Ryker has his own plastic tiara, comically tiny fairy wings, and a rainbow-colored tutu that is stretched to its breaking point and sticks straight out from his waist. He also has a double set of crisscrossed bandoliers of foam bullets across his wide chest and the biggest nerf gun I’ve ever seen in his huge hands.
I’m completely at a loss for words as I stare at him in surprised shock. His eyes are filled with amusement as he sends me a slow wink and shrugs one of his huge shoulders.
His mouth opens like he’s going to explain but Chloe cuts him off when she shrieks, “Contact!”
And then foam bullets are flying past my head. I duck down and spin and that’s when I finally lose it. Zack is sliding across the marble floor on his knees while firing foam bullets past me at Ryker from two monster nerf guns. He has a headband with a glittery unicorn horn sticking out of his forehead and neon pink fairy wings on his back that match the tutu around his waist. I crouch down in the middle of the war laughing so hard I’m afraid I’m going to pee my pants.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
Is bellowed from behind me, bringing a stop to the action. All laughter dies in my chest as I scramble to my feet and spin to face Easton. He’s glaring at all the participants of the war and a hard knot forms in my stomach.
“Mr…Easton! I am so sorry! I…we…we will clean all this up, I promise!” I stutter, as possible quick dinner options fly through my head.
He tilts his head at me with a deep frown and then he’s rushing toward me. I manage a strangled squeak before he ducks down and flips me up and over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. I get a quick glimpse of Ryker whispering in Chloe’s ear before she turns her gun my way.
“Sorry, Mommy! You’re col-ad-ital damage!”
And then my back and butt are being hammered with nerf bullets by her and Ryker. I give an outraged screech.
“You turkeys!”
But then I’m giggling too hard to form any other words. Easton carries me over his shoulder into the hallway out of the line of fire and then flips me back onto my feet with a huge grin. If my giggling hadn’t of stole my breath away, that smile would have. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him smile like that and it changes everything about him. He grips me by my arms and gently pushes me back against the wall.
“Stay behind me, ma’am. I’ll protect you. I’ve been trained for this!” With one more grin at me he spins back around yelling, “Gun!”
Before I can even blink, one of Zack’s huge plastic guns slides right into the entryway of the hall and Easton has it up and seated to his shoulder and firing. I lean out enough to see the action and watch Ryker take down Zack with a foam bullet to the head. Zack does a dramatic death scene causing Chloe to scream with laughter and cheer. Ryker’s next to meet his nerf maker and the man should win an Oscar for the dramatic chest clutch, gurgle, and then long drawn-out growl before he flops to the floor. I’m laughing so hard now that I have to slide down to my knees when he pops up long enough to finger shoot Kanga who then plays dead too before he ‘dies’ again.
Only Chloe and Easton are left on their feet but Easton steps out of the hall right into a stream of Chloe’s bullets and then he’s going down too, suit jacket flapping and half off one arm. And then my darling, bloodthirsty daughter dances between the corpses pumping her tin foiled cast into the air. I finally manage to catch my breath and use the wall to pull myself to my feet. I step out into the quiet battlefield, place my hands on my hips and shake my head even though I can’t stop smiling.
“Alright, I surrender but you all now get to clean this up while I figure out what to make for supper.”
I get shot in the butt for that statement causing me to spin and glare at Zack but I end up laughing when I see him back to being dead. Zombie Zack rolls his head my way with a grin.
“Na uh, there’s only one thing to feed wounded soldiers to heal them up and that’s…pizza!”
Ryker and Easton groan hearing that but Kanga comes alive in a scramble and plops his butt down in front of me with big, pleading brown eyes and Chloe asks, “What’s pizza?”
Avery
All eyes turn Chloe’s way in disbelief and then they all turn my way. I duck my head so as to not meet anyone’s gaze as sadness starts to steal some of the happy. Am I supposed to tell them that he wouldn’t spend his hard-earned money on something like pizza when it was my job to cook for him every night?
“Zack!” Easton snaps.
“Already ordered, man!”
Then the three soldiers and one tiny girl scramble around the floor picking up foam bullets. I leave them to it and head into the kitchen to pull down plates and napkins for when the pizza arrives and then grab three beers from the fridge, open them and set them on the counter. I pour a glass of juice for Chloe and myself and then the doorbell is ringing. Zack and Kanga run toward it before I can even think to answer the door so I help Chloe take off her costume and help her up onto a stool.
Zack comes back with five huge pizza boxes and lays them out side by side while flipping open the lids, filling the room with glorious smells. Saliva pools in my mouth. How long has it been since I had pizza? High school?
He tells Chloe what each pie has on it and I have to stop her when she chooses one of each kind even though Zack is loading a plate for her. As the guys dig in, I cut a small piece from each type and put it on her plate so she can sample them all.
I practically inhale a slice of sausage and green pepper and feel a blush spring up on my cheeks when I moan at how amazing it is causing all three of the guys to zero in on my mouth. I duck my head in embarrassment but it doesn’t stop me from reaching for a loaded meat lover’s slice. Chloe rambles on about her day and how they made handprint turkeys with finger paint and glued on feathers. I’m so invested in my pizza that it takes me a second to realize she’s asked me something. I swallow the bite down and ask her to repeat it.
“Pie? Are we going to have pumpkin pie too?”
I blink at her in confusion. Why would we have pumpkin pie for dessert? My pizza slice drops back down to my plate when the pieces come together and then I’m darting my eyes around the kitchen.
“Date? What’s the date?” I mumble and then spot the tablet on the other end of the island. I practically lunge for it, swipe it open and look for the calendar app to see the date.
