by Sean Michael
“Sprung?”
“Oh. Didn’t I mention it? They arrested him.”
“Arrested him? Why?”
“Because they think he shot first.” Brock growled—it still made him mad. “And he might have, I don’t know. Probably. But Jesus fuck, he saved our lives.”
“How can I help? What can I do?”
“I don’t know. Let me call Gordon and see what’s up, see if we can do anything while we’re out.”
“Okay. Whatever they need.”
“Yeah. We owe them a lot.” He nodded and went out into the living room to grab his cell phone. He peeked in on Josie on the way—she was “brushing” her hair, making a huge mess, but looking cuter than a button.
Chuckling, he grabbed the phone and dialed Gordon.
“Yeah, Boss?” Gordon sounded exhausted.
“Hey. How’s it going?” He didn’t see any reason to beat around the bush.
“Been a long fucking night, man. How’s Eric?”
“He’s good. Wants to know how things are going for Max. We both do.”
“Your lawyers are good. They let him go an hour ago. They’re going to charge him with assault.”
“What? No fucking way!” He was flabbergasted.
“The lawyer guy says it won’t stick, but still.”
“That’s a fucking crock, Gordon. That little pissant had a gun to Jeff’s head!” He growled. “What did they charge Tim with?”
“I don’t know. He’s seventeen, that’s not really a juvenile.”
“I want him charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, and all the crap he pulled at Eric’s house.”
“Monday you’ll need to come down to your lawyers.”
“Can we do anything in the meantime? We owe the two of you more than we can ever repay.”
“Don’t call unless there’s an emergency? I’m taking my man home, fucking him through the floor, and then we’re sleeping.”
Brock chuckled. “You got it. You call us if you need something, though, okay?”
“I will. You call if you need me.”
“I will. We won’t, though. Have a good weekend, Gordon. You both deserve it.”
“Thanks, Boss.” The line went dead.
He sighed and hung up, trying to let go of the residual anger. It wouldn’t help Eric and Josie any if he went off about this right now. He could put it aside until Monday.
Eric came to him. “Well?”
He shook his head. “They’re charging Max with assault. The lawyer says it won’t stick and he got Max out on bail. Gordon’s taking him home.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Brock.”
“Yeah, me, too. I just hope the lawyer’s right. Anyway, we have a princess to take to get waffles, let’s drop it until she goes to bed, huh?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s a….” Eric looked over as Josie toddled in. “You ready?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Gots my shoes.”
She held her leg out and Brock bit back his laughter at the sight of one short bright pink sock, and the second one, longer, with a cartoon character on it.
“Is it non-matchy-sock day?” Eric asked.
Josie nodded happily.
“Excellent.”
Brock looked down at his own feet and wiggled his toes. “I match. Is that okay?”
Josie nodded again. “Daddies are gived from sock day.”
Eric whispered. “Forgiven.”
He grinned and nodded, then smiled at Josie. “Oh, that’s good, my toes thank you.”
“Waffles now, Daddy Bee.”
“Uh-uh, what’s the magic word?”
“Pretty please.”
“Yeah, that’ll do.” He picked her up and took Eric’s hand. “Come on, it’s feeding time at the zoo.”
“Ooo ooo ooo! I be the monkey!”
He laughed and nodded. “You bet. What’s Daddy?”
He let Eric lock up and then bent so she could reach the button to call the elevator.
“Ephalant.”
“An elephant? Why is Daddy an elephant?”
Eric was well hung but not that well hung. And he probably shouldn’t be having thoughts like that.
“Daddy, show!”
Eric laughed, then made this huge, amazing, very-much-like-an-elephant sound.
Brock just stared, totally amazed. “Wow, that was. Something.” He laughed and gave Josie a tickle as the elevator doors opened up. “And what about me?”
Josie looked. “Hmm…. A….” Her eyes lit up. “A lion!”
“A lion?” He thought a minute, letting Josie press the button to the basement, and then he let out his best roar.
Eric and Josie both applauded for him. He took his bows and tickled Josie’s ribs, enjoying the morning with his family.
Josie’s laughter filled the elevator. God, this was fun.
He smiled over at Eric and set out to enjoy the day.
BREAKFAST HAD been relaxing and fun. They’d carried on the theme of “breakfast at the zoo,” eating their waffles in various animal styles. Josie’s giggles had rung out through the restaurant, and Brock couldn’t think of a happier sound.
Now they were clothes shopping. A quick call in to Stephanie, who he’d promised a huge bonus to for disturbing on a Saturday, had yielded him the name and address of a handmade clothing and toy store for children.
They walked in and Josie immediately started fussing to be let down. As soon as she was, she made a beeline for the racks of dresses at the back of the store. Brock and Eric followed more slowly, and he had to admit, if he’d been a three-year-old girl, he’d think he was in princess heaven.
It was a good thing he didn’t have to worry about the price tags.
“Brock, love. This is extravagant.”
“How often have I had a chance to spoil her?”
Eric smiled, leaned against him. “I need to get my pictures from the house, so you can see.”
“I’m pretty sure Gordon’s packed your stuff up for you. I’ll see about getting it delivered.”
Eric nodded. “That would be nice, Brock. I’ve emailed the school, but the principal hasn’t answered me. I’m afraid they’re going to let me go.”
“We could fight that if we wanted. But it might be easier to tell them we want a glowing reference and help finding you a new job, eh?”
“I think, maybe. I’m considering a change. I could have my counseling degree in eighteen months, and I have savings.”
“Is that what you’d like to do, baby? Because now’s as good a time as any for that kind of thing.”
“I don’t know, Brock. I just… I honestly don’t know if I want to face a classroom again, worry about whether they’re thinking about hurting Josie.”
He took Eric’s hand, squeezed it. “No one is going to hurt her. Ever.”
“Well, except for that salesperson….” Eric stepped forward. “Did you find one you liked, Jo?”
Brock laughed softly and went over to Josie. “If you can narrow it down to two or three, that would be good.”
She picked three dresses, all in varying shades of yellow.
“Are you sure you want them all to be yellow, honey?”
“Daddy? Do I?”
Eric chuckled. “There are a lot of pretty colors. I like the green, very much.”
“How about you buy three different colors, and then you can wear whatever color you feel like?”
“What is your favorite, Daddy Bee?”
“I like the blue one there with the little pink flowers.” They’d never believe this in the boardroom.
“Okay! Blue with pink, pretty please.”
“Do we need to try them on her or anything?” He’d never shopped for little girl’s clothes before.
“She wears a three.”
“Cool.” He turned to the salesclerk, who did look like she might be about to have apoplexy. “The blue one with the pink flowers, the green, and the yellow one she’s still holding, all in size three, please.”
“The green one and blue one are for my daddies,” Josie told the woman.
“Oh? Which one is your daddy?”
“This is my daddy and my daddy Bee.”
Brock gave her a smile that dared the woman to make a negative comment.
“Oh? Oh! Oh, that’s nice, honey.” The clerk chuckled, nodded. “You’re very lucky to have two. Daddies are very important.”
His smile became more natural and he asked Eric, “Is there anything else she needs while we’re here, baby?”
“I don’t think this is the need type of store, Brock.”
“Okay, what else should we get for her because I’m her indulgent daddy Bee?”
Eric looked around, then smiled. “The easel.”
“Ah yes, for our budding artist.” Brock nodded at it and told the salesclerk, “We’ll take one of those, too.”
“What’s that, Daddy Bee?”
“It’s for you to color on.”
“Oh.” Her eyes went wide. “Oh, Daddy Bee. The big girls at my old school had those. Oh….”
“Score,” Eric whispered.
He beamed. Go him. He was the best daddy ever at the moment.
Josie flew into his arms, kissing him and saying “thank you thank you thank you” over and over.
Laughing, he settled her on his hip. “You’re welcome, honey. It goes with the special Josie paper, right?”
She nodded. “I draw on the paper for you.”
“I know. You make me beautiful pictures.”
Her little arms wrapped around his neck. “My daddy Bee.”
“Yeah, honey.” He rubbed noses with her and then handed over his credit card. He didn’t even care how much everything had come to.
“You’re going to spoil her rotten.” Eric didn’t sound like he minded that much.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. No, she deserves it.” Eric winked. “So do you.”
He chuckled and put Josie back down so he could carry her bags. “All right, I think surviving all this shopping means we get a trip to the ice cream parlor.”
“Ice cream! Bubble gum ice cream!”
“Yeah, yeah. I know what your favorite is, Missy.”
“My name not Missy. My name is Jo-sie.”
Brock chuckled. “I know that, honey.”
“Jo. Sie. Jo. Sie.” The song went on and on as they headed out to the street.
Brock chuckled, walking along, holding her hand and her goodies, Eric in step next to him.
“Do you want to go swing on the swings for a little while, Jo?” Eric’s words made the skipping become bouncing.
“Yes! Please!”
They detoured over to the little park at the end of the street and Brock sat on a bench with Eric while Josie ran to the swings. There were a number of other families, little children and big, just enjoying the day. Brock shook his head at himself, at how comfortable he felt here.
“Brock? Brock Vencenza? How the hell are you?” Callum Parker walked up, dressed in gym shorts and a muscle shirt, obviously just having finished a run.
He shook hands with the CEO of one of his umbrella companies. “I’m good, man. How’re you?” He waved at Callum’s getup. “Good run?”
“You know it. What are you doing out and about?”
“Oh, just a little shopping and enjoying the day with my family.” With his family. The words made him smile. He pointed to Eric. “Do you remember Eric?” He knew he’d dragged his lover to more than Eric’s fair share of business parties, and Callum would have had to have been attending at least one.
“I do. Nice to see you. Your….” Callum motioned to the children.
Eric nodded. “Yes. Our daughter is the one hoarding the swings.”
Our daughter.
Brock had to admit, he did like the sound of that. A lot.
“Oh, she’s pretty.” Callum nodded, smiled again. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the daddy type.”
“He’s an amazing father.” Eric was quick to defend him, and he’d opened his mouth to respond when Josie fell off the swing into the dirt and starting crying.
“Daddy Bee!”
He made it to the swings in two seconds flat, lifting her up and fussing over her.
“I falled!” She showed him her sandy knees, which were only a bit pink.
He gently rubbed the sand off them. “You did. This doesn’t look too bad, though. How about you try again?”
“’Kay. ’Kay. I swing ’gain.”
“Good girl.” He put her back onto the swing and pushed it gently to get her going again.
“Daddy, push me!” Her feet dangled, and she crowed.
He stayed there to give her a little push now and then. He didn’t want it to go too high—if he got her too far up, it would hurt if she fell again. He saw Eric talking to Callum, but those eyes were on him. He smiled and waved at Eric. Eric waved back, smiled.
“You ready for that ice cream soon?” he asked as he pushed.
“Ice creamy!”
Laughing, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up against him, and then danced out of the way of the swing.
Eric came over to him, Callum heading toward the street. “Did someone say ice cream?”
“We did indeed.”
“I’m dying for a hot fudge sundae.” Eric grinned, touched Josie’s nose.
“Oh, can we share?” Brock asked.
“I think so. Lots of whipped cream.”
“Two cherries.” He winked at Eric.
“Two spoons.” Eric’s arm wrapped around his waist.
“Yeah.” He kissed the top of Eric’s head and settled Josie on his hip.
“Ice cream with my daddies and me!”
He chuckled and bounced her on his hip. “That’s right, honey.”
It was perfect.
Unexpected but perfect.
Just like his family.
Chapter Twenty
“ONE, TWO, three, weeee!” Brock lifted Josie up by her underarms and swung her into the air. Her giggles rang out and he laughed.
They were all ice-creamed out, shopped out, too, and it was time to go home before Josie crashed, which Eric assured him was most definitely coming. The car was still on the street near the children’s store, which luckily wasn’t too far, and Brock kept Josie entertained as they went.
“Eric?” Eric’s twin sister came out of a drugstore. “I thought that was you. How are you?”
“Go away, El.” Eric kept them moving toward the car.
Following his lover’s lead, Brock stopped playing with Josie and walked as quickly as she could go.
“Eric, please. The police keep coming over and talking to Mom and….”
“Get her in the car, Brock.”
“Yeah, I’ve got her. Come on, honey. Let’s get you buckled into your special chair.” He got the back door open and she climbed in for him, her eyes big. He gave her a reassuring smile and did up the buckles.
“Daddy okay?”
“He’s just fine, sweetie. We’re going to head home and have a bath because you have half that sandbox and most of your ice cream all over your face. And then maybe we can watch a movie together—all three of us, would that be fun?”
He kept an eye and ear open for what El and Eric were up to.
“Mermaid movie, Daddy Bee?”
Eric had El backed up against a mailbox, snarling, one hand on her shoulder. Damn it, Eric needed to be careful he didn’t aggravate anything.
“Sure thing, honey.” Brock shut the door and then climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the car up and honked.
El reached for Eric and Eric slapped her hand away.
He rolled down the window. “Baby, we need to go.” He couldn’t get out of the car and leave Josie on her own, but he couldn’t let Eric keep dealing with El on his own, either.
Eric nodded and moved quickly to the car. “You two stay the fuck away from me, do you hear me?”
“Bad word
, Daddy!”
“Yeah, baby, that was a bad word.” He gave Eric a sympathetic look.
“Sorry, Jo.” Eric slammed the door shut. “Drive.”
Brock checked his blind spot and pulled out into traffic. “You okay?” he asked, once they were a few blocks away.
“No. Let’s go home.”
“Okay. It’s going to be okay.” He reached over and put his hand on Eric’s thigh.
Eric’s leg tensed, then his lover’s hand covered his. He shot a smile at Eric before turning his attention back to the road.
“Daddy? Daddy, are you ’kay?”
“I’m good, Jo. Just mad at your aunt El. We’ll be fine. Did you have a good morning?”
“I bet you did, eh, honey?”
“I did! Daddy Bee says bath and movie for all of us!”
Eric laughed. “Let me guess. The mermaid movie?”
“Your daddy is very smart—he only needed one guess!” He smiled back at her. Just trying to be cheerful for her released a lot of his tension.
She nodded. “Daddy is a teacher. Daddy Bee is… is a…”
Brock chuckled. “Businessman.”
“Are they smart?”
“The ones who make lots of money are.”
Josie nodded, face so serious in the rearview mirror. “Do you make lots of money?”
“I do, actually.” He smiled at her. “Enough to take care of you and Daddy.”
“So, my daddies are smart.” That seemed to satisfy her. “Can I go work with you?”
“Maybe one day.”
“’Kay. Can we have bubbles in the bath?”
Eric chuckled.
Man, he loved that ability to bounce back from stuff, to focus in on exactly what was important to her.
“I don’t know. What do you think, Daddy? Bubbles or no bubbles?”
“Oh, I think someone has been a very good girl today.” Eric winked. “Strawberry bubbles are good.”
Josie squealed.
Brock laughed, her joy absolutely infectious.
Eric smiled, then leaned close. “You’ve been pretty good yourself, sir.”
“My reward doesn’t need to include strawberry bubbles.” Strawberry lube, on the other hand….
“I’ll make a note of that.”
“You do that.” He gazed at Eric’s mouth for a moment.