She chewed on that bit of information—literally biting at her lip. Finally, she asked, “Are they all as scary looking as you?”
He grinned. “Scarier.”
A shriek split the air, and Will came running into the kitchen in only his underwear.
“William, get your nekkid butt back in here!” Abby chased after him, holding what appeared to be his pajamas.
Will shriek-laughed and ran through the kitchen, around the living room, and back to the kitchen. Tinker caught him around the middle and tossed him into the air, eliciting another high-pitched laugh.
He settled him in his arm. “I think your mama wants you to put some clothes on, Little Man.”
“Again! Throw me again!” Will kicked his feet and Tink shifted him to the side, so his pointy little feet didn’t take out his manhood.
“How about you put on your pj’s, and I’ll throw you…” He glanced at Abby, who held up two fingers. “Two more times.”
“Okay.” Will wiggled and kicked to be put down. Tink handed him over to Abby, who held him like a sack of grain under her arm.
“Come on, Monster. We’ll fly back to your room and put some clothes on. Then Mr. Tinker can toss you.”
Will stuck his arms straight out in front of him as Abby rushed back down the hall. Shit, what did she lift? He could only imagine the strength it took to wrestle a wriggling little boy every day.
A short time later, Will ran back down the hall in dinosaur pj’s and demanded Tink throw him. He kept his word and threw him an extra time for good measure.
Olivia offered to read to Will before bed, giving Tink a steady look before taking Will upstairs.
Abby collapsed on the couch and rested her head on the back cushion, eyes closed.
Tinker sat next to her, facing her. “Is he always that energetic?”
“Yes. He always gets a huge burst of energy right before bed.”
A large black, shorthaired cat jumped on the back of the couch and meowed, rubbing its head against Abby’s.
“Who’s this?” he asked.
“This is Fuzzbutt Noodlehead.”
That was unexpected. “Fuzz what?”
She smiled and opened her eyes, shifting so she could scratch the cat under its chin. “Fuzzbutt Noodlehead. I don’t even remember where the name came from. I think my mom suggested it as a joke, and Will loved it and wouldn’t agree to anything else. So now he’s Fuzzbutt.”
“What about Will’s dad?”
Abby shifted her gaze from the cat to him. He could see the wheels turning in her head, trying to decide how much to share. Finally, she blew out a breath and twisted her body to face him, tucking her legs under her.
“I divorced his biological father before Will was born.” She rested her arm on the back of the couch and propped her head in her hand.
He knew there was more to the story. Her tone was challenging, likely to see if she could scare him off again. “You don’t seem like the kind of woman to deny a good dad access to his kid. What happened?”
Her mouth twisted. “It was an accidental pregnancy. He wanted me to terminate—said it was him or the baby. I chose Will.”
“Motherfucker.” He never planned to have kids, but if it happened, he sure as fuck would take care of his child.
“Pretty much.” She lowered her hand and scratched Fuzzbutt again. “I moved here. Went back to school for my teaching degree while I was pregnant.”
“Why Charleston?” he asked.
“My mom retired here after my dad passed away. She had a couple of friends who lived here at the time. She offered to move in with me to help with rent and Will after he was born.”
