He wanted to be doing this right, but…
“They’re good kids. Zane’s just a teenager. He’s almost polite to me at least seventy-five percent of the time.”
“That often? You might be his new hero.” Ellis was his new hero.
Ellis shook his head, and Ichabod could swear the man was loving on him with those pretty eyes.
He had to stop fantasizing about Ellis. It was ridiculous.
“How is it going with your giant face for the doctor?”
“It’s finished and has done its time in the kiln. It’s cooling now. I’m working on some stuff for a gallery in Aspen for the Christmas season.”
“That’s good. Getting back to work can be a big help.”
Help with what, he wondered, but maybe Ellis meant in feeling like life was more normal.
“Well, once everyone but Chrissy is in school, I’ll be able to dig in and get some real work accomplished.” He’d put Chrissy in day care two or three days a week for a bit, let her get socialized, so long as he could afford it, but he wanted some one-on-one time with her too.
“Yeah. That’s coming up, huh? School seems to start way earlier than when I was a kid. Or maybe it just seems that way.” Ellis stretched, his back popping.
“It does. I think the summer keeps shrinking. I don’t understand why the kids can’t have their time. I used to love the summers. I spent hours reading and playing video games.” He’d been so happy—he’d gone to one art camp a year, and it had been his favorite part of the summer.
Ellis chuckled. “I spent a lot of time working, but we had a ball out in the middle of nowhere anyway.” Ellis got up to put stuff in the sink.
“Did you grow up on a farm?” He headed to the kitchen and started the water. He supposed he should ask the boys to do dishes, but he…didn’t want to.
“A ranch.” Ellis chuckled. “My dad still lives on a little piece of land, but he’s not into cowboying on his own anymore. He decided to sell and have the money to live on.”
“Oh. I wish Vic had done it that way. People were so mad at the reading of the will. My husband’s stepbrother expected to inherit and Vic was…well, he had another idea you?—”
“Daddy? Daddy, I can’t find the baby.” Allie blinked at him, her eyes huge.
He slapped the water off and started moving. “What? Aren’t you playing in the playroom?”
“I had to potty.”
“Okay.” He wasn’t going to panic. “Chrissy? Baby? Where are you?”
The little girl didn’t answer, so he yelled for Michael and Zane. “Boys! Is Chrissy with you?”
“No, Dad.”
Zane came out of his room, face a thunder cloud. “What the hell do you mean? Where is she?”
“Watch your mouth,” he snapped. “Allie went to the bathroom and Chrissy’s gone.”
“Dammit.” Zane frowned and headed down the hall. “Chrissy?”
“Does she ever hide as a game?” Ellis asked.
He shook his head. “She never has, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t start.”
If there was anything he’d learned about kids, it was they didn’t care what he thought.
“Okay. Well, I’ll check her bedroom windows and all. She’s awful small for that, but?—”
“Yeah.” He would not panic.
