Page 98 of Players and Pages
"Your favorite nephew told me that he needed some snuggles before it was time to go home," she told me as we met in the center of the store.
Little Liam was wiggling and screaming in his mother's arms but as soon as she passed him over he quieted down.
Taryn leaned close to her son and whispered, "Traitor," with a laugh.
"I can't help that he loves his Aunt Dani," I said as I bounced him gently and made a silly face. He was finding his giggles more and it was my favorite thing ever.
"Well, at times like these I'm glad that he has you. I think I'd be bald without you and Bea and all your help," she admitted. "Don't get me wrong, the guys help, too, but I couldn't get anything done here if I didn't have you two."
"No need to explain. I'm happy to help. I love our little family. Now we just need Bea to find her pack and we'll be whole," I joked.
"Bea needs a what?" our friend asked as she walked in with Gem. She raised a dark eyebrow, green eyes full of knowing.
"Who said Bea?" I teased, acting as if I was innocent.
"Let's get you and your men settled before you start trying to pack me up," she reminded me.
"Yeah and these assholes in their place," I added with a sigh.
"You really think that they are going to start something?" Taryn asked. “After all that?”
"I don't trust them as far as I can throw them," I admitted. “They’re just crazy enough to push past boundaries and restraining orders. We’d been granted a temporary one but I knew they didn’t go far for people like Henry.
With a sigh I glanced toward the window. Dolly shifted in her chair and I clung to the distraction. "Who’s waking up Dolly?"
Taryn sighed, "I guess since you two have the twins, I'll do it."
"Just make sure to watch that bag, she’s got a mean swing," I cautioned her.
"Roger that," Taryn said with a little salute. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and stood tall before approaching.
Liam squirmed a little as she walked away, but I distracted him as I turned back to my checklist. It seemed he was going to make sure I added vacuuming to my morning tasks.
I was just about halfway through when the bells over the door chimed. My eyes drifted closed in defeat.
Great, last minute shoppers.
They were the one thing I despised. Why did people do that to workers when they were clearly getting ready to go home?
"Welcome in, can I help you with anything?" I called from behind the counter.
"Yes, my girl promised me dinner," Jackson called back with a laugh. The annoyance was gone in an instant, replaced by relief.
"Sir, I think you have the wrong person. Are you sure that you're in the correct store?" I shot back as I walked around the corner to greet them.
Liam let out a coo as my guys came into sight. That melted my heart. Does he adore them, too?
When Griff got close, Liam's little arms reached for him and my man took him with a smile.
Okay, there went my ovaries.
Griff was usually grumpy but this little boy had him wrapped around his fingers. It had my mind wondering just how sweet they’d all be to our own little babies. Teaching them baseball, their daddy Jackson making them costumes for comic conventions. Which reminded me. Before all the chaos I’d snagged us tickets for the one coming only an hour away. It wasn’t for three more months but it was just the thing to lift our spirits.
"How was your day?" Cy asked, moving towards me and pulling me in for a kiss. “You seem distracted.”
His scent enveloped me and I felt like I was at home already.
"Great, Dolly came back with us and stayed all day. When she napped she would swing her bag here and there. I think she was dreaming about Henry and whacking him with her bag again," I told him with a laugh. “And I was genuinely thinking about something not Henry related at least.”
