Page 98 of Trouble Comes in Threes

“Neely Kate, Jed. Are y’all staying for dinner?”

“We’re not leaving until Joe comes home,” Jed said in a tone that convinced me it was pointless to argue with him.

“Fine by me,” I said.

“I don’t like that Dermot doesn’t know any more than he did yesterday,” Jed commented. “He’s either keeping things from us, or he’s lost control of his territory.”

I didn’t like the implications of either of those suggestions. “I don’t like it either,” I confessed. “But maybe Neely Kate and I will find out something useful from Darlene.”

They both helped me put together a quick dinner, then Neely Kate watched over Mikey and Ashley as they got ready for bed. I took the three younger kids to my bathroom to bathe in my clawfoot tub. After I got them washed, I sat on the floor next to the tub while they played in the water. Daisy was excited to take a bath with her cousins, and even more so that she got to wear a pair of Hope’s pajamas. They’d been in the tub playing for about fifteen minutes when Joe appeared in the bathroom doorway.

“Hey,” he said softly.

I twisted to look up at him. He looked exhausted and defeated, and I couldn’t help wondering if it was partly because we’d been at odds. I also suspected he wasn’t feeling great about his investigation. I felt guilty for not telling him what I knew from Austin, but I still didn’t feel right telling him without Austin’s permission, and I couldn’t get it if he wouldn’t even talk to me.

“Daddy!” Hope shouted, splashing water.

“Uncle Joe!” Daisy called out, while Liam excitedly patted the bath water, shooting it everywhere. “Dada!”

Joe laughed and walked over, squatting next to me as he addressed the kids. “No need to be painting the walls and the floor with water in your excitement.”

“We missed you, Daddy,” Hope said with an exaggerated pout.

Liam mumbled something in an attempt to mimic his sister, but it came out as gibberish.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said to me, then gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. “What can I do to help?”

“You look exhausted,” I said. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Go grab the plate out of the fridge and heat it up. It’s nothing fancy. Just spaghetti with meat sauce.”

“I’m sure it’s delicious,” he said, then reached for Hope’s hand and examined it, plastering an exaggerated frown on his face. “What happened to your fingers, Hopey? They look like they’ve been replaced with prunes.”

“That’s silly, Daddy,” she said through giggles.

Daisy held up her hands. “Do I have prunes, Uncle Joe?”

“The pruniest,” he said with a grin.

Liam held up his hands and mumbled something unintelligible.

Joe grabbed one of his hands. “You’ve got prunes too, and they look delicious.” He pretended to eat Liam’s fingers, and all three kids burst into a fit of giggles.

My heart overflowed with joy.

Joe glanced over at me. “I take it they’re ready to get out?”

“We were just killing time. They’re ready.”

“Then how about you go rest and let me finish in here? You’ve been dealing with them all day. Let me take a turn.”

“How about we do it together?”

Joe took Liam to his room to put on a diaper and his pajamas, while I got the girls out and into their pajamas. I took the girls downstairs and found Jed and Neely Kate in the kitchen with Ashley and Mikey, eating the cookies we’d finished baking earlier.

“Have you said anything to Joe?” Neely Kate asked, trying to keep her voice down, but Mikey heard her.

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