Push to the Limit (the sixth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 69: Salmonella

Julie squirmed in her bed, turning around and finding the other side empty. She stood up, putting her robe on, and went next door to the nursery. "Hey you," she told Sam as he stood between the two cribs, holding a bottle over Izzy's mouth. 

He looked up at her and smiled. "Hey," he said. "Just giving the girls breakfast, letting you sleep in a little."

"You look good there," said Julie, making her way towards him. "With the girls. Being a dad. It suits you."

"Oh does it?" he asked, letting Izzy hold the bottle on her own and turning to her. He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her in closer, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Yeah, it does," she said, smiling. As he looked down at her and smiled back, her stomach grumbled loudly. "Oh man, I really killed the moment, didn't I?" 

"Little bit," he laughed. "How about I go downstairs and get breakfast for us started?"

"Sounds like a plan," she nodded, watching as he left the room. She grabbed Gaby out of her crib and gave her about a dozen kisses on the cheek. "Let's start with you, alright, honey?"

When she was done dressing the girls, she set them back with their bottles in their cribs and dashed downstairs for food of her own.  When she walked into the kitchen, the smell of bacon immediately permeated her surroundings, as Ryder cooked by the stove.

"Oh my god, you are incredible," she said, tip-toeing on the cold floor towards him and grabbing a piece of bacon off the hot stove. "Oh crap!" she exclaimed when it burned her finger, dropping it on the ground.

"Well, now you've just gone and ruined a perfectly good piece of bacon," Ryder told her, picking it off the ground and setting on the counter. "Five second rule. Breakfast will be ready in five."

"Great!" she exclaimed.

He turned down the heat, put his spatula down and moved aside to show her a plate of already made, cooled bacon. "For you, my lady," he said, grabbing one and handing it to her. 

"Ooh, thank you, my lord," she said, taking it and giving it a bite. "Oh my god... This is orgasmic. You are a beautiful person, Ryder."

"So are you," he said. When she was finished eating, he gave her a lengthy kiss and then said, "Go get dressed and bring the kids downstairs so we can all enjoy breakfast together."

"Will do!" Julie exclaimed, rushing out of the kitchen. 

"Put on some socks, will you?" Ryder told her as she hurried away. "You're gonna get sick!"

"Yeah, yeah!" she exclaimed. She returned to the nursery and picked up both girls as best as she could, met at the top of the staircase by Jake.

"I just realized there is no way you could possibly bring both down the stairs, babe," he told her. "I'm so sorry." She laughed as he carried Gaby off of her and led the way downstairs. 

In the kitchen, they strapped the girls on their high chairs and then Julie sat down while Jake placed a trey of pancakes in the center of the table. 

"Bon appétit," he said, taking a seat in front of her. Izzy eyed the pancakes he served himself so he asked, "She can have a bite, right?"

"Who, Izzy?" Julie asked. "Yeah, she eats finger food. Just make sure Gaby doesn't get any because she's still struggling with breads."

Jake nodded and began cutting up a pancake into little pieces. As he did this, he said, "So, I can take them to daycare but I am going to need you to pick them up because I have that meeting with my publicist later."