Page 95 of The Grizzly Situation
She pulled up a chair and sat with me, her eyes glinting mischievously.
“So, what are you and Mr. Lockhart doing tonight?”
“He’s taking me to dinner at Chaim’s, who told Brent he had a very special menu for the two of us. Once we’ve eaten, we’re going to go for a ride.”
“That sounds romantic.”
And it did. Brent had his moments, and I always loved being on the receiving end of them. I opened my mouth to say something when the back door swung wide, smacking against the doorstop Brent had installed to keep everything in one piece.
“Momma, we’re home!” Jack called as he and Eddie crashed into the house, dropping their backpacks with a loud thunk. “Bring on the snacks!”
“I’ve got this,” Amelia said as she got up and hustled into the kitchen.
“Ooh, cake,” Jack said with a chuckle, then swiped his finger through the frosting and brought it to his mouth. “And chocolate! Score. What’s the occasion?”
“It’s our wedding anniversary, you twits.”
“We knew that.” He faced Eddie. “Didn’t we know that?”
“We did,” he agreed, then used my fork to cut a piece of my cake that he popped into his mouth.
I sighed, but not for the reason they thought. It had been ten years since either of them had called me Momma, and though I would never tell anyone, I missed it. They’d both grown up so much in the last decade, each of them only fifteen, but already nearing six feet tall. Their once tiny bodies were now long and lanky, with muscles earned by playing sports and working out with Brent. They were several inches taller than me, but still a few shorter than Brent. They were continuing to grow, though.
“Love you, Momma,” Eddie said, brushing our cheeks together.
“Love you too,” I replied honestly. “Both of you.”
They smiled at me, and my heart warmed. In all the years we’d spent together, their love for me had never wavered. Even the realization I wasn’t Momma didn’t stop them from loving me fiercely. They were steadfast in their adoration for Brent, and always, without fail, treated me as their other father.
“Four bags of pizza rolls will be out in a few. So tell me, how was school? Did you guys do okay on your test?”
Jack rolled his eyes and he licked the plate to get the last of the frosting, a habit he’d picked up from Brent. “We both aced it, and you know that.”
I did. They were Brent’s kids after all, and his work ethic rubbed off on them. They drilled each other on the material every free moment. Many days over the breakfast table, the questions flew fast and furious as they scarfed down a triple stack of pancakes each, with about a dozen strips of bacon and an equal amount of sausage. Amelia never skimped on their portions, and judging by how strapping both guys were, she knew exactly what she was doing.
Eddie chuckled and came over to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Pop. How was your day?”
“It was fine.”
He squinted. “C’mon, you gotta give us more than that,” he complained. “When we come home from school or karate or whatever else we’re doing, you expect an itinerary of what we did, who we saw, what we ate at Uncle Chaim’s place for first and second lunch, and stuff like that. So, give with the details.”
No one else I knew had kids that were actually interested in their parent’s lives. It was so damned sweet, knowing that they truly cared.
“Well, I’m spearheading the fundraiser for the new school over in Wharton.”
Two sets of eyebrows rose. “The wolf school?”
“That’s the one.” I waited to see if they’d make any comments. Though tensions had thawed significantly between the pack and the sleuth, there were still tempers that flared on occasion, especially with the older townspeople. Part of the problem with both sides being all macho and stuff. The fact that Gavin had spread poison throughout his tenure didn’thelp matters. Brent was trying to move the people beyond that animosity, but it wasn’t always easy.
“Can I tell you something?” Eddie pleaded, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“Of course. You can always talk to me about anything. Are you okay?”
“I’m gonna head upstairs,” Jack stated, snatching his bag again.
“Don’t you want to hear this?” I asked.
“Already have. Who do you think told him to talk to you?” He turned to Eddie. “I’m gonna grab the pizza bites, then set up in our study.” He winked. “If there are any left, I’ll share.” He gripped his brother’s hand, leaned in close, and stared into his eyes. “It’ll be okay, I promise you.”
