“There’s a remote for the headboard?”Had he heard right?
“Yeah.There are lights, dimmers, music, and the speakers for the television are in there.Also, the bed moves — a lot like your bed.”
He chuckled.“You got a hospital bed for the bedroom?You got a bad back or something?”He sobered suddenly.Did Ian have a bad back?Was he hurt somehow?He’d never said.
“No.No, I had twins.I had to feed them, sleep with them, change them.I needed help, and this…helped.”
“Ah.That makes sense.I was just worried you’d been hurt somehow.”
“No.No, I just needed something special.I was…” Ian shrugged.
“All by yourself,” he finished for Ian.And that was his fault.Well, their fault.He’d wanted Ian and the kids to come with him.Of course having lived through being in Florida, he thought that wouldn’t have worked out either.
“Yes.And so were you.And we were both sort of stupid.”
He snorted.“You, Chou, are a master of understatement.”
“We have a lot to talk about, to work out.”Ian smiled at him.“But maybe not now?”
He smiled back at Ian, nodded.“Yeah, I’m still recovering from the great crayon meltdown.”
“Yeah.Thatwasgreat.But, you know, Petey’s butt laughed at Tori, so…”
He chuckled, still tickled at that.“All’s well that ends in a fart, eh?”
He shifted, getting his legs up onto the bed and lying back.He had to admit, he was more than ready for a nap at this point.And the beddidsmell like Ian.
Ian settled pillows around his leg, handed him the remote.“I’ll grab you a drink and then wash the sheets from downstairs.”
“Taking such good care of me, Chou.”He held the remote but didn’t do anything with it.His eyes were already closed by the time Ian left the room, and he was asleep.
ChapterThirteen
“Is Dad in yours bed, Daddy?”Tori seemed very worried about JP being upstairs.
“He is.He’s sleeping hard.”
She nodded, eyes wide.“Through supper!”
“I know.Poor Dad.He missed grilled cheeses.”
“Mmm…grilled cheeses.”She crawled into her bed, holding her stuffy.“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, Tori.Do you want a story?”He already hadZ is for Zamboniin his hand.Petey had been exhausted and had fallen asleep in the bathtub.
“Uh-huh.I like a bomboni.”
“I know you do.”He read her the story, her eyes slowly closing, just like JP’s had earlier today.
Once he got her settled, he peeked in on JP.He didn’t know if he needed to wake the man for food and pills, but he’d check in.
JP grunted and blinked his eyes open.He frowned and leaned up on his elbows, looking around, seeming confused.
“Hey.You okay?”Ian smiled from the doorway.“I was just checking on you.”
“Oh.I’m upstairs.Wasn’t sure for a moment there.”JP rolled his neck and nodded.“I think I slept hard.”
“You did.You slept through supper.Are you hungry?Thirsty?Needing to pee?”He had waited to eat too, so they could order a fancy pizza.
