“Nobody wants to hear about you and your ‘boy toy,’ Lafayette. And we especially don’t want to hear your adventures at night. You guys have been keeping me up,” Hector complained. “Can’t you just move on from being into each other to an old married couple who never gets any?”
“Bitch, please. With all this to love, Simon would have to be insane to say no. And you want me to stop talking about dick, maybe you should stop spinning stories about tits and ass.”
Hector growled, “Inever—”
“Christ. What the ever-loving fuck are you girls talking about now?” Smith scowled, enraged as he dropped off a large ottoman, and lowered his voice a fraction. “There’s a kid inside, damn it.”
“Oh, my bad. I’ll keep it down.” Lafayette had the grace to look embarrassed. “Thought the kids were at the playground,” he said as he went back inside.
“Mrs. Hillford just brought them back.” Smith used two fingers to point at his eyes then at Evan and Hector before he walked back inside.
“He points at me again, I’m gonna shove that finger up his ass,” Hector murmured.
“Can I film it?”
“Please do.” Hector helped Evan move two large hope chests into the truck. Panting, he managed, “So, date night. Just text me when and where.”
“You’re the best, Hector.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just remember, you owe me.”
“Invite me to your wedding, and we’ll call it even.”
Hector made a sour face. “You’re hilarious. Now go help Smith before Finley finds him. Last I heard, Finley was ready to make Smith disappear. Permanently. And you know if he tries, Smith will bend him into a pretzel.”
“Good point. With Cash out, Heidi training for her next Ironman, and the rest of the gang maxed out, we need every man on deck.”
Hector nodded. “Yep. And you don’t want to be working more hours just because Finley pushed Smith too hard.”
“There is that.” Finley was a master at making a quarter disappear. But he had a habit of running his mouth. And Smith only had so much patience.
Now in a much better mood since outmaneuvering Kenzie, though she didn’t yet know it, Evan decided to be generous.
Inside, after a few minutes spent hunting Smith down, he found the huge man sitting next to a sobbing five-year-old in a pink bedroom draped with white lace. Smith sat cross-legged on the floor before a tiny table covered with play teacups and fudge-stripe cookies.
“Look, kid. It’s okay. Sometimes moms and dads split. They still love you. And your big brother is just being a pain ’cause he’s sad. But he loves you a ton. I heard him say so earlier.”
“Really?” Thersounded more like aw, so Evan heard “Weally?”
It was enough to break a guy’s heart.
Smith nodded and wiped the girl’s tears. “Really. So you have to forgive Billy. Sometimes parents are dumb and don’t know how to tell their kids the truth. But it’s never a kid’s fault. Only stupidhead parents.”
“Okay.” She let out a sigh, her lower lip trembling. “My mommy thinks you’re pwetty.”
“They all do, kid.” Smith gently patted the little girl on the shoulder, and her pigtailed braids swung.
Evan wasn’t surprised by Smith’s ego, but he was enchanted by the sight of the large man being so careful about a little girl’s feelings.
Smith cleared his throat. “Now can you pour me some more tea? I’m really thirsty. I needed this break, but I don’t want to get in trouble for slacking. After I move your nightstand, I’ll sneak back in, and you, me, and Mr. Bumpers can talk some more, okay?” Mr. Bumpers being the oversized stuffed gorilla sitting at the table, half leaning on it.
The little girl nodded, solemn, and poured a pretend cup of tea that Smith drank, the tiny teacup pinched between his thick fingers.
“Mmm. Delicious.” He gave her back the cup then stood.
She held out her arms.
“Uh, what?” Smith swallowed, looking nervous.
