Page 44 of Spring UnVeiled
“Vivi, can you answer the question first so I can get off my knee?This old body isn’t what it used to be.”
She tugged on his hand and when he stood, she threw her arms around him.“Yes, I’ll marry you again.And we can live here.”She glanced over her shoulder.“I’m not sleeping in that bed, though.”
“Why should we when we have a perfectly good bed?”Then he added, “I think we’re due a new mattress, though.”
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”His soon-to-be wife, again, looked very serious.“I’ve been teaching for twenty years.Taking care of Ian these past two weeks has made me happier than teaching has in years.”
Evan shrugged.“Then quit.”
“Retire,” she corrected.
“Okay, retire.”Evan didn’t care what she did.He made plenty of money to support them both.She could go teach yoga on the beach every morning at sunrise for all he cared.He really liked what the yoga did for her ass.
“I have an idea that I’d like to run past you first.”He wondered if it was the same idea he had.They’d always seemed to be in sync.
Three minutes later, they were standing with Dylan in the living room.
“We have an offer for you.”He put his arm around Genevieve.“We’re getting remarried and living in this house.The other house is in Kylie and Genevieve’s name.Ian automatically inherits his mother’s half.Would you be willing to move into Ian’s house, paying all the utilities and taxes instead of rent since the house is already paid off?”
“Really?”Dylan’s eyes were huge.“I get to live in that amazing house right across from the beach?And I only have to pay utilities and taxes?Sir, you could get so much rent for that place, you’re crazy to let me live there rent-free.”
“Are you calling me crazy, son?”The word just slipped out.He’d never called anyone son before.On the other hand, he’d never felt this close to a young man.Dylan was family and always would be.
“No, sir.I’m just saying from a financial perspective, your suggestion isn’t sound.”
Genevieve batted at Dylan’s shoulder.“Shut up.Quit trying to talk us out of this.Our minds are made up.But that’s not all of the offer.”
“Should I be sitting down for this?”Dylan joked.
“We promised you that we would help you with Ian.I don’t want him going to daycare, at least not until he’s three or four, and maybe only for half-days, more like preschool.It’s primarily for socialization.I want to take care of our grandson while you’re at work.On your way in, you can drop him off here, and pick him up on your way home.If you have to work late, he can just spend the night here.I know all about last-minute deployments.If we have to keep Ian for a week, a month, or even a year, I want to be the one taking care of him, not some stranger.”
Dylan stared at the two of them.“You’d do all that for me?It’s too much to ask.”
“You didn’t ask.We offered.”Evan then admitted, “We’re being selfish.Renting a house to strangers is a pain in the ass.We know you’ll take good care of Ian’s house, maybe even make a few improvements.This way, we’re guaranteed to keep our grandson in our lives.”
“Do we need to put something in writing?”Dylan asked.“I’ll sign anything you want.”
“We’ll get something put together.”Evan made a mental note that he needed to check with the JAG office to see if that was something they could handle.
Evan knew he was in trouble the more Genevieve stared at the black leather furniture.
“You like this couch and all this living room furniture, Dylan?”Genevieve gave Evan a side glance.
“Yes, ma’am.”His smile didn’t lie.
“Congratulations, it’s yours.”She gave Evan a shit-eating grin.“Let me show you a bed that I think you’re going to like.”
When they returned, Evan suggested, “Why don’t you call your friends with pickup trucks and get some of this shit moved, or none of us will have a bed to sleep in tonight.”
Genevieve waved from the door, dodging another load of boxes.“Have fun with that.I’m going to go retire.”
Just then, the baby monitor went off.
Evan pointed to the baby’s room.“You’re up.”
By five in the afternoon, the semi was gone and almost everything was in the right house.A quick inspection of his dishes sent them over to Dylan’s house, but Genevieve wanted something new for their new house.His dining room table was brand new and their style, so she left hers that had seen use—and abuse, from a baby and a herd of teenagers.
“Pizza delivery,” the familiar voice of Marta Merkel sang as she carried an armful of boxes into Evan’s and Genevive’s new home.“I already stopped over to the other place and everybody’s on their way here.”
