17. Chapter 16
Richard
The girls loved being outside; the boys played hard. We hiked, swam, and ate campfire food until it was time to tear down the tent and pack up for home.
On the drive home, everyone crashed out, making it a quiet ride.
I glanced over at Jo, and this was the first time I’d seen her relaxed since the day on the side of the road.
Layla.
Thoughts of Jo at her grandparent’s, alone, dealing with a pregnancy raced through my head.
She shouldn’t have gone through that without me.
A quick check in the rearview mirror showed me the kids, and my heart squeezed tight. I meant what I said to Cooper. I didn’t care that they weren’t biologically mine.
Briar was a “daddy’s girl”. And as far as she was concerned, I was her daddy.
Back in high school, I didn’t want kids because I didn’t want to chance that I would end up a miserable asshole, like my dad.
Now I knew I could never and would never be like him.
My life, my world, was inside this van.
We can house hunt when she’s ready. A big yard. Decent garage. Basement for the kids to have friends over and be crazy.
Jo stretched in her seat and her eyes fluttered open. “We almost home?”
“Yeah.” I reached for her hand and brought it to my lips. “Good nap?”
“Mm-hmm.” She covered our hands with her other hand. “I’m sorry about …”
“Jo.” I tugged our hands. “Don’t. You have nothing to be sorry for. I get why you ran.”
“It doesn’t make it right.”
“No.” I shrugged. “But we can’t change the past. All we can do is change the future. Right?”
“You’re right.” She nodded.
I turned onto the street leading to her dad’s house. “Back to reality?”
“Ugh.” She shook her head. “I love my dad, but we need our space.”
“House hunting this week?”
“If you’re sure?” Her face scrunched up.
“Never been more sure of anything.” I pulled into the driveway. “Let’s unload before the natives wake.”
We left our doors open, hoping to get unloaded before the kids woke and our plan worked. The moment I closed the hatch on the van, our weary campers roused from sleep and crawled out.
I collected hugs, gave Jo a kiss and a pat on the ass, then walked through their backyard, hopping the fence into my mom’s yard.
School was about to start, and I didn’t want the boys to switch schools in the middle of a semester. We’ll need to look for a place in our neighborhood.
My life felt like it was falling into place and I was excited to see its direction.
“Will we ride the same bus?” Grady leaned against me as I surveyed the kitchen.
“Hmm, maybe.” I narrowed my eyes, looking at the space to see if a table large enough for our family would fit there.
“Cause Nathan keeps bein’ a butthead.”
“What’s he doing?” I ruffled his hair.
“He says mean things, like I’m stupid.” Grady shrugged his shoulders.
I crouched down to be on his level. “Son, you’re not stupid, and he knows it. But the only way he can get to you is to say that.”
Grady’s eyes shifted around, then he leaned in and whispered. “I kinda punched him.”
“Did Miss Norma see it?” I whispered back.
“No.”
“Okay, punching people isn’t the way to settle things.” I hoped my face showed firm resolve and not the pride I felt for my son shutting up a bully.
“I know.” He sighed. “But he called Harrison a really bad word.”
I felt my eyes narrow. “What bad word?”
Grady’s face grew red, and his nostrils flared as he whispered with disgust. “Faggot.”
“What?” Anger flooded my body. “Maybe I need to go talk to his dad?”
“I tried to take care of it.” He frowned.
Shit. I remembered standing up for my brothers.
“You did, son.” I held his arms. “Next time he says that ugly word, you let Miss Norma know.”
“Ain’t that snitchin’?”
“Sometimes you need to speak up.”
“Okay, Richdad.”
“I got your back, Grady.” I made him look me in the eye. “No one should ever say that to anyone.”
An old memory punched me in the gut, remembering when my dad call my brother Jeremy that. Which sent my brain moving a hundred miles an hour.
“Richdad?” Harrison came in. “Are you mad?”
“Not at any of you.” I stood up. “I get mad at people who treat others bad.”
“Yeah.” He nodded his head, and I pulled boys in for a hug.
“No one is allowed to mistreat you guys.”
“Not even dad.” Harrison leaned against me.
“Not even your father.”
“I’m so sorry we have you showing us so many places, Lindsey.” Jo’s voice came closer.
“Please.” Lindsey laughed. “I love helping people find the right home.”
They came up from the basement and Jo smiled at me. This was the fifth house of the day, and I hoped that smile meant she loved it as much as I did.
Pushing the ugly thoughts away, I focused on the task at hand. Jo and Lindsey walked through and went to the living room as I looked around the room I stood in.
It’s got everything I ever dreamed of having in a house for my family.
A fenced yard, two-car garage, five bedrooms, and two and a half bathrooms. It also had a finished basement with a pool table, which the boys and I eyed hard. And a mudroom which would be needed between a mechanic and five kids.
Jo had been stressed for the past month while we house shopped. John was hit or miss for his visitation and living with her dad wasn’t doing anyone any good. We needed to find a place soon.
I walked through to the living room and found her in deep thought.
“I was doing the same.”
“Mentally placing furniture?” She turned towards me.
“Yeah. I like the kitchen.” I wrapped my arms around her. “What about you?”
“I really liked the kitchen.” She leaned into me. “It’s close to your mom and my dad.”
“There’s that.” I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Room to grow.”
She barked out an unladylike laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not?” I shrugged.
The kids joined us in the living room, coming at us from all directions.
“I like this one, mama.” Tyler took her hand.
“Me too, baby.” Her voice softened.
“Mom, can Richdad be our dad?” Grady asked as he hopped up on the ledge of the bay window.
“That’s something we’d all need to discuss.” She trembled in my arms.
“Mama.” Harrison stood in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips. “I feel guilty.”
“About what?” I looked towards him, and he twisted his lips, looking down at his feet.
“Well, Richdad, I don’t miss my dad.” His little chest heaved with a sigh. “Am I bad?”
“No, baby.” Jo slipped from my arms and went to him. “You’re not.”
Their divorce was final. And the only two reasons we had to go back to court were child support, since John couldn’t be bothered to pay it. And visitation when he got a wild hair up his ass.
Jo knew I had her back, and I sat with her at every court hearing.
“I need to get back to the office. Think you can lock the door when you leave?” Lindsey came over to stand by us.
I looked over at her, smiling. “We sure can, Lindsey. We’ll be in touch.”
“It’s been great working with you guys.” She smiled and gave Jo a hug. “I’m glad you guys found your way back to each other.”
“Me too.” Jo laughed. “Thanks for being so patient with us, Linds.”
“Pfft, that’s my job.” She waved as she went out the front door, and once it was closed, Jo spun to face me.
“Well?” I spread my arms open wide.
“We like this one!” The boys yelled.
“And how about you, Jo?”
“Dada.” Briar yelled running over to me. “Yes!”
“Is this the house for us, princess?” I scooped her up into my arms.
“Yes!”
“That’s four votes.” I gave Briar a squeeze. “I’ll be five.”
Jo held her face, spun in a circle and then bent to pick up the baby. “I guess Emma and I make six and seven.”
“Then let’s lock up and make some calls to get the ball rolling.”
“I’d like that.”
We locked up behind us and I had them drop me off at work. The kids were out of school, so Jo took the day off to spend with them.
Our newest mascot, Sammy, came over to my bay and looked at the car I was getting ready to work on.
“Need help?”
“Sure.” I smiled at my niece. “How ya holding’ up?”
She shrugged. “It’s weird.”
“How so?” I drop down on my creeper and slide under the car, not surprised when she lies on the dirty floor to keep talking to me.
“I have family and shit.”
“You have family.” I chuckled. “Don’t say shit.”
“You just said it.”
“I’m an adult.”
“Well, that’s bullshit.” She huffed out.
I laughed and got distracted letting oil dribble out on me; she pushed the pan under the stream. “Thanks, kiddo.”
“Libby said we’re all having a big dinner at Nana Jean’s next week.”
“Thanksgiving.” I wiped oil off my hands and face where it splashed. “Nana makes a shitton of food. We eat until we can’t walk and watch football.”
“Interesting.”
“Libby, Jo, and Nana might make plans to battle the crowds for black Friday.” I roll out and meet my helper.
“Why would they do that?” Her nose scrunches up.
I gave her a shrug. “Who knows.”
“You teachin’ my kid bad things?” Coop yelled across the garage.
“Absolutely! That’s what uncles are for.” I held up my arm, flipping him the bird.
Sammy giggled beside me and flipped him another bird.
Jeremy busted out laughing, and I didn’t bother to correct my niece.