Page 17 of Painting Together a Family
Micah looked at Dylan expectantly, and when Dylan didn’t say anything, Micah nudged him.
“You gotta say yum!”
“Oh! Yum!”
Marley giggled, then she stabbed a pineapple and ate it. The little boys stared at her as she paused. “YUM!”
They laughed, and Bry grinned and grabbed his own chopstick to get in on the action. There was more laughter when he said “Yum!” too after eating his slice of kiwi.
Then all five of them stared at Dev.
Dev waggled his eyebrows, then speared a pineapple and a strawberry, then ate them both, chewing and licking his lips. “Yum!”
That had his boys in conniptions, laughing so hard. Damn, that was a good sound anytime, but when it was his own boys, it was even better.
He knew that Dev wasn’t a friend—not yet—but it was an absolute possibility. And God knew, he needed more friends in his life. Especially one who understood him the way that Dev did.
CHAPTER FOUR
The zoo had been so kind—feeding them, taking them behind the scenes, everything. They’d been treated like they were zoo royalty.
Dev was tickled he’d managed this for the kids.
The girls and their friends were in good moods, and Bry’s boys were obviously in seventh heaven.
Bry looked pretty pleased, too. The guy hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d picked him and the boys up earlier today.
“Daddy! The lady gave us balloons!” Micah came running up with an elephant balloon. His brother had a peacock.
“Wow! Look at those. They’re amazing!” Bry checked them both out thoroughly, then tied the end of the strings around each of their wrists so they wouldn’t fly away. Then the kids ran back to the activity table in the middle of the visitors center.
“So, are you having a good time, Bryan?”What did you think of my art?
“I’m having a wonderful time, and I haven’t seen the boys this animated for a long time. Thanks so much for including us. I hope the zoo paid you for your piece as well as comping you the tickets and the food and stuff. Because they’ve got an amazing piece of art there.”
“Oh, thank you. It was fun to do.” He’d had a ball.
“It’s adorable. And it was so cool, seeing the penguins that inspired you. Them and the art were my favorite part. So far, anyway.” Bry gave him a warm smile.
“I’m so glad you like it.” He was self-aware enough to know he needed his ego stroked. And when the stroking was being done by a good-looking guy, it was even better.
“I really do. You’re very talented. I’ve never known a famous artist before.”
“Well, I’m—I’m trying to keep myself relevant and happy.” It was a crazy situation—painting penguins to make your local zoo happy. But they’d rewarded him handsomely with all these activities and goodies for the kids, not to mention it was in a very public place with his name right there on it.
“Those are great goals.” Bry smiled at him again. It was a good look on the guy, and Dev had a hunch he was maybe out of practice a little.
Having your life’s savings stolen out from under you would do that to a guy, and it had happened more recently to Bryan than to him. They were going to get the asshole, though. And that would be very happy making. For both of them. They’d have to celebrate together when it happened.
The boys and Juniper and her friend Victor came back to them, with artwork this time, too. He and Bry admired andooo’d andaaa’d over it, then Bry tucked the boys’ pieces—both of the penguins Dev had painted—into the souvenir bag the zoo had given each of them at the beginning of the day.
“Is there anything else you need to see?” Dev asked. He wasn’t sure where Marley and Hannah were, but they had forty-five minutes before they were meeting up with the teenagers by the front reception area so that was cool.
Micah tugged on his pants, and he looked down at the little boy.
“I wanna see the shloths, Mr. Devlin.”
“Sloths—there’s no ‘h’ at the beginning,” Bry told his son.
