Page 86 of All My Love

She tugs on her dress as she leaves my room, casting a sexy little glance over her shoulder right before she’s out of eye sight.

“Bye, baby,” I call after her as I toss my legs out of bed, walking uncomfortably to the bathroom with a hard-on.

I smirk as I wait for the shower to heat, thinking of her demand to be made my girl. She’s got no idea if she thinks I’m gonna reject that.

I’m gonna do more than that.

I only hope Ev and Deuce don’t think I’m trying to overshadow them.

“How was it, buddy?” I ask Bear as I lift him off the ground, engulfing him in a hug. He pulls his head away, scowling at me. “What?”

“You smell like Dolly,” he says. “You didn’t hang out with Dolly without me, did you?” He worms his way down from my arms, putting his hands on his hips, and I can’t help but smirk because… that looks familiar. “Daddy!” He stomps.

Ev eyes me as Deuce closes the truck door. The four of us walk into the house, and in the entryway, I crouch and have a word with Bear.

“I did see Dolly, but you know what? I think we can see her again, in a few hours. Would you want to see her again? We could go to the creek,” I tell him, licking my thumb and swiping it over the traces of chocolate donut in the crease of his mouth.

He nods. “Yeah.” He blinks at me.

“What?”

“I don’t want Dolly to go in the creek.” He looks down at his brown boots, the ones Ev got him that look just like mine. I hook a finger beneath his chin and lift his eyes to mine.

“Why not?’

He blinks a few times, trying to be brave in his fears. “Idon’t want her to get stuck in the water like me.” He swallows hard, and my heart expands beneath my ribs, in awe of the way my boy fiercely loves. “I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

I pull him into me, leaving my palm over his head as I assure him it will be okay. “Don’t worry, Bear, Dolly’s a real good swimmer, and nothing is going to happen to her, okay? I promise. She’s going to be fine.”

He pulls back, sniffling. “She was watching me… but who is watching her?” he asks, a tear dribbling through his lower lashes. I can’t let him worry.

“Me,” I whisper. “I’m going to take care of Dolly.”

I glance over at Ev and Deuce, and motion for them to take a seat on the couch. I lift Bear into my arms and sink into the loveseat with him. It wasn’t my plan to announce this in this way, but it feels right.

“I wanted to talk to you guys…” I start, drawing out my speech as I cautiously work the right words over in my mind. “I was going to have a grown-up talk with Aunt Ev and Uncle Deuce, but maybe we all talk through it now, hmm?”

Deuce’s eyebrows come together in confusion but my sister is smiling, casually crossing her legs, smoothing her hand down her jeans.

“Bear, how would you feel if Daddy and Dolly were like Uncle Deuce and Aunt Ev? If we were a couple, not just friends.” I press my hand to his chest and give him a little wiggle, watching his eyes closely. I know Bear loves Dolly but asking him to accept her into his life and home with permanence is different. I want him to have the choice, and to understand as best as he can for a four-year-old.

Bear slips out of my lap, his head moving between me and his aunt and uncle. “Yes, I want Dolly to be your girlfriend! Yes!” He claps. “She’ll take me to the creek with you and she likes Bluey and she knows how to do the voices in the books, Daddy!”

He starts off down the hall but I stop him. “Wait, Bear, do you wanna talk about this?”

He shakes his head. “I’m gonna make her a card. With the invisible paint she got me!” Within a second he’s gone, and I return my focus anxiously to my sister and Deuce.

“This is the first I’m hearing of this Dolly thing,” Deuce starts, his voice husky.

I roll my eyes. “Shut up.” I tip my head to my little sister. “She told me you told her.”

Deuce gapes at Ev. “I told you not to tell.”

She smiles. “I know. But that’s marriage.”

Deuce hooks a thumb toward her, blinking at me. “She’s getting mileage out of that and it’s day two.”

I nod. “Anyway. I realize that this seems pretty… Well, quite frankly, it seems crazy. I know. I wasn’t even dating her a day ago but…” Dolly trembling on my cock flashes behind my eyes, the bruise on her face after rescuing Bear comes to mind, too. “I love her passion and loyalty, I love her spirit and vivaciousness?—”

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