Best Thing In Town

Mike laid sideways on the bed, on the flat of his back, with his legs bent at the knees and dangling off the edge of the bed. He was lightly humming to himself and staring up at the ceiling at the same time while he listened to the sound of water running in the background. Upon hearing the click of the bathroom door, Mike sat up, propping himself up with his elbows as he sent a smile to Audrey.

Dressed simply in an oversized T-shirt, she came padding across the hardwood floor of the honeymoon suite with a shy grin on her lips. "I swear this kid is wrapping his hands around my bladder and squeezing it on purpose," she remarked with a sigh. "Every five minutes I feel like I hafta go to the bathroom."

Mike let out a minute chuckle as he pushed up to an actual sitting position and held his hands out. Audrey walked forward and welcomed his hands as they held on to either side of her bulging stomach. Leaning down and forward, he lifted up her T-shirt and pressed his lips against the skin of her belly. Trailing her own hand along Mike's face, Audrey smiled.

"How ya feeling?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Like a beached whale."

Mike's smiled widened, pulling her T-shirt back down and linking his fingers with hers. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yep."

"How is it good?"

He wiggled his eyebrows, standing up and pulling her into a hug. "Because that way I can pamper you and treat you like my queen." He leaned down and kissed her lips watching in amusement as she closed her eyes, smiled and sighed.

"Mmm...it has a nice ring to it. Queen Audrey."

"It does, doesn't it?" Rubbing his hand on the small of her back, he began to lead her over to the French doors that opened up to a small balcony that overlooked several acres of Napa Valley vineyards. He moved around her and snaked his arms up under her, wrapping them just under her breasts and semi-wresting on top of her stomach as he placed his chin on her shoulder. Leaning back into his chest, they looked out at the view without needing to say anything. It was just that breathtaking.

The silence broke when Audrey turned her head up at him. "We have a day left here," she said. "As much as we miss the girls, it's making me realize how we will never get this kind of alone time again for a very long time."

Mike raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Yeah. I guess we'll just have to make due with hushed, hot sex at night when the kids are asleep or during the day when the baby's down for a nap and Kat's in school this fall." He laughed and buried his face in her neck to place several kisses up toward her earlobe. "We'll figure out something," he whispered into her ear.

Audrey winced and jerked away with a giggle as Mike nibbled on her lobe. She swatted at his chest and stepped away, moving over to the railing. "What say you and I have something to eat?" she suggested. She turned around so that her back rested against the railing as she looked over at him.

Narrowing his eyes, Mike tilted his head and in one giant step he had an arm around Audrey's waist and had her pulled against him. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Pritchard. I seemed to have taken that the wrong way on purpose. Care to chastise me?" He wiggled his eyebrows devilishly while claiming her mouth in a steamy kiss.

When they pulled apart, Audrey laughed in a small, but heavy, breath. Her eyelids slightly droopy, she stood on tip toe and rubbed the tip of her nose against Mike's. "I dunno, Mr. Pritchard. I'm really liking this honeymoon thing." Taking his hand in hers, she began to lead him back into the suite, while looking back at him.

"It's a good thing those doctors proved that sex late in a pregnancy is okay..." Mike trailed.

* * *

"Why don't you stay, Gram?" Audrey asked sitting at the kitchen table with her grandmother while Mike stood at the kitchen counter, pouring a cup of coffee. No real surprise there.

"Want one, babe?" he asked, gesturing to his cup.

Audrey shook her head and looked back at her grandmother. "There's a guest house out back and Kat misses you like crazy. And I do too," Audrey amended. "I've been going insane without my puzzle piece here with me."

Gloria smirked and patted her granddaughter's hand. "My home's in Buffalo. It always has been. It always will. And someday soon it's where I'll be buried. Until then, there's always visits."

"But, Gram...visits aren't always enough. Mom, Roger and Austin...they all live in North Carolina now. Uncle Paul and Aunt Joanne are in New Jersey...and Uncle Dave and his family are in Maryland. There's no other immediate family in Buffalo anymore."

Gloria shrugged as Mike walked over to the table and sat down on the edge, beside Audrey, holding his cup o' Joe in one hand. "What about staying with us half of the year?" he threw out there. Both women looked up at him. "I mean, for six months, live in Buffalo. The other six months, come stay with us."

Audrey nodded and looked at her Grandmother once again. "Spend the warmer months in Buffalo. You know the winters are a pain in the ass for you. Heating bills, bitter cold. The warmer winters here will be great for you."

"And we won't take no for an answer," Mike added with a smirk.

Gloria reached out and gripped Mike's leg before giving it a gentle pat and then giving Audrey a wink. "I knew you'd marry yourself a good man someday."

Mike frowned and looked down at Audrey. "You polygamist," he nudged her. "When were you planning on telling me you were married to someone else?" He cracked a smile and Audrey swatted at him. "You gotta quit hitting me. That's espousal abuse, you know."

"I'll do a lot more than abuse you if you don't stop."

"Stop what? Being myself?" He grinned again and then jumped up and away from her before she had the chance to swat at him again.

Audrey gave her grandmother a look. "Please say you'll come stay with us for half of the year."

Gloria gave a thoughtful stare and finally nodded with a tightlipped smirk. "Alright, alright. Six months in Buffalo, six months here. Starting in October," she said.

Audrey smiled. "Fair enough. But you're gonna miss the birth of your first grandson..."

"I have to go back. I have things that need taking care of before I can go anywhere for a long period of time."

Mike looked between the two women and shook his head. "Now I see where Audrey gets her insistence from."

Narrowing her eyes, Audrey shot him a mock sour look. "Ha ha."

"Yep, all the personality traits in the women in our family skip a generation. Katarina will be like Audrey's mom," Gloria commented. She then stood up and tapped Mike on the arm. "Now help me with my bags, Mike. I don't wanna miss my flight home."

Mike's smirk disappeared and Audrey laughed at him. "What? You didn't think and old woman or a pregnant one was gonna be carrying those things were you?"