Real World, page 19
“Whatever I am, your dad asked me to keep an eye on all of you for a freaking hour.” Dan put all of his officer training in his voice, knowing grown men quailed before it. “You can be civil, or you can leave the room.”
Jakob stormed off, and the rest of them just stared. It was Maddie who spoke. “He didn’t mean it.”
Caleb hiccupped, and Dan tried a smile. “I know. Heck, y’all are still getting to know me.” Dan meant it too. Still, Jakob’s “real dad” comment bothered him.
It was fairly obvious Weldon wasn’t Jakob’s biological father, but none of the kids seemed to think it was a thing. As far as Dan knew, the bio dad wasn’t in the picture.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said quietly.
“Maybe better to tell Kenzie that, huh?” That was what he was supposed to say, right? God.
“Sorry, Kenzie. That was mean. You want to color with me? You can use the markers that smell good.”
“For reals?”
“Uh-huh.” Emma offered a tiny smile, and Dan nodded at her, pleased.
Then he glanced at Maddie. “You okay?”
“I don’t like it when it’s mean.”
No, Maddie was a peacemaker, for sure.
“I’m sorry I yelled.” Dan knew he’d been justified, but Maddie deserved a quiet place to do her homework.
“It’s okay. I wanted to yell a little too.”
Caleb patted Dan’s cheeks suddenly. “S’okay, Dan-Dan.”
He chuckled softly, the little touch unbearably charming. “It is okay, Caleb. Totally.”
“Milk?”
“Has he had milk in the last few hours?” Dan knew Weldon was trying to cut Caleb back a bit.
“Not since we came home from school.”
“Me too, Dan-Dan?” Kenzie asked. “Just a little glass?”
“Yep. You want some, Maddie? Emma?” He could stop on the way back from work tomorrow and get more milk.
“No, thanks. I’m going to have a Diet Coke.” Maddie caught Emma with a glare. “And I’m not sneaking it. I’ll have water with supper. Dan can tell Daddy, or I can text him.”
“I’ll let him know,” Dan murmured, heading to the fridge to distribute milk.
Weldon did this all by himself. Weldon had done this with a brand-new baby, grieving for his wife. Dan couldn’t even imagine how much work and how little sleep Weldon had put in.
He had nothing but respect for Weldon.
Well, respect and lust.
Dan chuckled, stifling it when Maddie stared at him. Okay, no weird laughing.
“It’s okay. We’re a goofy family. It’s okay if you laugh.”
“Oh, good. You have no idea how goofy a family can get until you meet Damon and Dalton.”
“Who are they? Are they Mr. Dix’s baby brothers?”
“Yep. Which makes them my brothers too.” Sometimes the kids had a tough time relating him and Dix to each other.
“Duh. Right.” Maddie turned bright pink and rolled her eyes. “Y’all look just alike too, but I keep forgetting y’all are brothers.”
“I was gone for a long time.” He knew Dalton and Damon thought of him as the absentee brother. “Here’s your Coke.”
“Thank you. Are you glad to be home?”
“I am.” Dan found he meant it way more these days.
“Cool.” Maddie rocked back and forth on her heels, which he was learning meant she was fixin’ to ask a question that made her uncomfortable. That was sure to make him uncomfortable too. “Can I interview you for my history project? Maybe?”
“If I fit the project, sure.” He was perfectly cool with answering questions.
“It’s a thing. I have to do a presentation before the end of the year. Evie’s doing this thing on clothes. Her mom’s got all these neat costumes.” Maddie kept explaining about her best friend and their best friend, who he guessed was different, and then Emma came up and started talking too while Caleb headed in to color with Kenzie.
He was getting one hell of a headache, trying to keep up with the chorus of female voices.
“Emma, honey,” Dan said, pulling her in for half a hug. “Can you give me two more seconds for Maddie to tell me what her project is about? Then you can tell me all about Piebald the pony.”
Maddie chuckled softly but stood up with her drink. “I’m gonna go finish my reading in my room.”
“Okay, hon. Anytime you need me, just holler. I’ll take you to lunch.” That way she could have him to herself, right? That wasn’t weird.
“Thanks.”
Emma grabbed his arm, mouth going ninety to nothing as she jabbered wildly about everything and nothing at all. Dan nodded and smiled, but he was going to fall over any minute.
Weldon came through the door, filthy, sweating, and bleeding, arms full of bags of KFC. “Three family packs. Who rocks?”
“Yay!” Emma bounced hard enough to spill her milk, so Dan stood and reached for the paper towels.
“You okay?” Dan asked.
“Fine. Tire iron caught me on the cheek. No big. Emma, clean up your mess and grab paper towels and silverware. Kenzie, pick up your colors. Hiding-in-your-room children! Dinner!”
“Not hungry, Daddy.”
“What is it?”
“Madison Renee, now. Jakob, it’s chicken and potatoes and biscuits. Y’all get your asses out here.”
Okay. That was fucking impressive. Especially when all the kids appeared as if summoned by the infamous Sound of Music whistle.
“Daddy,” Caleb gasped. “You bleedin’.”
“Oh, man. Let me get you a….” Maddie looked green around the gills, but only for a second. “A rag?”
“Y’all dish up while I scrub up. You make sure Mr. Dan gets first pick of the chicken and save me a breast.”
“Daddy wants chicken boobies!” Emma crowed.
Weldon fixed Emma with a stern look, and she calmed right down. “I’ll get plates.”
Dan smothered a grin. “Holler if you need me, babe.”
“Will do.”
Weldon peeled his shirt off on the way back down the hall, and Dan stole an appreciative glance. Without a spare tire anywhere to be found, Weldon’s body looked as if it had been created to do exactly what it needed to with a minimum of effort, every muscle working smoothly.
Dan thought it was the hottest little body in history.
“Mr. Dan-Dan, what chicken do you like?” Emma asked.
“Thigh,” he said immediately. “Unless someone else needs one desperately.”
“Which one is that, Maddie?” she whispered.
“Uh. The big ones are breasts and the little ones are wings, right? So not those and not legs?”
“The ones that look like weird little frogs.” Dan chuckled when both girls went, “Ewwww.”
Jakob, though, he actually cackled, and Dan felt like a million bucks. Back in the good teenager graces. Booyah.
He saved Weldon two breast pieces, some potatoes, and a biscuit, then helped Jakob get his plate sorted.
By the time Weldon came back in a pair of jeans that were thin as tissue paper and an ancient undershirt, Dan had all the kids eating, even Caleb, who didn’t want “chicks ’n’ ’tatos.”
He had this whole new appreciation for his mom, who’d made this look like a breeze. He needed to call her and tell her.
“Oh, man. What a day! I’m going to end up buying two new tires. There goes your college fund, Jakob.”
Jakob snorted, hand on his forehead. “You forget, Dad, I’m blind. I’ll get a free ride. You’re spending Maddie’s college fund.”
Maddie snapped Jakob with her forefinger and thumb. “I’m going to nursing school on a full ride,” she said confidently. “It’s Em who’s out of luck.”
“I’m going to be a cowgirl and a rodeo clown. I’m not going. Spend Kenzie’s.”
“You can have it, Daddy. We have lots of time to save monies.”
Dan met Weldon’s bright blue gaze, and they both chuckled. That poor chin was starting to bruise.
“We totally do. Y’all mind if I have a beer?” Weldon asked and actually waited for all five heads to shake. “Good deal. You want one, Dan?”
“Mmm.” He pondered that. Better not, since he had to be in San Marcos for a job tomorrow, so he might be better off staying at Dix’s place tonight. “I’ll just take a Coke.”
“Good deal.” Weldon grabbed both cans and plopped down. “What a day, y’all. That sucked.”
“Sorry, Daddy.” Maddie patted Weldon’s hand. “Mr. Dan-Dan was super nice.”
“Yeah. We owe him. Thanks for helping out. Mel had that appointment, and it took forever to get it in the first place.”
“No problem.” He did want to talk to Weldon about Jakob, but then again, Jakob was acting perfectly normal now. Maybe it was just being a kid. How would he know? He’d have to ask Dalton, since he was the most recently teenaged White boy.
Weldon’s leg brushed his, and goose bumps rose all over his body. Damn, he wasn’t sure when that was going to stop, but it wasn’t going to be today.
Hopefully not tomorrow either.
A blob of potatoes hit Dan right on the nose, Caleb giggling like a fiend as soon as the plop sounded.
He gaped and so did the girls, then Jakob said, “What? What did I miss?”
“Caleb Michael Weldon!” Weldon snapped, standing and taking the food out from in front of the little boy faster than Dan could see, especially with mashed potatoes in his eyes. “What did I tell you about throwing food? Away from the table and in the corner, right now.”
“Daddy!”
“Right now before I blister your butt.”
All the kids stared at him, and Caleb started screaming, knocking his chair over and having a complete meltdown. Weldon walked over, snatched him up, and carried the little boy down the hall.
“I’ll get you a paper towel,” Maddie said as she stood.
“Is Daddy going to spank him for reals?” Emma whispered, and it was Jakob who snorted.
“Has Dad ever spanked anyone for something that wasn’t going to kill you? He’s going to put Caleb in his room and ignore him.”
“Oh.” Kenzie nodded, eyes huge. “That was bad.”
“That was very bad. In school, if you throw food, you get ISS.”
“ISS?” Kenzie asked.
“Where they throw you in a room with all the bad kids and leave you there for a whole week.” Emma sounded almost gleeful.
Kenzie looked at him with wet, worried eyes. “Dan-Dan?”
“You’re not tossing food at school, right?” When she shook her head, Dan grinned. “Well, there you go. No worries. Caleb is just gonna get a breather.”
“Caleb needs a time-out, and I would like to finish my beer, thank you.”
Weldon sat down in time for Jakob to whisper, “Lush.”
Weldon blinked, just once. “Pardon me?”
“I was just giving you sh—”
“Jakob.”
“Hell. I was teasing.”
“I get that, but let me have my supper first, okay, son? I’m tired.”
“Yessir.” Jakob’s shoulders slumped a little.
Dan didn’t know what would make things better, and he was terrified of making them worse, so he settled for eating his food, the chicken still good and crispy.
Weldon bumped shoulders with Jakob, put a smile on his face. “Did school suck again? Did you manage to ask Jennifer out for the spring fling?”
Jakob blinked, then grinned a little. “No. I mean, no it didn’t suck, and I kinda asked her.”
“And did she kinda say yes?”
Jakob’s grin got bigger. “Yeah. She did.”
“Dude. You are a stud.” Weldon nodded, but dropped it, and Dan just watched as Weldon drank his beer and relaxed.
That seemed like the best course of action too, because everyone relaxed. Maddie and Jakob cleared the table, and Weldon headed down the hall to talk with Caleb. When he didn’t come back, Dan wandered to make sure everything was fine, and he caught Weldon standing at the little boy’s bedroom door, smiling softly.
“Everything good?” he asked, voice low.
“He’s sound asleep. Three is hard. His birthday’s coming up, though. Four is easier.”
“Magically?” He chuckled. “I think everyone else was acting out, so he wanted to as well.”
“Were they bad? Who do I need to beat next?”
“No one. Emma and Kenzie were hair pulling, and Jakob had a wee snarl. I didn’t think he knew his biological dad.”
Weldon’s head tilted like it was tugged by a string. “He doesn’t, far as I know. I don’t know him. Wasn’t like he stuck around. Why?”
“He said something to me like I wasn’t even fooling around with his real dad. Just struck me as odd.”
“Huh. I’ll chat with Mel. I mean, he knows that Krista was pregnant when we met, but he’s never said anything.”
“Sure. I have no idea if it’s worth even thinking about.” Dan grabbed Weldon and tugged him close. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Weldon lifted his face for a kiss, and Dan winced at the bruise and the little cut there.
He dropped a tiny kiss on the chin first, then took that mouth the way he wanted to—deep and slow.
Dan loved the way Weldon reached for him, how the man wasn’t ashamed to hold on and show him that he was loved.
He moaned, grabbing Weldon under the butt and lifting. Okay, maybe he’d hit the toll road in the morning and stay here tonight.
Weldon pushed right in, tongue sliding in to drag on his. The friction made them both pant, made them rock together.
Damn. Hallway. Probably not good.
“Bedroom? Just for a second?” Weldon searched his face with his lips.
“Mmm-hmm. Now.” They stumbled there together, closing the door so Dan could lean back against it. Weldon climbed up his body, those jeans not hindering the heat between them one bit.
Fuck, this man got to him so fast. So easily.
“Best part of my day,” Weldon groaned against his lips.
“Good. Love how you taste.”
“Daddy? Can I color with Emma?”
“Uh-huh. Be out in a sec.” Weldon’s hips never stopped moving.
Multitasking man. Dan bit at Weldon’s neck, gnawing a tiny bit.
“Harder.” God, he loved that, how Weldon could ask for what he needed.
Dan bit harder, knowing he would leave a mark and hoping the kids would think Weldon got it changing that tire.
Whatever they thought, Weldon could explain.
Dan chuckled, licking the spot he’d bitten.
“Laughing at me.”
“I am. I like that I can laugh with you.” There was very little he didn’t like about this man.
“Good.” That was a satisfied sound if he ever heard one.
“I want to do other things right now.”
“I want to do perverse things.” Weldon was bright cheeked, cock leaking against him through the jeans.
“Yes. Right now I want to touch you.” He opened Weldon’s fly and pulled out that stiff cock. He pulled hard and fast, not wasting any time.
Weldon went up on tiptoe, eyes wide. “Please. Yes.”
His biceps burned as he pulled, jacking his lover with all he had. Dan wanted to see and smell and feel Weldon come. Right now.
Weldon arched, shaking against him, belly turning a deep red.
“That’s it, babe. Oh, come on. Please.” Dan couldn’t wait any longer, and he didn’t have to. He watched every second of Weldon’s orgasm, needing it, the pleasure satisfying him more than if he’d come himself.
Dan took another kiss, one that made him jerk and dance. Weldon’s smile tasted like laughter. Like love.
Whoa.
He squeezed Weldon hard enough that they both grunted.
“Damn, honey. I do like coming home to this.”
“I like it too. I was all ready to go sleep at Dix’s place, but I want to stay here.”
“Oh, good. I can….”
“Daddy? Can we make dessert?” Emma’s knock shook the door, and they grinned at each other.
“Let me and Dan come help, huh? Be right out.”
Dan kissed Weldon’s swollen mouth one more time. “We’ll talk later.”
“We will. You talk, I’ll suck. It’ll be magic.”
Dan moaned. “Okay. Yes.”
Weldon did have the best ideas.
Weldon pinched Dan’s hip. “The natives are really restless. You need—”
“Later. I’ll hold you to it.” He could put his need aside until bedtime, but then all bets were off.
“Good deal. What’s your position on Rice Krispies treats?”
“Marshmallow or peanut butter?”
“Marshmallow. I can let the girls do those in the microwave.”
“Then my opinion is favorable.”
“Wonderful. Come on and wash up. Then we’ll do the dance of dessert.”
Dan copped one more feel before tucking Weldon away, reluctant to let go of his prize. “Sugar good.”
“You’re good.” Weldon kissed him square on the nose. “Call your brother and tell him I’m keeping you, huh? Audie says he worries.”
“Oh, sure. Okay.” Guilt, thy name was Dix. Sweet, though, that his brother cared.
Weldon chuckled softly. “Welcome to civilian life, honey. Someone is always wanting to know where you are.”
“In the military, you never go anywhere without someone already knowing.” He washed up with Weldon before grabbing his phone to text Dix.
He found he didn’t hate this, having someone care where he was.
In fact, his life was looking better every day. Even if he had been an epic fail at watching the kids for like, half an hour.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“HEY, MOM! Something smells good.”
“I made french onion dip, and then your sons asked for grape jelly meatballs.”
Dad came trundling in with shopping bags as Weldon took the hot Crock-Pot from his mom and plugged it in next to the one with queso and the one with barbecued Lit’l Smokies.
Mel looked up from where she was chopping vegetables for the relish tray and grinned. “Kathy! Jefferson! How are you guys? How was Florida?”
“Gorgeous. I told Abraham that we were going to have to take the kids with us this summer. They’ll love it.”
Jakob stormed off, and the rest of them just stared. It was Maddie who spoke. “He didn’t mean it.”
Caleb hiccupped, and Dan tried a smile. “I know. Heck, y’all are still getting to know me.” Dan meant it too. Still, Jakob’s “real dad” comment bothered him.
It was fairly obvious Weldon wasn’t Jakob’s biological father, but none of the kids seemed to think it was a thing. As far as Dan knew, the bio dad wasn’t in the picture.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said quietly.
“Maybe better to tell Kenzie that, huh?” That was what he was supposed to say, right? God.
“Sorry, Kenzie. That was mean. You want to color with me? You can use the markers that smell good.”
“For reals?”
“Uh-huh.” Emma offered a tiny smile, and Dan nodded at her, pleased.
Then he glanced at Maddie. “You okay?”
“I don’t like it when it’s mean.”
No, Maddie was a peacemaker, for sure.
“I’m sorry I yelled.” Dan knew he’d been justified, but Maddie deserved a quiet place to do her homework.
“It’s okay. I wanted to yell a little too.”
Caleb patted Dan’s cheeks suddenly. “S’okay, Dan-Dan.”
He chuckled softly, the little touch unbearably charming. “It is okay, Caleb. Totally.”
“Milk?”
“Has he had milk in the last few hours?” Dan knew Weldon was trying to cut Caleb back a bit.
“Not since we came home from school.”
“Me too, Dan-Dan?” Kenzie asked. “Just a little glass?”
“Yep. You want some, Maddie? Emma?” He could stop on the way back from work tomorrow and get more milk.
“No, thanks. I’m going to have a Diet Coke.” Maddie caught Emma with a glare. “And I’m not sneaking it. I’ll have water with supper. Dan can tell Daddy, or I can text him.”
“I’ll let him know,” Dan murmured, heading to the fridge to distribute milk.
Weldon did this all by himself. Weldon had done this with a brand-new baby, grieving for his wife. Dan couldn’t even imagine how much work and how little sleep Weldon had put in.
He had nothing but respect for Weldon.
Well, respect and lust.
Dan chuckled, stifling it when Maddie stared at him. Okay, no weird laughing.
“It’s okay. We’re a goofy family. It’s okay if you laugh.”
“Oh, good. You have no idea how goofy a family can get until you meet Damon and Dalton.”
“Who are they? Are they Mr. Dix’s baby brothers?”
“Yep. Which makes them my brothers too.” Sometimes the kids had a tough time relating him and Dix to each other.
“Duh. Right.” Maddie turned bright pink and rolled her eyes. “Y’all look just alike too, but I keep forgetting y’all are brothers.”
“I was gone for a long time.” He knew Dalton and Damon thought of him as the absentee brother. “Here’s your Coke.”
“Thank you. Are you glad to be home?”
“I am.” Dan found he meant it way more these days.
“Cool.” Maddie rocked back and forth on her heels, which he was learning meant she was fixin’ to ask a question that made her uncomfortable. That was sure to make him uncomfortable too. “Can I interview you for my history project? Maybe?”
“If I fit the project, sure.” He was perfectly cool with answering questions.
“It’s a thing. I have to do a presentation before the end of the year. Evie’s doing this thing on clothes. Her mom’s got all these neat costumes.” Maddie kept explaining about her best friend and their best friend, who he guessed was different, and then Emma came up and started talking too while Caleb headed in to color with Kenzie.
He was getting one hell of a headache, trying to keep up with the chorus of female voices.
“Emma, honey,” Dan said, pulling her in for half a hug. “Can you give me two more seconds for Maddie to tell me what her project is about? Then you can tell me all about Piebald the pony.”
Maddie chuckled softly but stood up with her drink. “I’m gonna go finish my reading in my room.”
“Okay, hon. Anytime you need me, just holler. I’ll take you to lunch.” That way she could have him to herself, right? That wasn’t weird.
“Thanks.”
Emma grabbed his arm, mouth going ninety to nothing as she jabbered wildly about everything and nothing at all. Dan nodded and smiled, but he was going to fall over any minute.
Weldon came through the door, filthy, sweating, and bleeding, arms full of bags of KFC. “Three family packs. Who rocks?”
“Yay!” Emma bounced hard enough to spill her milk, so Dan stood and reached for the paper towels.
“You okay?” Dan asked.
“Fine. Tire iron caught me on the cheek. No big. Emma, clean up your mess and grab paper towels and silverware. Kenzie, pick up your colors. Hiding-in-your-room children! Dinner!”
“Not hungry, Daddy.”
“What is it?”
“Madison Renee, now. Jakob, it’s chicken and potatoes and biscuits. Y’all get your asses out here.”
Okay. That was fucking impressive. Especially when all the kids appeared as if summoned by the infamous Sound of Music whistle.
“Daddy,” Caleb gasped. “You bleedin’.”
“Oh, man. Let me get you a….” Maddie looked green around the gills, but only for a second. “A rag?”
“Y’all dish up while I scrub up. You make sure Mr. Dan gets first pick of the chicken and save me a breast.”
“Daddy wants chicken boobies!” Emma crowed.
Weldon fixed Emma with a stern look, and she calmed right down. “I’ll get plates.”
Dan smothered a grin. “Holler if you need me, babe.”
“Will do.”
Weldon peeled his shirt off on the way back down the hall, and Dan stole an appreciative glance. Without a spare tire anywhere to be found, Weldon’s body looked as if it had been created to do exactly what it needed to with a minimum of effort, every muscle working smoothly.
Dan thought it was the hottest little body in history.
“Mr. Dan-Dan, what chicken do you like?” Emma asked.
“Thigh,” he said immediately. “Unless someone else needs one desperately.”
“Which one is that, Maddie?” she whispered.
“Uh. The big ones are breasts and the little ones are wings, right? So not those and not legs?”
“The ones that look like weird little frogs.” Dan chuckled when both girls went, “Ewwww.”
Jakob, though, he actually cackled, and Dan felt like a million bucks. Back in the good teenager graces. Booyah.
He saved Weldon two breast pieces, some potatoes, and a biscuit, then helped Jakob get his plate sorted.
By the time Weldon came back in a pair of jeans that were thin as tissue paper and an ancient undershirt, Dan had all the kids eating, even Caleb, who didn’t want “chicks ’n’ ’tatos.”
He had this whole new appreciation for his mom, who’d made this look like a breeze. He needed to call her and tell her.
“Oh, man. What a day! I’m going to end up buying two new tires. There goes your college fund, Jakob.”
Jakob snorted, hand on his forehead. “You forget, Dad, I’m blind. I’ll get a free ride. You’re spending Maddie’s college fund.”
Maddie snapped Jakob with her forefinger and thumb. “I’m going to nursing school on a full ride,” she said confidently. “It’s Em who’s out of luck.”
“I’m going to be a cowgirl and a rodeo clown. I’m not going. Spend Kenzie’s.”
“You can have it, Daddy. We have lots of time to save monies.”
Dan met Weldon’s bright blue gaze, and they both chuckled. That poor chin was starting to bruise.
“We totally do. Y’all mind if I have a beer?” Weldon asked and actually waited for all five heads to shake. “Good deal. You want one, Dan?”
“Mmm.” He pondered that. Better not, since he had to be in San Marcos for a job tomorrow, so he might be better off staying at Dix’s place tonight. “I’ll just take a Coke.”
“Good deal.” Weldon grabbed both cans and plopped down. “What a day, y’all. That sucked.”
“Sorry, Daddy.” Maddie patted Weldon’s hand. “Mr. Dan-Dan was super nice.”
“Yeah. We owe him. Thanks for helping out. Mel had that appointment, and it took forever to get it in the first place.”
“No problem.” He did want to talk to Weldon about Jakob, but then again, Jakob was acting perfectly normal now. Maybe it was just being a kid. How would he know? He’d have to ask Dalton, since he was the most recently teenaged White boy.
Weldon’s leg brushed his, and goose bumps rose all over his body. Damn, he wasn’t sure when that was going to stop, but it wasn’t going to be today.
Hopefully not tomorrow either.
A blob of potatoes hit Dan right on the nose, Caleb giggling like a fiend as soon as the plop sounded.
He gaped and so did the girls, then Jakob said, “What? What did I miss?”
“Caleb Michael Weldon!” Weldon snapped, standing and taking the food out from in front of the little boy faster than Dan could see, especially with mashed potatoes in his eyes. “What did I tell you about throwing food? Away from the table and in the corner, right now.”
“Daddy!”
“Right now before I blister your butt.”
All the kids stared at him, and Caleb started screaming, knocking his chair over and having a complete meltdown. Weldon walked over, snatched him up, and carried the little boy down the hall.
“I’ll get you a paper towel,” Maddie said as she stood.
“Is Daddy going to spank him for reals?” Emma whispered, and it was Jakob who snorted.
“Has Dad ever spanked anyone for something that wasn’t going to kill you? He’s going to put Caleb in his room and ignore him.”
“Oh.” Kenzie nodded, eyes huge. “That was bad.”
“That was very bad. In school, if you throw food, you get ISS.”
“ISS?” Kenzie asked.
“Where they throw you in a room with all the bad kids and leave you there for a whole week.” Emma sounded almost gleeful.
Kenzie looked at him with wet, worried eyes. “Dan-Dan?”
“You’re not tossing food at school, right?” When she shook her head, Dan grinned. “Well, there you go. No worries. Caleb is just gonna get a breather.”
“Caleb needs a time-out, and I would like to finish my beer, thank you.”
Weldon sat down in time for Jakob to whisper, “Lush.”
Weldon blinked, just once. “Pardon me?”
“I was just giving you sh—”
“Jakob.”
“Hell. I was teasing.”
“I get that, but let me have my supper first, okay, son? I’m tired.”
“Yessir.” Jakob’s shoulders slumped a little.
Dan didn’t know what would make things better, and he was terrified of making them worse, so he settled for eating his food, the chicken still good and crispy.
Weldon bumped shoulders with Jakob, put a smile on his face. “Did school suck again? Did you manage to ask Jennifer out for the spring fling?”
Jakob blinked, then grinned a little. “No. I mean, no it didn’t suck, and I kinda asked her.”
“And did she kinda say yes?”
Jakob’s grin got bigger. “Yeah. She did.”
“Dude. You are a stud.” Weldon nodded, but dropped it, and Dan just watched as Weldon drank his beer and relaxed.
That seemed like the best course of action too, because everyone relaxed. Maddie and Jakob cleared the table, and Weldon headed down the hall to talk with Caleb. When he didn’t come back, Dan wandered to make sure everything was fine, and he caught Weldon standing at the little boy’s bedroom door, smiling softly.
“Everything good?” he asked, voice low.
“He’s sound asleep. Three is hard. His birthday’s coming up, though. Four is easier.”
“Magically?” He chuckled. “I think everyone else was acting out, so he wanted to as well.”
“Were they bad? Who do I need to beat next?”
“No one. Emma and Kenzie were hair pulling, and Jakob had a wee snarl. I didn’t think he knew his biological dad.”
Weldon’s head tilted like it was tugged by a string. “He doesn’t, far as I know. I don’t know him. Wasn’t like he stuck around. Why?”
“He said something to me like I wasn’t even fooling around with his real dad. Just struck me as odd.”
“Huh. I’ll chat with Mel. I mean, he knows that Krista was pregnant when we met, but he’s never said anything.”
“Sure. I have no idea if it’s worth even thinking about.” Dan grabbed Weldon and tugged him close. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Weldon lifted his face for a kiss, and Dan winced at the bruise and the little cut there.
He dropped a tiny kiss on the chin first, then took that mouth the way he wanted to—deep and slow.
Dan loved the way Weldon reached for him, how the man wasn’t ashamed to hold on and show him that he was loved.
He moaned, grabbing Weldon under the butt and lifting. Okay, maybe he’d hit the toll road in the morning and stay here tonight.
Weldon pushed right in, tongue sliding in to drag on his. The friction made them both pant, made them rock together.
Damn. Hallway. Probably not good.
“Bedroom? Just for a second?” Weldon searched his face with his lips.
“Mmm-hmm. Now.” They stumbled there together, closing the door so Dan could lean back against it. Weldon climbed up his body, those jeans not hindering the heat between them one bit.
Fuck, this man got to him so fast. So easily.
“Best part of my day,” Weldon groaned against his lips.
“Good. Love how you taste.”
“Daddy? Can I color with Emma?”
“Uh-huh. Be out in a sec.” Weldon’s hips never stopped moving.
Multitasking man. Dan bit at Weldon’s neck, gnawing a tiny bit.
“Harder.” God, he loved that, how Weldon could ask for what he needed.
Dan bit harder, knowing he would leave a mark and hoping the kids would think Weldon got it changing that tire.
Whatever they thought, Weldon could explain.
Dan chuckled, licking the spot he’d bitten.
“Laughing at me.”
“I am. I like that I can laugh with you.” There was very little he didn’t like about this man.
“Good.” That was a satisfied sound if he ever heard one.
“I want to do other things right now.”
“I want to do perverse things.” Weldon was bright cheeked, cock leaking against him through the jeans.
“Yes. Right now I want to touch you.” He opened Weldon’s fly and pulled out that stiff cock. He pulled hard and fast, not wasting any time.
Weldon went up on tiptoe, eyes wide. “Please. Yes.”
His biceps burned as he pulled, jacking his lover with all he had. Dan wanted to see and smell and feel Weldon come. Right now.
Weldon arched, shaking against him, belly turning a deep red.
“That’s it, babe. Oh, come on. Please.” Dan couldn’t wait any longer, and he didn’t have to. He watched every second of Weldon’s orgasm, needing it, the pleasure satisfying him more than if he’d come himself.
Dan took another kiss, one that made him jerk and dance. Weldon’s smile tasted like laughter. Like love.
Whoa.
He squeezed Weldon hard enough that they both grunted.
“Damn, honey. I do like coming home to this.”
“I like it too. I was all ready to go sleep at Dix’s place, but I want to stay here.”
“Oh, good. I can….”
“Daddy? Can we make dessert?” Emma’s knock shook the door, and they grinned at each other.
“Let me and Dan come help, huh? Be right out.”
Dan kissed Weldon’s swollen mouth one more time. “We’ll talk later.”
“We will. You talk, I’ll suck. It’ll be magic.”
Dan moaned. “Okay. Yes.”
Weldon did have the best ideas.
Weldon pinched Dan’s hip. “The natives are really restless. You need—”
“Later. I’ll hold you to it.” He could put his need aside until bedtime, but then all bets were off.
“Good deal. What’s your position on Rice Krispies treats?”
“Marshmallow or peanut butter?”
“Marshmallow. I can let the girls do those in the microwave.”
“Then my opinion is favorable.”
“Wonderful. Come on and wash up. Then we’ll do the dance of dessert.”
Dan copped one more feel before tucking Weldon away, reluctant to let go of his prize. “Sugar good.”
“You’re good.” Weldon kissed him square on the nose. “Call your brother and tell him I’m keeping you, huh? Audie says he worries.”
“Oh, sure. Okay.” Guilt, thy name was Dix. Sweet, though, that his brother cared.
Weldon chuckled softly. “Welcome to civilian life, honey. Someone is always wanting to know where you are.”
“In the military, you never go anywhere without someone already knowing.” He washed up with Weldon before grabbing his phone to text Dix.
He found he didn’t hate this, having someone care where he was.
In fact, his life was looking better every day. Even if he had been an epic fail at watching the kids for like, half an hour.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“HEY, MOM! Something smells good.”
“I made french onion dip, and then your sons asked for grape jelly meatballs.”
Dad came trundling in with shopping bags as Weldon took the hot Crock-Pot from his mom and plugged it in next to the one with queso and the one with barbecued Lit’l Smokies.
Mel looked up from where she was chopping vegetables for the relish tray and grinned. “Kathy! Jefferson! How are you guys? How was Florida?”
“Gorgeous. I told Abraham that we were going to have to take the kids with us this summer. They’ll love it.”
