CHAPTER ELEVEN #4
I let them go first because I know Kinsley will want to be inside to watch Murph’s reaction.
Since she moved in, he’s been glued to her side.
He might have flunked out of K-9 school, but he’s big on protecting my woman.
Whenever she had a bout of morning sickness, he would be right there to lie with her and give her comfort, even if that meant he shoved himself in between us.
I swear, I think his loyalty lies with her now more than with me.
‘Course she gets him pup cups whenever she can. Nothing like a little bribery to win him over. Although I will say that with Kinsley living here, he doesn’t chase that damn imaginary mouse anymore.
I swear, he just likes to run down the hallway at full speed and crash into the wall for fun. He’s definitely more heart than brains.
I hand Grant my keys so he can open the door.
He gets Kinsley up the couple of steps. As he’s unlocking the door, I hear Murph coming to the door.
As soon as Grant opens the door, I call out, “Murphy, sit!” I know how excitable he is, and the last thing I want is for him to jump on Kinsley in his excitement.
Kinsley slowly shuffles into the house, and Grant helps her sit on the couch. I set Hope in her car seat next to Kinsley. I kneel and give my boy some good scratches. “You ready to meet Hope, good boy?”
Murph wags his tail and sits right in front of my woman.
Kinsley is holding Hope in her arms. She nods to Murph, and he moves, smelling Hope’s feet and up to her forehead.
He then puts his head on Kinsley’s lap and just looks at Hope.
I might be reading into it, but I swear he looks at Hope like she’s his new best buddy.
About an hour later, Grant and Erik got everything unloaded, took their turns holding Hope again, and said their goodbyes, leaving us all alone with our little girl for the first time.
Our little girl, who just woke up again, and is currently being fed by her mama.
I just finish making Kinsley some tea as a car pulls up outside.
Less than a minute later, the front door opens and Booker is standing there with a bag and a stuffed alligator.
“Where’s my little sister?” I’m so happy he’s excited about her.
I know it won’t last forever, but at least it’s starting out positively.
That’s better than when Way was little and found out Cash was on his way.
He might have asked if we could take him to the forest and leave him for Bigfoot to take.
If I’m honest, I might have gone along with it once he came home.
What? I was five and had to share a room with Way ‘cause a baby was coming. Earth-shattering news in a little boy’s life.
Way was almost four and was not happy about no longer being the baby in the family.
I think we both were better about Willie’s arrival.
Mom might remember things differently, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it, damn it.
I set Kinsley’s tea down on the table. Kinsley is just finishing burping Hope.
She’s smiling at Booker. “Want to come here and meet your sister?” He nods and goes over to the couch, but stops short.
“I need to wash my hands first. Mom says you have to have clean hands when you touch a baby.” He runs to the bathroom, and I see Meg in the doorway with a smile on her face.
“Come on in. Is Maddy with you?” Meg comes in and sits in a chair across from the couch.
“No, she’s still at work, but I couldn’t hold off bringing Booker any longer.
He’s been climbing the walls all day waiting to come over. ”
Booker comes rushing down the hallway from the bathroom.
“I’m clean now. I even used soap.” He holds up his hands to show us, and they’re dripping with water.
I can’t help but shake my head. “Your hands need to be dry, too, son. Go grab a towel from the kitchen.” He sighs but runs to the kitchen.
He comes scurrying back in less than a minute.
He pushes his glasses up and looks at me and Meg.
“Now am I good? I need to meet my Hope and tell her things before she hears them from other people.” He says it with such a serious face that I have to fight not to laugh.
I’m also curious as to what he thinks he has to tell her.
Booker goes to the couch, and Kinsley tells him to sit down next to her.
I can see out of the corner of my eye that Meg has her phone out and is recording it all.
Booker sits right next to Kinsley with his legs straight as a board in front of him.
Kinsley speaks softly to him. “Now hold your hands out on your legs like we talked about.” Booker follows her instructions, and Kinsley sets Hope in his hands, keeping her hand under Hope’s head to support it until she moves a blanket onto her knee and adjusts Hope.
She’s awake and staring at her brother. He looks down at her with the biggest smile on his face.
“Now, Hope…Hopey, Hopester. Nope, just Hope. Now, Hope, you and I gots to talk about some things. First, I’m Booker Emmett Wood, and I’m your big brother.
I’m nine, so I know lots of things. First thing is you have to ask before you mess with any of my dinosaurs or gators.
They are important. I brought you your own gator so you won’t need to touch mine.
” Ah, so that’s why he chose a gator for her.
He continues, and I swear Hope is paying attention to him.
“Now I’m not always here ‘cause sometimes I’m at my mom and Maddy’s, but you can always borrow Dad’s phone and call.
Grandma and Gramps are both awesome, even though Grandma does make you take at least one bite of vegetables before you can be excused.
She makes really good cookies, and Gramps will sneak you some when she’s not looking.
” He spends the next few minutes giving Hope the rundown on everyone in the family, even Kinsley’s brothers and Grant.
I don’t know where he got the idea that he needed to give her the 411, but he is.
He starts to tell her about going fishing when he looks back down at Hope and frowns.
“She fell asleep. I can’t talk to her about fishing if she’s asleep. ”
Kinsley gives him a smile. “She’s still really little, and when a baby is this small, they sleep a lot.
They take naps all day long.” Booker’s eyes bulge out.
“More than one nap? That’s a lot.” I can see the wheels turning in his mind.
He looks over to Kinsley. “Can you take her so I can take her toys and gator to her room so she has them and won’t go in my room?
We’re gonna have to wait to take her to the zoo till she stops napping so much.
You can’t nap at the zoo.” Gotta love his logic.
Kinsley takes Hope back, and Booker scurries off the couch and out of the room.
I look over at Meg, and she’s shaking her head.
“All that he just said and how his mind works like that? That’s all you, Deputy Wood.
” Kinsley starts chuckling, and when I glance her way, she’s nodding her head in agreement.
I think I might be in trouble if my ex-wife and my wife start ganging up on me.
I’m a smart enough man to get up and go help my son in the nursery.
Like I said the first night I met Kinsley, Ada and Brooks Wood didn’t raise no fool.