Chapter 23

Kelly pulled into the parking lot outside the motel and slammed it into 'park'. Then he grumbled something unintelligible in Alyssa's general direction before he went into the office to get their room keys.

God...what a day. What circle of Hell had you trapped in a mini-van with four kids for thirteen hours? Kelly was positive that they'd stopped at every rest stop between Chicago and this little town outside of Louisville...because no one had to use the bathroom at the same time.

They'd played all the games parents use to distract kids on endless car rides...looking for out of state plates...trying to decode the different vanity plates...adding up the numbers on license plates. Of course Maggie and Lexi were too little to play...but that didn't stop them from being very vocal participants.

And then he had to pull over to the side of the road when Andy and Jesse got a little over enthusiastic playing 'Slug Bug'...and it deteriorated into a fist fight in about two point two seconds.

After giving both boys a stern talking to...Kelly went and wedged himself in between the twins in the far back seat to keep them from killing each other.

The upside to that was he got a three hour nap out of the deal.

The downside was the scathing look his wife had given him in the rear view mirror when they stopped at a pancake house for dinner.

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They got back on the road... and thankfully the two girls had fallen asleep shortly thereafter. Another hour...and the boys had joined them.

Alyssa was still pissed...so they drove the rest of the way in silence.

By the time they made it to the motel Kelly had spent the past two hours fighting a nagging headache and mentally apologizing to his mom and his Grandma Kelly for every rotten thing he'd ever done. Every prank he ever pulled...every time he opened up a smart mouth. This trip was definitely payback.

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"We was 'spectin' y'all a couple hours ago..." the clerk drawled as he swiped Severide's credit card. "'Nother hour and we'da cancelled your reservation."

"Sorry..." Kelly told him. "With four kids...it took longer than we thought it would."

"Me 'n the wife used to drive at night when ours were little. We'd start after dinner...n' drive all night long. The kids slept...an' we got some alone time."

That didn't sound like a bad idea.

Assuming Alyssa was speaking to him again by the time they headed home.

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After he collected the keycards he got back in the van and drove around to the back where their adjoining rooms were facing the pool.

He opened the door then went back to where Alyssa was trying to rouse the twins.

"C'mon boys..." she said as she shook them both gently. "We're here."

"Huh?" Andy asked sleepily.

"We're here...let's go inside."

"'Bout time..." Andy grumbled...until it turned into a yawn.

Kelly looked up from unbuckling Maggie from her car seat...ready to tell Andy not to talk back to his mom...but decided it wasn't worth it. He wouldn't remember in the morning.

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Alyssa walked Andy into the room and tucked him into bed...then when she came back Kelly took Maggie in. Once all the kids were in bed he unloaded the suitcases and collapsed into bed himself.

"Lyssa..." he said softly. "Don't bother with all that stuff..."

He knew she was trying to go through one of the suitcases...

"Just come to bed, Babe." he said. "We can sort it all out in the morning."

Lyssa bristled...but then the exhaustion just flooded over her and she turned with a sigh.

She crossed the room to the double bed where Kelly lay...unbuttoned her shorts and let them fall to the floor.

He held back the covers so she could climb in...and once she'd turned to him he reached one hand up the back of her t-shirt and unhooked her bra in one quick motion. A little wiggling around and he was able to pull it out her sleeve. Then he wrapped his wife in his arms and held her as close as he could.

And Alyssa melted into him.

"I'm sorry, Honey." she whispered. "I've sorry I've been such a bitch all night."

"You've had a lot to deal with this week." he said diplomatically as he pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and let his fingers run through the long, wavy tresses. "I dumped this whole trip in your lap...then I bailed on you."

She smiled in the dark and gently stroked one finger down the side of his face.

"You can't even let me apologize...can you?" she said with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Kelly smiled too...

"I'll tell you what..."

He ran his fingers through her hair once more...then over her shoulder...down the back of her arm...and finally along the outline of her breast.

"Tomorrow we'll put all the kids in the other room and you can apologize to me all night long if you want to."

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Morning came entirely too early for Kelly's liking.

But he was startled awake when Maggie tumbled in between him and Alyssa...and Lexi was holding a conversation only she could understand.

He rolled onto his back slowly...stretching as best he could. Thirteen hours in the car had made him feel about a hundred years old.

"Wake up Daddy!" Maggie said as she bounced up and down on her hands and knees.

How was it that little kids were always so energetic so early in the day?

"I'm awake...I'm awake...quit bouncing."

Maggie gave one final bounce for good measure and she made the most of it as she launched herself across her daddy.

Kelly groaned as thirty one pounds landed on his stomach.

He wrapped one arm around her and rolled her off of him...then he reached out to Alyssa who burrowed in to his side to try and stay asleep just a few moments longer.

"Uh-uh..." he told her. "If I gotta wake up, you gotta wake up."

Now it was Alyssa's turn to groan.

"Daddy!" Maggie said as she popped up beside him. "Me n' Lexi's hungry."

"Bah-bah!" Lexi added.

She wanted her bottle.

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Kelly leaned over and kissed his wife before he extracted himself from between her and his daughter.

"I'll run across the street to the gas station and get some milk and juice." he said. "That should hold 'em till we can get somethin' to eat."

"What time is it?" Alyssa asked.

Kelly glanced at his phone before he shoved it in his pocket.

"Seven forty-five..."

Alyssa groaned again.

"Be careful..." she told him as he put his wallet in his back pocket and grabbed the key card off the dresser.

"I promise to look both ways..." he said.

"Smart alec..."

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Fifteen minutes later he was back with a gallon of milk, a gallon of orange juice, and four packages of those little powdered doughnuts.

Lyssa had managed to open up one of the suitcases and find Lexi's little outfit with the pink strawberries all over.

Kelly set his load down and reached into the diaper bag for a clean bottle and a sippy cup. He poured the milk and set up the doughnuts on the table.

Maggie scampered over and climbed up into one of the chairs while Kelly plucked Lexi out of the port-a-crib and sat down with her in his lap.

"Why don't you go shower, Lyssa? I'll watch the kids...so you can take your time."

"We've gotta get the girls cleaned up..." she said.

"I'll give 'em a bath once you're done." Kelly told her.

Even though nothing had been said...he knew her arm was bothering her. She didn't need to try to juggle a wet squirming baby in the shower.

Alyssa smiled as she crossed the room to kiss him.

He really was the best husband in the world.

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By the time she had finished getting ready Andy and Jesse had migrated over from the adjoining room. They were sprawled out on the double beds.

"What're we gonna do today?" Andy asked.

"We're gonna go to Shaina's parents' farm...and see her and Morgan." Kelly told him.

"Is it a real farm?" Jesse asked. "With animals and tractors and stuff?"

Kelly shrugged.

"I guess we'll find out when we get there."

"The sooner you guys can get ready, the sooner we can get some breakfast..." Alyssa said.

The kids looked up at her...and she had to laugh at the sight of Maggie and Lexi both covered in powdered sugar.

"Kelly..." she said with a giggle. "Kelly...look at them."

He just shook his head and chuckled.

"Even my girls eat like a couple of firemen..." he said.

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Then he pushed himself and Lexi back from the table.

"All right...let's roll, guys. Boys...in other room...girls in here."

Alyssa started to herd Andy and Jesse back into the adjoining room, while Kelly plopped Lexi back in the port-a-crib and went to start the bath.

Once the kids were all clean and dressed he took a fast shower and threw clean clothes on...he wasn't a firefighter for nothing...and they were in the car in search of a pancake house or a diner.