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Going Home Chapter 19 The three couples returned to the hotel a few hours later. Skiing all day was great. Luckily no one had broken any bones or anything. "Ugh! I’m gonna be sore in the morning," Kevin said. The other five laughed. "That’s what you get for trying to act ten years younger than you really are, old man!" Erika said to her brother. Kevin walked over and put her in a playful headlock. "You better watch what you say there, little sister." He released Erika’s head and hugged her. "Come on everybody! Up to your rooms and start getting dressed for dinner and the party. I know how long it takes you girls to get ready so I gave you all two hours. That better be enough!" he told them. "Hey!" Kim, Katie, and Erika exclaimed, all three of them hitting him. Lance and Nick laughed. "Glad you said it and I didn’t have to buddy!" Nick said. "Yeah," Lance said, voicing his agreement. "Hey!" the three women yelled again, this time Lance and Nick were on the receiving end of the hitting. Kim laughed and grabbed Nick’s hand. "OK ya’ll! Enough with the insults and hitting. Everyone go get ready to party!" Kim and Nick walked into their hotel room. "OK, the shower is mine first, since I take so long to get ready." "Hey, that’s not fair!" Nick yelled as Kim shut the door to the bathroom. "Fine! You win! Just don’t use up all the hot water." Lance and Erika entered their room at the same time. Erika went into the closet and pulled out the black dress she was planning on wearing for New Year’s Eve and threw it on the bed. Lance calmly walked over to the bed, picked up the dress, and put it back in the closet. "Hey, what are you doing? I’m gonna wear that tonight!" Erika said, walking out of the bathroom in her robe. Lance smiled at her and pulled out a dress bag from Marshall Field’s on State Street. "No, you’re gonna wear this." Erika looked at him and pulled the bag over the hanger. Inside was the most beautiful, fire engine red dress that she had ever seen. "I hope it’s your size. I just had them send something over," he said. She took a quick look at the tag. "Yup. I have something that will be perfect with this. I bought it in Mississippi and I never got the chance to wear it for you." "What is it?" he asked her. "I’m not telling. You’ll just have to wait and see," Erika said coyly. Lance wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. "Come on, tell me," he whispered in her ear. Erika giggled and pushed him away. "Stop it! If you don’t behave you’ll never see it. It’s only for good boys!" She winked at him and sauntered into the bathroom, shutting the door. Lance pounded on the door. "Erika, please," he pleaded. "Do you really think I’m old?" Kevin asked Katie, unlocking the door to their room. Katie laughed. "Yes, I do. But I still love you." Kevin smiled and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let her lips linger on his. He pulled away, breathing heavily. "This is a good way to start a new year." Katie smiled at him. "Well, I guess I have another way to start off the new year." "Oh really?" he asked and started tugging on her shirt. "Not that," Katie said, giggling. "Kevin, I’m pregnant. We’re gonna have a baby." He looked at her, his eyes growing wider with every passing second. "Are you serious?" She nodded slightly. "Baby, that’s wonderful!" he said, picking her up and spinning her around. He set her down. With tears in his eyes, he said, "I love you, Mrs.. Richardson." "I love you, Mr. Richardson. Now maybe we can do that other thing you were talking about," she said softly, pulling gently at his belt buckle. The phone rang in Erika and Lance’s room. "Hello?" Lance said. "Hey Lance, it’s Kevin. Uh, you guys go ahead to dinner without us. I don’t think we’re gonna make it," Kevin told him. Lance laughed. "Get back to your wife man. Happy New Year!" "Happy New Year! Tell Erika I love her," Kevin said and hung up the phone. "Who was that, Hun?" Erika called from the bathroom. "Kevin. It looks like him and Katie won’t be making it tonight..." he trailed off as Erika came walking out of the bathroom. Erika smiled at Lance. "OK, don’t so that whole speechless thing again," she laughed. Lance simply smiled at her in that dress. "Wow. Now I know why that’s my favorite color. So where’s this thing you wanted to show me? I thought you were gonna wear it?" "I am wearing it," she told him. He looked her over again. "Where? I don’t see it," he told her. Erika smiled at him brightly. "That’s because it’s under the dress." Lance groaned. "Oh no! Let’s go. We’ve gotta meet with Kim and Nick." She kissed him lightly and headed out the door. "All right, are you ready?" Kim asked from the bathroom. "Yeah, come on already! You’re gonna make us late!" Nick called to her. Kim stepped out of the bathroom slowly. She was wearing that strapless, shear dress that Nick hadn’t let her buy for the wedding. She had loved the dress though, and so had he, so she went back and bought it. "So, what do you think?" she asked him. |