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

I glanced down at her beautiful face. It was serene and a far cry from the fear-filled terror that had shadowed it this morning. “I’ve already fallen in love with all three of the kids. I just love them to death.”

“That was the plan,” I grinned, putting the last bit of my second roast beef sandwich in my mouth.

“I should have known,” she answered sardonically, with a huffed laugh.

“You sure brought a lotta apples, Aunt Marin,” Dylan acknowledged.

“Well, the first rule of trail rides is to bring treats for the horses!”

Both of their little faces lit up and they scrambled to their feet.

“Yeah!”

“Yay!”

I moved to sit by my sister as we watched Marin open the bag of apples and show the children how to feed the horses with flat hands. “She’s precious, Ben.”

I nodded, not taking my eyes from Marin. “I know. I’m a goner.”

“Well, I’m glad. You deserve it.”

Missy squeezed my arm then slid her arm around my back. I hugged her back. “I’m happy you’re here.”

It wasn’t long before every one of those apples was downed by the horses.

“Hey! You didn’t save me any?” I teased the kids, holding my hands open in front of me. They both giggled.

“Uncle Ben!” Remi said.

“You didn’t do the work, Uncle Ben.” I could always count on my nephew to make a logical comment.

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Nope!”

We all burst into a chorus of happy laughter.

MARIN

Our party had grown by two.

Chase Forrester, Teagan’s husband, and Jensen Jeffers, Missy’s husband, arrived right after dark to the delight of their wives and kids. They were just as beautiful as their wives and just as gracious. Remi and Dylan couldn’t wait to drag them to the stables and pasture to introduce them to the horses while Teagan, Missy and I chopped a variety of vegetables in the kitchen.

Ben and the kids already had the bonfire going when the two others arrived, and I’d asked him to put some embers to one side so we could cook on them. It was pocket stew on the menu, tonight.

“The kids will love this,” I explained as I piled the various veggies, raw hamburger and a big pat of butter into tin foil, salted and peppered everything and then closed the packets. “My uncle used to make this for me a lot as a child. I loved it!”

“It looks so easy.” Teagan was sitting at the table watching me while Missy insisted on washing the few utensils we’d used.

“And so good.” I smiled. “The kids were sure happy to see Chase and Jensen.”

“I’m not sure who was more anxious to see whom. Those men adore those kids. Jace is always with Chase whenever he’s around, and Jensen is great with both of my kids.”

“We have a great little blended family,” Missy commented from her place at the sink. “Dylan has a sort of hero worship of Chase. He loves sports. And Jensen is everything to Dylan.”

“Yeah, Ben told me a little. It’s wonderful the way things worked out. I’m not really sure how it all happened, but I’m not trying to pry.”

“Pfft,” Teagan dismissed. “It’s not prying! You’re probably going to be part of the family if the way Ben stares at you is any indication.” She grinned, her smile going all the way into her blue eyes. “So, you should know.”

I couldn’t help but blush. I felt the heat flood my cheeks so much I wanted to cover them with my hands but resisted. “It’s early, but we do care about each other very much.”

Missy grunted in amusement. “Ben is head over heels. Seriously, the man is gone.”

One of those smiles spread across my face. The kind that you can’t help, the kind that literally hurts the muscles in your cheeks. I tried to hold it in, but simply couldn’t. “I hope he is.”

“He is, trust me!” Missy shut off the water and joined Teagan at the table while I found my largest platter in the cupboard. The men’s portions were twice the size of the others.

All that was left to do for dinner was take the loaf of crusty bread from the drawer, slice it in half and lather it up with the garlic butter I’d made earlier. This would also be wrapped in foil and added to the embers for just a few short minutes before dinner.

“So, in a nutshell,” Teagan began, “Chase and Jensen were best friends in college. I met them both at Clemson, and Chase and I began dating. He had an opportunity to play with Arsenal, in London before we graduated, but I found out I was pregnant just days before he got the offer. I knew he wouldn’t take it, so I didn’t tell him about the baby. Playing professional soccer was all he wanted.”

“Oh, Teagan, I’m sorry.” I could see that even though they were so happy now, there was a residual pain behind her eyes.

“It was years ago, but I still get so emotional over it.” I could hear her voice tighten up and she dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “Anyway, I planned to follow Chase to London at the end of the semester, but when my father found out I was pregnant, he threatened to smear Chase’s name and ruin his career before it even began. My dad was a state senator and knew everyone, so I believed him. I was dumb and terrified. My father basically disowned me. Jensen was my friend, too, and he went to my father and told him that the baby was his. He did it out of loyalty to me, and to Chase.”

“Wow.” I was mesmerized by her story. I felt so sorry for Chase in that moment and in awe of Jensen.

“Remi was born, and Jensen loved her like his own. We were basically just good friends, but we had Remi to worry about. Then when she was three, she got Leukemia and it was awful.”

“Oh, my God! She looks so healthy.”

“She is now, thanks to Chase. We