Blinding Trust (Mitchell Family, #7)(56)

When we got home, we were all too tired to go to my mother’s for dinner. The little one’s were wide awake, but they were too busy making more wedding plans. I had no idea what that actually entailed, but they were quiet and it wasn’t because they were doing something bad.

Noah sat next to his mother on the couch and they started watching some crazy show about a man from Kentucky that caught wild animals with his bare hands. The one thing I hated about the show was that it made Kentucky seem like none of us had any teeth. Since not one person in my family was missing any teeth, I knew it didn’t apply to everyone. Sure, I knew a couple farmers that had let their mouths go to shit. We took care of our teeth.

As much as I hated his hygiene, the show was catchy and I found myself cuddling next to my wife watching it.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting and we hadn’t had anything to eat. As a treat, I decided to take out the family to our favorite steak house. Nothing felt better than to walk into a public establishment with my wife and kids at my side.

When we all got seated in an extra large booth, I looked around the table at them and thought about how precious they were to me. I loved my life and imagining spending a second without my wife was enough to rip my heart straight out of my chest.

While everyone enjoyed their food, I found myself dwelling on Savanna. It pained me that she’d left me out, but I understood why she had. Our children were always her first priority, even when it put her needs on the backburner.

I think she knew what I was doing. She looked right at me and gave me one of her looks. If she could be strong, than I was going to have to do the same. The next few days of not knowing were going to be the hardest. With optimism running in the opposite direction, we needed to find a light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t let myself think about a life that didn’t include my beautiful wife.

Suddenly, being out in public wasn’t where I wanted to be. I wanted to be home, with my wife and kids. I wanted to have her in my arms, holding her tight. She needed to know that I wasn’t going to give up, no matter what those results said.

I held Savanna’s hand on the ride home, while listening to three kids argue about what movie they wanted to watch during the ride. She kept looking at me as I drove and I would squeeze her hand so she knew I was paying attention.

By the time we got home it was around nine. The girls were yawning and even Noah seemed like he was tired. Since it was a Friday night, they didn’t have a bedtime. After the girls got a bath, they both settled in and went to sleep in their beds. They’d be in our bed at some point, but for the time being, our king size bed was free.

Noah came downstairs after getting his shower. He handed his mother his IPod. “Mom, I can’t figure out to remove songs. Can you do it for me?”

She grabbed the device and started looking through the songs. “When did you put these on here?”

His face turned red. “I did it before we went to California. Dad already punished me.”

“This is what you want removed?” She asked.

“Yeah. Just take them all off. I didn’t like them anyway.”

Savanna smiled and looked over at me. “Son, I’m sorry we wasted our time goin’ to California. I know you had high hopes of knowin’ your uncle. It’s a shame he turned out to be such a turd, but you need to know it had nothin’ to do with the type of boy you are. Some people can’t see a good thing even when it bites them in the tail.”

“Uncle Zeke was cool at first. I thought I wanted to be like him. He lived in a house bigger than Grandma’s. But…he was a jerk. I saw him kissin’ a lady that wasn’t Piper. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you would hate him. I hate him, though. I hope I never have to go back there again.”

Savanna reached out and grabbed his arm. “Noah, you don’t ever have to go there again. If someone tries to make you, I will bust them up.”

Noah’s eyes got huge. He looked at me and we both started laughing, because the idea of Savanna beating someone up was just absurd. She couldn’t hurt a fly.

“Keep laughing you two. I’ll show you how tough I can be when it comes to my kids.”

Savanna grabbed Noah and pulled him down on the couch. She started tickling him. He was screaming and laughing at the same time. Finally, when he pulled the ‘I can’t breathe’ card, she settled down. “I missed you, Mom.”

Savanna hugged him again. “I missed you too, buddy.

“As much as I love to see you two happy again, I think it’s time for us old folks to get to bed. I mean, if you want your mom to still look pretty, she really needs that beauty rest.”

Savanna pushed me. “That’s so wrong!”

“Can we have pancakes tomorrow morning?” Noah didn’t even get my joke.

“Of course we can.” Savanna poked him in his nose. “You have to set the table.”

He started walking up the stairs. “I will. Goodnight!”

I reached out for Savanna. “Come with me.”

She grabbed my hand and let me pull her up off the couch. I pulled her closer, forcing her body against my hard chest. Her hands slid up to my shoulders. My hands ran down her little waist and got comfortable on that fine ass. I squeezed her cheeks, pulling her into me more. Then I kissed the side of her face. “I want to take you upstairs.” I teased her lips with mine “I want to undress you, slowly.” I kissed her gently, letting my tongue drag over her bottom lip. “Then I want to be inside of you, darlin’.”