Page 44 of Black and White, Twice the Might (Cadenbury Town #8)
I wake up the next morning, and lie there for a moment, thinking that I need to get up and get Sly’s coffee and make sure the boys are awake. I go to move when I remember I don’t need to do any of those things, as I’m lying in my own bed.
Sly turns over and faces me. He’s awake and smiling. He moves his face and brushes his nose against mine. “Morning, sweetheart. I still can’t believe we’ve slept in our own bed again.”
“I thought the exact same thing. Give us a few months, and this won’t feel so strange.”
Sly nods, his eyes twinkle. “That’s true. Guess what I’m going to do this morning?”
“What?” I hope he’s going to say he’ll ravish me.
“I’m going downstairs and having breakfast in my pjs.”
“So not what I was imagining then, but we can do that.” Indeed, I can’t remember the last time we did that. Not since we started our nomadic life.
Sly smirks. “And just what Mr Anderson-Sherwood were you imagining?”
“Nothing much,” I tease and sit up.
Sly grabs me and pulls me back down.
Somehow, I am now lying under him. “Yes, I might have been imagining this.”
Sly drips his head and kisses my nose. “Your imagination is better than mine.”
I nod and loop my arms around his neck. “It really is, now ravish me, husband.”
“Always,” Sly replies, and he does indeed ravish me.
We make it down to the kitchen sometime later, both of us washed and dressed and ready to start our day. I’ve just started fixing breakfast for the four of us when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll go,” Sly says, walking towards the front door.
I have a peek and see Sly helping a delivery driver. I leave him to it and go back to making breakfast.
The boys come sliding into the kitchen, dressed and laughing.
“I call that a draw,” I tell them.
“It probably was,” Enoch agrees, practically bouncing to my side to see what I’m making. “Fruit again?”
“Gah,” I hear Xander say, as he flops down onto a chair.
“I’ve actually made porridge, and the fruit is toppings for said porridge.”
“Porridge, really?” Xander jumps up and goes over to look at the bubbling saucepans. He picks up the spoon and gives it a stir. “We’ve not had porridge in forever.”
Enoch moves to the larder. “I’ll grab the jam, then set the table.”
I chop the last bit of banana and add it to the dish. “Thanks.” I carry the dish over and see the boys sat waiting eagerly. I laugh as I go back and bring the saucepan over and put it down on some mats.
Sly walks in, just as we start dishing the porridge out. “Just what we need, it’s freezing outside.”
I pass him a bowl as he sits down. “What was delivered?”
“Two chairs, the rug, Xander’s blinds, and a few other bits,” he replies, adding some fruit to his bowl. “I’ll read the blind instructions later and see what I need to put them up.”
Xander smiles at him. “Thanks, Sly.”
“After breakfast, boys, can you help me start taking the boxes to my workshop?”
“We can do that, Eb,” Enoch says brightly.
“I was going to do some work, but there’s more shopping that we need. Once you guys have helped Ebby, do you want to come shopping?”
I silently laugh. There is no way my brothers will turn down a shopping trip.
“Of course, we’re coming,” Enoch replies, scraping his bowl.
“Yeah, we might find more stuff for our rooms,” Xander says, licking his spoon.
“And maybe some more clothes,” I comment.
“We’ll have fun and see what’s about. It’s a giant mega store, so it will cover pretty much everything,” Sly says.
I shake my head at him and pull my phone out of my pocket, and after finding the list I need, I send it to Sly. “I’ve just sent you my shopping list. If you add what you and the boys need, you’ll be able to stick to it.”
Sly nods, looking serious, but there is mischief in his eyes. “Sure, we can do that, sweetheart.”
He so doesn’t mean that. “But first we’ll tidy the kitchen and start taking boxes down to my workshop,” I say, standing and starting to collect the empty dishes.
In no time at all, the kitchen is tidy, and my younger brothers start helping me carry my boxes down to the workshop.