“Otherwise, I can help,” Rowan adds. “I have off tomorrow. I’ll take him to Grandma Bishop’s, and she’ll just die over him while spoiling him properly.”
I laugh, knowing she’s right. “If that’s okay with Chelsea? I’ll come over as soon as I’m done.”
“I mean, yeah, that’s fine as long as Rowan doesn’t mind. Dawson can be a handful.”
“Absolutely! My cousins are looking forward to playing with him too,” Rowan reassures her.
“Okay, thank you. I appreciate it. I’m not used to getting much help and always feel like a burden when someone offers. When I’m at work, he goes to daycare, and my sister’s shifts are the same as mine so I didn’t have extra hands.” She blows out a breath as if the whole world isn’t all on her shoulders now.
“I’m here, Chelsea. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. When you move here, we’ll come up with a schedule so you have some nights to yourself. You deserve it.”
“I can’t remember the last time I had an entire night to myself,” she says with a laugh. “Or an uninterrupted bath.”
Dawson grabs my cowboy hat off the coffee table and puts it on his head, covering his eyes and nose. He starts giggling, which makes the three of us burst out laughing too.
“How ya doing over there?” Rowan asks from the doorway, leaning against it with her arms crossed. The smartass look on her face tells me she knows damn well how things are going.
“Half his dinner is on the floor, so…not great.”
She walks toward me with a smile, then she looks at the table. “Did you try to feed him spinach?” She wrinkles her nose.
“It’s healthy for him,” I retort.
“Only if it makes it into his mouth,” she teases.
“Daddy, no!” He swipes my hand again when I hand him a fork. “I want candy!”
“You can’t have candy, buddy. How about some fruit?”
He nods and shoves a piece of hot dog in his mouth. Of course he’ll eat that, but nothing with actual nutrients.
“Don’t get discouraged,” Rowan tells me as I cut up an apple and banana. “Toddlers are picky shits.”
“How did Chelsea do this by herself for so long?” I ask, setting the slices in a bowl. “He’s been here for three hours, and I’m exhausted. I chased him all over the house, put him on the potty ten billion times, and then he screamed for food but won’t eat.”
“Is that why he’s not wearing any pants?” Rowan chuckles, and the sound causes me to smile. I lower my gaze down her body and appreciate her curves.
“Yep,” I say. “He’s wearing his big boy underwear because it’s faster to get him on the toilet without removing the extra layers.”
“Did you try the cereal trick?”
“Also, yep. He grabbed the Cheerio out of the water and then popped it into his mouth before I could stop him.”
Rowan covers her mouth to hold back her laughter, but I see the corner of her lips tilts up.
“Oh my God…” She pats my arm. “He’s as much work as you were, I’m sure.”
“My mother’s already confirmed that as true when I called and asked for advice.” I grunt.
It’s been a few weeks since Chelsea and Dawson moved to Texas for good. It’s the first night he’s sleeping over, and while I’m happy to have him here and give his mother a break, I’m nervous as hell. I’ve been getting the spare room ready for him, but I have a feeling he’s not going to stay in his toddler bed without a fight. Chelsea’s already warned me he likes to get out.
“Well, maybe once he’s asleep, I can help ease some of your tension,” Rowan says seductively.
I pop a brow. “I might be down for that…” Grinning, I take the bowl of sliced fruit and set it down in front of Dawson. I don’t even bother with the fork this time. He’s flung it four times already.
After dinner, we give Dawson a bath, get him into his pajamas, and then read him two bedtime stories. Just as Chelsea warned, he snuck out of his bed, and I repeatedly tucked him back in. After the seventh time, he wore himself out and finally fell asleep.
“I am so tired…” I groan as I collapse on the bed next to Rowan. She’s been watching TV while she waits for me. “Any chance I can just lie here while you pleasure me? I don’t think I can move.”
Rowan grabs the remote and turns it off. Then she straddles my lap and wraps her arms around my neck. “You did good,” she praises. “And I gotta admit, watching you be a dad is sexy as hell.”
I arch a brow. “Oh, really? How sexy are we talkin’?”
“Mmm…like blow job sexy. Slide your cock between my breasts and let you come all over my chest sexy.”