Chapter 19
Danny
Mama’s pot roast had never tasted better. It even managed to squash some of my annoyance with the man sitting across from me.
Rob studiously cut meat for Thomas into little pieces…all the while ignoring my glares.
Thomas shoved cooked carrots into his mouth.
Hallie used her fork to eat a piece of melt-in-your-mouth roast.
Gracie sat at our feet. Quiet. Yet clearly waiting for something to be dropped. Apparently she was good at that.
Despite Hallie being fatigued, Rob and I had spent over an hour with Druscilla learning all about Rob’s new pet.
Arthur had insisted on carrying the huge bag of dog food and her crate to his car and transporting them over here and then putting the food away.
James could’ve done it easily. So could Rob, for that matter, given how he carried Hallie frequently.
Arthur, though, had wanted to be useful.
When James offered to pay the adoption fee, I’d tried to argue that Rob was only fostering Gracie for me and…
No one in that room believed that once Rob brought her home, she wasn’t staying. Barring any catastrophe, of course. At the least, if Gracie went away, Hallie would never recover from the disappointment.
So I’d have to do everything in my power to keep Gracie in their lives—even if that meant not taking her when I was better.
Bitterness churned in my gut. Why couldn’t I just be better? Recovery was normally six weeks for healthy adults. Aside from a few extra pounds, I’d be the epitome of health. Dr. Patton had been impressed with all my test results. I should’ve bounced right back.
Damn incision infection—which I hadn’t told anyone except the doctor about—had set me back. I’d spent a lot of effort pretending I was fine when I probably should’ve been focusing on getting better. And I’d stayed up late every night, waiting for Rob to text that he was home safely. I let him believe I was a night owl.
I wasn’t. In fact, I was up at the crack of dawn most days, even if I wanted to sleep in. Mama commented I looked tired, and I’d investigated products that might make me look less tired. I’d asked Gracie’s advice, and she’d advised me to actually sleep more.
Damn sister.
“Hey…”
Rob met my gaze.
“Is there…?” I cleared my throat. “Any chance we could change Gracie’s name?”
“Uh…” He cocked his head.
“My sister’s name is Gracie.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, that could get awkward. I’m not going to ask your sister to change her name.”
“You’re a smart man.”
“Papa?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“I have a name for Gracie.”
I was a little surprised she understood the conversation, but I was quickly learning not to underestimate Hallie. As smart as my niece Mel was, Hallie had her beat at that age.
“Oh? What is it?” Rob cut a glance to me.
Dude, you don’t have to worry about me saying something mean. Sheesh, do you not know me by now?
“Drizella.”
I blinked.
Rob blinked.
“Uh…who’s Drizella?” I wracked my brain, but came up blank.
“Cinderella’s sister.” Hallie gave me the patented duh expression.
I did a little cheer, because that was the first time she’d ever done that with me. Somehow, this felt monumentally important. “Right.” I squinted. “Cinderella’s step-sister.”
“Yes.”
Rob glanced between Hallie and myself. “Sweetheart, Drizella’s…not really a nice person. But we could name the puppy Cinderella.”
I winced inwardly. Right…like I wanted to go around calling the dog Cinderella. That might be cute when Hallie or Thomas—or both—were around. Not so much when it was just me and the pooch. I suspected Rob felt the same way.
But Hallie came first.
I wracked my brain. “You know, James told me about his conversation with Colin to name Widget.”
Rob squinted. “Her name wasn’t always Widget?”
I guffawed. “Uh, no. Try Chambord.”
“Oh God.” He winced. “Widget is much better.”
“I agree.”
“What about Ella? That’s short for Drizella, And Cinderella. A compromise.” I had to try.
Hallie crossed her arms. “Drizella.”
Rob’s eyed widened. Was he going to reprimand her?
That tone and attitude would’ve gotten at least raised eyebrows from Leticia to her daughters, and she was pretty easygoing. Please don’t think I’m offended.
“Maybe we can sleep on it?” He cast me a worried glance.
I offered the best smile I could. Drizella was fine with me. Cinderella was fine with me—if that would make Hallie happy. Without words, I understood from Rob this was the most engaged Hallie had been for a long time. He’d not just agreed to bring Gracie home, he’d made it clear this was, barring catastrophe, a permanent thing.
Arthur’s relief had been palpable.
James was still suspicious of why I’d been so enthusiastic about taking the dog but then had, so quickly, yielded to Rob’s offer.
Colin had appeared both amused and fatigued. Soon after everything had been settled, he’d coaxed James to take him home. He’d given me a look, though. That made me wonder if he’d picked up on my own exhaustion. Today had been a damn long day.
Rob tapped my foot under the table.
I looked up and met his gaze.
“You’re falling asleep.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to go back to LA.” I rubbed my face. “For a moment there, I was trying to decide between Huntington Beach and LA.”
“Then you realized you live in Gaynor Beach now.”
I yawned. “Yeah. I even know the way back to my place.”
“You could’ve stayed on the couch.”
I almost retorted that his couch was uncomfortable, but I was thinking of his old couch. The old couch in James’s house. Which was incredibly uncomfortable.
On purpose.
My brother’d maintained he never wanted guests.
Ha. More fool him. Now he lived in a six-bedroom home with an extra two in my basement suite. I’d joked we could pretty much handle the entire Reynolds clan. He’d winced and said sure. Well, at least the kids. All twelve of them…so far.
James had said he and Colin were considering fostering once Colin was fully recovered. A way to pay forward their damn good luck.
I eyed Hallie and Thomas. They’d fit in with all my nieces and nephews. Mel would pull her into some game or other that little girls played. My three elder nieces were all creative creatures. And they all doted on the babies.
My three elder nephews were holy terrors…who would dote on the twins when Felicia finally had them. Two boys, no less. If I’d been a better math student, I might’ve tried to figure out the odds of having either five boys or five girls. Plus my twin sisters each being pregnant with twins at the same time.
Voodoo magic, Mama claimed. And since we weren’t superstitious and didn’t believe in that, I just rolled my eyes.
“Danny?”
I blinked. “Yeah, Rob. Sorry.”
“Maybe you should crash on the couch tonight. Or, better yet, you can sleep in my room. I can…” He gazed over at the couch. “Colin swears it’s comfortable.”
“Colin’s not wrong. I’ve spent a night there myself.” I offered a smile. “I’m safe to drive home, Rob.”
“Are you tired?” Hallie gazed at me. “You look tired.”
“Wow, I must really look bad.”
Her mouth went into a little o.
Sheesh. “But you’re right,” I added quickly. “So maybe you can read me a bedtime story?”
At least Rob had today off work since it was Sunday. He’d be back at it tomorrow.
Hallie scrutinized me, her little brow furrowing. “You can read.”
“Sure. I could read to you. Or you could read to me.”
Thomas pounded the tray of the highchair, clearly finished eating and fed up with the discussion.
“But it’s okay if you don’t want to,” I was quick to assure Hallie, even as Rob removed Thomas’s bib and tried to mitigate the damage as much as he could. Mama’s gravy was everywhere.
Everywhere.
She would be thrilled.
I whipped out my phone and snapped a photo before Rob could remove Thomas from the high chair.
Rob cocked his head.
“Family chat. Mama’s got to see how much her gravy was appreciated.”
For just a moment, Rob stilled.
“Oh crap. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I haven’t sent it yet—” Stupid. He’s in hiding. Of course he doesn’t want pictures of his kids uploaded…even to a private chat.
“No, it’s fine.” He offered me a smile even as he released Thomas. “I just…I don’t think I’ve taken many pictures since I’ve been here. Even with the new phone.”
“You backed up the old ones, right? To the cloud server I showed you?”
“Yeah, I did what you suggested. All my photos are backed up there.” He rubbed his forehead as if in pain.
I laughed.
He frowned.
I indicated his temple.
He wiped…and came away with gravy.
To my relief, he chuckled.
“Papa?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Drizella needs to go out.”
Both Rob and I turned to find the husky sitting patiently by the door.
“I’ll handle the dog and you handle the kids.” I winked to Rob. “Somehow, I think I’m getting the better end of this.”
Since even Hallie had gravy on her shirt, Rob seemed to acknowledge my point with a sigh. “Take three bags. You just never know.”
Fifteen minutes later, Drizella and I were back inside. The rain had come in earnest and neither her raincoat nor mine had kept us particularly dry. Arthur had expressed surprise Gracie came with a raincoat but Druscilla swore she was good with it. I was grateful because she would’ve been ever wetter.
Rob handed me a towel as I toed off my shoes. He pointed to the dog. Then he disappeared.
I unhooked her leash, removed her coat, and set about trying to dry her as best I could.
Moments later, Rob reappeared with a nicer looking towel. He pointed to my wet hair.
“Well, you could dry me while I do her.”
His eyes widened and, for just a moment, he looked like he was going to bolt. Still, after a long minute, he indicated I should duck my head. Then he dried my hair. Since it was pretty short, it didn’t take him long. Still, as he diligently worked away at it, something inside me stirred. No one had taken care of me like this for a long time. Well, aside from Mama and Daddy after the surgery. But someone I wasn’t related to…? I couldn’t remember. I’d dated plenty of men and women over the past six years—since Mama decreed I was old enough—but I’d never met someone who spoke to me the way Rob did.
I’d spent the past three months trying to tell myself what I felt wasn’t real. That, even if it was, one-sided attraction never worked. Rob wasn’t interested in me. Would never be. And, even if he was, he had his kids to focus on. I could never, ever allow myself to be a distraction.
He pulled back, and I straightened. This close, he had to tip his chin back a little to meet my gaze. I had the impression he was less slender than when he’d first arrived. Like maybe he’d put on a bit of weight. Still slim, though.
Fucking attractive.
But I wouldn’t do anything about it. Because he didn’t need complications right now.
And neither did I. “Hallie and Thomas in bed?”
He nodded, offering a little smile. “Hallie didn’t even want to read. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Thomas was just behind.”
“They never did get their naps.”
“No, which is why I was so impressed they were well behaved at dinner.”
“Drizella,” I deadpanned.
He winced. “I’m going to keep working on that. There’s an Ella movie or something, right? Maybe I can convince her to try that.”
“It’s okay, Rob. Dogs have weird names. Hell, kids have weird names. Anyway, my niece’s name is Etta. That’s too close to Ella.” I eyed the dog. “Are you supposed to be on the chair?” The thing was fabric, so it would dry and therefore wasn’t so much an issue—but I didn’t want her doing things she wasn’t supposed to.
“No.” Rob sighed. “She’s not. That’s what Arthur suggested. Although he also suggested I hire a local trainer as, clearly, she’s got some bad habits.”
I cast my gaze to Drizella. “We should’ve kept your name. You’re going to be trouble—just like my sister.”
The husky held my gaze, with her crystal-blue eyes, and then defiantly tipped up her chin.
“Oh yeah, trouble indeed.”