Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Yes, talking about dinner and eventually dessert was a much easier topic for a variety of reasons.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of a longer discussion later.” Dally’s threat had Harley’s eyes going wide. “You didn’t ask me what I wanted on the grocery list and I’ve had five calls from relatives today wanting to know if you’re coming to dinner on Sunday.”
Oh.
Harley’s eyes were never going to go back to their normal size if we weren’t careful.
“If you didn’t want me to look around, you shouldn’t have told me to make myself at home.” Dally either had to change his mind about the invitation or stop following me. “At home means I know where everything is so that’s what I’m doing.”
It was what he’d told me the other night, and if it let me see the inside of his junk drawer and what was on his bookshelf, more the better.
“This is weird. I was being polite, and I had to invite you over just in case my mother asks about it. She asks weird questions.” Still following a half step behind me, he huffed when I went from the drawers to the freezer. “Why is my junk drawer more fascinating than my sex toys?”
Harley’s giggles from the couch where he was watching our new form of communication gave me an excuse not to answer it and make Dally even more insane. “Sweet boy, your Daddy has ice cream bars. I think he’ll let us raid the box as long as I promise to replace them. He’s probably got a sweet tooth he’s been hiding from us and I don’t want to leave him without a treat.”
And I wanted to make sure I didn’t leave him without enough groceries until I could start paying for them.
Dally was stubborn about odd things and I had a feeling he was going to move in before I could start contributing much to the practical things in his life.
Buy him an oversized bed with a down comforter because I was a rich asshole…sure he’d put up with a lot from weird people.
Buy him groceries and pay his electricity bill…fuck no and I’d hear about it for a month.
Damn it.
I was going to have to move both of them in just to make sure I could take care of them well enough.
“Yes, please.” Harley’s smile got wider as his grown-up side retreated. “I got lots done today and I didn’t let myself get called into work.”
Judging by the week he had so far, that seemed to happen on a regular basis considering he was supposed to be only a part-time employee.
“Did you want to go into work?” I couldn’t predict the answer to that question, so I made sure my face was curious but neutral as I stole the ice cream from a still grumbling Dally.
“No.” Rocking back and forth, Harley’s eyes were glued to the ice cream. “I needed to get homework done and…”
Still sliding toward little as I opened the chocolate-covered ice cream bar for him, Harley peeked around me to give his Daddy a questioning look before he finished his answer. I pretended it was perfectly normal and waited because I had a feeling he thought he was being subtle.
When Dally shrugged and gave him a keep going wave, I knew they’d discussed something privately…something about work? His homework?
“And I have enough hours to pay my bills this month, so I don’t need to work extra.” Harley looked relieved to have gotten that out as he took his dessert. “I’m supposed to make sure you don’t worry. I don’t have to work too much. Honest. I just do it because I didn’t have anything else to do before. Now I have you to do.”
He was little enough by that point he had no idea why Dally was trying so hard not to snicker as he sat down beside Harley and took his treat. “Thank you, Pokey.”
Brat.
The couch wouldn’t hold three, so I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and opened mine. “Thank you for making sure I didn’t worry about that, but you need to promise me that you’ll tell me if that changes.”
“Told you.” Dally snorted and kissed Harley’s cheek as our boy giggled. “I should’ve made it a better bet.”
Yep.
My request shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone.
“I’m not sure if this counts as being naughty or not.” My teasing frown had Dally rolling his eyes but little Harley giggled. “Making bets behind my back? I’m going to end up sad and then you’re going to have to make me feel better.”
Dally’s ideas for that were wonderfully wicked based on the devilish gleam in his eyes, but Harley’s went wide and he looked like we were going to have chicken nuggets for dinner. “I can make you happy, Papa. I know. I know. We’ll go sleep at your house. You like that.”