Page 32 of Paradise

“All right.” Garrett got into the same position as yesterday afternoon, with Cody’s head on his lap, and ran his chilly hands through Cody’s hair and across the back of his neck. Garrett was wired, he wasn’t going to sleep, but at least he could dosomethingfor Cody for a little while. Before he went and got Jonah, before they talked to Miles again, before they met with a lawyer, before they had to deal with Jack … this was definitely going to be the least complicated part of Garrett’s day.

He shut his eyes and tried to enjoy it.

Chapter seventeen

Jonah

It was the speed of it all that surprised Jonah the most.

In retrospect, he knew he shouldn’t be so surprised. Garrett was capable of incredible efficiency when he wanted to be, and he had to have learned it somewhere. Apparently, his role model was his father, and where Garrett was good, Miles was absolutely astonishing. Jonah woke up alone (again) and went to check on Cody, who was happily ensconced on his bed with Garrett, watching a projection of the latest Space Rangers movie. Apparently, they were fighting giant mutant frogs in a swamp ruled by a wicked sorceress.

Well, someone had to do it.

“Hey, guys.”

“Daddy!” Cody turned happily and held up his arms. He’d been a little clingier since the bug incident, which didn’t bother Jonah at all. Jonah sat down next to them and pulled Cody into his arms while Garrett turned off the movie. Cody was warm in his embrace, but when he took Garrett’s hand, it was so coldit shocked him. “You been sittin’ in ice water, darlin’?” Jonah asked, only kind of joking at that point.

“I’m fine,” Garrett said with a smile. “Maybe it’s lack of sleep.”

“I noticed that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” There was something anxious in Garrett’s demeanor, and Jonah wanted to dig deeper, but Cody was demanding his attention.

“Daddy, I had fish for breakfast.”

“What?” He stared over at Garrett. “How’d he get fish? How’d you get him toeatfish?”

“They weretaiyaki, pancakes cooked in the shape of fish and filled with red bean paste,” Garrett clarified. “Claudia has a special pan to make them with; they’re a favorite where she’s from. We colored in the gills and scales with blue whipped cream.”

“Sounds like a pretty good breakfast,” Jonah said as he pictured it.

“The red was like guts,” Cody said gleefully. “And I pretended to be a shark when I ate it.”

“It was a good butmessybreakfast,” Garrett added. “It required copious use of cleansing facecloths to recover from.”

“Yeah? Did you pretend to be a shark when you ate yours too?”

“Garrett didn’t have any,” Cody told him. “He said he wasn’t hungry.”

Jonah looked up at his fiancé. “Did you already eat?”

“Not long ago.”

“What does that mean?” Jonah asked, but Garrett just shrugged. “Maybe that’s why you’re so peeked now. You’ve gotta eat, darlin’.”

“I’m fine. I’ll eat a big lunch, I promise,” Garrett said with a dismissive wave. “So, I talked to my dad this morning about the situation.”

Jonah frowned. “Don’t you think that’s the sort of thing we should have done together?”

“You were sleeping. You were tired, sweetheart. I just wanted to get the ball rolling, and my father is the last person who would judge.” Garrett looked a little worried. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Ma—no, I’m notmad,” Jonah said, and he really wasn’t. It was only … “I just don’t want you to take on too much of the responsibility for this. It’s something we should deal with as a team. You said it yourself, this isus, right? I know I don’t want to do it alone, s’why I told you about this mess.”

“Oh.” Garrett still looked worried. Jonah leaned across the bed and pulled him into a kiss. Garrett’s lips were soft and yielding, and it made Jonah want to take him back to the bed he’d been avoiding, but then Cody made a very pointed “ugh” sound. They pulled apart and looked down at Cody, who rolled his eyes.

“Can I get up now?” he asked. “The doctor said I could get up today. My fever is totally gone.”

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