Page 89 of Tru Blue
“How about this?” Dixie held up a pink dress with giraffes and flowers on it. “She loves wild animals and flowers.” Kennedy’s newest obsession was wild animals, and Truman had been working hard on new animal-centric fairy tales. Although they’d decided to start introducing her to more mainstream fairy tales, since she’d be starting preschool in the fall.
“Or this!” Crystal held up a tie-dyed dress with lace around the edges. Thanks to Crystal, Kennedy loved edgy clothing as much as she loved frills.
“Why don’t we ask her?” Gemma suggested as Truman, Quincy, and the kids came out of Luscious Licks. As Truman’s eyes caught hers, a sinful smile spread across his handsome face, inciting a flurry of butterflies in her belly. They’d been living together for months, and she still got fluttery at the sight of him. She knew that would never change.
He blew her a kiss and knelt beside the stroller to feed Lincoln a spoonful of ice cream.
“Dada.” Lincoln waved his arms up and down excitedly. He’d been calling Truman Dada and Gemma Mama for the last two weeks, and although Truman had at first tried to correct him, he’d since given up. Both he and Gemma ate up the endearments. Lincoln was hitting all his milestones, waving bye-bye and pulling himself up to stand while holding on to everything from a coffee table to Truman’s leg. His favorite game, besides pulling Uncle Bullet’s beard, was peekaboo.
Lincoln reached for the spoon and Quincy laughed. “He’s got my appetite.”
Quincy had filled out in the past few months, rivaling his older brother’s massive frame. After several stressful months, Quincy had completed rehab and was working full-time at a bookstore, which Gemma was thrilled about. It turned out that where Truman excelled at art, Quincy excelled at academics. He’d even aced his GED and enrolled in the community college and was doing exceptionally well in all of his classes. Two weeks ago Truman, Gemma, and the kids had rented a house on a residential street near the preschool, and Quincy had taken over Truman’s apartment. His relationship with Truman had been up and down during those first few weeks, but now they were closer than ever.
As Gemma watched the two brothers teasing each other, she sent a silent thank-you to her stepfather, who had taken on their case pro bono despite the fact that her mother had tried to convince Warren not to help her derelict boyfriend. She’d never understand her mother, and as she watched the kids and Truman and Quincy, she realized that was okay. Not all parents needed to be understood, or even liked, for that matter. She had a stepfather with whom she was forging a relationship that felt mildly paternal and a family of friends she adored.
“Hey, Kennedy.” Crystal held up the dress she’d found. “What do you think of this dress?”
“Pwetty!” Kennedy had ice cream all over her lips. Her little tongue made a wide circle to clean it up.
Dixie crouched beside her and showed her the pink dress she’d picked out. “How about this one?”
The roar of motorcycles drowned out Kennedy’s response as Bear, Bones, and Bullet pulled up to the curb.
“Be-ah!” Kennedy squealed.
Bear took off his helmet and climbed off the bike, scooping the little girl into his arms. When her cone hit his chin, he rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders over the mess, which made Kennedy giggle.
“What are you guys doing here?” Gemma asked.
Bones and Bullet exchanged a look with Truman she couldn’t read. Truman had been quiet today, she realized, and she wondered what was up with him.
“We heard there were hot babes hanging out here,” Bear answered, setting a seductive stare on Crystal, who rolled her eyes. That had become their thing. He hit on Crystal, and for whatever reason—one she wasn’t sharing with Gemma—Crystal continuously turned him away.
“And free ice cream.” Bones lifted Kennedy into his arms and licked her ice cream.
“Boney!” Kennedy complained.
They all roared at the nickname she’d adopted for him. She wiggled out of his arms and went to Truman, who reached down and tousled her hair. He leaned down and whispered something to her. Her brows knitted in concentration.
