Poppy's Picnic (Poppy's Place Short) Read Online Free PDF

way. So, now I only have Michael to tell.”
    “You going to throw baby clothes at him, too? I am so in love with you. Thanks for having another one of my babies.”
    She pressed her lips to his and stroked his back, squeezing the strong muscles along her path to his ass. She settled both hands there, giving it a pat as he took over the kiss, his tongue doing the teasing this time. She followed his waistband to the front of his shorts.
    He pulled his mouth away. “I can’t believe you’re going to try to seduce me in the closet surrounded by this huge mess after you just told me you’re pregnant.”
    She patted his cock through his shorts. “What, you can’t tell me you’d say no.”
    “Daddy! Mommy! We want to eat,” Lola and Miranda called from not far away.
    Poppy let Cody go free. “Fine, you’re safe from my wiles. For now.”
    He stood and lifted her up under the armpits. She grabbed his shoulders when he kept her off the ground longer than anticipated.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Worried I’ll drop you?” He faked release, and she held on tighter. “Don’t worry, darlin’, I’d never let you fall. Haven’t so far, have I?”
    He eased her to the floor outside the closet. She pulled him down until they were nose to nose. “You never have, and I know you never will. I’m so excited to have another baby with you. Now, I need to tell Michael. Please don’t spill the beans in front of the girls.”
    “You got it.”
    “Why were you in the closet?” Lola asked.
    Poppy stood on her tiptoes to find her youngest peering around the corner. “We were getting a box. Is dinner ready?”
    “Dad said unless you want your steaks crispy, you’d better get your rear in gear,” Lola called.
    Miranda popped her head around as well. “He really said a-s-s. Grandma swatted him with a paper plate.”
    The girls stomped back up the stairs, and Poppy patted Cody’s cheek. “We will celebrate later tonight.”
    He hugged her. “I just want to hold you in my arms all night and bask in the joy of this new development.”
    She laughed. “You’re sore from tidying up the garden, aren’t you?”
    He put his arm around her shoulder and led her away from the mess. “I honestly don’t know if I could get in any position to have intercourse tonight. Lifting you out of the room might be the last chivalrous act I do for a good three days.”
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
    Michael tossed a piece of wood in the pit. Sparks flew up, but the bottom embers glowed just enough to guarantee a slow burn. He’d looked forward to a fire all day and maybe having s’mores with the girls. Even with the kids staying with the grandparents, he still wanted the solace of flame and smoke. Not that he expected to be alone for long. One, if not all, of his fathers would wander out before long, needing an escape from the gigglefest of a “sleepover.”
    He rubbed debris from his hands and settled in his chair, laptop on the side table. The top log tumbled deeper, sending up more smoke. He could fuss with the blaze all night, making it perfect, or he could get to work.
    He’d avoided checking his e-mail while they fussed in the garden—maybe the distraction accounted for why he hadn’t minded weeding all day. Then dinner with the family gave him even longer to delay—stepping away to see to work would have been rude. Crickets chirped and lightning bugs circled near the tree line. He was out of excuses.
    He scanned past notes from colleagues until he found the e-mail from his professor. A mosquito crawled across his hand, giving him one final excuse for delay, but it took only seconds to crush it. Michael held his breath and opened the file.
    The sliding glass door opened after he read the second paragraph. Duane stepped out with a bottle of water. “Mind if I join you?”
    “Sure.”
    Michael closed down the Internet, but he’d already seen the news. There was no un-seeing it.
    “How’s your night?” Duane asked.
    He tipped his