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A h thein the holiday décor The , the candy canes hanging fro and the Santa Claus at the far corner, all rerown up in Florida, she didn’t need snow or cold weather to tell her it was the holidays She’d take her seventy degree Miami weather any time

She walked past Santa’s set up The line for the jolly hout the entire first floor filled with rateful she and Ian had brought their daughter, Rainey, and son, Jack, to an Her four-year-old had taken one look at Saint Nick and screaraph they’d taken hadn’t been the happy one they’d hoped for

Today, she was alone and on a ood reason to get a head start She didn’t have much family, just her stepmom, Melissa But Ian… when she’d e, extended family

Ian had four siblings – two brothers and two sisters – each of them married, tith kids Ian also had two step brothers – one of which was married, and a step sister And if that crazy aifts for, his New York fa three cousins, all married, two of whom also had children

Was it any wonder she was laden with bags and gifts and utterly exhausted? But she loved everything about her life… except her daughter’s night terrors Rainey woke theh the pediatrician proh the painful shrieks wasn’t easy andthe day Not to reat sleeper… and life wasn’t easy at the moment

She could have done her shopping online but there was nothing like seeing so the perfect gift for each person Besides, her mother in law loved to spend time with Rainey and Jack, so she’d freed Riley up to shop

Oh! She’d forgotten her mother in law, Emma and her husband, Michael! Two more people to add to her list She walked to the side of the aisle and dropped her bags close to the wall She began to dig through her purse for her list She hadn’t put it on her phone, preferring a handwritten page she could cross out andher head at her forgetfulness

Before she could gather her bags again, her cell rang She pulled it out of her purse and saw Ian’s name on the screen “Hi,” she said, more breathlessly than she’d like

“Hi, baby How’s it going?”

She laughed, a wry sound escaping her lips “My shopping list is growing Are you sure your faer as we speak because it sure feels like it is”

He laughed “I told you to let ifts”

“And I told you that’s rude,” she chided

“So? I don’t like how exhausted you sound”

She smiled at his protective tone of voice Over the years, he hadn’t mellowed and she understood the way he expressed his love Ian could be… overbearing but he adored his family and felt it was his job to care for them all

And she wanted to be the one who took care of him It was just that lately, she was always so exhausted Too tired for dinners out alone, too tired for her to cook his favorite meals, and too tired for sex… and that wasn’t like her… or them Not at all From the minute they’d met, the sexual attraction had been off the charts and he’d never hesitated to tell her exactly how much he wanted her, how he intended to take her, and follow through on every word Those days felt like a long, long tio not a few short years

“Don’t worry I’h her list was extensive and long, she’d been working her way through it But she was dragging more with each step and she didn’t want hi trip another time

“I’ the office now I’ll meet you at home,” he said He was the owner of the Miami Thunder football team and his work never ended, but this was early for him to take off for the day

“Is everything okay?” she asked

“It’ll be better soon”

She frowned at the cryptic answer “Ian –”

“Love you, baby See you in a few” He disconnected the call before she could reply “I love you too,” she muttered

She gathered her bags up in her arms and decided she’d head home and meet her husband She’d have to pick up Rainey and Jack from her mother in law’s, but she wanted to see Ian first

A little while later, she walked into the house, having noticed his car parked in the garage She dropped the bags on the h the kitchen

“Ian?” she called out