Gabby shrugged. “More for us, I guess.”
My lips twitched. “True.”
The front door slammed, and I heard the murmured voices of Donovan and DJ.
“Yay!” Gabby cried softly. “I’m starving.”
I craned my neck toward the kitchen door to see Donovan and DJ saunter through carrying a shit load of Chinese takeout bags with Lucky Dragon printed on them.
“That was quick,” I commented, motioning to Gabby to keep a safe hold of Imogen so she didn’t topple off the worktop where she sat.
“No traffic this time of night,” Donovan informed me, dumping his takeout bags next to DJ’s on the kitchen table and smiling at Imogen, who already had her arms stretched out toward him. “Hey, baby girl. Have you been good for Rosie?” He sauntered toward her and lifted her with both hands, throwing her into the air.
Imogen let out a loud shriek, followed by a burst of baby giggles as Donovan repeated the action before catching her andsecurely balancing her on his hip. He walked toward me and planted a kiss on my mouth before asking, “Need me to get anything?”
I reached into the cupboard and brought out a stack of plates. “No. I’m just going to warm these and we’ll be set.” My gaze went to Imogen, and I ran a hand over her blonde hair. “You looking forward to your first Chinese takeout, Imogen?”
“Chacha,” she replied sweetly.”
Gabby giggled again. “We still can’t get her to say Dada. We’ve been trying all the time you’ve been gone.”
Donovan looked down at his daughter and deadpanned. “She’s yanking my chain now, aren’t you, kid?”
Imogen looked up at her dad and grinned until her dimple popped out before screeching, “Rara.”
His eyes lifted to the ceiling, and he sighed loudly as I heard his cell phone beep.
I held my arms out to allow him to transfer Imogen into them, then waited while he checked his messages. “Colt,” he announced, his mouth getting tight. “Nothing yet.”
I bounced Imogen on my hip. “I was sure they’d find something by now.”
“What’s that?” DJ asked.
My heart jerked as I watched him approach us. “Nothing, Son. It’s not for you to worry about.”
His stare narrowed. “Has it got something to do with Dad?”
I glanced at Donovan, our eyes conversing without words.
It was hard to find the right balance between honesty and keeping my kids from growing up jaded and hating their father. As much as they had a right to know what was going down, I also didn’t think it was healthy for them to be too involved, especially when it came to all the cloak-and-dagger bullshit.
“You know your dad hired someone to follow us?” I asked. “That’s what we’re talking about.”
“Okayyy,” he said, drawing the word out. “But what’s that gotta do with finding something?”
Donovan dipped his chin to look at DJ. “Kennedy and I decided that we needed to play your dad at his own game, but that’s not something you or Gabby should be involved in. It would be disrespectful to you and her, and there’s no way we want you picking sides between your dad and us. We’ve got this.”
DJ cocked his head. “No offense, Donovan, but it doesn’t look like you’ve got this at all, seeing as my mom’s worried and Dad’s a slippery SOB. As for involving us—well, we’re already involved. We’re the reason that you and Mom have got beef with Dad in the first place, so whether we like it or not, we’re in this.”
“Deej is right,” Gabby called over.
“We don’t care if you nail him doing something he shouldn’t,” DJ continued. “We don’t want to move to Idado with him and Rachel the bitch, and we really don’t want you to have to go to the courts and fight for us. It’ll be expensive, right?”
“You let me worry about that,” I told him.
“We’re a family,” he protested. “Your worriesareour worries.” He pulled his phone out and clicked on it. It rang a few times before a voice greeted, “Yo. DJ. How’s tricks?”
“Wyoming eats, thanks, Josh,” DJ replied. “Look, I’m gonna cut to the chase. I’m calling for some info.”
