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

yourself to the brownies. What would you like to drink? I have soda and iced tea, milk, juice or I can make coffee.”

After I had the two of them situated, Missy with a Diet Pepsi and Teagan and I both a glass of green tea, I sat down at the kitchen table with them. Teagan held her adorable little boy on her lap as he munched on part of a brownie and sipped milk from his sippy cup. “Jace must resemble his daddy,” I observed. Remi had her mother’s coloring.

Teagan nodded and rolled her eyes with a grin. “Spitting image. Just as impetuous, too.”

“I not petuous!” Jace insisted, making a chocolatey mess of his hands and face.

Teagan’s eyebrow shot up wryly. “See what I mean?” she said with a smile, then kissed the top of her little boy’s head. “Are you like Daddy?” Teagan asked.

He nodded profusely. “Yup!”

“See?” Teagan laughed.

“I hope Chase and Jensen will be joining us, too. I’ve heard so much about all of you.” Ben had talked so much about them on the drive from Minnesota I felt like I knew them all.

“Oh, they wouldn’t miss it! They’re flying out tomorrow evening. Chase has a day game against Peru tomorrow,” Teagan answered. “But it’s at Mile High Stadium. So lucky.”

“Wow. That’s kind of a big deal,” I said in awe.

Teagan laughed, happily. “You’ll get used to it. Not a big deal,” she said modestly.

“She says that, but trust me, Ace Forrester is, indeed, a big deal,” Missy added wryly. “Fans all over the world. It’s sort of insane.”

I flushed guiltily. “Sorry, I don’t really follow sports.”

They both laughed. “That’s refreshing! I need a vacation from sports,” Ben’s sister said. “I’m so sick of muscles and locker rooms, I can’t stand it.”

Soon, we were all giggling. “I can think of worse things than muscles and locker rooms,” I said. I felt completely comfortable around these two and found myself excited for the rest of the weekend.

“Me, too,” Teagan put in with a sly smile. “Jock straps.”

We all burst into a tirade of giggles.

“Jensen is really looking forward to learning to ride horses with the kids,” Missy stated.

“Chase, too. I wish I could,” Teagan said. “But…” she said, laying a hand on her swollen belly, “I can’t take any chances. I’m going to have to satisfy myself with stuffing my face with s’mores.”

I nodded, smiling. “Well, Ben has a lot planned for your kids. He’s been like a kid himself; so excited for your visit, but s’mores over an open campfire are an excellent mollifier.”

“Ben and Dylan have always been close,” Missy added. “We lived with him in Billings during my divorce. He was a Godsend and a great role model.”

“He misses you; all of you. Teagan, do you know what you’re having?”

“We just had our twenty-week ultrasound and so yes. It’s a girl.”

“Oh my gosh! How amazing! Have you named her?”

“This is our last baby so we’re taking our time deciding on her name. We keep harping on Jensen and Missy to get in gear, though. Dylan needs a sibling!” Teagan reached out and gave a gentle push to Missy’s shoulder.

“Hmmm,” Missy said, her cheeks turning a becoming shade of pink. “We’re working on it.” She reached for a brownie from the plate.

“Come on, Teagan!” I slide the plate closer to her. “You’re eating for two and besides, no calories on a cowboy weekend!”

Fifteen minutes after I’d shown Teagan and Missy to their respective rooms, I met Missy back downstairs. She’d changed into some faded old blue jeans, sneakers and a baggy Denver Bronco’s T-shirt.

“Your favorite team?” I asked as we walked outside. Teagan had chosen to lie down with her little boy and take a nap after their long trip. They’d been up early to catch a flight from Atlanta and had spent many hours on planes and in airports.

Missy waved it away. “Oh, this? Nah. I just get a ton of team shirts on my job. My wardrobe consists of suits and jerseys. I brought some for Ben. When I first got the ESPN job, I’d get shirts and signed balls for Dylan and he’d get all bent out of shape, so I brought him a suitcase full this time.”

“That’s so sweet of you. I’m sure he’ll be surprised.”

We walked across the yard and then over the dirt driveway toward the barn. We could hear Ben inside speaking to the kids as we approached the open door.

“He’s so cute!” Remi’s voice echoed through the high rafters.

“He’s just two weeks old,” Ben explained. “He’s too little to eat hay or oats like his mom. Just like human babies, he needs milk.”

“He’s little, but he’s big for baby and he can already run around?” Dylan asked.

“Yep. I was there when he was born. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. It was only a couple of hours before he was up on his feet.”

“I wish we could have been here,” Remi said.

Both kids were sitting on the top of the gate to Siri’s stall. Ben was between them with an arm around each of them so they wouldn’t fall off.

“Well, maybe if one of the other horses has a baby, or maybe if Siri has another one, we can arrange for you to be here,” I said once inside the barn.

Both kid’s heads snapped around with bright smiles on their faces.

“Really?” Remi said.

“Awesome!” Dylan replied at the same time. “This place is super cool!”

“Yeah! I wish we could move here!” Remi put in. “We could just play with Gemmy, and ride horses all day long. Every day!”

Missy was petting the nose of one of the other horses, and Siri came toward the gate once she saw me. She neighed loudly and snorted. I reached out my hand and she walked forward and butted her forehead against my open palm.

“Wow! Can I do that?” Dylan asked.

“Sure! Come over here and stand on this lower rail in front of me. Siri is a gentle horse. She won’t hurt