“Daddy, make him stop.”
Cole cleared his throat and tried to sound stern. “Blake, stop picking on her.”
“Fine. For now.”
“You could have warned me he was a brat,” Jade said.
The men just laughed, and the three talked while they ate.
“What are we doing today, Daddy?” Jade asked.
“I need to go to the rehab place.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I’m going to start wearing my prosthetic leg.”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t know you had one.”
“Yes, I do.”
“If you don’t want to wear it and stay in the chair, I can protect you,” she said.
If she hadn’t been so serious, he would have laughed.
“Does she not know what you are?” Blake asked.
“I don’t think it’s come up in conversation.” He turned toJade. “Baby, do you know what a SEAL is?”
Her grin widened, and she clapped. “Yes, they’re so cute, but I like dolphins better.”
Blake started choking on his coffee.
Cole grinned. “No, baby, not that kind of seal. I’m talking about the Navy SEALs?”
He watched her seem to think about it for a moment and then nodded. “Yes. I’ve heard of them. They’re mean men. They like to kill people.”
Blake pressed his hand over his face, and Cole rolled his eyes. “No, baby, they’re not mean.”
“Cole, I saw it on TV.”
Cole saw Blake’s shoulders shaking, and he tried to hold back his own laughter. “It’s not true. They are just men who help people. They’re not bad.”
“Do you know one?” she asked.
“Baby, Blake and I are SEALs.”
He watched her appear to think about it for a bit before she looked at him and shook her head with a grin on her face.
The grin died when he just nodded.
Jade slapped her hand down. “Daddy, you can’t. You’re so sweet and nice, and you hate it when I fight.”
At the moment, Blake had his forehead against the table with one arm over his head. After a moment, he raised it and wiped his eyes.
“Jade, Cole is not nice.”
She slapped her hand down again. “Stop saying that.”