Page 18 of Honor Me (Men of Inked 6)
“Just know I’m here until you get home, and I’ll keep them safe.” Frisco smiled and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I know Sunshine isn’t happy about this, but I promise to stay in the background and out of her way.”
Without saying a word, I walked out of the room and headed toward the kitchen. Ro and Lu would be hungry soon, and I was warming up two bottles and mixing some rice cereal for their bellies. The two girls ate way more than I ever remembered Gigi eating at the same age. They were growing like weeds.
They both were rolling over constantly and ready to start crawling. I dreaded that day. Right now, I could keep an eye on them because they stayed wherever I set them down, but as soon as they crawled, it would be a constant game of cat and mouse.
I looked around the living room, where I spent the most time, when Joe and Frisco walked into the room. “Babe, can you grab some baby gates today on your way home from work?” There were easily five ways for the twins to escape from this room.
Joe grabbed his keys off the counter and shoved his wallet into his back pocket. “What happened to the ones we had?”
“I gave them to Max to use. I want new ones anyway. Get at least five. Five,” I repeated and pointed at each entryway. “I don’t want to be chasing them around the house all day.”
He wrapped his muscular arms around me, cocooning me in his warm embrace. “Gotcha. I’ll grab at least five and more if they have them. That way we don’t have to move them around the house.”
“Thanks, baby.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his soft lips.
“I won’t be gone too late tonight.”
“I’ll be okay,” I reassured him and peered over his shoulder at Frisco. “I’m sure Georgia will be happy if Frisco makes it home at a reasonable time.” The statement earned me a wink from Frisco.
“No going anywhere without him. Got me, sugar?” Joe stared down at me with his stern look I loved so much.
“Whatever you say, Joe.”
When I smiled, his eyes grew more serious, his stare turning more severe. “I’m serious. Do not go anywhere without Frisco.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted him.
He smacked me on the ass before pulling me closer against him. “Don’t make me punish you later.”
Rubbing my nose against his, I laughed. “It’s not really punishment when I like it.”
Joe shook his head and sighed. “Be a good girl.”
I tucked my hand under Joe’s T-shirt and dragged my fingertips over the dimples above his ass. “Just go to work. I promise not to put my life in danger—or our girls. Stop being so overprotective and scoot. You’re wasting Frisco’s time, Joe.”
“I’m out. Thanks for being here.”
“Just go,” I repeated myself, letting my hand wander down to his ass and giving him a small pinch. He barely flinched. He said good-bye and walked out.
I turned to face Frisco. “Sucks having to babysit me, huh?”
“I’m not babysitting you, Sunshine.” His arms were crossed in front of his chest, muscles bulging under his solid black T-shirt.
“What would you call it?”
He laughed and tipped his head back. “Protecting you and the girls.”
“Coffee?” I changed the subject, because what he called protecting, I called watching. “We have a few minutes peace left until Ro and Lu are up to eat again.”
“Sure,” Frisco said, unfolding his arms before walking toward the island counter.
He looked good. Better than I’d ever seen him. Being with Georgia, his wife and my good friend, agreed with him. Pushing them together was difficult. The two of them were so quick to find reasons not to be together, even though they were perfect for each other. They almost reminded me of Joe and me when we first hooked up.
“How’s Georgia?” I asked, pouring him a cup of coffee.
“Working like crazy these days. There’s some book fair at the school, so she’s been staying late.”
I always loved the book fair and missed being surrounded by so many new novels. “I miss the fair. Maybe we can stop in there this week.”
“She’d like that.” He nodded and took a seat as I pushed the mug in front of him. “Thanks, Sunshine.”
After refreshing my cup, I leaned over the counter and stared at him over the rim while I took a sip. His hair was a little shorter than usual, probably Georgia’s doing. His face had barely aged a day since I’d met him. That’s what happened when you didn’t have three little ones to wear your ass out. I felt like I’d aged twenty years in under seven. There were barely any wrinkles near the outer edges of his almond-shaped eyes. “Any plans for babies?”
He started to choke on his coffee. “Not yet. G’s too young still.” Using the back of his hand, he wiped his lips.
“That’s the best time to start. You’re not getting any younger.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“How are your parents, anyway?”
He moved to Florida to escape them, but after his mother visited when he was dating Georgia, she decided to move closer to her son. She was a piece of work. She made Mrs. Gallo seem like a lightweight. “They’re good. They’re way too much in our business, but I know Ma’s heart is in the right place.”
“Does she like Georgia now?”
“It only took a year or so, but I think she finally accepts her.”
“She doesn’t think she’s a tramp anymore?”
That earned me a laugh. “No. She realized the error in her ways.”
“About damn time,” I said before finishing the last drop of coffee in my cup. Just as I was about to speak, Ro started to scream upstairs. Before I could move, Lu joined in. “I gotta get them.”
“Want help?” he asked, setting his coffee down and standing.
“I’m used to doing it myself.”
“I have two free hands, Suzy. I’m not going to follow you around all day. I’m going to head outside soon to survey the perimeter, but I can help you carry the babies downstairs.”
“I won’t turn down the help.” The girls were so heavy that, at times when carrying them both, I wondered how my back didn’t give out. Especially when carrying them down the stairs. I hadn’t thought ahead when we built the house. Why didn’t we build a ranch?
Frisco followed me up the stairway and into the girls’ room. “Shh, Ro,” I whispered before pulling her from her crib. She was already waiting, holding on to the side for dear life and making sure to scream toward the door so I would hear her.
“Man, they’re getting so big,” Frisco said when he lifted Lu up and cradled her in his arms. She instantly quieted and peered up at him with wide eyes.
“They grow like weeds, my friend.”
By the time we made it back to the kitchen, Lu was cooing at Frisco and touching his face. His eyes lit up when he stared at her.
“You look good with a baby in your arms.”
“Soon, Suzy. When Georgia’s ready, we’ll start our little army.”
I handed him a bowl of rice mush for Lu and grabbed one for Ro before sitting down at the counter with him. “Just feed her small bites. Like this,” I said, scooping some of the bland, colorless food onto the spoon.
“What about a high chair?” He stared down at her with a twinge of fear in his eyes.
“It’s easier since there’s two of us to just hold them. If you’re not comfortable, you can put her in the chair.”
“No. I can do this.” He swallowed hard before repeating my motions and filling the spoon with food. “Just shovel it in?”
“Put it near her mouth and she’ll open for you.” I placed the spoon near Ro’s mouth and she immediately opened. “See?” Lu’s eyes sparkled as she stared up at him.
Frisco tentatively placed the spoon in front of Lu’s face, but
she opened for him without hesitation. “There you go, baby girl. Eat the nummies.” Frisco had a paternal side. He just didn’t know it. No one calls it that unless they have the baby talk down pat.
“She likes you.” I smiled at them both.
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, lingering just a little to take in the baby scent. “She’s a cute little thing.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that her cuteness would wear off soon. After she had her cereal and drained her bottle, she’d have her morning poop. Lu was great that way. Her body was like clockwork. I could almost set my clock to her morning bowel movement.
“So what are you going to be doing here all day?”
He gave her another spoonful, keeping his eyes on her as he spoke. “I’ll be outside a lot. I need to make sure no one enters the perimeter, and since you have a lot of land, there will be a lot to cover.”
“Don’t stay outside too much. It’s too hot to be out there long.”
“I’ve been through hotter when I was on the battlefield, babe. We didn’t get a break.”
“Well, this isn’t the military. Come in whenever you need something to drink or to just cool off.”
“I will,” he promised when he placed the last spoonful of cereal into Lu’s hungry mouth. “Now what?”
“Bottle time.” I nudged the waiting bottle toward him. “Want to go sit on the couch for it? It’s just easier.”
“Sure.” Frisco grabbed both bottles in one hand, holding them between his long thick fingers and carried Lu with him to the couch. I followed behind with a fussy Ro and took a seat next to him. “Here,” he said and handed me a bottle before adjusting Lu in his arms. When he stuck the bottle in Lu’s mouth, she instantly started to drain it. “Jesus,” he muttered as he stared at her with wide eyes.
“Yeah, they eat like they’re starving to death.”
“It’s cute.”
“Just wait.” I giggled because I knew in under five minutes he’d meet the not so cute side of Lu.
