But Evie looked at Caleb with an encouraging smile. “It’s not a problem for me if he has boundaries or preferences.”
“It bothers me. I taught him to be respectful toallpeople.”
She withdrew respectfully. Zack was Caleb’s child, not hers. “Iappreciate that. But, Zack? I do hope we can have fun today. Your dad tells me you’re doing great at sports! Hopefully I can come and watch you play sometime?”
The conversation was interrupted when Deputy Hunt’s cruiser pulled up the driveway. Caleb groaned with a laugh, “Oh boy. Is this gonna be another one of his three-hour talks he has with you?”
Evie held her mouth in laughter. “I’ll try to keep it short.” Then she looked to the kids. “Do you guys wanna see a really cool dog that can do some really cool tricks?”
Hunt got out of his vehicle, and Caleb shook his hand, and Evie gave him a hard hug. “How are you today, Hunt?” she asked.
“Oh, ya know. Livin’ the dream!”
Caleb said, “Can’t complain?”
“Nope! No siree.”
“Hey, Hunt,” Evie began, “we’re in a little bit of a hurry for the game. But while we chatted, do you think you could earn me some brownie points and bring Atlas out for the kids to see him?”
“Well, sure! But brownie points? For what?”
Caleb pulled Evie close and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled into him a bit and smiled at Hunt, whose face was as surprised as seeing a squirrel shit gold. His shocked look faded into a wide smile. “Well color me stupid. I can’t believe it! You two are officially together now?”
Caleb flashed a wide smile. “We sure are.”
Hunt rested his hands on his vest straps and rocked on his heels. “Evie, I’m damn happy for you. Caleb, you ought to know that this little feline has been hotblooded for you for a long time now.”
Caleb kissed her cheek. “I’ve kinda gathered that.”
Evie didn’t want the conversation to get too uncomfortable, and so she asked him quickly to bring Atlas out. Within a minute, Atlas’s door was opened. Evie coaxed Zack and Olivia over, and she smiled mostly to Zack. “He’s really cool and super friendly!”
When that big German Shepherd came out, both kids were stunned in excitement. Olivia awed out loud, and Zack laughed at how hyper the dog was, loving to pet his fur.
While the kids entertained themselves with the dog, the three adults chatted until Evie ran inside to get an extra scarf.
Hunt smiled to Caleb and kept an eye on the dog and kids. “Going to the Chiefs’ game?”
“Yes, sir, we sure are!”
Hunt smiled. “I hope you two have fun. So damn proud that our boys got to the Superbowl again!”
Evie came back out. “Was there something you needed, Dan?”
“Oh, nah. I just wanted to stop by and see how everything was doing and to make sure you haven’t noticed any weird activity lately.”
Caleb spoke, “I haven’t seen anything on the ring camera.” He looked at Evie.
She said, “I haven’t noticed anything, either.”
“Well,” Hunt began, “that’s good then. I’ll head on out. Have fun at the game!”
Later on, the drive to the stadium was a weird one. Because Evie and Olivia liked the same exact Spice Girls songs, and Caleb and Zack were trapped against their wills to hear and endure the girliest renditions ever known to them. Yet it didn’t actually bother Caleb at all. He groaned in play as a dad would, but it made him happy to see Evie doing the arm moves of certain dance routines in the passenger seat, and hearing Olivia singing off key in the back trying to mimic the dance moves.
It was breakfast at McDonald’s for the kids, and a special stop at Starbucks for Evie. She assured Caleb he didn’t have to do it, but he knew McDonald’s didn’t settle well in her stomach. And on that day, Zack had his first taste of coffee. On Caleb’s request, Evie recorded the reaction by twisting over in her seat to film him with Caleb’s phone, and the reaction left the whole truck roaring in laughter that reached Heaven. Hehatedcoffee.
They yelled over each other, teased each other, jested at each other in good humor, and all decided to leave it on the country station to sing songs they all knew. Until on a commercial, Caleb asked Evie to switch the station to station that played a variety of genres. As she flipped through the channels, a song came on.
A song that made them both focus on what they were each looking at. Caleb on the road, and Evie at the interface.
