“And what would my boy like for dinner?” Jacob squeezed said boy as he asked.
“Nuggies and mac and cheese!” James acted like this was the best plan ever.
It was so hard to hold in his amusement. James had no idea that Jacob had bought a bag of chicken bites that he could easily bread to make homemade nuggets. And Jacob had an amazing recipe for homemade mac and cheese. “Okay.”
“Okay?” James narrowed his eyes. “That was too easy.”
“I’m an accommodating Daddy.”
“I feel like this is a trick,” James accused.
Jacob pushed James’s cheek against his chest. Of course it was. Jacob was fully prepared for a brat. He had all kinds of ways to deal with his boy.
He started to rock the chair as James cuddled closer. Jacob needed to get up soon and make breakfast to make sure that theboy had a good meal before work. It was nice to just relax in the playroom too. To hold his boy. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt. Not when they were both at peace and happy to be close.
“Can I ask you something?” James asked, breaking the silence.
“You can ask me anything,” Jacob replied. He loved seeing how James’s mind worked and always wanted to know what James was thinking about.
“What’s with all the blankets?”
Jacob stiffened against his will even as his heart started to pound. That. He had not expected that.
“You don’t have to tell me!” James said quickly after lifting his head from Jacob’s chest. “It’s not a big deal. Sorry I asked.”
He sighed. A year and a half. That was how long Jacob had been interested in James. When he first saw the determined young man intent on making life better for his twin. Their stories really weren’t that different. Hell, it hadn’t even been James who’d shared his own story. Byron had told Jacob all about the twins, hoping for someone trustworthy to look after them.
“What do you know about Jesse and my past?” Jacob asked. He threaded his fingers through James’s hair to urge the boy’s head back down.
James snorted. “Not much. I Googled you. Or your brother. He has more of an online presence than you do.”
“There are things that no one other than me and Jesse know,” Jacob told him. “Well, Lake probably does by now.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” James’s voice was quiet. He fisted James’s loose T-shirt. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ve never told anyone because there has never been anyone to tell,” Jacob admitted.
“Jacob.” James whispered his name.
Jacob kissed the top of James’s head. “Our parents were abusive.”
James hissed.
“It was more our father,” Jacob corrected. “He used his fists on us often. Daily. Although our mom wasn’t afraid to give a slap here or there.”
“The scars,” James said as if he’d just remembered.
“Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry,” James said.
“I’ve bought every product ever made to make them less noticeable. I know how ugly they are.” Jacob hated those scars.
James turned his head to kiss over his heart. “They’re beautiful because they’re a part of you. Now that I know how you got them, they’re even more special. They mean that you survived. That you got out.”
His sweet precious boy. Jacob blinked back the tears threatening to fall. “Jesse had it worse. He’d always taken the older brother role seriously. Determined to protect me.”
“He loves you,” James said. “He would do anything for you.”
