Page 15 of The Summer Save
He’d taught me from an early age to never put someone on speaker, even in an empty room, without telling them. It was one of the things he drilled into my brothers and me about how to be respectful in business. “As are you. I’m in the home office. Only your mother is home, and she’s tending to her roses. I saw your text earlier this afternoon and haven’t had a chance to call until now. Or, more accurately, I haven’t had more than a few moments available to call. And something told me this was more than a two-minute conversation.”
Around the twelfth hole on the course, the solution to my dilemma hit me. I knew how to keep my retirement promise to Annie and how to meet my obligations to my family. I just needed their buy-in. Technically, I should have talked to Annie first, but if my father had declined, then he would have gotten my resignation from both the Caribou and the foundation. I didn’t need the entire summer to know I’d always choose life with Annie by my side over anything else, no matter what. “I need my temporary move out of the GM role with the team to be permanent and I need to pass that obligation to someone immediately. PJ’s not ready. He’s loving his current role and will eventually take on bigger roles with the coaching staff. We’ve never had someone other than a Kennedy running things. But everyone agreed Curtis was the ideal person to take my spot for the year while I got the foundation off the ground. When I first approached him about it, I asked if he’d be willing to do more than a year. He said he was available for three to five years, then he would retire. He’s turned down opportunities to interview for positions with other teams because he wants to retire as ‘Once a Caribou, Always a Caribou,’ for both player and coaching career. What do you think about Curtis taking the GM position while we put PJ through a three- to five-year training to take over? Maybe in the final two years, he steps into the role and Curtis stays on as advisor?”
The sound of his pen tapping against his wooden desk told me he was thinking through the pros and cons. He was always silent while he made a mental list of why something would or wouldn’t work. “My rule has always been family in the GM roles because, at the end of the day, this is a family business. But sometimes, for the good of the business, you make an exception. Bennett was our ace in front of the net for years. He’s developed an incredible goaltending program throughout our organization. Over the years, he’s become like a son to your mother and me. The position is his if he wants it. Have him call me. I’ll get the paperwork drafted. What will you be doing with your free time?”
My knife scraped against the cutting board as I chopped the lettuce for our salad. “Enjoying life in Seaside with Annie.”
His grumble was a familiar sound. You didn’t grow up with Patrick Kennedy as your father and then business mentor, without hearing the roar of frustration and disappointment a few times a month. “This is unexpected.”
I knew he was disappointed, but I wasn’t done yet. I had plans for the foundation that still included me coordinating things. “Dad, hear me out. The foundation needs a full-time coordinator and someone to handle the financial aspect. But I don’t have to be in San Francisco for that day-to-day operation. I can do that from here and then come to the city for board meetings and events. Virtual meetings are not only more easily accessible than they were when you started the KSG, but they’re actually preferred by most attendees. It takes less time. They’re more productive without the travel time to and from the meetings. That’s why we allow our employees a flexible schedule to work from home. I can work on it from Seaside and then come into the city.”
It was at that moment that I heard Annie’s voice as she came into view in front of the counter bar that separated the living space from the kitchen. Her fingers gripped her hips, and her bare foot tapped against the hardwood floor. With narrow eyes and a scrunched face, she screamed out, “Are you kidding me? Are you working? You lied to me! This is our time, Jonas. You promised.”
My father cleared his throat to make his presence on the speaker known. “Jonas, you have things to discuss with Anne Marie. I’m fully on board with this decision. Once you two work it out, draft up how you’ll handle the workload and send it to me. I’ll notify your brothers once I receive your plan. Anne Marie, give him a chance to explain.” Without waiting for either of us to respond, he disconnected the call.
I was already on the other side of the bar, chasing after Annie as she made her way toward the hall. I stepped in front of her, blocking her path. My arm wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly against me. Her hair was still slightly damp, and my fingers cooled as I cradled her head in my hand. “I didn’t lie. I was going to tell you this at dinner. I even wrote a question on one of the blank conversation cards and placed it toward the top of the deck. I wanted to surprise you.”
Her attempt to move out of my embrace didn’t work the way she planned. Instead, I tightened my hold. This just added fuel to my feisty wife’s raging temper. Her hands slammed against my chest. “I’m so angry with you right now all I want to do is slap you, but I refuse. You lied. You’re planning to work from Seaside? Fine do it. But not here. Pack your stuff and get out.” She arched her back in an attempt to break free from my hold. “Let me go.”
“No. Not until you hear me out.” I took advantage of the moment she stopped wiggly to scoop her into my arms and carry her to the couch. “You’re going to sit here and let me explain.”
It didn’t go unnoticed that she didn’t shift to sit next to me instead of on my lap when she folded her arms and huffed as she stared out the window across the living room instead of looking at me. Taking that as her only response, I continued. “You heard a few words at the end of a conversation. If you had been in the rooms a few minutes sooner, you would have heard me tell my father I was stepping down as the Caribou’s GM permanently. Curtis Bennett will take the helm for three years, then PJ will step into the role. Curtis will remain on as PJ’s advisor for two years. That fits his three-to-five-year plan before retirement. And it gives PJ time to develop some skills and train in other positions.”
She turned to look at me with softened eyes, no longer ready to breathe fire or smack me across my face. “So, what did I hear about getting work done and heading home?”
My hand rested against her cheek. “First, you heard me say the city, not home. We’re home, sweetheart. I don’t need the entire summer to know this is the best place for us. And it’s not some magical spell we fall into when we return to Seaside. We’ve always been best when we are together, working side-by-side on a shared goal. We’re no longer chasing a career or raising children. Our goal is to enjoy retirement. It’s time to travel, attend events because we want to be there, not out of obligation, and for our schedule to revolve around what adventure we want to have next, not the hockey season or your performance schedule. What you heard was me telling my father that if you were okay with it, I’d run the financial side of the foundation from here. We’d have virtual meetings as needed. Only when necessary can I travel to the city for our annual or biannual meetings. We’ll have someone else running the day-to-day aspect. I’m purely the numbers guy tracking the money and filing the financials. But if you don’t want me to do that, I’ll pass the responsibility to someone else. I never needed the summer to know I would do anything necessary to have you by my side for the rest of my life. Like I told you almost thirty years ago, while we stood on the beach in front of our friends and family. The only life I want is the one with you. My promise to follow you anywhere wasn’t just to ask for a trade to be closer to you if you went to a different symphony. It was for anything, sweetheart. The only thing I need in my life to be happy is you.”
Her lips found mine, and we instantly melted into each other. Each kiss and touch was more needy than one before. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and carry her to our bedroom. Not one of the two we’d been sleeping in this past week, but ours. The one I planned on us being in every night for the rest of our lives. Or at least when we weren’t traveling. “Bed, Annie. Can I take you to bed?”
“Please,” she moaned as I nipped her lower lip.
Just as I stood and placed her on my shoulder, the oven timer rang. “Dammit,” I mumbled as I set her on her feet. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
I pulled the pizza from the oven and placed it on the cutting board, then turned off the oven before sprinting into the living room. Annie squealed with delight as I tossed her over my shoulder and ran down the hall.
My butt bounced against the bed as Jonas tossed me into the center. I was suddenly incredibly thankful for only putting on a tank top and cotton sleep shorts after my soak. And for taking time to shave and apply body oil. As soon as I lifted the bottom of my shirt, Jonas growled, “Stop!”
I immediately released my grip on my top. “What’s wrong?”
He threw his shirt onto the chair in the corner, then tugged on his athletic shorts. “That’s my job, sweetheart.”
Completely distracted by my husband’s body didn’t come close to describing me at this moment. My eyes wandered from his eyes to his chest, admiring the tattoo he had done to represent our family after we decided two children completed our family. He placed each of our star signs inside his family’s crest over his heart. Our anniversary date in Roman numerals sat between our signs. Each of our children’s birthdays was below theirs. When he showed it to me, he told me he wanted to carry our family in his heart each day. My hand slid down his stomach. There had once been rock-hard abs with that delicious V-shaped indentation so many Romance novels describe. The V was long gone but definitely not forgotten, and the abs were a little less defined but still noticeable. It had been so long since we were together I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to whatever expectations we both had for this moment.
“Sweetheart, if you keep caressing me like that with your mouth slightly open and eyes filled with lust, I’m not going to last more than a minute once I’m inside.” His mouth lowered to press against my ear. “It’s been so long. How did we let this happen? I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’m going to make it up to you. I have a year to make up for. You’ve never stopped looking at me with nothing but love in your eyes. Yet, I’m certain the times I’ve seen you standing in front of the mirror, fretting over a new gray hair or wrinkle, is because I stopped showing you how beautiful you are and how you drive me wild. I’ve said it, but I didn’t show you.”
Tears trickled out of the corner of my eyes. Hearing him say it made me realize he was right. When Jonas stopped the physical attention and rushed through anything as if it were an obligation, my self-esteem tanked. I needed to know my husband found me attractive, and it had to be more than words. His thumb wiped the tears. “I love you, Annie.”
“I love you,” I whispered as I held back the remaining tears. The last thing I wanted to do was stop this. I needed him.
His hands slipped under my shirt and gently massaged my breasts while his mouth covered mine. Once his strong hands covered my tiny globes, I felt his reaction to my body against my thigh. Knowing all it took for him to become around was his hands on my boobs, all my self-doubt faded. I reached for him and gently stroked him. He’d been the one to teach me everything, so I knew exactly what he liked. Before Jonas, I’d never done anything more than kissing and light groping over clothing.
“If you keep stroking me like that, I’m going to come all over your stomach long before I have a chance to get you off. And you know that’s never allowed. Ladies first, sweetheart.”
Between his fingers, mouth, dick, or even a vibrator, Jonas had kept his promise about that since the first time. He always took care of me before I reciprocated or before he slipped inside me. I wanted to try something different this time. This wasn’t something I offered often. It wasn’t that I hated it. It just wasn’t a favorite. But I wanted to tonight. “Not my stomach, my mouth.”
His hands gripped my shorts, and he yanked them off me. “Thank goodness, no panties. Spread your legs, sweetheart,” he commanded while he pulled my tank top off me. “Do you still have the toy we used to leave in the nightstand?”
“And about three more. I just put new batteries in everything. I was sort of hoping we were getting close to needing them,” I shyly admitted. This also wasn’t the time to tell him I’d had to replace the one he was referring to about six months ago because I’d worn it out.