Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

“As many as you want, but I think we’ll need to practice, first.” I bent to kiss her mouth, my tongue finding its way into the delicious recesses of her mouth. It was a hungry, deep kiss that was beginning to rage out of control. “A lot of practice.”

There was a light rap on the door and in a split second I rolled off of Marin and sat up in a flash. My breathing was hard, and I had a huge bulge in my pants. I grabbed a pillow and quickly put it in my lap.

Marin let out a soft giggle. “Yes?” she called out. “Who is it?”

“It’s just us, Auntie Marin. Mommy says it’s time to eat,” Remi said through the door. “All damsels and princes to the table.”

“Remi, uh,” Dylan’s voice was also out in the hallway and his voice carried through the door. “Enough with that mushy stuff. Tough guys don’t like it.” He sounded irritated. “Uncle Ben’s a tough guy.”

Marin laughed in utter delight and climbed out of bed, walked around to my side of the bed and sat down beside me.

“Can we come in, please?”

Marin lifted the pillow and checked to see if I had myself under control. I smiled hard and she threw the pillow to the side.

“Yep!” she called.

Both kids barreled through the door in a flurry of excitement, both of them speaking at once. “Mom said we could eat before you, Uncle Ben, but I wanted to hear about the fire. Then Uncle Chase said we can have a soccer game in the fields since we can’t go fishing today,” Dylan said, diving at the bed and pouncing on it hard enough to bounce us up and down. “If it’s okay with you two.”

“I wanna show Daddy and Jensey how Dark lays on your lap, Auntie Marin!” Remi moved between us and put one arm around each of our necks.

We both hugged her back and I laid a hand on my nephew’s back who was laying on the

bed behind Marin. “This is something, isn’t it?” I asked the love of my life.

“It’s a slice of heaven,” she confirmed. Her face was glowing and happy.

I kissed the top of Remi’s head as I devoured Marin’s beautiful face with my eyes. I’d never forget this day for as long as I lived. I was the luckiest man on earth.

“We might not be able to go fishing today, but I’ll need you two to teach me how to play soccer, and then after we need your help with other projects!” Marin said.

“Really? With what?” Dylan asked eagerly.

“Well, your Uncle Ben needs help coming up with a name for our new dude ranch, Dylan.”

“Oh, boy! Really? A dude ranch?” He could barely contain his excitement.

“Really!” I confirmed.

“That’s awesome!” Dylan exclaimed. “We can ask Uncle Chase to hold a soccer camp, and we can ride horses, and go fishing and have campfires every night!” Dylan was bursting with excitement. “And I’ll come here every summer and help!”

“What about me? What can I help with?” Remi asked, looking adoringly up into Marin’s face as she took the little girl’s hand in hers.

“I need your special help, Remi.” Marin free hand touched the little girl’s cheek. “Uncle Ben just asked me to marry him, so I need to plan a proper princess event! I hear that you’re an expert.”

Remi’s face lit up. “Yay! Well, the first thing you need is a sparkly dress.” She started jumping up and down and squealing, bouncing the bed as badly as Dylan had. Marin and I both burst out laughing at her exuberance. “See, Dylan! I told ya! Even tough guys need their very own damsel!”

“Uh uh,” Dylan shook his head. “Damsels need tough guys. You got it backwards.”

I grabbed Marin’s hand and threaded my fingers through hers. “Hear that?” I asked, my heart so full I could barely stand it. Happiness wrapped its arms around our little group like a warm hug. “Even tough guys need a damsel.” I gently nudged her shoulder with my own.

Marin’s lips lifted in a brilliant smile. “Well, this damsel needs you.” She leaned in toward me, her chin lifting in a silent request. I was more than willing to oblige. Our lips caressed each other’s in a soft kiss, I took her lower lip in between both of mine, leaning my forehead on Marin’s as the kiss ended.

“Awww, man! More slobbering?” lamented Dylan. “Gross!” He hopped down from the bed and rushed toward the door to head downstairs. “Come on! Let’s go eat and then we can go ride the horses and play with Dark!” He ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Remi’s frowned, getting a little crinkle over her nose, then rolled her eyes. “This is why boys are dumb. They just gotta grow up to get it, right Uncle Ben?”

“How’d you get so smart?” I smiled and touched Remi’s petal soft cheek.

She shrugged. “I was just born that way, I guess.”

“I guess!” I agreed.

Laughing, Marin and I stood up from the bed. Remi reached for my hand to tug me forward. I slid an arm around Marin as we headed down to breakfast.

This was the start of the first day in the rest of our lives.

If you enjoyed this book and would like to help other readers find it or the others in series please consider leaving a review for Kahlen on Amazon and/or Goodreads!

It is truly appreciated!

Trading Yesterday is a series of connected books that may be read as stand-alone novels.

Trading Yesterday

Finding Tomorrow

Embracing Today

Forever & Always (Coming later this year.)

(This is Remi and Dylan’s story, so please sign up for my newsletter or join my reader groups so you don’t miss the pre-order/release!)

MARIN

The Teton Valley Guest Ranch would open in just over a month.

It had taken almost a year, but we were almost ready with reservations lined up all summer thanks to Teagan’s help with social media marketing. Her baby girl, Bliss, was born six months before Missy and