Chapter 8
Thirteen years later
Denver looked at the work he’d gotten done today and was proud of himself.
It had been a few days since he’d had time to play out in his building, and he thought that it was the best thing to relax with.
As he was putting the pot he’d just thrown on the cart, he saw Bailee standing in the doorway watching him.
“I have seen you do that a million times, and it never gets old.” He thanked her.
“No problem. I was wondering what you wanted to do about dinner. I’m hungry and need something to eat soon, or I’m going to expire.
How about I order some Chinese and we pig out on that? I want a gallon of hot sour soup.”
“That sounds wonderful. Don’t forget tomorrow night, I’m having dinner with my brothers.
I guess you have that thing with the women, too.
” She said they were meeting at their home so that they could pig out on food there.
“Good. I know that Sally June, our cook, has been getting with you about little sandwiches.”
“We’re going to be trying out some of the recipes from Jack’s old place.
He handed over the ingredients list to me the other day.
Do you suppose that he’ll ever open another place like that one?
It’s difficult to get into the place now that he has people working for him all the time.
I’m betting the family table is used nightly by other patrons.
” Denver said he thought he was having a good time working with their sister in the catering business to care.
“I thought about using them to come to the house, but they’re booked up again through the rest of the year.
Can you imagine having so much business that you don’t have any openings for nearly a year? ”
“I have orders that need to go out soon, so I can get an idea. I’m ready to quit here.
If you want to order, I’ll be inside in a minute.
I need to clean up and cover things up.” She said that she’d do that and went out the door.
After finishing the pot that he was working on, he put it on the shelf with the others and began cleaning himself up.
He wasn’t a messy potter; he’d been doing it for so long, but sometimes he’d get really splashed with some of the mud that he used, so he’d need to change his clothing when he was finished.
After wrapping his work in plastic around the cart, he made sure that everything was put away.
He didn’t want to leave things out to dry out too quickly and turned off the lights when all was cleaned up.
As soon as he was in the house, he washed up again and decided he wasn’t too dirty, but for his shirt.
Taking it off near the washer, he dropped it into it and got himself a clean one.
It was nice to be able to have a clean shirt on this level when he needed it.
The food arrived just as he was setting the table in the dining room.
She must have ordered one of everything on the menu because he couldn’t believe how much food there was for the two of them.
The kids had already eaten, she told him, and were off playing in their rooms. He was glad that he didn’t miss bedtime again.
It was his favorite part of the evening, reading to the three of them.
He loved his children as much as he did Bailee.
He had two sons and a daughter, whom he thought the world set in her heart just for him.
Lee would smile at him, and he’d feel the earth shift under his feet.
The boys loved her too, as she was their little sister and they spoiled her rotten.
But she knew when she was in trouble at home and had to stand in the corner.
He’d never tell her this, but when he’d been small, he’d spent a great deal of time standing in one corner or another in Grannie’s home.
Just as they were finishing up their meal, the kids came down to tell him goodnight.
They’d had their baths already and smelled so good that he found himself sniffing their throats for the scent.
It also smelled of their mother, so he was happy to know that they smelled of her as well.
Denver got to take them up to bed while Bailee cleaned up.
She said it was because he’d missed bathtime, but he had a feeling that she knew what it meant to him to be able to read to them. It made his night.
Settling down on Harmans bed, his oldest, he asked him where they were in the book they’d been reading.
He’d been reading the one about the whale, and they were about halfway through it now.
He started on the chapter that they’d left off on when Lee, his second-oldest son, asked him a question about being a lion alpha.
“It’s called leap leader, and it’s different for everyone who does it.
I set up hours to work so that I didn’t have people coming and going all the time.
It afforded me time to be with your mom, too.
You know how much we love to spend time together.
” They all three made the gagging sounds, and he laughed.
“Being in charge is a big deal. You have to know all the rules that govern everyone and be willing to make sure justice is served when it needs to be. It’s a big responsibility just being the leader of this family. ”
“Do you suppose I can run the pride when I’m older?
I’m learning all the rules so that I don’t mess up.
I’d love to be able to rule people all the time.
” He simply nodded, knowing that for a ten-year-old, he had no idea what it was like to rule.
“I’d make everyone bow down before me like we read about in that one book.
I would make sure, too, that I had people around me who would do what I said to them, no matter what it was. ”
“I’m sure you’re thinking that’s a good thing, but would you want the family to hate you?
” He shook his head no and said they’d love him.
“Only if you’re fair. And to me, it sounds like you only want things for yourself.
That’s what is important when running a pride: you have to be fair about everything you do.
It might mean that you have to tell them no once in a while, but it’s for the good of everyone, not just for yourself. Understand?”
“Yes. But I’d still like them to bow down to me like they do Uncle Ronin. Everybody about kills themselves getting to the ground when he comes around.” He told him because he was king of their kind. “Then that’s what I want to be someday. King of all lions. Wouldn’t that be so cool, Amy?”
“You’d just be a wiener head, and you know it. You don’t have good enough grades to run anything.” He had to stifle a laugh when she played the grade card. “If you were to just do the homework, then you’d be able to have good grades like Lee and I. But you have to show off, don’t you?”
And then there was a fight. After letting them wrestle for a little while, he broke it up.
Amy was winning anyway, as they knew better than to hit her first. They could defend themselves against her, but seeing that she was smaller than them and a girl, they would cut her some slack.
After settling down again, he read a chapter to them and told them it was bedtime.
Each of them had their own room, so he got to go from room to room kissing them goodnight.
He stayed a little longer in Harmon’s room because he had more questions.
“Do you think I’ll have a mate, Dad?” He told him that he didn’t know why not. he was a lion after all. “I don’t know that I want one. If they have to be a girl like Amy is, she’ll drive me crazy all the time about rules. I know the rules, I just don’t have to like them.”
“You’ll get used to them. And when she comes around, you’ll be happy that she found you.
I know for a fact that I was when your mom found me.
” He asked if they’d have to do kissing and stuff.
“I should hope so. But you’ll be older then and won’t mind it so much.
So long as you remember the most important rule of all. ”
“It’s her body and her right. I remember that one. When a woman says no, they mean it too.” When he had him tucked in, he kissed him on the forehead. “I don’t mind when mommy kisses me, Dad, but I love it when you kiss my forehead. I feel like a grown-up little boy.”
“Good, I’ll remember that from now on so that I don’t kiss you on the cheek.
” After turning off the light, he told his son good night.
All he could think about was his brother Lance and him not wanting a mate either before meeting Georgie.
He nearly lost her when he started spouting off the crap that he’d been.
“Did you get them all to bed? I swear to you, Harmon asks about two million questions a day. I bet you that he makes a list in his head while he’s sleeping, and that’s why they come out during the day.
” He told her about the mate question. “I hope you reminded him that it doesn’t matter if he wants her or not, she’s his forever. ”
“If I told him that, he’d never leave the house for fear of finding her.
” The two of them laughed and sat down on the couch together.
“He wants to be king someday because he wants people to bow before him. I didn’t tell him that we need to bow before Ronin, but he’s a bit young for that kind of advice.
I’ll save that for when he’s older, and it means something to him about Ronin. ”