Page 38 of Home to You
He rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
I watched them—my wife, my boy, and the daughter we’d soon meet—and felt something settle in my chest. A kind of peace I hadn’t known I was missing.
Eden turned to me with that soft smile that always undid me. “What’s on your to-do list today, cowboy?”
I reached for my coffee, leaning back in my chair. “Not a whole lot, actually. Gage and Colt have everything under control, so I’ll be in your hair all day.”
“In that case, can you help me hang those paintings I picked up last week in the nursery?”
“I’d say that sounds like a mighty fine way to spend my day,” I said, pushing back from the table. I reached for Eden’s empty plate and mine, stacking them as I rose. I dropped a kiss on the top of her head before carrying them to the sink.
Over my shoulder, I added, “Long as you promise not to boss me around too much.”
She hummed. “No promises.”
“What time’s Uncle Gage getting here?” Cole asked, pushing up from his seat. “I’m supposed to help him repair some fence lines.”
I checked the clock on the wall over his shoulder. “He’s swinging by in about an hour,” I said. “And he’ll probably complain the whole time you’re out there how I’ve gone soft in my old age.”
Cole grinned. “He’s probably right.”
I laughed. “Don’t forget you’re on breakfast cleanup duty. And garbage duty. Come to think of it, all the duties.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said, already pushing back from the table and gathering the scattered napkins. He moved around the kitchen with efficiency, loading the dishwasher and wiping down the counter. For all his teenage eye-rolling, he’d stepped up since Eden got pregnant, taking on more household responsibilities without being asked.
“You do the crime, you do the time,” I snarked.
Two weeks ago, his best friend Benny had spent the night. After Eden and I had turned in for the night, the two had snuck out, meeting up with a couple of friends down by the pond to go skinny dipping. Colt, having had the same idea, found the kids frolicking under the light of a full moon.
I’d been shocked—at fifteen, the idea of being naked in front of a girl, much less one I had a massive crush on, would have been the absolute worst thing imaginable. Not for my kid, though. “What’s the big deal, Dad?” he’d asked the next morning when we were grounding him. “They’re just bodies. We all have one.”
I shook my head as I recalled the completely guileless look on his face. Fucking kids. They were a different breed these days.
Eden’s eyes twinkled as she caught Cole’s eyes. “HowisLucy?”
Cole’s face immediately flushed red, the dishrag in his hand going still. “She’s … she’s good,” he mumbled, suddenly finding the countertop fascinating.
“Just good?” Eden pressed, that knowing smile playing at her lips. “Didn’t you two have that science project due this week?”
“We got an A,” Cole said, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat, shooting a look at me that clearly said, ‘Help me out here, Dad.’
I grinned, enjoying his discomfort way too much. “An A, huh? Must have been some biology project.”
“It was aboutmarinebiology,” Cole said quickly, scrubbing at the counter with more force than necessary. “Nothing … nothing weird.”
Eden laughed softly, taking a sip of her juice. “I’m sure it was very educational.”
“Can we please not talk about this anymore?” Cole groaned, but he was smiling despite himself. He tossed the dishrag into the sink and turned to face us. “It’s bad enough that Benny keeps making kissing sounds every time she walks by.”
“Maybe don’t get caught kissing her, and he won’t,” I teased.
“Dad!” Cole’s voice went up an octave.
Just then, the sound of gravel crunching in the driveway saved him from further embarrassment.
“Saved by Uncle Gage,” I said, grinning.
Cole practically ran to the window. “Yeah, that’s him. I should go help him with his gear.”
