Kate smiled. “Yep. We’ve got two dads.”
Reese shifted his gaze to the left then to the right, trying to see if those two dads happened to be somewhere close. Maybe they could call back the rug rats who were all but sitting on top of him.
“Daddy-O said you’re gonna have a headache,” Kade relayed with a smile. “Do you have a headache? Huh? Do ya?”
If he didn’t, he certainly would now.
“I’m good,” he told them as he attempted to sit up.
They each took one step back, which didn’t allow much movement, but Reese managed to prop himself up on an elbow. And sure enough, as soon as his head went vertical, pain throbbed behind his eyes, and there was a ringing in his ears.
It all came back to him. Downing whiskey and water at Moonshiners while the people he’d once considered friends had laughed and joked without including him. Well, to be fair, a couple of them had tried, but by then, Reese had been committed to drinking himself under the table, so he’d brushed them off. He’d indulged in his very own pity party while he fought the urge to declare his love for Brantley right there for the whole world—or the small town of Coyote Ridge, anyway—to hear.
He hadn’t, had he?
“Let’s give him some space,” Gage called out when he walked into the room.
He held out a cup of coffee, and Reese nearly wept at his feet.
“Figured you’d need this. Water and aspirin are in the kitchen,” he said before turning to the munchkins, still holding vigil around him. “Go on, let’s get dressed. We’re goin’ to Nana and Pops’s house today.”
“Yay!” they squealed, dancing around, oblivious to the machete slicing through Reese’s brain.
Reese sipped coffee, praying the caffeine would help cease the throbbing in his head.
He remained where he was, listening as little feet pounded the floor over his head. Every so often, there would be a squeal or a shout, along with a steady stream of chatter. He worked himself to a full sitting position, stretching his legs out in front of him. He still had on his boots, and if he wasn’t mistaken, that was his wallet imprinted on his ass. Luckily he didn’t seem to have his keys on him.
“Daddy! Kade stole my Barbie!” Avery shouted. “Give it back!”
Reese took a deep breath, prayed his stomach wasn’t going to join in the riot now pounding intently in his head.
Fifteen minutes later, after Gage had taken the three bigger kids with him, Reese managed to get vertical. He stood and stretched, wondering if he’d have permanent kinks in his neck from all the couch sleeping he’d done as of late. His legs weren’t completely steady, but they kept him upright as he made a quick trip to the bathroom.
He took a piss, washed his hands, splashed cold water on his face. He looked around for toothpaste, wishing to get the fuzziness off his tongue. Not finding any, he decided more coffee would have to do the trick.
He was coming out of the bathroom as Travis stepped out of his office.
Travis’s gaze narrowed on him. “You look like shit.”
“Yeah. Thanks for that.”
“Gage get you coffee?”
Reese nodded, then followed Travis into the kitchen, grabbing the empty cup on his way.
“Ibuprofen?” Travis offered.
“Please,” he said gruffly.
He thanked Travis when he passed over the bottle.
“Tell me I didn’t do somethin’ stupid last night.”
“You mean besides get shit-faced and wallow in it all night?”
“Yeah. Besides that.”
“Nope. You even managed to stay on the stool although half the bar was takin’ bets as to when you’d fall on your head.”
