Shepherd heaved a sigh. “Oh shit.”
“You think the tooth fairy makes toilet-bowl pickups?” I laughed as I ascended the stairs. “G’night.”
When I glanced back, Shepherd gave Hunter a hug and said quietly, “I love you.”
That was probably the first time I’d ever heard him say it, and it made my heart melt a little.
“Hunter will make Shepherd a better man,” Niko said, catching up with me.
“I thought you were going to make tea.”
“Maybe later.” When we reached the second floor, he said, “Hunter has softened him in a good way.”
“Yeah. Kids have a way of changing people. My dad was always a good father, but when he became my sole guardian, he tried to do better. I can’t say he always made the right choices, but Shepherd reminds me of him.”
“I think having the children here has been good for Hunter. His light is brighter when he’s around them.”
“Kids need to be around other kids.”
“It will be hard for him when they leave.”
We climbed up another set of stairs to the third floor. “Maybe Switch can invite him to hang out with his old pack. He used to teach a lot of kids, and I bet they miss him. It might be good for Hunter to get out and make new friends, especially since we can’t invite anyone over for a playdate.”
“A play what?”
“Just a human phrase for getting the kids together. Who knows? Maybe Switch and Shepherd will get along better. Everyone’s nice to Switch, but he still feels like an outsider here since he’s staff and not part of the team. There’s not much we can do about the reality, but it wouldn’t hurt for us to hang out once in a while outside the house.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. Hunter has a lot to learn outside of books, and I would imagine there are valuable lessons Shepherd must teach him about being a Sensor. He wears protective gloves in public, but he doesn’t interact with people when we’re out. Taking him on these… playdates would foster that unique education.”
“Maybe I can take him to see my dad sometime. Crush is great with kids, and now he’s got a dog. I bet Hunter would get a kick out of that mutt.”
“Perhaps your father can look at Shepherd’s car. I noticed a sound coming from the engine the last time we went out.”
“Tell him to take it to Graves Auto Repair. My dad doesn’t just work on bikes. My truck is older than dirt, but it purrs like a kitten.”
“It sounds more like a lion to me.”
I laughed and eyed the door to the balcony. “Since your room is on the second floor, can you let Blue and Wyatt know I’m back? I’m guessing there isn’t any news, or you would have mentioned it. If they need me, they can knock on my door. I’m more exhausted than I thought and need to lie down.”
He bowed. “As you wish.”
“Old man,” I muttered, musing over his joke about Shepherd. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black. How old are you again?” I opened the door.
Niko casually walked away. “I better hurry back before my knees give out on me. My arthritis has been acting up,” he said from a distance.
When I walked onto the interior balcony, Christian greeted me with a smoldering look.
“Niko’s quite the comedian,” he remarked.
I breezed by him to the other door. “He’s not as funny as the man who’s standing outside like a dad waiting for his daughter to come home from her date.”
He shadow walked past me, snaking his way down the dark hall until he stopped by a candle in the distance. With his shoulder against the wall, he stood there, waiting for me to catch up.
“And what are you looking at, Mr. Poe?”
“Just admiring your gams.”
“That word is so last century.”
