Page 140 of Bump and Run

“Really?”

“Grant should be getting a nice surprise of his own in about ten minutes.”

I smile. “Good.”

Junior gets that look in his eyes; the one that begs for me to kiss him. He leans in, slowly inching closer to me on the couch.

“Daddy!”

He stops and turns towards the hallway, his mouth expanding into an even wider grin.

“Come here!” he laughs, opening his arms as Courtney runs in.

She leaps up and he catches her, easily flipping her little body around to cradle her in his thick arms.

“Why aren’t you asleep? It’s late,” he teases, tickling her belly.

“I heard Mommy scream,” she says.

“Mommy screamed?” he parrots back. “I’m sorry, baby. Daddy has that effect on Mommy sometimes.”

I slap his arm.

“Courtney…” He lays a kiss on her brow. “You need sleep if you’re going to grow up to be beautiful and smart like your mother.” He winks at me, firing off sneaky compliments like a champ.

She nods. “Lack of sleep can severely impair cognitive ability, such as thinking and memory.”

Junior blinks at me and I hold in my laugh. “I see Aunt Maggie and Uncle Nate made it to Thanksgiving this year…” He balances Courtney on his knee. “Have you been driving Mommy crazy like I told you to?”

“Yes!” she beams.

“What?” I ask, laughing. “Are you two ganging up on me again?”

Junior holds up a finger. “I told her to do three things every day that Mommy hates while I was gone. What were they?” he asks her.

Courtney thinks hard. “Clear my plate…”

“That’s one,” he nods.

“Brush my teeth.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Pick up my toys.”

Junior looks at me and smiles. “That’s right. Drives Mommy crazy.”

My heart swells as he slides her to the floor.

“Go pick out a book, get in bed, and I’ll come read you back to sleep, all right?”

“Okay, Daddy!”

“Dr. Seuss!” he shouts after her. “Not Freud, please.”

I chuckle. “I don’t know, Junior, I think Seuss might be a touch outside of your reading comprehension.”

“Eliza Morgan, are you calling me a big, dumb jock?”

---