Hourglass Squared (26 page)

After finishing my bacon, I climbed out of bed and trudged into the bathroom. Once inside, I turned the shower on hot and watched as the steam billowed out of the opening. When it was the ideal temperature, I slipped my robe off and stepped under the cascading water. It was such a relief on my aching muscles that I stood beneath the spray, just letting it wash over me and drip down my body. Knowing time was running out, I quickly grabbed my shampoo and began sudsing up my hair, filling the small, tiled shower with the aroma of coconut water.

Once I had shaved my legs and conditioned my hair, I shut off the water and stepped out to grab a fluffy towel. I patted my face dry as my body shivered from the cold air. As I stepped up to the mirror covered in dew, I took my towel and wiped it clean, giving myself a look at my blurred reflection. My body looked so torn and battered between the stretch marks from Hope, the scar marks from the cancer, and the bones protruding from the chemo and loss of appetite. Grateful I was finally on the mend, I pulled in a deep cleansing breath and thanked God up above for saving me, for granting me the love of my family, and most importantly, the blessings of my husband, best friend, and daughter. The battle scars left behind were just reminders of how strong I was.

Grabbing a dress from my closet that fit close to my body made me feel a bit more feminine, even if I had nothing more than mosquito bites up top now. As I smoothed out the fabric, I smiled in the full-length mirror in our bedroom, determined to not let my new figure make me feel less of a woman. It'd been forever since I'd been with my husband, and I knew I needed to overcome my last reservations about being intimate with him. Honestly, Josh should be put up for sainthood at this point for his patience with me.

As I stared into the vanity mirror applying my makeup, Josh came in holding Hope, bouncing and swaying as he walked toward me.

"Well, hello, gorgeous, My God, I may not let you go to work and just tie your fine self to the bed." He leaned down and planted a deep kiss on my lips before twisting to let me kiss Hope.

After saying my goodbyes and giving Penelope strict instructions, I slid into my car and made my way to my second home. Each mile that passed, I grew more excited, more eager to put my brilliance in design-editing to work. I had actually missed work, and as I made my way there, I could feel a sense of self-worth coming back to life. As much as I would have loved to stay home with Hope all day, I knew that my passion for my work couldn't be ignored either. The only downside of going back now was that Savannah had two more weeks before she returned as well to complete the amazing duo that we had become at Hourglass.

I strode into the office, waving at people as I passed, but determined to not make a big production of being back. This was my life, and I just wanted things to return to normal. My desk chair swiveled as I dropped my butt into it and lifted my feet. I spun around to face the windows that looked out on the city below. Cars honking, people bustling around, the scene was perfect. As I twisted to face my computer, a new picture on my wall caught my eye. It was the cover of Hourglass, featuring a photo of me that Brooke had taken for the October issue focused on breast cancer. Just like with every other work Savannah had done, it was captivating and grabbed me by my very soul. The woman on the cover was elegant and feminine, despite the scar peeking out beneath her hand, and she looked amazing. It was me. I was feminine, and beautiful.

With a renewed since of spirit, I got right down to work, getting brought up to speed on all our current projects and features we were planning for the spring issue. Lisa slipped into my office with a huge smile on her face and quickly hustled around my desk to give me a hug.

"You're back! Thank heavens! If I had to deal with Michelle one more time, I was liable to shoot her!"

As we both fell back into a fit of laughter, Lisa took a seat on the couch in my office and began catching me up on the gossip in the office.

I spent the day reaching out to contacts, letting them know I was back in the office and jumping in full speed. Many of them had known I was pregnant but were not aware of the cancer until they'd seen the October issue. So each call took a while as I reassured them that I was getting better. Before I knew it, it was five o'clock, and my heart was aching to get back to Hope and Josh. I felt like I had a sense of purpose again, but I was past ready to be home.

As I pulled into the driveway, I spotted Savannah's car as well. Bursting with joy, I snatched my purse and quickly made my way to the house to snuggle with not only Hope, but Ethan and Emma too.

"Guys, I'm home!" I called into the silent house as I dropped my purse and keys on the entry table. Not a peep. No return of excitement that I had arrived, no footsteps telling me they were coming to greet me.
Well, this sucks.
Now pouting, I walked into the kitchen to find a note in Savannah's handwriting:

Gone shopping, should be back soon! Love you; go take a nap after your hard day at work, Momma.

With a chuckle, I set her note back down and made my way upstairs to my room to undress. After I had hung my dress back up and put my heels away, I threw on some yoga pants and a shirt so that I would be comfortable as I crawled into my king-size bed and beneath the soft duvet, surrounding me like a blanket of clouds. In no time, my eyes drooped closed, and as I fell asleep, I felt grateful I could rest before everyone got back.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Savannah

P
ENELOPE AND
I
pulled into the drive just as Josh got out of his car. He looked over and smiled at the two of us, waving as he made his way over. "Need help with the twins?" he asked, opening the back door.

"Actually, we'll grab the twins. You grab Hope. We stole her for a bit so Brooke could rest after her first day back.

His face lit up at the sight of his daughter. "Hey there, sweet girl. How was your date with Grandma and Aunt Savannah?" he cooed, unlocking the car seat as he lifted Hope into his arms.

Penelope hopped out to assist him with the car seat as he made his way around to my window.

"You aren't going to come in?" he asked, surprised.

"No, I've got to get these babies home. My boobs are about to explode."

Josh shook his head and laughed. "Everything is all set for Saturday, right? I need this to go off without a hitch."

I winked at him before reaching out to rub Hope's arm. "It's going to be perfect, and Brooke won't have any idea. Now get that baby inside to her momma. Love you both!" I blew them a kiss as they all made their way into the house.

Penelope was back in a flash, and we were headed home.

Saturday was finally here, and my house was filled with people rushing around to ensure that Brooke's surprise birthday was one for the books. I was bouncing from room to room, checking in with all of the vendors, when Jake finally caught me.

"Babe, there is two hours left until people start arriving. You need to go get ready. The babies are both awake and hungry, so you either need to pump or sit down and feed them."

Unable to control the smile that took over my face, I slipped my arms around Jake's shoulders and pressed my lips to his, trailing my tongue along his mouth. "I love it when you get all controlling. It's such a turn on."

He laughed and slapped my ass as I took off toward the stairs.

"I'll feed them now!" I hollered over my shoulder. Carrying both babies into the master bathroom, I placed Emma in her bouncy chair and then sat down, holding Ethan in my arms as I began to feed him.

"So, what are we doing with your hair today?" Lydia, one of the lead hair-and-make-up artists from Hourglass asked as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"I'll be running around all night, so it's probably best if we do some type of updo. My dress also has decorative beading on the back, so I want to ensure that everyone can see it. I trust you. Just keep it simple and classy."

Slipping my shirt off my shoulder, I began to feed Ethan as Lydia started in on my hair. Forty minutes later, I was switching babies as Lydia continued on to my make-up. Once I was finished, there was a knock on my door, and Penelope walked in with three of the neighbor girls.

"Savannah, the girls are here to help with the babies for the evening. Should I show them to the nursery?"

The four of them stood there awaiting a response.

I handed over Emma to one of them and pointed at Ethan. "I've laid their clothes out in the nursery. If you would have them ready by six, that would be wonderful. Brooke and Josh will be here at fifteen after, so you'll have the third bundle of joy shortly."

The girls took the twins, excited to babysit during the party, and made their way toward the nursery, Penelope exiting with them.

"Lydia, I cannot thank you enough for helping me get ready."

Lydia smiled as she packed all of her product back into her Hourglass tote. "No problem at all."

She left the room, and I made my way into the closet through the bathroom just as Jake met me, coming in from the bedroom.

"What do you think?" I asked, allowing my silk robe to slip to the floor, standing there naked in front of my husband.

His tongue darted out, wetting his lips. "I think we need to cancel this party and have one of our own in here."

Unable to control my laughter, I tugged my dress from the hanger and began to slide it up my legs then over my shoulders. "Zip me, please," I teased, turning my back to Jake.

His hands slid up the sides of my body before finding the zipper. "No bra or panties?" he whispered in a breathy tone into my ear. "How much longer do we have to wait until I can devour you?"

I spun in his arms. "Tonight's the night. When this party is over, and everyone has gone home, I fully intend to claim your body, multiple times."

Jake moaned, leaning back against the wall of the closet, his hand pulling down over his face. "You are going to kill me, you realize that, right?"

I slipped into my shoes and sauntered out of the closet, ensuring that I twisted my hips just perfectly as I glanced back over my shoulder. "So long as you screw my brains out first." I shot him a wink before making my way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

My phone chimed with a text from Josh:

Pulling in now. Good job with hiding the cars.

"They're here!" I yelled to all of the guests, who were now hustling into the living room to remain out of sight.

Jake flipped the lights. "Shhh, we don't want Brooke to hear anyone. Quiet down." He slipped his right arm around me as he cradled Emma in his left. Squeezing me tight, he looked down at a sleeping Ethan who was bundled up on my chest.

There was a knock on the door, and everyone began to quiet even further. A few moments passed, and the front door pushed open. I could hear Brooke speaking to Josh, "They must still be getting ready."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But why is it so dark?" He was mimicking my script perfectly.

Just as they stepped into the living room, Jake flipped on the lights, and the entire room erupted in cheers. "Surprise!" we all yelled.

The twins, who could sleep through a hurricane, didn't stir at all, but Hope began to cry. Penelope swooped in to save the day, taking Hope to calm her as Brooke stood there, still in shock.

When her eyes finally met mine, a huge smile spread across her face, and she pointed at me, crossing the room in her swanky silk dress and killer heels.

I passed Ethan off to one of the girls and threw my arms around my best friend. "Happy birthday!" I shouted over the roar of all of the guests.

"I am so kicking your ass!" she whispered into my ear before squeezing me tighter.

We both laughed and finally released each other, switching to hug Jake and Josh. "You did good, sis. The place looks incredible."

After a few moments with Brooke and Josh, we allowed the rest of the guests to spend some time with them. Jake went upstairs to check on the babies, and I, into the kitchen to make sure that there was enough food for dinner.