Free Poppy's Present (Poppy's Place) by Stephanie Beck Page B

he was jetlagged. She took the middle of the large mattress and picked up one of the many electronic tablets Trevor kept around.
    She opened it to find the battery nearly dead, but sent him a message on it anyway. He’d called earlier in the evening and talked with the girls and with her for a while. It had been nice, but she wanted him home.
    P: I miss you. Today got long.
    She snuggled down in his bed, not expecting a reply. His game design crew met every six months and made the most of their time together—often programming and planning all night. He’d invited her to go along, but the singularly horrible and boring experience of her first one—where the energy drinks had flowed like wine and conversation circled around bytes and mythical lands, made her all too happy to send him alone.
    The messenger program dinged.
    T: You are the sexiest, most amazing woman in the whole fucking world. The guys are putting together a new female character. I told them if they wanted to make her truly remarkable, they’d give her auburn hair, six freckles on her nose, an apple bottom, and a little Texas twang.
    Her heart melted. She loved her men so much. They adored and understood her on levels still growing. Even her blood relatives didn’t care enough to “get” her. Trevor, Cody, and Michael, each in his own way, strove to make her feel special.
    P: And?
    T: They went with big boobs and a sword. Obvious, sexist fuckers. I’ll be home a little later tomorrow because my flight was changed. Another fucker involved, if you can believe it.
    Six years together and though he didn’t swear in front of the kids, he made up for it in text format.
    P: Bummer. I’ll be ready for you. I’m sleeping in your bed.
    T: Take off your panties, will ya?
    She smirked, but tucked her orange bikinis under his pillow.
    P: Done.
    T: You are the best wife ever. I can’t wait to be home. Dream of me, okay?
    The battery blinked, threatening shutdown. She quickly tapped out a response.
    P: Will do. Love you.
    The screen blacked out after she hit “send.” She hated not having a final response from him, but put the tablet in its place. She’d charge it the next day, and even better than texting, Trevor would be home.

Chapter Three
     
    The sound of little feet running down the hall woke Poppy before the early morning sunshine. She enjoyed waking up to light on her face, but as she peeled her eyes open, she realized there was only darkness—which meant she’d slept in Trevor’s room where his blackout curtains let him sleep anytime. And she wasn’t alone.
    Cody stretched out on her left, Michael on her right. She wiggled up to sitting and looked down at her men. Exhaustion showed on both faces, the creases deeper on Michael’s face, but though seven years younger, Cody had plenty of wrinkles from squinting into the sun.
    Rugged. Even sleeping—Michael in a white t-shirt, Cody bare chested—both looked rough and tumble. She ran her fingers through Cody’s hair. He worked so hard on the ranch, but they were coming close to the months when he could relax a bit. When the twins started kindergarten, he’d have time to take them to school and help with homework. They’d all have more time. She should have known early summer would be a challenge. It always was.
    She shifted her hand to Michael. He studied through the summer with hopes of finishing early and being able to work from home while the kids were still young. He’d get there. She leaned down and kissed his cheek.
    His eyes flew open, the blue gaze piercing and alert.
    “I’m sorry I let you go to bed alone.”
    She leaned down and pecked his nose. “I knew better than to try to seduce you on your class connect night.”
    He shook his head. “No, it’s my fault. I’m too busy. It’s not fair to you. I’m going to take the girls to the library so you can have the morning to yourself. How’s that sound?”
    “Sounds very sweet. They’ll love it.”
    Cody’s warm arm crept around