongly suggested’ in the staff handbook, although no one ever got fired for it. The rules were self-imposed on myself because I didn’t want the distraction or the hassle. But, Katie-did, if I didn’t have the chance to talk to you and see you every day, or if I had to hide my feelings for you at work, I think I’d go insane. No one is going to care that we are dating, as long as we do our jobs, and you and I both know we do a kick-ass job of that. I am still a rule follower and strict in other areas, but when it comes to you, I can’t help but bend a bit.” He started to kiss her, but the shrill beep of the timer interrupted him. “Stay here, look around, I’ll be right back.”
Rushing to the kitchen, he grabbed his oven mitts and pulled the pie out of the oven. It looked perfect; golden brown crust, dark red filling, bubbly edges. “Damn straight it’s perfect, I don’t settle for less than the best.” He laughed at his own arrogant comment, but, he couldn’t help it. He was damn proud of making this pie all by himself.
“What smells so good in here?” Katie had reached the kitchen.
“Nope, out. It’s a surprise for later.” He sat the pie to cool on the counter; later, when they came in to get something to eat, he’d have to move it so she wouldn’t see it.
At the very last moment, a thought crossed his mind. Grabbing his phone he texted his cousins and brother.
Decker: I made a cherry pie for Kate. DO NOT EAT IT. I’m serious, fuckers. DON’T TOUCH!
There, that should keep them from breaking out forks and sitting around the table eating his masterpiece. Although, if he were honest, he fondly recalled many late nights in high school sitting with the three of them devouring pies his mom or grandmas had baked.
Zach: Mmm, pie. Fine, I’ll stay out of it tonight, but maybe you could make me one soon, Betty Crocker.
Kendrick: Oh, I love eating PIE. Maybe you could leave some for us while you spend your night eating her pie. Enjoy that cherry, bud.
Sawyer: Yeah, not much of a PIE eater these days. The pie is safe with me.
Decker couldn’t help but laugh at the comments that flooded his phone in response to his text. He should have known they’d turn it to a sexual-innuendo-laced joke.
Sawyer: Just FYI, the guys and I will be around tonight, but we’re making ourselves scarce tomorrow day and night. I’m not sure where the guys are going, but I’ll be staying with a friend.
Decker smiled at his brother; not only were they giving him some privacy, his brother was probably spending the night with the guy he was interested in. His heart swelled; his brother was happy, he was spending the weekend with his girl, and the work on The Center+ was back on track. Life was good.
Walking into the living room, he found Kate cuddled on the couch looking through a photo album. “I remember so many of these pictures and events. What a fun walk down memory lane.” She smiled up at him as she closed the book.
“Are you hungry?” He asked her, referring to a meal, but the darkening of her eyes and the shy smile she gave him told him that her mind went somewhere else entirely. Laughing he shook his head, “You naughty girl. I was talking about getting something to eat.”
“I know, I know. I just can’t help myself around you sometimes.” She grinned and kissed him. “I’m starving; my slave-driver boss had me working so hard today that I barely had time to scarf down a yogurt.” She winked and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Mmm, I’ll show you a boss who drives you hard.” He kissed her roughly and groaned as his phone chirped.
After reading the text, he chuckled and ran a hand over his face. “Looks like our dinner options just broadened. Seems the other guys are at my grandparents’ house for Taco Night. So, we can go out, fix something here, order in, or go to Taco Night.”
“Will you be upset if I choose Taco Night?” She had a giddy expression on her face.
“No, Bug, I won’t be upset. You’re a fan of tacos, huh?” He had to laugh at her excitement.
“I’m a fan of your grandmas’ Taco Night for sure! Sawyer and I had broken up, but we were still friends; he’d had a really crappy day. Some guy he’d thought was gay and liked him had started dating the head cheerleader and Sawyer was crushed. He asked me to come over to cheer him up; he really needed a shoulder to cry on. Anyway, he took me to Taco Night at Grandma Cindy’s house and It. Was. Awesome! She had every single topping imaginable. I had so much fun building my own tacos. I think I made five of them because it was so much fun, but I could only eat two of them. I was embarrassed for wasting so much food; I think Kendrick, Sawyer and Zach all ate my extras.” Her eyes sparkled as she recalled the evening from long ago.
Decker’s face had fallen a bit. She reached out and cupped his cheek, “Hey, baby, what’s wrong?” So many thoughts went through his head. I’ve never liked pet names and now I’m feeling warm and tingly over my girl calling me baby. I want to spend the night with her in my arms, but I’m excited to take her to my family’s Taco Night. What in the hell have I gotten myself into?
Instead of speaking those thoughts, he sighed, “I don’t know. I guess I’m feeling sad that Sawyer didn’t think he could cry on my shoulder over his crappy day. I’m also sad that I don’t remember that night; my brother and cousins got to know you and spend time with you, and I was probably at the library studying or writing business plans.”
“Decker, I don’t think either of us would have liked each other much back then. You were gorgeous, but so serious and unapproachable. I wasn’t the ditzy type, but I definitely hadn’t grown into my self-confidence; I don’t think I would have had the nerve to be myself and try to break you down. We were doing what we needed to be doing back then; things happen for a reason.” She leaned
in and kissed him, snaking her tongue out to taste his lips while her hand roamed south to palm him. “The present is what matters now. You and Sawyer are good. You and I are good; we are in the right place for us. Let’s not focus on what we may have missed out on, let’s focus on what we’ve got the chance to experience now.” Kissing him deeper, she giggled as he growled deep in his throat and walked her backwards until she met with the wall.
With a last tease of his tongue and final sound kiss on her lips he spoke gruffly, “Come on, Bug, let’s get you some tacos.”
He replied to the text to let them know they should set two extra places.
Chapter 18
Having never brought a girl home to meet his family, Decker grabbed Katie’s hand nervously as they walked up the steps. “Why am I more nervous than you?”
“Your family knows me, I’m pretty sure they like me, we’ve been dating for a bit, there’s nothing to be nervous about. You’re just worried because this is new to you; I bet you never brought a girl home, huh?” She looked at him a bit sadly.
“No, my parents met Angela one time at dinner when they came to see me at school, but that is the extent of my experience with introducing a girl to my parents.” He looked sheepish.
“No worries, Deck, we’ve got this. Lucky for you, I’m no shrinking violet, I can hold my own, and I have a history with most of these people. Just be my sexy, supportive man and promise to take me home for a steamy night later.” She laughed as he closed his eyes and groaned.
“Seriously, Bug? Giving me a hard-on before my Grandma opens the door? Not. Cool.” He smacked her ass just as Cindy Morgan opened the door.
“Decker Morgan, you know better than to knock on the door at this house. Katie is going to think we are uppity folks and that’s the furthest thing from the truth.” Cindy pulled Katie into a warm embrace and then grabbed Decker as well. “Come in, come in! It’s almost time to eat!”
Decker did a quick re-introduction between his family and Katie. She smiled and hugged everyone as they all got reacquainted. Being a people person and good at cataloging information, she gathered several details in her brain to store for later use.
Abby Morgan was madly in love with her long-time boyfriend and Katie suspected a proposal was imminent. Beckett Jordan was just two weeks away from saying I do to his beautiful, sweet fiancé, Kenja. Megan Jordan was very pregnant and happily planning her wedding to the baby’s daddy. Katie was pleased that no one seemed offended that the baby had come before the nuptials; the family’s acceptance of this situation led her to believe they’d be fairly accepting of Sawyer’s sexuality when he finally told them all. Zach’s younger sister, Aly, was in the beginning stages of a crush on one of her classmates at the local community college. Asher Martin, the boys’ pseudo cousin, was a gangly hormonal teen with a bad attitude, but Kate suspected he’d one day be a complete knock-out.
After all of the hugs and reacquainting was taken care of, Kate turned to see Sawyer breeze through the door with a smile a mile wide and a twinkle in his eyes. Walking towards him to stop him near the entrance and away from the others, she gathered him in a hug. “You smell like men’s cologne and not the type you usually wear. You look like you’re glowing. Tell me, Sawyer, does this have anything to do with a certain hottie at The Center+?” She kissed his cheek as he just grinned like the Cheshire cat and tweaked her nose. “Maybe, maybe not. Good to see you here, Katie-girl. It’s like old times.”
Kendrick and Zach came up to them, prompting Decker to join in their little group. Laughing, Kendrick spoke first. “Hmmm, Decker, I didn’t expect to see you guys here. I thought you’d be having your own taco night in your bedroom.” Decker reddened and Kendrick howled with laughter. “Taco and pie, mmm, mmm, mmm.” He winked at Katie who could only laugh at Kendrick’s crass comments.
“Damn it, Kendrick, do you have to be so crude?” Decker had to defend her, but she could tell he was having a good time with the ribbing his cousin was giving them.
“And, our dear Sawyer, why do you look like you just came from your own version of a hot dog bar? Did you fill your bun and squirt on all the toppings?” Kendrick was on a roll, but it was all in fun; the five of them roared with laughter and Sawyer just winked and blushed a little.
“Alright you guys, come join the rest of us, and Kendrick, knock it off with the sexual innuendos in front of this sweet girl, or all of us parents are going to start talking about our intimate moments.” Audrey cackled at the blanched looks on her son and nephews’ faces. Jeremiah came up behind her as she laughed; wrapping his arms around her, he smiled and winked at Kendrick, “What’s this about intimate moments, angel?” With a kiss to her temple, he spoke to the group in front of him, “Did you all want some pointers? I could explain some of our favorite positions.”
“Stop! Just stop!” Kendrick pleaded as he jammed his fingers in his ears. “Fine, no more talk of tacos or pie unless it’s about the actual food, I promise.” Stalking off he muttered, “Just having a good time and then the old folk have to kill the buzz with sex talk. I need to be disinfected with bleach.” He pretended to shudder and everyone laughed.
Katie had grown up with loving parents; even after her dad left she saw him regularly, albeit away from her mother. Her mom was fun and sweet and loving; her grandma, crazy and outspoken, loved her dearly. Having a loving family wasn’t a new experience for her. But, as she sat around the huge table with this large group, she couldn’t help but smile and feel blessed to know these people.
Forcing herself to keep her taco building to a minimum, knowing she wouldn’t be able to eat as many as she wanted to build, Katie made two soft tacos and one crunchy. Choosing fillings of chicken, steak, and shrimp for each taco, she loaded on the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. Skipping the onions, she glanced at Decker; he smiled and winked at her and bypassed the onions as well.
Three tacos, a margarita, and hours of laughs later, Decker held her hand as they sat on the couch. Kate watched in amazement at the love still so very evident between the parents of her four best guy friends. The secret looks, the sweet kisses, the purposeful touches; so many years later, they were so very much in love. It may have been hard for the guys to watch it, but as an onlooker, it was truly a sight to behold. Even the oldest generation still had a passion about them.
As she watched the couples, she took in a couple of other things. Kendrick seemed to have a sad air about him; he’d never admit it, she was sure, but he wanted the love, comfort, and security he was surrounded by; he wanted that in his personal life, but he’d lost the chance a long time ago and Katie wasn’t sure if he’d ever open himself up to it again.
The strangest observation she made throughout the evening was between Zach and Zoey. Growing up as cousins, the whole town knew that Zach and Zoey were joined at the hip. Zach’s sister, Aly was Zoey’s best girlfriend, but Zach and Zoey were about as close as two people could get. Katie caught several heated looks pass between them, followed quickly by flushed looks of guilt and tension. She smiled inwardly; Zach and Zoey were interesting, very interesting.
The group spent a fun-filled evening just chatting and laughing. Katie was pretty sure that some of the parents spent extra time doing something in other areas of the house throughout the night. Libby’s face was flushed when she and Nate returned to the group within a minute of each other. Audrey was glowing and just laughed when Jeremiah smacked her ass after they returned from checking something out upstairs. Nicky Morgan was about the sweetest, most attentive husband she’d ever seen; he had a look of total adoration on his face for Carly. No matter what she said or did, Nicky’s face spoke of his love for her. Kyle and Josie Martin were possibly the most in-sync couple she’d ever witnessed; it was obvious they knew what the other was thinking, the looks on their faces gave away the love and slightly naughty thoughts that passed between them all night. What would it be like, twenty some years later, to have a love so strong and still so right? Katie had never been in lo
ve; was she in love with Decker? She thought she was, even if she felt it was too soon to feel that way. All she knew was she had very little trouble picturing their relationship twenty years in the future. That fact thrilled her and scared her at the same time.
**********
Since they had spent the entire evening with his brother and cousins, Decker didn’t feel bad about sweeping Kate to his room. He snuck into the kitchen and grabbed the cherry pie, smiling as he thought about what her reaction would be.
“You can have the bathroom first, Bug.” Decker swept his arm out dramatically, making her laugh at his gesture.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” She grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom. A quick shower later, she dressed in her softest flannel pants, a tank, and her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She wasn’t worried about impressing Decker; she knew he found her attractive physically, but it was more than just that. In the past, she’d never felt 100% comfortable with the men she went on dates with; was the skirt too short and suggesting too much, did her V-neck shirt reveal too much, did her hair make her seem severe if it was pulled back tightly or like a slacker if it was in a messy bun? With Decker, there were none of those thoughts; he liked her for her, not for her clothes or hair or body.
“You okay in there?” Decker knocked on the door lightly; breaking out of her musings, Kate chuckled and opened the door.
“Sorry, I was lost in thought. The bathroom is all yours.” She kissed him. Not because she needed to prove anything to him, just because she wanted to feel his lips on hers.
Decker showered and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and an old t-shirt hoping he wouldn’t be wearing it long. As he walked into his room, he realized he’d left the pie in plain sight.
