Page 125 of A Little Luck

I take her left hand, sliding my thumb over her ring finger before lifting it to my lips. “Ready to go now?”

“Yeah.” She tucks her hands into the crook of my arm.

“Well, that’s one way to end the evening.” Britt walks over to give Piper and me a hug. “Best wishes, congratulations, all that stuff. I’m sure we’ll find out what in the world is going on with Jemima soon enough. I’m exhausted.”

Piper laughs, hugging her friend. “Get some rest, little mamma.”

Aiden shakes my hand. “Good work, bro. That was fun.”

I shrug. “Piper liked it.”

That’s all that matters to me.

* * *

The babysitter is paid,and Piper is sitting on the foot of my bed tilting her hand back and forth, watching the light glint off her engagement ring.

“It’s so beautiful,” she coos.

“You’re so beautiful.” I’m ready to carry her to the shower and get dirty while we get cleaned up when Ryan wanders into the room rubbing his fists over his eyes. “Hey, buddy, you okay?”

“I had a bad dream, and Fudge isn’t in the bed.” He walks to his mom, and Piper pulls him into a hug, smoothing her hand up and down his little back.

“I’m sorry. What did you dream?”

“Something exploded and there were a bunch of fireworks and I don’t know why.”

Piper frowns up at me, and I go to where they’re sitting, taking his hand. “Come on, I’ll take you back to bed.”

“I heard Fudge in the litter box,” Piper calls after us. “He’s probably on his way to your bed now.”

The two of us walk to his dark bedroom, and I tuck him under the covers. Sitting on his bedside, I hold his hand, thinking about how much he’s still that little baby from so long ago.

“When you were born, I sang a song to you. Want to hear it?”

He nods, and I hum a few notes before singing the chorus of “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon. Ryan’s nose wrinkles, and I break off with a laugh.

“You don’t like it?”

“I don’t want to be calledbeautiful, Dad.”

The burst of warmth provoked by that word hits me harder than I expected.Damn, I’m a dad.

“It’s notbeautifullike a girl. It’s like how the ocean is beautiful or the passage of time.”

His little eyes narrow as he thinks about it. “I guess that’s okay. Just don’t say it out loud. Or in front of anybody.”

I can’t help another chuckle. “Okay.”

Fudge hops onto the bed between us, appearing like a black surprise.

“Fudge!” Ryan scrubs his face, and the cat stretches his neck and closes his eyes. “Ready to sleep, boy?”

“Think you can go back to sleep now?”

“I think so.” He nods. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Anytime, son.” I lean down and give him a hug. “I love you.”

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