“Nope.” Kade took in the costume Andrew had bought and shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“What’re you going to do when one of the boys decides he wants to follow in my footsteps instead of yours?” Dad challenged with a grin. “Tell him he can’t follow his dreams because his daddy wants him to be a squid flyboy instead?”
“Fuck,” Kade groaned, raking his fingers through his hair.
“Ahem,” I hissed, tilting my head toward Bennett in a reminder that he had big ears and an even bigger mouth that loved to repeat bad words at the most inappropriate times. All the guys had started to tone down their language around him when I got a call from his preschool teacher because he told her he’d just taken a shit after he finished in the bathroom.
Kade flashed me an apologetic smile before dropping a quick kiss on my lips. “Sorry, gorgeous.”
“Are you gonna apologize to me, too?” Andrew asked, handing the baby to Kade when he reached for him.
“For what?” Kade growled, swaying back and forth as he stared down at our son.
“For not appreciating the amazing gift I brought my nephew.”
Bennett’s head jerked back at his uncle’s answer. “Where my present?”
“Yeah, Andrew. Where is Bennett’s present?” he echoed, jumping on the perfect opportunity to give my brother a hard time.
“Yay, I love presents,” Bennett cheered, doing a little dance before racing over to Andrew and looking up at him expectantly.
Luckily, my brother was a quick thinker. Crouching down to Bennett’s level, he explained, “I have to take you for a little ride to bring you to your gift, buddy.”
My son’s eyes widened. “You do?”
Andrew nodded. “Yup.”
“Is Charlie gonna come, too?” Bennett asked.
“Of course, he is,” Andrew answered. “You know I don’t go anywhere without Charlie.”
My brother hadn’t had a PTSD episode in a few years, but Charlie was part of the family now. Bennett looked over to where he was sprawled with Tucker next to the door that opened to the back patio. “Yippee, a ride with Charlie!”
Tucker lifted his head to look at one of his favorite humans with a bark, probably wondering why Bennett was so excited.
“Where are you taking him?”
“The ice cream shack,” Andrew answered. “We’ll be back in half an hour or so.”
After they left, my dad pulled out the stroller and got Elliot settled in it. “This little guy can’t have any ice cream, but I bet he’d love to go for a walk with his grandpa.”
I beamed a smile at him. “Thanks, Dad.”
“You’re welcome, kiddo.”
“Just make sure he aims any spit up at that flyboy uniform,” Kade muttered as he held the door open for my dad, who pulled a bib covered with tiny airplanes out of his pocket and replied, “Not gonna happen, squid.”
“You’re focusing on the totally wrong thing,” I pointed out, interlacing our fingers to tug him toward the stairs.
“I am?”
I waved my other hand in a circle. “We have the whole house to ourselves for a limited amount of time.”
Quickly picking up my point, he scooped me into his arms and raced toward our bedroom. “Then we’d better use it wisely.”
Arrow’s story is up next in Stolen by the Master Chief!