Chapter 30

Kathleen arrived home the Saturday after Thanksgiving, her arms laden with shopping bags and packages. She had spent Black Friday shopping with her daughter. The children buzzed with excitement and danced around her impatiently. Kathleen getting home meant the promise of baking cookies, followed by decorating the Christmas tree.

Jake, Zach, and Lorraine repeatedly defied their mother’s insistence to leave Kathleen alone and let her get settled in from her holiday. They were too anxious to begin the festive fun.

Slater walked into the kitchen, the scent of the baked goods was too much to bear. He needed a taste. “Mm.” He inhaled deeply and spoke to no one in particular. “Smells amazing in here.” He stopped at the counter. His presence was unheard amidst the chaos of decorating sugar cookies. Slater glanced at Lorraine with a smile. His daughter was oblivious to the noise in the kitchen while she concentrated on devouring a candy cane-shaped cookie with at least two inches of frosting on top. Kathleen loaded the dishwasher, a dusting of flour was on her cheek and all over the apron she had on. He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself as he watched Alex chase their two sons around the kitchen as she tried unsuccessfully to remove a tub of frosting from both of their hands. As soon as she removed it from one hand, one of the boys would quickly pass the other tub to his brother. The two of them thought the game was hilarious.

“You are both so hopped up on sugar!” Alex attempted a reprimand and let out a frustrated giggle. “Jake! Zach! The frosting goes on the cookies, you can’t eat pure frosting, it’s gross.”

“It’s good!” Zach declared as he dipped his finger in the jar and scooped up a dollop. Alex grimaced when he scraped the mound off with his teeth and into his mouth.

“Oh, yuck! Yes!” Alex raised her arms in victory when she somehow managed to finagle the tubs of frosting out of both of their hands and placed them on top of the refrigerator out of their reach.

Slater’s grin grew to watch Alex in the chaotic kitchen. She looked nothing like the polished celebrity the world knew her for. She looked normal in black leggings and an oversized t-shirt, her feet bare, light purple polish on her toes. Her hair, once pulled back into a smooth ponytail was now slightly askew with tendrils that escaped and framed her face. Her expression was somewhere between amused and frazzled. He thought she looked adorable.

Lorraine finished off the remnants of her cookie and grabbed her sippy cup. Her eyes focused on Slater as he watched the craziness. “Daddy!” she yelled out with glee. Her cup clattered to the floor as she stood on her chair and held out her arms.

“Not without cleaning that face first.” Kathleen efficiently grabbed a wet cloth and wiped Lorraine’s face free from frosting before Slater could embrace her.

Zach and Jake turned their attention from their mother to their father. The two of them held onto the countertop and jumped in place.

“Tree time!” Jake joined his brother’s laughter. The two of them bounced up and down, making Alex slightly dizzy. “He’s here, we get to decorate the tree.”

Slater accepted a sugary kiss from Lorraine and turned to grin at Alex. “Is this the cookie baking tradition you dreamed about?”

“I envisioned a slightly more organized production, but I guess it’s all part of the experience. You became quite the escape artist,” Alex said knowingly as she wiped the countertop clean.

Alex folded the towel and placed it on the now clean counter. “You may have been able to escape cookie baking, but you’re not escaping tree decorating.”

“Tree! Tree! Tree!” Their three children cried with exuberance as they ran in a circle around them.

“Do you want me to give them a bath first, Alex?” Kathleen asked as she took off her apron and wet a cloth to clean Jake and Zach’s face.

“No, that’s ok. I’ll take care of that after the tree decorating. Let’s get this party started!”

Slater stepped to Alex’s side and kissed her. “Got a little something right here,” he said as he leaned in and licked a spot of frosting off her neck when Alex shivered dramatically and giggled.

“He’s always kissing her,” Zach said to Kathleen as his parents locked lips.

“Yes, he is,” Kathleen answered. “That’s because he loves her. Come, little ones. Let’s go wash hands in my bathroom and give your parents a moment.”

Slater and Alex smiled after the kids as they followed Kathleen with excitement. They all chattered wildly about the pending tree dressing.

“Yeah, they are,” Slater agreed. He kissed her once more. “But something is missing.”

“What’s that?” Alex asked. She looked around the kitchen and at the countertops full of cookies. “There are plenty of goodies to indulge in here. The decorations are all set out in the living room waiting for their little hands to decorate the limbs of the tree they can reach. I’d say we pretty much have it all together.”

“One more what?” Alex wondered. She adjusted her ponytail and reached for a cookie. The treat stopped halfway to her mouth when he shifted his eyes in the direction of Kathleen and the kids and raised a brow. Alex’s lips parted in surprise when she caught his meaning. Her heart beat quickly. “You don’t mean... You can’t mean...” she stammered when he shrugged his shoulders with a nod. “You want another baby?”

“Why not?” He took a step closer to her and chuckled when Alex took a step back. He pinned her against the countertop, his body so close to hers.

She set the uneaten cookie down on the counter. “Well, ok, let’s start with the fact that we have three children, so one more makes four, and that’s assuming we only have one and not twins again.” Her breath hitched on the possibility of another multiple pregnancy. “And there’s Lorraine’s stubbornness at refusing to be potty trained, and the boys have potty mouths, no thanks to you.” She pushed at him to give herself some space to step away from him and pace because the possibility was just too much. “They’re great kids, but come on, Slater, they still come with everything all children come with. They throw tantrums, they teethe, they poop, they refuse to sleep some nights, and you want to add to this?” she asked, her voice incredulous. “God!” She shook her head at him. “You’re not going to stop until we have five, are you?”

“No, we don’t have to have five.” His face was alive with joy at the possibility of one more. “Four sounds like a good, rounded number.” He reached for her arm to stop her pacing, stood before her, and searched her eyes. “If you could see how you are with them, you would understand why I think one more is a good idea. I knew you would be good, Allie. But, you’re amazing with them. You all make me so incredibly happy, what’s wrong with adding one more little Heart to our clan?”

“Oh!” Alex’s eyes teared up at his words. “You say things like that and make it impossible not to think about it, but Slater.”

“We can shelve it for a bit,” he assured her. “But think about it, ok? We make cute kids.”

“How can we not, look who they come from,” Alex pointed out in a rare show of ego. “Slater,” Alex tried to reason with him, to get him to see her side of it. Although she was good with them, it didn’t make motherhood any less exhausting.

“Who’s ready to decorate the tree?” He winked at Alex and turned to the pitter-patter of feet behind him. With ease, he lifted Lorraine into the air and placed her on his shoulders. Her little hands fisted in his hair while she squealed with delight. Slater rushed out of the kitchen and down the hall to the formal living room. Jacob and Zachary ran behind him to keep up.

Alex watched them retreat with a smile, still in thought. Kathleen’s voice brought her out of her reverie.

“You know,” she mused. “When you look at pictures of Slater from the past and see how dangerous he looks, or you read stories of his behavior. You would never believe that number one, he would love being a father so much, and number two, that he’d be so good at it.”

“Yeah,” Alex repeated. She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. “I’m great, just a lot on my mind. Come on, Kathleen.” Alex slipped an arm through hers. “Let’s get this tree decorated.”

The next few hours were nearly as hectic as the cookie baking. The kids were unable to contain their excitement as they rifled through the ornaments and hastily hung them on the closest branch they could reach. It was loud, it was unorganized and Slater loved every minute of it. He meant what he had said to Alex when he told her how amazing she was with them. He watched her with a smile when she picked up Lorraine so she could reach higher branches. He caught her eye and sent her a wink. He knew he had rocked her world with his revelation that he wanted one more baby, but he didn’t care. He also knew that sometimes a little patience was in order to get what you want, and he had experienced that on so many levels from the moment he had first met Alex. Slater stepped to her side, slipped his hand around her waist when they stood as a group, and admired their work. The tree was pretty with the sparkling white lights and the large angel on top. The areas the kids could reach were obvious as the branches drooped under the weight of multiple ornaments hung in the same spot.

He leaned his head close to Alex’s so only she could hear his question. “As soon as they go to bed, are you going to fix all of this?”

“No way,” Alex whispered. She looked on with pride as their children oohed and ahhed over the tree.

“This isn’t killing you?” Slater knew the undecorated spots on the tree would bother her.

“Yes, it is, but it would kill me more to see the disappointment on their faces that I undid all of their hard work. This is what it’s all about, Slater.”

“Yeah, it is.” He pulled her close and kissed her hair. “And that’s just one more thing that makes you an amazing mother.”

“Don’t start that conversation again,” Alex warned with a smile, then turned to the children. “Ok, guys. Tell Kathleen goodnight and let’s go upstairs for a bath.”

Knowing how much the three of them loved the large bathtub and knowing it would make the bath quicker if she bathed all of them at the same time, Alex gave them a nod. Her shoulders shook with laughter when the twins shot up the stairs without a complaint about getting clean and Lorraine followed behind them. Their voices trailed down the stairs as they yelled goodnight to Kathleen. She looked at Slater pointedly. “You’re not getting out of bath time, mister.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Slater replied with innocence. “I’m just going to chat with Kathleen for a second, then I’ll be right up, I promise, Allie.”

“He’s crazy, my husband has gone crazy,” Alex muttered to herself, and closed her eyes when Jake unknowingly splashed her face. “This is nuts.” She tried to gain some control of bath time. The bubbles they had begged for seemed to make the kids hyper. That and the abundance of sugar cookies they had eaten while they decorated the tree. “I can barely control three of you and he wants one more?”

“Who are you talking to, Mommy?” Jake asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Myself,” Alex admitted, as she poured a cup of warm water over Zach’s head to rinse the shampoo.

Zach stood up, wiped water off of his face while goosebumps appeared on his skin, and boldly asked one of his random questions he had started to wonder about his body. “Why does Daddy’s wiener look different than mine?”

“Because Daddy’s older,” Alex pointed out. She smiled when Zach looked down and studied his body intently. “Don’t worry, son. It’ll grow.”

Lorraine stood up next to Zach and compared her body to his. “I don’t got no wiener,” she stated.

“You don’t have one,” Alex gently corrected. “And no, you don’t. Girls are different from boys, honey.”

“What’s mine called?” Lorraine wondered while Alex lathered her hair into thick bubbles.

Before Alex could think of how to answer her daughter, Jacob stood up next to Zach to educate his little sister. “Uncle Chris told me girls have a kitty.”

Lorraine’s little mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ as she held her hands over her privates and sunk down into the tub. Her eyes were wide with wonder. “There’s a kitty cat in there?”

“Oh, my God!” Alex gritted her teeth. She ran wet hands through her hair and the kids fell into a fit of giggles when the bubbles stuck to her head. “I’m going to kill Chris.”

“But I love Uncle Chris,” Zach said, his voice full of worry that his mommy would hurt his uncle.

“I love him too.” Alex wiped her cheek on her sleeve to get rid of a cluster of bubbles. “But he shouldn’t be saying things like that to you. Between him and your father, I swear.” She lowered her voice and whispered to herself, “They’re fucking crazy.”

“Mommy!” Lorraine gasped to hear the word from her mother. It wasn’t unusual at all to hear her daddy say that, but her mommy so rarely used naughty words.

“Sorry. Close your eyes.” Lorraine covered her face so Alex could rinse her hair. She knelt back and watched them as the bubbles started to dissolve, and wondered where the hell Slater was. Bath time was almost complete. “He doesn’t bake the damn cookies. He gets out of bath time. Of course, he wants another one.”

“Who are you talking to, baby?” Slater asked as he entered the bathroom and heard her mumble.

“Myself!” Alex snapped. “Nice of you to show up.” She lowered her voice an octave to imitate him. “ ’I’m just going to talk to Kathleen for a second, I’m not trying to get out of bath time’. Bullshit.”

“Had you helped me with them,” Alex said with forced patience. “I would have stayed dry. I may as well have gotten in here with them.”

“Come in!” Jake loved the idea of her joining bath time fun and tugged on her arm. Zach followed his brother’s movements. All three of them busted into hysterical laughter while they tried to pull their mother into the tub.

“Never!” Alex yelled with humor. She gasped as she jolted forward, then reached out to grab onto something, anything, unsuccessfully when Slater put his arms around her waist and plunged her into the tub with the kids, fully clothed. “Slater!” She sputtered on water. Jake, Zach, and Lorraine all climbed on top of her in the tub. “What the hell was that for?” She sat up, fully drenched. Her clothes stuck to her. The hem of her t-shirt floated to the surface of the water.

“You were messy from baking cookies, too.” He sent her a cocky grin. “Plus, it sounded like you needed to cool off a bit.”

“You’re in so much trouble.” Alex pulled her t-shirt off and turned around so he could unhook her bra.

“Promises, promises.” Slater kissed her shoulder and jerked his head back when Alex tossed her wet t-shirt at him.

“Mommy’s nakey!” Lorraine yelled, full of giggles as Alex wiggled out of her leggings.

“I like your mommy nakey.” Slater held up one of the towels. “Come on, guys. Let’s get you dried off while your mom finishes up in here, then it’s bedtime for all of you.”

Alex took a few minutes to wash herself clean from the evening’s activities and reached for a soft black robe after she dried off. She walked into their bedroom to find three naked children running around their room. Jake picked up the remote and turned on the television.

“Jake, it’s bedtime, turn that off.” Alex reached for the remote and sighed with impatience when he jumped away from her and turned the volume up.

“Look, Mama!” Lorraine pointed to the television as she climbed onto the bed. She jumped up and down in the middle of the mattress without a stitch of clothing on. “It’s your show!”

“Yay, Mama’s show!” Jake joined Lorraine on the bed, quickly followed by Zach. The three of them were naked, excitedly pointing at the rerun of A Step Ahead.

“I was just getting their pajamas,” Slater said as he walked into the room. “See, I’m being helpful.” He set the stack of clothing on the edge of the bed and smiled at Jake.

“Yeah, I know, I heard her. That’s part of the reason I dunked her. How was your bath, baby?” He turned to Alex and wiggled his brows at her when she glared at him and tried not to laugh. “And they pick up all the bad things from me?”

“That was a one-time thing,” Alex said haughtily. “And justified under the circumstances.”

“Look, it’s Aunt Mona!” Zach clapped his hands with glee. “She’s hot!”

“Zach!” Alex reached for him to get his pajamas on. “Where did you learn that?”

“Daddy,” Zach replied with a grin to his father. “He always says you’re hot.”

“Well, that’s nice to know,” Alex decided with a smile. She helped Zach into his Spiderman underwear and pajamas. His hair stood up in spikes when she pulled the shirt over his head. “Yes, Aunt Mona is hot.”

“Not as hot as you, mommy.” Zach winked at her, a new talent he had picked up from his father.

“Thank you, honey.” Alex turned around and grabbed Lorraine’s pajamas off the foot of the bed. She jolted upright when Zach landed a smack on her bottom. “Zachary!” she cried in shock.

“Zach!” Alex gasped. “Where did you learn that? Never mind.” Her head snapped up with a glare when Slater chuckled and high-fived their son. “I have a pretty good idea where that came from. Slater,” she reprimanded. “You really need to teach him to respect women.”

“I respect women, and I respect you.” Slater gave her a quick kiss and a soft squeeze on her bottom. “Can’t help it if my son hears me compliment your ass.”

Alex rolled her eyes and turned toward the bed. “Lorraine, come on. It’s time to get into your Pull-up.”

“Don’t wanna Pull-up!” She jumped in place with Jake. “I wanna sleep nakey!”

“You can’t sleep nakey!” Alex looked to Slater for help while he smiled widely as he watched the chaotic bedtime routine.

“Not for much longer.” Slater snagged Jake off the bed and helped him into his pajamas.

“Daddy’s potty trained,” Alex stated. “You’re not, you stubborn little girl.”

Lorraine stood in front of Alex and twirled a lock of her long red hair around her finger. “Mama sleeps in panties.”

“Yes, I do. And you can sleep in them, too. You just have to not pee the bed.”

Zach, fully dressed and wound up with energy, grabbed the remote off the bedside table and flipped through channels. He stopped on a news show that was talking about the new scandal Ashley was in the center of. A recap of the Slater Heart and Alexandra Lorraine saga was now being aired. Alex rolled her eyes as she caught the topic being broadcast and shook her head at Slater.

“What’s Penthouse?” Jake asked when the periodical was mentioned on the news show.

“It’s a mag’zine,” Zach told him. “It’s in Daddy’s office, I’ll show you.” He jumped off the bed. His feet never hit the floor when Slater caught him around the waist and plopped him onto the mattress.

“Wanna see the Penthouse, show Jake and Lorraine.” He knelt in the center of the bed and bounced in place.

“No.” Slater shook his head, his tone was stern. “You’re not allowed to look at that.”

“I keep hiding the damn thing, he keeps finding it,” Slater said defensively.

“What is it?” Lorraine asked as Alex finally pulled her Cinderella nightie over her head and turned around so she could braid her hair.

“Nothing,” Alex answered quickly. Her eyes popped open when Zach spoke over her.

“What?” He held his hands up innocently. “He opened it once and I took it from him immediately, I swear.”

“You’re nakey in a ‘zine?” Lorraine looked between her parents with wide eyes.

“It’s bedtime,” Alex stated and refused to answer Lorraine. “Come on.” She held her arms out for Lorraine who promptly turned to Slater.

“Ok, kiss.” She smiled as Lorraine planted a loud kiss on her mouth and held her hands out to Jake and Zach. “See you in a few.” She blew a kiss to Slater at the door and turned into Jake and Zach’s room to tuck them into bed.

Half an hour later, Alex returned to the bathroom to clean up the mess left behind and wash her face before bed. She looked into the mirror as Slater appeared behind her. “Is she out?” she asked of Lorraine.

“They have so much energy and fight it so much, but one story and they were both out by the end of the book.”

Slater pulled her hair aside, bared her neck to him, and placed a warm kiss on her as Alex’s eyes fluttered closed. “Will you come downstairs with me?”

“I’m exhausted.” Alex turned to him and leaned against the vanity behind her when he stepped closer to her. “I wanted to get into bed.”

“Please?” he asked. “I have something for you.” He smiled and offered his hand to her when she nodded. He led her out of their bedroom and down the staircase into the formal living room where the tree lights glowed.

She studied the tree with a tilt of her head. “Minus the clustered ornaments, it looks pretty. What did you do?” She pointed toward a large box under the tree with festive wrapping. “Have Kathleen get a head start on Christmas shopping for you?”

“Kind of. It’s a Christmas gift for you, for all of us, but I want you to open it now.”

“I know. This is for Christmas morning. Trust me. Open it, honey. Do you want some wine?” he asked as he picked up an open bottle next to two glasses.

“Always,” Alex replied. She sat on the sofa and scooted over a bit to make room for him. She smiled as he tapped his glass to hers. “Mm,” Alex sighed and set her glass aside. “This is nice.” She looked around the room, the subtle shine of the lights set a quaint mood. She pulled the string on the ribbon of the box, lifted the lid, and looked at the contents inside. “Oh! Where did you find these?” she asked as she pulled out the pairs of pajamas. Two had snowflakes all over them, one in her size and one for Lorraine. She let out a giggle when she held up three pairs of pajamas, one obviously Slater’s size, the other two sets for the boys, with reindeer print covering the garments.

“I had Kathleen on the hunt for these. One cheesy family Christmas photo coming up, on Christmas morning,” he promised her with a kiss. “You mentioned it a long time ago, but we haven’t done it yet. We can start this year.”

“I can’t wait to see you in these.” Alex held up the reindeer pajamas. “And I can’t wait to take the picture. Oh!” She sat up with excitement. “Maybe we should take it earlier and send it as a Christmas card.”

“Don’t push your luck,” Slater mumbled. He took the box and set it aside. “I have one more thing.” He reached behind the sofa cushion and presented her with an envelope.

“What is this?” Alex asked. Her features softened when she saw the return address of her condo at the top left-hand corner of the envelope, the postmark from so many years ago. “This is one of my letters to you.”

“Mm-hmm.” He took a drink of his wine. “Read it.” He watched as she took the page out of the envelope, her eyes filled with tears as she skimmed her words. “Read it out loud, Allie.”

Alex cleared her throat and took a sip of wine to soothe her emotions. Breathing deeply, she read aloud.

Slater,

You’re heavy on my mind tonight. Well, you’re heavy on my mind every night. I’m in Vail, at my condo, spending the holiday here with Mona. It’s Christmas Eve. It’s snowing outside right now, so we’ll have a white Christmas. You know I don’t really like the snow, but there’s something so incredibly romantic about a fireplace and a snowstorm. Throw the tree lights into the mix and it’s magical. Mona went to bed hours ago and I’ve been sitting in front of the fireplace looking at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, thinking about you. I miss you so much, sometimes it hurts.

I’m wondering if we’ll ever spend a holiday together. If we do, I have this dream about sitting in front of the Christmas tree with you, having a glass of wine with you, and you making love to me in the glow of the lights. Will you make that dream come true for me one day?

I’m wondering where you are right now, and if you’re thinking of me. I love you so much, Slater. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You’re always in my heart.

Love,

Allie

She blinked tears out of her eyes, folded up the letter, and placed it in the envelope. Her voice quivered with emotion when she spoke. “I remember writing that letter. I was so sad that night, I didn’t sleep in my room. I woke up Mona and slept with her, I couldn’t be alone after that.”

Slater took the letter from her and set it aside. “Honey, earlier when I told you I got lost in the song while you were baking cookies with Kathleen and the kids, that wasn’t exactly the truth. I keep your letters to me in order of when you sent them, just like you kept mine that way. Sometimes, I’ll pick them at random and read them. That’s what I was doing tonight. I picked up one, and then I got lost in your words. This one was the last one I read before I came downstairs. We’ve come such a long way, baby.”

“Yeah.” Alex shifted to face him and draped her legs over his. “We have.” Her heart started to race when she recognized the gleam in his eye.

Slater took her wine from her and set it aside with the letter. He slipped his arm around her and spoke softly. “There’s no fireplace in this room, and it’s not snowing outside, but we have a Christmas tree.”

Suddenly nervous, Alex felt the blush creep over her body. “I forgot to tell you in that letter, my little fantasy included you wearing a Santa costume.”

“Maybe next year. Come here, Allie.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, his lips met hers.

“Wait, Slater.” Alex held a hand to his chest. “What you said earlier tonight in the kitchen. I’m shocked... I don’t... I didn’t think...” she tripped over her words.

“Allie, it’s ok.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I told you to shelve it.”

“No, not now,” she stated. “I can’t talk about it now. I’m not ready.” She took a deep breath. “I took my pill tonight.”

“Slater.” She tried to stop him again, unsuccessful as he framed her face in his hands and kissed her. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart thumped quickly within as she let herself go in the kiss and matched his fervor.

Lips, tongues, and teeth came together. Alex sighed, then moaned as his mouth moved over hers. His hands roamed over her torso, gripped her waist, slid under her robe and up her bare leg. He unbelted her robe and parted the soft material to expose her body to him. He lowered his head and took her breast into his mouth. Alex inhaled sharply, a soft moan escaped, her head tilted back while he brought her body alive. Electricity slowly sizzled through her. He gave her other breast the same attention, the smell and taste of her were almost too much to bear. Alex pulled him up to her and held him close when their lips met again. His tongue explored her mouth as he gently bit and suckled her lip.

The two of them broke the kiss simultaneously and leaned their foreheads together to catch their breath. Slater searched Alex’s eyes and could see hers as full of the desire he felt. He reached behind her for the blanket that was draped over the arm of the sofa. Standing up, he took Alex’s hand and laid the blanket in front of the tree. They knelt together as one, their lips met once more, as they got lost in one another.

Kathleen opened her bedroom door quietly and walked soundlessly into the kitchen for another cookie and a small glass of wine. The late-night snack sounded perfect. She placed her treat on a plate and poured the wine. Her ears perked up when she heard a noise come from the living room. She smiled to herself, not surprised the kids would try to sneak out of bed tonight to look at the tree. Their excitement from the day was infectious. She wondered if it was just the boys, or had they brought their little sister along for their shenanigans? She set the wine bottle down without a sound and tiptoed down the hall. Her intent was to watch what they were up to before she surprised them that she had caught them sneaking out of bed. She stopped at the threshold of the room, her eyes narrowed in confusion at the sound of movement and soft rustles. Peeking around the corner, her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment when she saw Alex and Slater together on the floor.

She stood frozen, and knew she shouldn’t watch, but was unable to move her eyes away from the bond of love between the two of them. She blinked back to reality when Slater slipped Alex’s robe off her shoulders. The silky garment pooled at her waist with his hand against her lower back. She knew it was time to retreat or catch the live show and have a lot of explaining to do. She smiled to herself, memories of the years with her husband filled her eyes with emotion. She took her wine and cookie, then shuffled quickly back to her room. The door closed quietly behind her, while she let them have their moment.

“Slater,” Alex whispered. She shivered slightly when her robe fell to the floor and waited while he undressed. She pressed her body close to his as he kissed her once more. Her body quivered with desire. As he guided her to the blanket, Alex sighed when his body covered hers. Her arms slipped around his neck, one leg curved around his waist, the other leg was pinned to the floor by his weight. “Oh, Slater,” she moaned as his hand moved between her legs. She arched up to meet him as he touched her expertly, every muscle in her body fought for the peak. A low moan escaped her throat as he devoured her mouth. She pulled away from his kiss and gasped for breath. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her fingers dug into his skin as she arched against him. Everything in her body pulsed, frozen on the sensations as the orgasm shimmered through her. Alex whimpered softly when he leaned his head down, took her nipple into his mouth, and sucked roughly while she peaked. She moaned once more as he slid into her.

“Allie,” Slater gasped, while her hot, wet muscles clenched him. His arms trembled as he braced himself over her, pushed her hair off her forehead, and kissed her softly. Slowly he moved within her.

“Slater,” Alex breathed. Her fingernails raked down his back. “You don’t have to be gentle with me.”

“Jesus, Allie.” He gritted his teeth and thrust roughly into her. Alex matched his movements, the two of them let the moment take over and moved wildly together. Alex wrapped her legs around Slater’s waist, moans and cries filled the room as he ground his hips into hers.

Lorraine sat up in her bed with a gasp. She heard a noise come from downstairs. Her wide eyes blinked slowly. The nightlight cast a safe glow into the pink bedroom. There were no monsters under her bed, Daddy checked twice when he tucked her in. She knew the closet was safe, he had checked that for her three times. She scooted to the edge of the bed and held her stuffed bedtime bunny by the ears. Her little legs dangled over the mattress. She knew Mommy and Daddy didn’t like it when she got out of bed in the middle of the night to sneak into their room. That was fine, she would sneak into Jake and Zach’s room. She pushed the short stool for her dresser in front of the door, stepped onto it, and turned the knob to open it and rushed quietly down the hall to her brothers’ bedroom. Standing on tiptoe, she struggled to reach the knob and fumbled with it as she tried to turn it. Her big brown eyes filled with tears when she heard another noise. She took a deep breath of relief when the knob finally turned. She ran into the room, quickly crawled into bed with Zach, and shook his shoulder to wake him up.

“Zach,” she lisped and stuck her thumb into her mouth for comfort. “Wake up, Zachy, please.”

“What?” Zach mumbled as he blinked his sister into focus. He sat up when he saw her crying and pushed his disheveled hair out of his face. “What’s wrong, Lorraine?” He pulled her into his arms for a hug. He hated it when his baby sister was upset.

Jake sat up in the bed across from Zach and saw him hug their sister. He scooted out of his bed, crawled in next to Zach, and hugged Lorraine from behind. He didn’t know what was going on, but Daddy always made it clear he was to protect his sister no matter what.

The three of them turned their heads toward the door when a louder noise could be heard. Jake locked eyes with Zach. The two of them understood the fear in the other, but more importantly, understood the need to protect.

“We’re being robbed,” Jake declared. His eyes were wide with the knowledge. The three of them gasped when they heard a loud cry.

“That’s Mama,” Zach whispered when Alex’s voice cried out Slater’s name. “She needs Daddy’s help. Someone’s killing her.”

“I don’t want Mama to die!” Lorraine wailed. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

“It’s ok.” Jake patted her shoulder and listened beyond the door. “Daddy’s there for her, he just yelled her name.” He slid off the bed, rushed to the closet, and yanked open the door. He returned to the bed and handed Zach a baseball bat, his own bat over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“No one’s going to hurt them,” Zach said decisively. His chin quivered at the statement as he bravely took the bat from his brother.

The three of them walked cautiously toward the stairs. Once at the top, they stood as a united front at the sound of the noises below. Jacob and Zachary flanked their little sister. The two of them rested their baseball bats on their shoulders. Each of them held one of Lorraine’s hands protectively. They descended the stairs as one.

“God, Allie!” Slater couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t get deep enough into her. The feel of her body surrounding him drove him crazy as he thrust into her with a frenzied urgency. He gripped her wrists in his hands and held her arms over her head. His movements were fast and rough, he kissed her mouth gruffly, then sucked on her breasts. The mixture of pleasure and pain made Alex cry out his name once more. He closed his eyes, his body blissfully ready to let go. He thrust into her harshly while his muscles pulsed with release and collapsed on top of her. The two of them gasped to catch their breath. “Allie,” he whispered against her neck. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too.” Alex held him close. “Merry Christmas,” she said with a soft giggle.

Slater kissed her gently, his lips lingered. He lifted his head and looked up at the sound of movement in the room. He stared straight into three sets of very curious, innocent, and scared wide eyes. Jacob, Zachary, and Lorraine stood at the entrance of the room. The boys with their bats braced over their shoulders, Lorraine between them. All of them had their mouths parted slightly in shock. Keeping collected, he lowered his head and nuzzled Alex’s neck. “Busted,” he whispered into her ear.

“What?” Alex asked dreamily. Her eyes were hooded with relaxation. Confusion crossed her face at Slater’s amused expression. He subtly jerked his chin in the direction of their children just past her head. Alex leaned her head back and got the upside-down view. “Oh, my God!” she cried. She wriggled out from under him and scrambled for her robe, as she tossed Slater his clothes. Hastily, she slipped her arms into the sleeves, quickly belted the tie at her waist, and stood a half step behind him as he hurriedly dressed. The three little ones all stared at their father.

Jacob being the oldest and always wanting to take charge of a situation, spoke up first. “What are you doing?” His eyes darted between his parents.

“Um... uh...” Slater stuttered. He looked behind him to Alex for help, then tugged her forward to stand united with him when she hid her face in his back. “Get your ass up here,” he demanded to his wife with a grin. “We’re in this together.” Alex rested her forehead against his shoulder, unable to look any of them in the eye while Slater tried to think of a response. His eyes flashed quickly to Zach as he spoke.

“Only when she wants me to,” Slater answered honestly. He chuckled softly when Alex elbowed him in the ribs.

“What are you doing?” Jake asked once more, his young voice firm like he had heard his father speak when he meant business.

Slater said the first thing that came to mind. “Uh, dancing. Yeah.” He nodded and looked at his children squarely. “I was dancing with your mom.”

“It’s how mommies and daddies dance.” Slater put his arm around Alex. “Right, honey?”

“Um, yes, dancing,” Alex confirmed. She slid her arm around his waist and sent their children a reassuring smile. She made her face serious and changed the subject. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

“Well, we’re the parents, we get to do whatever we want,” she said profoundly. “And your father and I wanted a moment alone to look at the Christmas tree lights, and then we-”

“Started dancing,” Slater finished for her. He shared a smile with her and knew they would talk about this moment for years.

Alex looked away from Slater, her smile faded at the fear in Zach’s eyes. “Zach?” she questioned when his chin trembled and tears spilled onto his cheeks. “Oh, honey.” Alex knelt, held her arms out to him, and embraced him when he ran to her. He cried softly against her shoulder. “I’m ok,” she reassured her son. She looked up at Jacob while he looked at Slater cautiously. “Jake, why do you and your brother have your baseball bats?”

“Because,” Jake said strongly. He blinked back tears as he adjusted the bat on his shoulder. “We heard noises. We thought someone was hurting you.”

“And you were protecting us?” Alex asked. Her eyes filled with proud tears now as she realized how very much like their father they were. Once upon a time, Slater rushed into her bedroom to protect her as she practiced a scene for an audition for her first movie when he thought someone was hurting her.

“Yes.” Jake nodded as his face broke with emotion. His bat clattered to the floor as he ran to Alex’s arms. He let the tears fall as Alex soothed both of them with her arms around them. She held them close to her with reassuring words that everything was ok.

“I don’t want you to die!” Lorraine wailed. She rushed to Slater and hiccupped with sobs when he picked her up.

“They’ll be ok.” He rubbed Lorraine’s back, placed a kiss on her forehead, and smiled at her. “Right?”

Lorraine snuggled into her father, sucked her thumb, and spoke around it. “Can we see lights, too?” she asked with excitement, all her worries forgotten.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Slater decided. He sat on the sofa with Lorraine. “Allie, come here with them.”

Alex took each of them by the hand and walked to the sofa. The boys stared at Slater with fear as Alex sat down to pull them onto her lap.

“Hang on, Allie.” Slater put his hand on her arm to stop her from snuggling the boys, whispered something to Lorraine, and waited for her to go to Alex. He didn’t like the way his sons stared at him like they suddenly didn’t trust him. It broke his heart to think that they would ever be afraid of him, or think he would hurt their mother. He needed to regain their trust. Ignoring the flinch from Jake, he put his hands around his waist and set him on the coffee table in front of him, did the same thing to Zach, and looked them both directly in the eye. He was silent while he watched them. They were silent as they watched him. It impressed Slater that even though it was clear they were unsure about their father at this moment, neither one of them backed down from his gaze. “First, I want to tell you both how proud of you I am. You thought your mom and I were being hurt and you weren’t going to let that happen. You protected your family and that was the right thing to do.” He reached for their hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Second, I wasn’t hurting your mom. I know it sounded like it and it looked like it, but I wasn’t hurting her. I would never hurt her.”

“That didn’t look like dancing,” Zach stated. All fear was gone now, curiosity was front and center. “What was it?” he demanded.

“It was our way of dancing,” Slater replied. He kept his voice level but stern. “And if I want to call it dancing, I will.”

Jake turned his gaze to her, worry was in his eyes. “It looked like he was hurting you.”

“He wasn’t, I promise you. Parents have different ways of showing their love for each other. Your dad and I kiss and hug... and we... well... sometimes...” Her cheeks burned bright red when she looked to Slater for help.

“Yes.” She nodded with a smile. “Sometimes we dance.” Alex let Lorraine crawl onto Slater’s lap and made room for the boys when they climbed onto the couch between them. “Tell me what you’re wishing for Christmas.”

“I want a Corvette.” Jake smiled at Slater; their parents’ dance was forgotten for the moment when he thought about one day owning a fast, cool car like his dad.

“You spoil them.” Alex put her arms around Zach as he climbed onto her lap. Jake snuggled next to her and leaned his head against her arm, his eyes were getting heavy.

“Sure do,” Slater agreed. He looked at Lorraine. “What do you want for Christmas?”

Lorraine pulled her thumb out of her mouth and smiled at her daddy. “A pony!”

“Done,” Slater promised. “We can’t keep one here, but we’ll make sure you learn how to ride.” He smiled at Alex while she shook her head at him. “Zach, what do you want?”

Zach looked at Alex with a mischievous grin. Wise for his age, he wanted to see his father’s reaction to his outlandish wish. “A spaceship!”

He reached out and tickled Zach’s foot. “If I can find a way to get you a spaceship, I will. Give me some time to come up with a plan.”

They sat and talked about Christmas, Corvettes, ponies, and spaceships while they enjoyed the ambiance. The kids were full of excitement for the upcoming holiday. The three of them eventually fell asleep again. Lorraine snuggled in Slater’s arms in a deep sleep. Zach slumbered on Alex with his head against her chest. Jake was fast asleep with his head in Slater’s lap and his feet draped over Alex’s legs. The parents shared a look of love, the two of them smiled together at being caught.

“This is a different kind of afterglow,” Slater decided. “What do you want for Christmas?”

“I have everything I could ever want.” She smiled lovingly at their children. “What do you want for Christmas, Slater?” She knew what his answer was going to be and watched as he looked at each one of their children with adoration and gave her a subtle shrug. “You really want one more?” Alex asked, her eyes filled with emotion.

Alex shook her head to clear it. The possibility of another child was not unpleasant, but still daunting. “Between recording an album, filming a movie, and temporarily moving to Vegas, you want to add another baby into this?”

“Sure do.” Slater grinned at her. He knew she wasn’t quite ready to take that step, but she was thinking about it, and that’s all he was going to ask for.

Slater adjusted Lorraine in his arms and gently nudged Jake forward so he could scoot closer to Alex. He leaned in to kiss her. His lips were warm and soft on hers, the love for her and their family was so clear. “We’ll figure it out, Allie.” He smiled against her mouth as her body shook with soft laughter and kissed her gently once more. “We always figure it out.”