The Coast is Clear (Breakaway Shores #1)

Zander

Sunshine

The drapes in my room were not equipped to keep the sunlight out. I tried to turn away from the window, but I couldn’t go back to sleep. I’d been telling myself to get new drapes for the last year and a half, but I never did. It had honestly not bothered me much before.

But now, I really wanted to just stay in bed, even if it was on the floor, without the annoyance of the bright sunlight.

I glanced up to see Izzy lying on her side, softly snoring in my bed. The floor had not been my first choice, but it was the right call. I wanted our first sleepover to be a little more special and without Dee’s new boyfriend downstairs. Dee’s boyfriend.

She’d had boyfriends before but none that seemed serious. She seemed kind of serious about this guy, and that gave me some serious anxiety. I kept thinking about what Marco would have thought about him. And if he would have been sterner or interrogated him more.

“Mommy?” Kingston’s little voice whispered through a tiny opening in the door.

“I’m here, bud,” I said, sitting up on the floor. Kingston’s eyes locked onto mine in an instant, and he ran toward me, stepping over the blanket to sit beside me. “How did you sleep?” I asked him, pushing back his long blonde hair from his face.

He laid down, resting his head on the pillow I’d been using. “Good.”

“Is Christian still asleep?”

“Yeah.” Kingston looked up at me, “Is Mommy leeping?” His misspoken word made me smile.

“She is sleeping. Should we go get some breakfast and let her sleep longer? I was going to make some pancakes.”

His eyes went wide. “Pancakes!” He said it a bit too loud, and Izzy stirred in the bed. Kingston laid on his back, his eyes on his mother.

Izzy’s eyes opened slowly, and a smile filled her face. “Well, good morning, little boy.”

“ is making me pancakes.”

I chuckled, and Izzy snuggled into her pillow before her eyes flicked to mine. “How did you sleep down there?”

“Oh, I’m going to need to stretch later, but it wasn’t too bad.” I lied, and her cheeks warmed with color.

Kingston hopped up, pulling on my arm. “Let’s go. Let’s go.”

“Okay, but first, Mommy needs a good morning kiss. Don’t you think?” And part of me felt a twinge of embarrassment at calling her mommy. Oops.

Kingston crawled up onto the bed, giving Izzy a big kiss on her cheek. I leaned down, putting a hand on either side of her, and she grabbed my face and pulled it down to hers. Our lips met with passion behind them, and the kiss radiated throughout my body. Maybe she liked it when I called her mommy.

I had the idea while Kingston was sitting at the breakfast bar drowning his pancakes in syrup. I kept replaying the kiss in my head, and I wanted nothing more than to head upstairs to Izzy and lock the door. But we had a house full of kids.

Kids I adored, but kids all the same. I wanted to have a night to ourselves. A real date. One where Izzy could relax, knowing her boys were taken care of and just enjoy herself.

Christian was still sleeping, and Dee and Matt were gone, the blankets on the couch folded back in a pile. Dee had left a note they’d gone for their hike and would be back after lunch.

Izzy came down for a quick moment and told me she was going to shower, and I grabbed my laptop. It was time to plan the perfect surprise.