“The very least we could do to return your generous hospitality.”
She giggled. “Yeah, you can come back whenever you like.”
“Well,” Benny interrupted. “We are goin’ to… go somewhere else.”
“Bring the kids in, Bear Bear,” she replied without turning to look at us.
“Yep.” Benny took the wine from my hand and placed it on the table before steering me out of the room and through the house to the back door.
The back yard had play equipment, soccer goals, a basketball hoop, and various toys scattered over the grass. Two young boys were chasing each other around with plastic guns that shot foam bullets as they screamed.
Benny grabbed one by the waist as he dashed past. The child screamed louder. “Let me go! You’re gonna make me lose!”
“It’s time to come in for dinner, Lachy.”
“But—”
“If you don’t come in, Nana will get grumpy, and then we all lose.”
Lachlan groaned and slumped in Benny’s hold in defeat.
“That means you too, Harv,” he called out to the other child, who was now hiding behind the equipment with his feet sticking out.
“After dinner, can you play with us?” Lachlan asked.
“Sure,” Benny answered.
“And him too?” He pointed a finger at me.
I swallowed. I didn’t have the first clue of what to do with children. What if I played wrong and then they didn’t like me?
Benny smiled softly. “Maybe, but only if you listen and come inside.”
Lachlan nodded, and Benny put him down, only to get shot with a foam bullet to the chest before Lachlan screeched with laughter and ran inside. Harvey was on his feet again too, screaming for absolutely no reason before he took off after his brother into the house.
Benny sighed, shaking his head as he reached for my hand.
“Won’t they get in trouble?”
He tilted his head slightly. “Why would they get in trouble?”
“Because… they’re being loud.”
My parents would never have allowed Logan and me to run around the house making all that noise, or at all. Especially not with projectiles that could hit something valuable.
“They’re just bein’ kids.” His thumb stroked over my hand softly.
It didn’t make sense to me that everyone was okay with them being so… noticeable. It wasn’t that I had an issue with it, but adults were supposed to, weren’t they?
“You alright?” he asked, taking my other hand and pulling me into him. I nodded, letting his hands go to wrap my arms around him and hold him close.
“Missed you,” I mumbled against his chest.
Warmth echoed over my back where his hand smoothed up and down. “I missed you too, baby.”
“Is it always chaotic here?”
Benny huffed. “You think it’s chaotic now, just wait until Rach comes out.”
