Wildest Dreams

"You were right." I tell Samantha as I stare out at the backyard where Cash and Mia are sitting in the grass playing with toy cars, Bella laying beside them, appearing to be asleep but I know she's just waiting for even the smallest cry of discomfort from the kids so she can fuss over them. She's the perfect babysitter.

I have the windows open in Cash's room to air out the paint fumes and I can hear the soft sounds of Mia and my son exchanging sweet toddler conversation. The California breeze blows through the new snow white drapes I had just bought creating a calm in the room.

"About?" She turns to me with a grin, a smear of grey paint on her cheek and a few spatters in her blonde hair, a paint roller in one hand. I step back up onto the ladder to finish hanging the white curtains in Cash's room and ignore her. "Come on, Mariah. You can't leave me hanging like that." She comes over to me and threatens to press the paint roller to the back of my jeans with a playful glimmer in her eyes. "Something happened with you and Matt, didn't if?" I pause before looking down at her.

"More than something." I bite my bottom lip and slip the last of the fabric onto the curtain rod before stepping back down from the ladder.

"Tell me or so help me God I will paint roll every inch of you I can reach." We both laugh as she comes over to check on Mia through the window. "I've got to get myself a Golden Retriever."

"Bella is so good with kids. Cash was playing on the patio the other night while I was just inside the kitchen cooking dinner. He slipped and scraped his knee and she was barking at me from the door before Cash even started crying."

"That's incredible. Let me know if you see any puppies for sale. Mia has been asking for a dog for weeks. Got to make sure I get her one before Carter." She says with a grin. "Now, what happened with Matt?"

An unconscious smile forms as my mind wanders back to two nights ago. I've been replaying it in my head over and over ever since.

"You so slept with him!" Samantha taunts. "Look st your guilty face!"

"Not so loud!" I whisper while grabbing her hands as she all but jumps up and down with joy.

"Why? It's not like he's home to hear us." I glance down at the watch I'm wearing.

"It's three. He will be home anytime so please shush." She squeezes my hands with excitement and shakes my arms. I roll my eyes at her childlike enthusiasm and laugh.

"He is one hot piece of ass, Mariah. You needed that." Samantha let's go of me as she goes back to rolling the pale grey paint onto the walls. "Was it mind blowing?" I lean back against the window sill and close my eyes for a second.

"The best sex of my life." I whisper out, still afraid Matt might pop his head in at any time.

I hear Bella whining from the backyard and I turn my attention to the kids. They're oblivious to whatever Bella hears as she stands at attention, tail wagging and excited cries loud enough for me to hear upstairs. She stands between the kids and the house and when the gate of the fence unlocks and swings open to reveal Matt she's a flurry of golden fur as she greets him with kisses and barks.

Cash stands from his place in the grass and I watch him toddle over to his father as fast as his little legs can carry him with a smile on his face. Matt kneels down and holds his arms open for his son who leaps into them as soon as he's close enough. Matt tosses the toddler into the air and all I can hear is a fit of giggles. Mia stands and runs over to Matt, wanting in on all the fun. Matt bends down to lift her into his other arm, holding each kid on one hip, and spins them around in fast circles.

Samantha comes over and points out the window.

"There really isn't much sexier than a good dad."

"Oh, shut up." I nudge her with my shoulder as we both giggle. "Let's take a break from all this." I motion towards the half finished room for my son.

"Good idea."

"We have beer. You want one?" I ask her as we make our way downstairs.

"Sure." I grab a few from the kitchen on our way out to the patio and I toss one to Matt before cracking one open for myself. The kids are chasing Bella around the yard so I sit down in a cushioned lawn chair to watch.

Matt comes over and leans down to press a kiss to my lips, one hand holding firm to my chin to keep me against him a second longer than expected.

"We are going to cook out tonight." He tells me once he's stood up and taken a drink from his brew.

"Oh yeah? What for?" Matt glances over at me and raises an eyebrow.

"Kyle's birthday is on Thursday." My heart drops.

"Shit." I whisper out so the kids don't hear me.

"Your friend from before?" Sam asks.

"My best friend. Oh shit. I completely forgot. She's going to be so mad." I stand from the chair and run a hand through my hair. I have a lot of making up to do when it comes to Kyle. I know her forgiveness won't be easily gained and forgetting her birthday is not a good place to start.

"It's fine. I made it seem like it was your idea to have the cook out. I figured with everything going on it slipped your mind." Matt slips an arm around my waist and kisses the top of my head.

"You really are the best." I lean up to press a kiss to his cheek. "You and Mia want to stay for dinner? I'm sure everyone would love to meet you."

"Absolutely, but I'm going to run home and shower and give the mini a bath. She's a mess from playing outside all day." As if on queue Mia runs over with hands covered in dirt. The blonde toddler goes to press her hands to her moms face, but Sam grabs her tiny wrists in her hands to stop the momentum. Samantha locks the toddler between her legs and Mia squeals.

"Mommy, let me!" Mia giggles as she doesn't relent in trying to get Samantha dirty.

"No way, baby cakes. Enjoy the dirt while you can because we are going home to take a bath." Sam twirls Mia around so Mia is facing away from her and attacks her daughter's neck with kisses. The little girl's smile is contagious as her belly erupts in a fit of laughter while her mom tickles her sides.

Cash comes over, a little less pep in his step than before and his hair is a wild mess, his eyes droopy. He reaches his arms up towards me, his way of asking to be picked up.

"Well aren't you the sleepiest boy in the world?" I ask him as I lift him into my arms. His head lulls into my shoulder while he clasp my shirt in his little fists.

"I think these two could use a couple naps before the cookout." I tell Matt.

"I'm going to carry in all the groceries. You guys do whatever you need to do. I'll tell the guys to wait a few hours before heading over." I rub small circles on Cash's back. The small boy nuzzles my neck, his body molding to fit mine like he belongs right here in my arms.

Matt leans down and kisses Cash's head before heading back out the way he came. Samantha lifts Mia into her arms and gives me a quick hug before heading towards the house to get her keys.

"I'll be back after a while. Text me and let me know when you guys are awake and we will hear back over as long as she's awake." Sam tells me while grabbing her phone and purse.

I head upstairs with a very sleepy Cash and head into the master bath. I strip him out of his dirty clothes from playing all afternoon and stand him on his own two feet long enough to turn the bath tap to a warm enough setting. I pull off my own clothes before lifting him back up and stepping into the tub. He rests on my lap, his back pressed against my front as the water rises. I take a loofah and scrub him down before letting him relax.

Fighting sleep has always been one of Cash's quirks and this time is no different. He lazily splashes water, rubs the loofah against his face, and tries to turn in my lap to play with me before finally relaxing against me with his eyes closed, the loofah still clutched in his hand.

When Matt opens the bathroom door Cash is sound asleep on my chest. A smile forms on his lips as he comes over to grab a fluffy white bath towel.

Matt leans down and lifts Cash before wrapping him up in the towel without waking him. The toddler sniffles a little before letting his head lull against Matt's chest. I reach for my own towel while Matt takes his son into the bedroom.

By the time I make it out of the bathroom wrapped in a thin white robe, Matt has Cash in the center of our bed. I crawl into bed with the toddler in the center and rest my head on one of the pillows before closing my own eyes.

"Tired?" Matt asks as he reaches across the top of the bed to play with my hair.

"I'm just ready for his room to be done."

"It's getting close." I look at Matt and smile.

"Thanks for bailing me out with the Kyle thing. I'm a terrible friend."

"You're not. We've had a lot going on. She would've understood, but she never needs to know." I nod before looking back down at the baby between us.