Page 72 of She Wolf

“You’re outnumbered now, Mom.” I tickle Jack and Beau’s sides just before reaching to get the tubs out of the freezer; my beloved Ben and Jerry’s Glamp Fire Trail Mix, mint choc chip for Jack, cookies and cream for Gunner, and strawberry for Beau.

“So, all you do is take three scoops…” I refuse to hand Jack the scoop. “Fine, it’s really only two scoops because we don’t want to get sick.”

Gunner seems to be on board with the sundaes and his smile says it all. “Okay dude, so what are you having?”

“I’m having a minty week,” Jack says seriously. I smile at Gunner over Jack’s head who just smiles in amusement.

“I feel you Jack, sometimes you just gotta go where the wind takes you. Me? I just can’tnothave my cookies and cream. How about you, Beau?”

Silence.

I pass Gunner his pint of cookies and cream and he blows me a kiss. Jack’s already making his way down the line of toppings we laid out. Beau hot on his tail.

“Okay, so then you just go for it. But only take small amounts so you can fit more of the other stuff on. Mom loves sprinkles, don’t you.” Jack glances at me before he carefully takes the fudge sauce out of the hot water it was standing in.

“That’s right because my ice cream already has a lot going on.” I kiss the top of the lid. Delicious mounds of chocolate ice cream, pretzel pieces and swirls of marshmallows plus the little bits of fudge-covered almonds, that I like to eat last, are my jam.

“I’m not allowedthatflavor until I’m older,” Jack mutters, pointing to my tub.

Gunner snaps his head my way and narrows his eyes at me.

“That’s right. It says right here,” I say ignoring Gunner’s stare and holding the carton at eye level. “Sixteen years and older.”

“See,” Jack shrugs.

“That is a terrible fib,” Gunner whispers in my ear.

“I can have one thing that’s mine Gunner Grey—"

“…and then Gunner, you just top it off with a squirt of cream. Shake it first though,” Jack tells Beau with a pointed stare.

“Over on the table are some movies we thought we could watch,” Jack says over his shoulder.

“Mighty Ducks,” Gunner says without looking at the pile. Obviously, I have all the streaming services, but Casey gave him a boat load of old DVDs that he just loves.

“Yeeees!” both little boys cheer and then carry their lopsided sundaes, using both hands, to the outside table.

Gunner adds some chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry to the top of his sundae and then almost stutters in his steps as a wicked smile spreads across his face.

He doubles back and pops the cream straight back into the fridge.

“We’ll be needing that later. You’ll have to be as quiet as a mouse though,” he winks, and my teeth find my lip as I nod.

I follow him as he makes his way outside to the terrible twosome wishing the credits were already rolling on Joshua Jackson and his little green and yellow teammates.

***

The next day I drop Jack off with Beau at his house, thanking Jasmine and Aubrey

profusely for watching him so I can do a full inventory of all of his clothes and toys while he’s out. Otherwise, he’ll follow me around in a panic-filled state worried sick that I’m about to have a clear out, or he’ll distract me by incessantly nagging about his birthday.

“Coralie?” “Sis!” I hear them before I see them. Casey, Knox, and Gunner all

come bustling outside fighting to get to me first. I stand up from where I had been sifting through Jack’s outside sporting equipment and brace myself, ready for whatever the hell is going on.

“They’re here!” Knox beams as he holds a plastic package out to me. Casey intercepts smacking his hands away before Gunner pulls me from behind and spins me around. Casey shoves Gunner and turns me back around by my shoulders.

“The new jerseys are out, and I brought one for you.”

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