Real World, page 5
part #2 of Love is Blind Series
“Hey!” Audie came to grab bags and wink at him. “Happy New Year.”
He searched for Jakob, and Audie chuckled. “He’s fine, Dad. He knows this house.”
Right.
“I know. Habit. Everyone having a good day?” In other words, where was Dan?
“We are. We made pancakes and watched the Rose Parade.” Dixon walked out, moving easily through the house. “Thanks for bringing Dan home.”
“Oh, no problem.” They’d had the best night together. Weldon knew it was dumb, but he’d gotten his hopes up a little. Dan, though, he’d been… kinda quiet this morning.
He hadn’t ever really had a one-night stand before, so maybe this was just… It wasn’t as good as you’d thought, man.
Who knew?
“Hey, Weldon.” Now Dan appeared, and that easy smile was back, the man clapping him on the back.
“Hey man. How’s it going?” Caleb hid in his neck and Kenzie stared from behind his leg.
“Good. Hi.” Dan grinned at MacKenzie. “What’s your name?”
“MacKenzie Laurel Weldon.” She popped her thumb in her mouth and Weldon gently eased it back out.
“Do you want to go out and play with Grainger and Randi, honey?” Audie asked, and she shook her head.
“I brought colors for you and Caleb, honey.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“Hey, kiddo.” Jakob held out his hand. “I’m thirsty. Can you show me to the kitchen?”
“Uh-huh.” She immediately put Jakob’s hand on her shoulder and led him into the kitchen even though Jakob had been there a hundred times.
Audie smiled, the look so pleased. “He’s a good guy, your Jakob.”
“I know. Go figure.” He had to beam, though, because that was his boy. “Come on, Caleb. Let’s get you coloring.”
“I got it, Daddy. Hey, Audie.” Maddie grinned at her current crush. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Hey, honey. I set up the wee table for the tiny one.” Audie smiled, and Lord, Maddie blushed.
“Thank you. You totally rock.”
Weldon looked at Dan and rolled his eyes. Lord have mercy.
Dan chuckled. “Someone has a thing.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Dixon leaned on Audie’s arm. “Are the big kids being mean to MacKenzie?”
“I think she just can’t keep up,” Weldon said. “They tease and she gets her feelings hurt. Thought we’d head that off at the pass today.”
MacKenzie was his little girly girl. His gentle, sparkly angel baby. She was all things pink and puppies and those fake plastic high heels. The others could run roughshod over her.
He counted heads, peering outside to make sure Dix and Audie’s were there, too. Randi and Em had tackled Grainger, had the boy on the ground. Damn.
“They going to kill him, or is that less dangerous than it looks?” Dan handed him a Coke.
“I hope they don’t kill him; Dixon likes him.” He bumped their shoulders together. “How’s your day been?”
“Good.” Dan chuckled. “Sorry I zoned out on you this morning. I was kinda bummed.”
“Yeah? You okay now?” Was it kosher to ask why, especially with Jakob and Maddie both so close?
“Mostly.” Dan grazed his hip with the back of one hand. “Just didn’t want things to be weird.”
“No. Not after it was so good, huh?” His body still ached in the best sort of way, deep down. It had been good, hadn’t it? He was pretty sure it had.
“That’s it. No angst when it was so… nice.” Dan winked at him over the adjective, clearly teasing.
“Nice.” He clasped his hands over his heart. “Man, not what a guy wants to hear.”
“But better for kids to hear.” Dan jerked his chin at Jakob. “Introduce me?”
“Totally.” Oh, that made him happy. “Jakob, I want to introduce you to Mr. Dix’s brother, Dan.”
“The one from the Army? Cool.” Jakob grinned and held one hand out, unconscious as hell.
Kenzie pushed it over to the left.
Dan shook hands. “Pleased to meet you, Jakob. I hear you take lessons from Dix.”
“I do. He’s amazing.”
Dix snorted from where he sat at the table. “Jakob picks things up so fast it’s scary.”
“He’s good,” Weldon agreed. “I worried that I’d hate listening to him practice, but he’s not heinous.”
“Thanks, Dad. You totally boost my teenaged ego.” Jakob delivered that in the way of all utterly superior teenagers.
“Anytime, bud. Is that my cue to tousle your gorgeous dark curls, you hippie?”
“Don’t touch the do, Dad.”
Dan cracked up. “God, you sound like me and Dix.”
“Does that make me like Dixon, because that’s cool.” Jakob beamed.
“Mmm.” Dan tilted his head. “Well, he was the hippie.”
“Dude, for real?”
Weldon rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Totally. He was born in what? Nineteen eighty something? Come on, kiddo.”
“I was the clean-cut military one, I mean. He had long hair and a goatee.” Dan chuckled. “Now, my dad? He was totally the real thing.”
“He still has it,” Audie said. “I can’t imagine Dix with a buzz cut.”
Jakob looked confused, but he hid it well.
“You know how your baby brother’s hair feels? That’s a buzz cut. Short because of the electric razor and that’s the sound. Buzz.”
“Oh! Short and bristly.” Jakob nodded sagely.
“That’s right.” His hair was short but curly and he just kept it trimmed up.
“Who wants munchies?” Audie asked. “I’m starving.”
“I brought chips and dip, y’all.” He left Dan with Jakob and started hunting a big bowl.
“Yum. Hey, Weldon, can you reach me something?” Dix stood by an open cabinet. “Audie’s hiding shit.”
“Sure, Tiny. What you need?” He bumped shoulders with Dix.
“There’s a gravy boat up there. I need it for the sauce for later.”
“Sauce?”
“For the ham. Randi likes a sweet sauce. A glaze? Whatever you call it. Mom will bring it.”
“Ah. Excellent.” He reached up for it and snagged it, then put it in Dixon’s hands. “What else can I do to help?”
“I have no idea.” Dixon laughed. “Somehow it always comes together, huh?”
“That’s the secret of life, my friend.” He believed that with all his heart.
“You know it. Okay, did y’all get the veggie tray out?”
“Uh….”
“I got it, bro. We’re good. You want to park it somewhere?” Dan looked a little wild-eyed, between Jakob and Dix.
“Sure. Boomer.” The dog came to Dix right away, presenting the harness handle directly to Dixon’s hand.
Pepper was under the table, her harness off, staring at Jakob like she was lost. Poor baby, she was new, too, and needed constancy. Weldon went to Jakob, pulling him aside. “Pepper needs to be with you, bud. She’s freaking out a little.”
“Pepper? Pepper, what’s up girl?” Jakob called her and the big chocolate lab came bounding up, wagging with her whole self.
Better. Jakob gave her praise, then tugged a ball out of his little backpack, which was Pepper’s reward. Apparently, she would learn that the ball meant downtime.
“Jakob, man, you want to go jam for a little while?” Dixon was already heading toward the double doors that led to the studio.
“God yes. Dad?”
“Sure, kiddo.”
Dixon got about three feet out the door when Grainger called out. “Are we going to jam? I’m coming!”
Ah, musicians.
“Daddy, can I play now?” MacKenzie asked. “With Maddie and Randi? Caleb is coloring.”
“Yeah, baby girl, go on.” He stuck his head out the door, pegging Em with a look. “Y’all be good, understand me?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Em gave him a wide-eyed innocent stare.
“I mean it.” He knew that look.
“I’ll watch,” Maddie told him, sailing past him with MacKenzie.
“Bless you.”
“You owe me, I’m sure.”
“Uh-huh.”
That left him with Caleb, who was happily coloring away. Woo.
Dan was watching him, an utterly bemused smile on his face.
“You okay, man?” he asked. Did he have something on his face?
“I am. You’re a great dad.”
“Thank you.” Okay, that felt amazing. Like sincerely.
“You’re welcome. Come have chip and dip where we can see the wee one?”
“Sounds good. Caleb, buddy, I’m going to sit with Mr. Dan. You okay?”
“Uh-huh.” His littlest one was one focused boy. That did make Weldon’s life easier sometimes. God knew he deserved one baby who wasn’t the devil like all his others had been at three.
Maybe it had all been Krista’s fault.
He chuckled. His girl would have hit him for that. Hard.
“What’s funny, Weldon? Share the joke.” Audie winked at him, and he pinked.
“Just woolgathering. No worries.”
“About what?” Dan nudged him, grinning just as brightly as Audie.
He went for the lie, because no one wanted to hear how you were just thinking about your wife. “New Year’s Eve.”
“Oh.” Dan’s cheeks heated now. “Okay.”
“See? Good thoughts.”
“Very.”
“I cannot believe y’all hooked up.” Audie snorted and shook his head. “Horn. Dogs.”
“Dude, Audie. That was too good to pass up. Look at the man.”
“Ew.” Audie’s nose wrinkled. “That is my brother-in-law.”
“Well, you think his brother is hot,” Weldon pointed out. “Genes and all.”
“I know his brother is hot. Dan is….” Audie gave Dan the stink-eye, fighting his grin for all he was. “… all clean-cut and shit.”
“That’s your job, right?” Dan said, poking Audie in the ribs.
Audie started snorting, then the fighting began, the two men struggling playfully. Weldon could admit, deep down in his deepest heart, that the tussle made him feel happy and pervy.
That would just stay in his head.
A wail started up outside, someone sounding as if they were being killed. Weldon was up and running before anyone else reacted.
“Daddy!” The scream was pure terror, and he searched for her, jumping the fence and scooping MacKenzie up where she stood in the horse pasture, looking utterly panicked. “Daddy! They got me! Biting me!”
He saw the fire ants and started rubbing them off. “Audie! Hose! Get the fucking hose!”
Audie raced up next to him moments later, spraying as soon as Dan turned on the water. The ants flew off, the water getting them off his hands as well as MacKenzie’s legs and arms.
“Audie? What do I need to do?” Dixon called and Audie shook his head.
“Grainger, go fetch the first aid kit right now.”
“Where is your sister? I got you, baby. I got you.”
She was screaming, clinging to him, her clothes soaked and her baby legs covered in bites. Fuck him. What the hell was she doing in the pasture?
Grainger came pelting back so quick, panting. “I don’t see Randi and Em, Daddy.”
“God damn it! You got this, Weldon?”
“I do.” He started toward the house, bellaring at the top of his lungs. “Emily Marie Weldon, you have three seconds to get your ass to the house!”
“Daddy! Daddy, Caleb ate a crayon! I went to pee and he was… what happened to Kenzie?” Maddie was pale as milk and sniffling.
“Fire ants. No one ever died from eating crayons. Find some washrags and get them wet. Jakob! I need you to help me hold Kenzie while I check her out so I can kill your sister.”
“Daddy! I had to pee!” Maddie sounded shocked.
“Not you. The evil one.”
“Oh.”
“Daddy what is it?” Emmy came running, her hands flying to her mouth when she saw Kenzie. “We told her to stay on the porch!”
“And what did I tell you, young lady? At any time did leave the front yard and head into the pasture without telling where you were going leave my lips?” He was so mad he was shaking. “Did you not hear her scream?”
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Her lower lip began to quiver.
“I want you to go and sit your butt down in the kitchen chair and don’t you dare move. You think about whether or not I ought to whip your butt for every bite.” He’d never spanked the kids, beyond a pop to the diaper to make them know something was dangerous, but he could threaten with the best of them.
“Yessir.” She ran inside, sniffles coming hard.
“Can I help?” Dan asked. “I’m decent at first aid.”
“Is there cortisone or something? I need to get her some Benadryl and we need to make sure all the ants are gone. MacKenzie Laurel. Stop screaming and let Daddy help you.”
Jakob grabbed her and blew in her face, shutting her up and making her gasp for air. “Hey, Mackie-K. I have you. Have I told you about the time I sat in the ants?”
Oh, thank God.
“Jakob, it burns.” She was still crying, but calmer.
“Yeah. Dad’s got it, though. You’ll have to take pictures of the bites and put them on Facebook. Everyone will be so impressed with how brave you are.”
He loved his boy with all his heart. Jakob was growing up to be a good man.
She sniffed hard. “It does look gross.”
“Yeah?”
She explained and Audie brought liquid Benadryl and Dan dabbed cream on the sores. He could hear Dixon in the kitchen reading Em and Randi the riot act.
“Someone tell me Maddie has Caleb.”
“Caleb and Grainger are up in his room watching cartoons, Daddy. That’s okay, right?” Maddie’s voice dropped. “Daddy? I got to talk to you.”
“I told you, honey. No one dies from eating colors.”
“No. No, that’s not it. Daddy!”
He turned to look at her and she was bright red, almost glowing. “What is it?”
“I got to talk to you. Right. Now.”
“Dan, you got this?”
“I do. Me and Jakob.” Dan managed not to look wild around the eyes. Much. Go him.
“Thanks.” He stood up and followed her into the house. She led him past the kitchen, past the front room and into the long hallway, tugging his hand hard. “What’s wrong, baby girl? I need to….”
“I got it.”
“Got what?”
“Daddy!” she hissed. “I. Got. It.”
It. What the everloving fuck was…. Oh. Oh, fuck-a-doodle-do.
“You started your period.”
“Uh-huh. I don’t have any… stuff.”
“Okay. I’ll run to the Walgreens or the HEB, okay? You can just hang out in the bathroom, if you want.” No. No no no. No.
“But everyone will know! Can’t you call Gran?”
“She’s on a bus tour to that Casino in Louisiana, honey. Your Granny Mel is at some drumming circle in Wimberley.” He sighed. “I’ll tell them that I have to get… dry clothes for MacKenzie. They have sweatpants and stuff.”
“Oh, would you? Tell them that?”
“Surely.”
Well, Weldon would whisper the truth to Audie, because Audie would get it. He had sisters.
“Thank you, Daddy. I’ll be in the bathroom.” She disappeared, and he checked his pocket for his wallet.
Okay. Stuff for the girl.
He stopped by, looking for someone to grab and talk to. Dan. “Hey, man. A second?”
“I found the cortisone cream.” Dan moved closer. “What’s up?”
“Maddie just started her period. Like her first one. I got to run to the HEB, but she doesn’t want no one to know, huh?”
“Oh, God. Poor kid. I’ll keep everyone occupied. Not that they seem to have trouble with that.” Dan winked.
“No shit on that, honey. I swear to God. Have Audie text me if they need anything else. Grainger has Caleb. Dixon is tearing the girls up.”
“Dix has the girls sweeping the porch.”
“Good man. I’ll be back.” Hopefully in time to eat a little something.
He jogged out to the truck, trying to convince himself that he was just as sexual in full-out dad-mode. Too bad he had the sneaking suspicion that wasn’t true.
Dan was no doubt gonna run screaming. Might as well just get used to the idea now.
His kids were more important than a fling. Hell, his kids were more important to him than anything. They came first. Maybe when they were all grown he could play, but now he had to focus.
He hit the hands-free. “Call Mom.”
She answered right away. “Son?”
“Hey. Maddie started her period. I need to know what to get her.”
“Oh, good Lord and butter.” She started chuckling. “You’re a good dad.”
“I totally am. Start talking.”
5
“Okay, guys, make sure you all have your shit with you,” Weldon was saying, counting heads at the door.
Dan watched him marshal his kids to go have a late supper with their grandma with a mixture of admiration and abject horror. Kids were a hell of a lot of work, and five? Jesus. Everything was an emergency. He was pooped just from spending half a day with them.
Weldon caught his eye, smiling a little. “You’re looking a little on the cray cray side, honey.”
“Just a little?” He managed a smile. “I just need a nap. For like a week.”
“I hear you. I’m going to get everyone moving at their gram’s and then home to snooze.”
“I’m sorry it was a rough day.” Dan followed him to the door, the last of the kids out in the car, Maddie buckling them all in. “I hope the old start the year out as you want it to go on isn’t in play.”
Weldon chuckled softly, “Shit, the beginning part of today was the best thing to happen to me in a long time.”
“Me, too.” Dan touched Weldon’s arm. “Thank you.” He hated feeling as if he was saying good bye, and he knew he’d see Weldon again, but he didn’t see how they could… hook up again.
Weldon looked at his hand for a second, then grinned, the expression bittersweet and a little embarrassed, he thought. “No problem. It was my pleasure.”
