Page 21 of Driven Daddy

Now I did the rowing machine an hour a day, so I wasn’t a complete schlub. But that was definitely not helping me right now.

Theo was distracted enough by the tumble that he turned shocked eyes my way. “Unca P!”

“I know. Cool, right? If you get in the van, we can practice some rolls at your house.”

“Really?”

Kitten forgotten, he leaped up out of the leaves.

I was a little slower getting up. Forty was closer than thirty these days, and executing maneuvers like this made me feel every single one of them. I gave the cat a long, quick stroke then flicked the little bell with his name tag. “Catch ya later, Spuds.”

The cat sat and held his paw up, much like he was waving.

I laughed and scooped my nephew up like a football. My chest eased a bit at his delighted giggles.

Getting Theo into the van was a lot easier than Harmony, though the five-point harness was impressive in his car seat.

“Not coming out of this sucker,” I said with a grin as I tugged at the straps.

Theo hooked his thumbs under the strap as if he sat this way a million times. “Can I haveBlueyfor the ride?”

I glanced over at my mom. She nodded.

“Sure, pal.” There was a tablet hooked to the back of the passenger seat, and I turned it on.

“I can do it!”

“Have at it.”

He tried to lean forward, but the harness said no.

“How about I do it just this once?”

With a belabored sigh, he sat back. “Fine.”

I flicked until I found his cartoon and spent another minute picking out the perfect episode.

Since the trip out to Murphy’s house in the hills was about the same amount of time as a full episode, I was thankful for technology.

Harmony had a binky in her mouth, and she was already half asleep. Maybe I could do this whole Uncle Penn thing.

“Thanks, sweetie. Saved me a trip out. I’m making chicken and dumplings tonight if you want dinner with us.”

My stomach growled at the thought.

Good thing my dad had a rowing machine in the garage. I was going to need it with this trip home.

“Sounds good.” I kissed her cheek and hopped up into the seat. The dash was full of sparkles and kid things as well as a host of stickers. I shook my head and started the van, praying that none of my old friends saw me driving this monstrosity.

Thankfully, the trip out to Murphy and Vee’s place was uneventful. My brother had done another remodel on the house since they had expanded their family yet again.

I was pretty sure they were done at this point, but one never knew with Vee. She had severe baby lust. So much so that she’d actually created a website with Murphy on matching people with various pregnancy woes.

From donor eggs to fertility treatments, there was no end to what they helped people do for their baby needs.

While Crescent Cove had the baby lore, there were plenty of others who weren’t so lucky to be easy as Sunday morning on the fertility train. My brother and Vee had been among those people until the first baby had kick-started Vee’s baby-making machine.

The image of a baby machine popped into my twisted mind, and I had to shake it away as I drove up the winding drive.

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