I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for the moment when he became a total sucker.
“They didn’t even ask,” he said with a sigh. “I just got dressed, walked the two blocks to the toy store and bought every single package they had.” He pointed to a basket on the floor next to the couch. “She’s got about fifty farm and safari animals in there that came with the kits.”
I laughed. “Wow, and the glitter? Are you responsible for that?”
Jace shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not. She pulled that shit out of her backpack and I’ve been cursing ever since.”
Kayden laughed and put a hand on Jace’s shoulder. “He really has. Said it’ll be stuck in his beard for weeks. I think he looks kind of cute though.”
Jace glared at him.
“He does look cute,” I said, laughing. Watching these two with Kaylee and imaging how they’d been with her all morning made my heart so full of joy that it nearly burst. “Well, it looks like you all had a lot of fun.”
“Kayden’s a really cool dad, Mommy,” Kaylee said, looking in her backpack for something.
Kayden’s eyes widened and the happiness on his face was unmistakable. Jace put his hand on Kayden’s knee and squeezed. My chest ached with a desire to do the same.
“How’s Carl?” Jace asked, slowly pulling the bows out of his hair.
“He’s good. They’re taking him in for three stents now and he’ll have to stay in the hospital for a night or two, but they said these should take care of the blockage that’s been causing his symptoms.”
“That’s good news,” Kayden said. “Jace filled me in on the situation. Are they postponing the wedding?”
I chuckled. “No. At least, not according to Carl. My mother is less convinced, but he’s adamant that he’s marrying her in December as planned.”
“Of course he is,” Jace said with a laugh. “He’s gotta lock that woman down. Val is a catch.”
I rolled my eyes. “My mom adores Jace and he’s an ass kisser.”
Kayden chuckled and looked at Jace adoringly. “I bet he doesn’t even have to try to impress moms.”
“He doesn’t,” I said.
Kaylee pulled a book out of her backpack and climbed onto the couch on the other side of Kayden and curled right against him. “Mommy, can Kayden read me this book before we go?”
My heart flipped over, and judging from the look on Jace’s face, his did too. “Take your time, honey. Jace and I need to talk anyway.”
Kayden squeezed Jace’s hand and kissed him on the cheek. “Why don’t you two go out for lunch. Take your time, talk, do whatever you need. We’ll be fine here.” He put his arm around Kaylee.
“Are you sure?” I asked. The idea of being alone with Jace for any length of time felt like too much to hope for. We were always either at work or with Kaylee, so it was rarely just us and I wanted to talk to him before I could overthink this situation anymore. I knew what I wanted with him. “Do you feel comfortable being alone with her?”
“I do,” Kayden said confidently. “She likes books, I can relate to that.”
I laughed. “Okay. Kaylee, do you want to stay with Kayden so Jace and Mommy can talk for a little bit? It’ll just be a couple hours and then I’ll come get you.”
“Yep. Kayden, can we watchThe Land Before Timeagain?” she asked him.
Kayden smiled at her. “If your mom is okay with TV, then yes. There is more than one movie, so we can watch a whole newLand Before Time.”
Kaylee’s eyes widened and turned to me with hope and excitement.
“Yes, I’m fine with that. You’re really sure, Kayden?” I asked.
“I’m positive. I have both of your numbers, and the nearest hospital is five blocks away. I always know the answer to that question, even without a kid to consider,” he said. “Seriously, it’s lunchtime, so you twogo eat and I can order delivery for Kaylee and me. Is there anything she can’t eat?”
“Grapes, popcorn, marshmallows, chewy candy, nuts—basically anything hard and round,” I said, listing off the choking hazards that were seared into my mom-brain. “No allergies though.”
Jace laughed and stood up. “Don’t worry, Liv. If it’s even remotely choking-hazard adjacent, he’s not letting it near her. I gave her dried fruit for a snack earlier and he insisted on testing each type of fruit because they lookedchewy and unsafe.”
