Chapter 7
SEVEN
“Daddy! Look at the koala! It’s sleeping!”
“Papa! Look at the chimpanzee. It’s pooping in its hand!”
“Daddddddy! I fell downed.”
Dalton was pretty sure if there was an animal peeing, pooping, sleeping, or eating, or maybe even just sitting on its ass, Lena had yelled about it.
And then Effie kept falling down because she didn’t want to be in a stroller and she was, by the time they stopped for lunch, exhausted.
“Aren’t you glad you’re not going this alone?” Jack asked.
“God, yes. You hold them down. I’ll go get corny dogs and fries.”
“No, you sit with them, baby. I’ll get lunch. I can tell you’re sore.” He winked, leaving Dalton holding Effie and Lena coloring a monkey chewing on an obscene banana.
Dalton was going to beat him to death.
“Daddy, I go Papa!”
“Not right now. He’s getting lunch.”
Lena frowned at him. “What kind of lunch?”
“Corny dogs.”
Her frown deepened. “Do I like corn dogs?”
“Yes. You do.”
She gave him a deeply suspicious glare. “Are you sure?”
“I am absolutely sure your papa would not get something that you don’t like.”
“Hmmph.” She went back to coloring, scribbling madly.
“What’s the best part so far?” he asked them, needing to make sure things weren’t going to slide right into a meltdown.
“You and Papa. Right, Effie?”
“Uh-huh.” Effie wiped her nose on his shirt.
“Effie, honey, let’s use the napkin, shall we?” He didn’t pretend to get grossed out anymore, because baby snot was absolutely not the grossest thing he’d had on him in a long damn time. “You like having me and Papa at the zoo?”
Lena shrugged with a long deceptively lazy move that guaranteed her full-out opinion. “I like you and Papa loving each other.”
Man, that broke his heart, but it also felt pretty good, so…
“We’re having a good time being here with you guys for sure. I love seeing all the critters.”
Little Effie grinned at him. “Like aminals.”
“Do you like the animals? I do too. Which ones are your favorites?”
She started babbling away, and he did his nodding thing, even though it was mostly incoherent.
It was amazing, having Jack here for this.
And he didn’t even want to talk about last night.
Hell, he didn’t have to talk about last night. He could just remember last night. He could remember it and be tickled as all get out. He was ninety-nine point nine percent sure it was going to happen again tonight.
“Are you and Papa gonna move back in together?”
He looked at Lena. “I don’t know. Do you think we should?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have thought you should forever. I have said it forever, Daddy.” She blew out a harsh breath. “Boys.”
“Well. Papa and I are talking—”
“Yes and not yelling.” She pointed at him with her green crayon. “And you were in bed together today. Sleeping together means in love.”
“Does it?” God help him, when she was a teenager she was going to be unstoppable.
“Yes. And in love and married and babies have to have the same house.”
He shook his head. He wanted her to remember that all sorts of people made up families. It was important. “You know, families come in all shapes.”
And she waved her hand, dismissing him. “Daddy. Do you love Papa?”
How was he supposed to lie or prevaricate? “Yes.”
“Okay. Does Papa love you?”
Dalton nodded, sort of fascinated by this web she was weaving. He didn’t even have to say he thought so. “Yes.”
“Okay. Then you should come and be at the big house and not the apartment.”
“You don’t like the apartment?” Where was Jack dammit? How long did it take to get a corn dog or two?
“No. I want all my toys and all my daddies and all my papas and all my sister at the big house. And I want a dog, for my birthday. I want a dog and a pony for my birthday.”
“A dog and a pony.” Jiminy Christmas. “Well, I’m going to have to speak to your Papa about that.”
Her smile was naughty as all get out. “I already have. He knows that seven is big. Big enough for dogs and ponies. He says seven is the dog and pony show.”
Dalton’s lips twisted, and he fought his laugh as hard as he could.
Jack’s voice sounded behind him. “That’s right, seven is big, and it absolutely a dog and pony show with you girls.”
Oh, God. He was literally gonna bust a gut holding it in. Thank heavens for seven and younger and not having any idea what that meant.
Jack sat, a little buzzer thing on the drink tray in his hands, which he put on the table. “I got us burgers. I got you heathens corny dogs, chicken nuggets to split, and fries.”
“Such a good Papa.” Lena handed him her coloring sheet.
“That is an amazing monkey, baby girl.”
“Thank you!” She smiled at Jack. “Did you know Daddy loves you?”
“I heard that.”
Oh. Oops.
“Good. So I want you to bring Daddy and our toys to the big house. It’s important.”
“Well, that’s my plan, baby girl, but Daddy has to get over the fact that I hurt his feelings real bad. I wasn’t trying to be mean, but I was, and that made him pretty sad.” Jack was watching him, but not with any kind of accusation. His expression was oddly gentle for such a cowboy.
“Okay, Papa, you say sorry.”
Jack grinned at her. “I’m sorry?”
“No. Not to me. To Daddy. Tell Daddy why you’re sorry and never do it again.”
“Honey, I did say I was sorry, and so did your daddy, and we talked a lot. But we have some more things to—”
“I’m moving back in.” Dalton blurted it out, but it was what he meant and it was what he wanted, and he was going to damn well do it. “As long as Papa makes me a pool.”
Jack blinked at him. “No shit?”
“Papa!”
“Sorry. Sorry. No…uh…shoot?”
Dalton chuckled and nodded. “No shoot at all. And I’ll accept a swim spa that can double as a hot tub. I’m easy.”
Jack whooped, grabbing Lena up to spin her around. “You hear that, baby girl? Daddy’s moving home.”
Effie held up both arms, wiggling madly. “Me too, Papa! Me too!”
“Yes! You too, Effie!” Jack lifted her, flying her around. “My family is coming home!”
Dalton would probably do anything to see that smile on Jack’s face. And this was easy. Coming home. Loving his husband and kids.
They would make it work.
The girls had crashed and burned maybe five seconds after their post-supper bath. They’d eaten at the hotel restaurant, and the girls had been incredibly tickled when the server had brought them tiny, complimentary dishes of ice cream.
Now it was quiet as hell after a day of noise and color and wild smells, and he turned the TV on low, just to keep the kids from waking up because it was too silent.
Dalton was stripping off to get ready to take a shower, so Jack moved in like a shark, wrapping his arms around Dal’s waist. “Did you mean it?”
“What?” Dal leaned right into him, cuddling close.
“That you’re moving back in.” God, he hoped so. And not just because the girls would be utterly dejected if it didn’t happen.
“Yes. I meant it. We’ll give notice at the apartment Monday.” Dal searched his eyes. “Did you mean it?”
“I did. I mean it with everything in me, baby. I want you home.” He kissed that mouth, which he loved the feel and shape of it, the taste of it.
Dal held his gaze through the entire kiss. “I love you. I want to sleep in our bed. I want to have our family together.”
“I do too. I missed you. I love you, baby. So much.” He’d never once taken off his ring. Never once really thought about divorce papers.
“I love you. No dating anyone else. No separate lives. I want our life back.”
“None.” He chuckled. “Though I didn’t go on a date on Valentine’s Day. Just a pity beer with my cousin.”
“Pity beers on Valentine’s Day are also out.” Dal managed, almost, to keep a straight face. “Although the book he sent me was hot as fuck. He can send more of them.”
“Gotcha—no beers, yes books. That day is for us from now on, huh?” He rubbed their noses together. “If you want hearts and flowers, I got you.”
“I was thinking blow jobs and massages, but I like carnations.”
“I like chocolate-covered cherries.” They knew that about each other, but it felt good to hear, to tease.
“No wine, though.” Neither of them were big fans.
He took another kiss. “Margaritas for all.”
“Mmm. That sounds like heaven.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. In the hot tub. I figure I’ll put in both. Two-man hot tub on the bedroom patio for us. Swim spa for the girls.”
“I’ll help. I don’t make a ton, but—”
He didn’t need Dal painting houses and hurting that poor back.
“Honey, we can talk about options later, but you do remember I own a ranch.” He raised an eyebrow. “And you’re a cowboy.”
“Me?” Dal’s expression was hungry, longing. “I used to be.”
“Nope. You still are. Painters are all good and well, but you need to do what you love. And I need help.” There. Let Dal ponder that.
“Well, if you need me…”
“I do.”
Dalton nodded. “I want to come home, Jack. All the way.”
“And I’m here for it. Every bit. You’re with me, and I have your back.” He ran his hand down Dal’s spine. “Every cracked bit.”
Dal nodded and covered his chest with one hand. “So long as this is whole, right?”
“And as long as we face what comes together. No freaking out and running or blowing up.” Jack grinned wryly. “Much.”
“Right.”
After all, it had been an explosion that had put them back together again.
End