Sunny's Love

chapter Eighteen



Things progressed smoothly over the next few weeks. Ali had settled into first grade. Brice loved preschool. The schedule Alma and Sunny had created was working and Sunny was grasping the basics of the business. They hadn’t seen or heard from Lindy or her father. Chase was a bit concerned about what the two of them were planning next, but tried to put it in the back of his mind.

The nights in the Dupont bedroom were filled with passion and love. The evenings were their special time. After the kids were asleep, husband and wife retreated to their own private sanctuary where they discussed the children, work, household issues, and the day they’d just had. They made love every night with the same passion and fire they’d discovered on their wedding night, but neither of them ever spoke the word love.

One Saturday, Chase suggested taking the kids to a pumpkin farm. They’d be able to pick out pumpkins and carve them. At the farm, the family of four had a wonderful time.

“Daddy, I want this big one.” Ali ran to a huge pumpkin and hugged it to her chest.

“Isn’t it a little bit big for such a little girl?”

“No.”

“Okay, this one for Ali girl. Now, Brice, which one do you want?”

The little boy looked around and finally decided on one. “That one,” he said. He pointed to the pumpkin he had chosen, a smaller one, in the next row.

Chase purchased the pumpkins and they made their way to the carving table. Chase helped Brice, while Sunny helped Ali. Soon, they’d achieved the perfect Jack-o-Lanterns. It was time to take them home.

Chase set the Jack-o-Lanterns on the front steps of the house. Sunny snapped pictures of the kids to give to the two grandmothers.

“Isn’t this fun, Chase?” she asked as she watched the children playing later.

“I’m so glad I can share it with you, Sunny,” he replied as he looked at with love-filled, green eyes.

****

A few days later, with Halloween behind them, Sunny realized that Thanksgiving was fast approaching and began working with Alma on a menu for Thanksgiving dinner. She invited both her mother and Chase’s mother.

That night in bed, during one of their end of the day talks, she told Chase about the plans she’d made.

“What are you thankful for this year, Sunny?” he asked as he teasingly began to caress her breast.

“I’m thankful for a lot of things,” she replied, baiting him.

“Name one thing…” He moved to the other breast.

“Ali and Brice,” she answered seriously.

“That’s two things, but I’ll let you go with that, anything else?” He moved to her belly and made light, feathery, swirling patterns with his fingertips.

Sunny shivered, she was getting that tingly feeling that ran the length of her body from her head to her toes. “I’m thankful for my beautiful home.”

Chase laughed and continued with the roaming hand, this time softly caressing her inner thigh. “Anything else you want to add to the list, baby?”

By this time, Sunny was breathing heavily, warmth spreading down her legs.

“I’m thankful for my….ah…job.”

This time, he moved his hand higher. “I think you’d better add something else to the list…”

“Umm…oh…Chase…”

He continued to tease her with his fingers, waiting for her answer. “Tell me what else you’re thankful for this year, Sunny.”

“Oh, God…Chase. I’m. So. Thankful. For. You.”

“That’s it, baby…that’s what I wanted to hear…you can have what you want now.”

He rolled on top of her. Entering her swiftly, he gave her the one thing she desired most in the world. Sunny’s world exploded, a thousand sensations overtaking her being. She cried out, “Chase…oh…my love.”

“Only you…” he whispered then rolled over and pulled her into his arms, placing light butterfly kisses on her forehead, then her cheeks, and finally he claimed her lips in a possessive kiss that warmed her heart as well as her body.

When Sunny woke the next morning, she was still in his arms and he was watching her.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Chase kissed her forehead.

“How long have you been awake?” she asked.

“Not long, did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby, because of you.”

“And all you had to say was you were thankful for me.”

“I am, you know, thankful you came into my life.”

“I’m thankful for you, too, my sweet, sweet Sunny, more than you know. You’ve made my world a happy place and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out. We’re in this for the long haul. That was the deal, so you’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

“Number one, young lady, there is no ‘stuck’ with you. I would never…and I do mean never…want to be without you in my life.”

“I would never want to be without you either, Chase.” She leaned up to kiss him.

“We need to get up…kids to feed…work to do…all that real world stuff,” he reluctantly reminded her.

“The nights are never long enough, are they?”

“No, they’re not. We should plan a weekend away soon. I’ll bet Mom would take the kids for a few days.”

“We could plan to go away after Thanksgiving. We could do some Christmas shopping, spend a lot of time in bed…”

“I’ll make the reservations today.”

“And I’ll ask Marty to take the kids that weekend.”

“Sounds like a plan. Are you coming by the office today?”

“Yes…I’ll be in after I drop the kids off at school. I need to leave when it’s time to pick up Brice though. Alma has a doctor’s appointment today and can’t do it.”

“That’s fine. Alma’s okay, isn’t she?”

“Routine checkup she said. You know that woman is fit-as-a-fiddle.”

They showered and dressed before waking their children. It was time to face another day.