Page 65 of Mr. Broody

“Is it weird that I kind of like her?” Jade asks.

“Yes. Very.”

We both laugh, and I walk behind her, unable to not glance at her ass. Shit, what I wouldn’t do to have my hands grabbing that ass as I thrust into her. It’s been way too long since I’ve gotten laid. By Jade specifically.

The back room has all the presents stacked on one of the tables when we arrive. Bodhi isn’t in a chair but on the table as well as if he’s the entertainment for the night. Which I’m sure he will be.

Conor, Tweetie, Rowan, and Kyleigh already have some pitchers of beer, and pizza boxes are stacked on a separate table.

“Can I start, Daddy?” Bodhi asks.

“Go ahead.” I nod.

He rips through the presents without giving any particular one more than a few seconds’ attention before reaching for the next. I should tell him to pause and appreciate each one, but this kid deserves to feel what it’s like to have everything, so I stand and smile, showing the same excitement he does with each gift.

He picks up the bag that Jade put her gift in, and I’m more than curious what she got him. If she even knows about his love for building things, animals—especially elephants—and books.

He reaches in and pulls out a rectangular box. Conor helps him with the flaps. My gaze lingers on Jade. She’s nibbling her bottom lip, watching Bodhi intently.

Fuck, she’s worried she got him the wrong thing.

“Whoa,” Conor says, seeing the gift at the same time as Bodhi.

“I love it. Look, Daddy!” He takes a picture frame out of the box and holds up a gorgeous picture of a sunset with an adult elephant and a baby elephant grazing by the water’s edge, a giant tree nearby. The colors are vibrant but subdued. It’s spectacular. “It’s elephants! Did you take this, Miss Jade?”

She nods, her cheeks pinkening.

“You did?” Conor asks. “Shit, you’re really talented.”

Conor looks over Bodhi’s shoulder again. Then Tweetie, Rowan, and Kyleigh join in, each of their eyes opening wider as they say how awesome the photo is.

Why pride fills my chest, I have no idea. I didn’t take the picture. It was all Jade.

“It’s me and Daddy,” Bodhi says.

I hold out my hand for it. “Jade, it’s magnificent.”

“I usually wouldn’t think of giving a seven-year-old a picture I took, but he showed so much interest in class.” She looks at Bodhi. “And I know you love that elephant book during relaxation time. I kind of thought it was like you and your daddy too.” She smiles at him.

I wrap my arm around Bodhi’s shoulder, and we both stare at the picture for a second before I nudge him and nod toward Jade.

“Thank you, Miss Jade. I love it. I’m gonna hang it on my wall next to my postcards.”

I tuck it back inside the box and set it aside so it doesn’t get broken.

“Okay, let’s have some fun now.” Tweetie claps his hands together and points at me. “Darts! Let’s go, Daddy.”

The last thing I want to do is play darts with Tweetie right now. Not with Jade here.

Bodhi slides off the table, and Conor helps him open up some Lego—which means there will probably be a piece missing that I’ll have to order a replacement for. But it’s his birthday, so I won’t lecture him today.

“Darts?” Jade asks.

Tweetie must hear what I do in her voice. “Do you play?”

“I don’t know. Henry, do I play?” she asks me in a sassy tone.

“Okay, change of plans. You two are playing one another because I can see there’s some kind of competitive grudge going on here.” Tweetie points back and forth between us.

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