Page 7 of Bossy Baby

Mac glared.

“Go wash your hands, boy,” Byron ordered.

Mitch slid out of his chair and headed to the kitchen sink.

“Bathroom,” Byron ordered.

Mitch looked unsure, but when Byron crossed his arms over his chest, Mitch quickly left the kitchen. Mac wasn’t surprised when Byron turned to him.

“Mitch doesn’t know who you’ve been talking about. I do.”

Mac wasn’t surprised. “Are you going to warn me off?”

“Surprisingly no,” Byron said. “If anyone can handle you, it would be that sweet boy. I actually think he’d be good for you.”

Mac groaned.

“But you need to think about everything you said, even if it was just a change in your tone. If Hayley misunderstood something, you need to fix it. It sounds like whatever he’s thinking hurt him, or at least his feelings. I don’t want that sweet boy suffering.”

“I would never hurt him,” Mac declared.

“Sometimes we hurt the ones we care about without realizing it. You said it yourself that something changed. You need to figure out what and fix it. Talk to him. Stop playing games.”

“I’m not,” Mac insisted.

“You are,” Byron argued. “Ask the boy out. That’s all you can do. Don’t string him along.”

Was Mac stringing Hayley along? He didn’t think so. He was just giving Hayley time to get to know him. That way maybe Hayley would say yes when Mac asked him on a date.

“Is everything okay?” Mitch asked from the doorway.

“Fine,” Mac said. He didn’t want to worry the boy. “Byron was just giving me some advice.”

Mitch nodded, although he didn’t look convinced.

“Sit down and I’ll bring the food to the table,” Byron said.

Mac relaxed as he watched breakfast come together for them. Mitch sat, kicking his legs, as he drank from a blue sippy cup. Mac’s coffee mug was refilled before Byron put down platters of eggs and bacon.

It was nice. Homey. Exactly what Mac wanted to share with Hayley one day. Of course, that meant that he needed to learn how to cook.

“What kind of dinner do you think a boy would like?” Mac asked. He was almost certain that Hayley identified as alittle. Or close to alittlelike Mitch. Mitch didn’t identify as alittle. Mac didn’t agree. He might not wear diapers like Avery, but he was verylittlelike. When Mitch would deny it, Byron would just grin.

If Hayley was alittle, Mac was going to have to do more research. Maybe try to get closer to Avery and Jace, although Jace barely let Mac in the same room as Avery.

That was the kind of Daddy he wanted to be. He wanted to be a Daddy that protected and cared for his boy, no matter how Hayley identified. There was a constant need inside Mac to take control.

“Depends,” Mitch said, with his mouth full.

Byron cleared his throat and Mitch quickly covered his mouth with a napkin. Once he was done chewing, he grinned. “Sorry, Daddy.”

Byron nodded.

Mitch turned back to him. “If it’s just a casual meal, like after a long day, I’d say something fun. Avery likes dinosaur nuggets and apple sauce. Maybe macaroni and cheese. But you can make any meal special.”

“You really can,” Byron agreed. “Cut up his food. Maybe have a divided plate to section off the different food for him. Anything you do just for him is going to make it special.”

Mac nodded. He knew about dividing the food. He’d been watching the other couples. Not stalking. Just taking notes. Lots of notes. In his former line of work, Mac had excelled at learning all he could about his mark. It was scary how easily he could turn his skills to learning more about being the perfect Daddy.

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