“Yes.” Ichabod hummed, the sound one he knew meant solidarity with him. “Don’t let Rick get you down.”
“That’s what Dad said.” The City Market parking lot was always such a damn joy. “See you soon, baby.”
“I’ll be here. We’re making cookies.”
He started chuckling—the last time cookies had been made someone named Allie had dropped the flour canister, shattering it and sending flour and glass over every square inch of the kitchen. “Let’s have a less exciting one this time, right?”
“From your mouth to God’s ears.” Ichabod’s little chuckle was sweet and soft. “Be careful driving, huh? While you’re at the store you might get yourself a toothbrush to leave over here or whatever. I cleaned out space for a couple of your shirts in my closet.”
“Well, I can surely do that.” That would rock, not having to trek down to the bunkhouse in the cold all the time.
“Good. Good deal. You bring whatever it is you think you might need. It’s awful nice to wake up with your lover.”
Okay, that made him sweat a little bit. “You got that shit right.”
“Go do your errands. I’m going to finish making cookies and cleaning up. I’ll see you at supper.”
“Yes, sir.” Ichabod would totally see him at supper, after supper, and in the morning. Rock on.
He grinned. Yeah. No way was he letting Rick fuck this up for him.
No way.
Chapter Fourteen
“Halloween, Halloween, oh yeah it’s Halloween, Halloween, oh yeah it’s Halloween!”
Allie had obviously learned a song at school about Halloween, and it was going to drive Ichabod out of his goddamn mind. He was tickled as shit because tomorrow Halloween would be over, so it was all right.
“Dad, are you ready? We’ve got to get going. I’ve got a party!” Zane sounded more excited than exasperated, which he appreciated.
And the kid was dressed up like… something. He wasn’t sure what, and he didn’t want to be the uncool dad and ask, but there was a lot of fake blood and some green skin and one great big bandage.
“I know, and I’m taking you down. You’re spending the night at Jack’s, and Jack’s mom is going to take you guys…” He wanted to make sure that his information and Zane’s information were the same.
“We’re going skiing tomorrow morning, and then we’re going to go have lunch and see a movie with the girls. After themovie, Jack and I are going to come back here. He’s going to spend the night so that we can finish our history project, and then his mom is picking us both up after supper so that we can take the project to school together.”
All right, that was basically what Hannah had said. So that worked for him. “Sounds good to me, son. Can you grab your baby sister and make sure that she hasn’t eaten part of her unicorn costume please?”
Zane rolled his eyes but he did chuckle. “Unicorn baby, got it.”
Allie came bouncing by in her Glenda the Good Witch costume, spreading glitter everywhere she went. “Are we ready to go, Daddy?”
“I need to call Ellis and see if he’s ready to go and find your brother.”
“Zane’s right there, Daddy,” she pointed out, so helpful.
He counted to five. “I’m talking about your other brother.”
“Michael says Halloween is stupid, and he doesn’t want to go. He wants to stay here and watch scary movies.”
Oh, that wasnotgoing to work for him. With his luck, if he left Michael here, the kid would let all the horses out and be trying to do rodeo tricks in the snow. No.
This time he counted to ten.
“Michael, get your costume on and let’s go! Don’t make me let your brother beat you!”
“Daaaad.” Michael came slumping out of his room, a pirate hat in his hand. “I don’t?—”
