“Good. Cheyenne’s making breakfast. Bacon.”
“My favorite.” He loved an egg white frittata with tofu as well, but Nate would stare if he said that.
Honestly, when they left here, he was heading to a high dollar place and ordering a spinach soufflé. Oh, or eggs Benedict with extra hollandaise.
And he’d get Coke waffles with all the strawberries and whipped cream a manly dude could eat. God, he loved Coke’s sweet tooth.
“You have goofy dork face on. I’m going to eat and get out of the cold.”
Dillon flipped Nate off. “It’s downright balmy.” He could eat, though. He really could. Bacon and grits. He hoped.
The kitchen was full of Gardners, Taggarts, and Brazilians, and Dillon was given a chair and a platter of food, along with a huge cup of the worst coffee ever. He looked for Coke, who wasn’t about, then grabbed the milk.
“Gramps is sleeping. Daisy went in to wake him up and they’re both asleep with Benji and my Ginny now.” Lassie Gardner winked at Dillon. “He’s like a heating pad and he said he didn’t mind.”
“Oh, he’ll love that. They’re like heating pads to him, too.” Coke got so sore when it got cold.
He dug in, feeling like one of the family, especially when a little boy climbed up on his lap and shared his breakfast with him. He was fairly sure that was one of Nate’s. Dillon could usually remember when only one family was about, but this place was like a garden of children. Pick a color, size and age, andboom.
Babies.
Tracy traded out one child for another, and added bacon to his plate.
Dillon grinned at her before making a bacon and toast sandwich. Yum.
“Can I have a bite? Uncle Poppy’s sleeping.”
“Sure, kiddo.” He tore off a quarter of his sandwich and handed it over. “Uncle Poppy is tired.”
“Uh-huh. Him’s a bullfighter. He can beat up a whole bull.”
“You know it.” Dillon knew how many things broke when Coke tried.
She opened up. “A bite.”
He popped some bacon in her mouth and wondered on his life. How on earth had he ended up here? Not that he didn’t love his big new extended family. They were nuts but Dillon adored the sense of belonging.
Nate came in, stomping off his boots. “Fixin’ to get bitter out there, y’all.”
“Come have some coffee,” Tracy said. “Everything is hot.”
“Thanks, woman.” Nate leaned down, kissed her. “You trying to steal my baby girl, Dillweed?”
“She only loves me for my bacon.”
“Well, it is your best feature, man.”
Dillon flipped off Nate over the kid’s head, grinning when Tracy popped Nate’s ass.
“Behave, both of you,” Tracy said.
“Oh, now. I don’t think that’s possible.” Coke came in, a wee one in one arm. “Slept in, huh?”
“Yeah.” Dillon popped the kid on his lap over on Nate’s. “I’ll get you some breakfast.”
“I can get it.” Coke sat, though, nodded to him.
“I don’t mind.” He liked to do for Coke, and Dillon filled a plate with eggs and toast and bacon.
