Page 65 of Better Daddy

Near the couch, Sully and T.J. sit side by side, looking adorable in their matching pajamas, chatting in a way that’s still surprising to me, even though I’ve seen them do it often over the last few months. When Sully was still living in the penthouse with us, it seemed as though he barely had time to do more than ruffle his son’s hair in passing. Now, he tilts in close and asks, “How was your sleepover in Murphy’s room?”

T.J. shrugs. “It’d be better if we had beds.”

“I didn’t mind,” Murphy says.

“That’s because your bed is too small,” Lo calls over. “Cal, we really need to get him a bigger one.”

“You know,” Sully starts in a tone a lot like the one he used when he pitched the whole dating idea to me.

What’s my husband up to now?

“There are three mattresses in our room.”

“Yeah, but there are three of you,” Brian points out.

“Right, but if Murphy needs a mattress,” Sully says, “it’s only right that we make sure he’s taken care of. Since he’s my nephew and all.”

I snort. Lo does too. Clearly, I’m not the only one who sees right through his little plan.

“We could move the bunk beds. Then the boys could each have their own bed, but they could share a room. That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?” He arches a brow and peers down at our son.

“We could share a bedroom!” T.J. high-fives Murphy, though an instant later, his face falls. “But where would you sleep, Dad?”

Sully glances at me and smiles. “I’m sure your mother and I couldfigure something out.”

Lo nudges me with an elbow. “Didn’t sleep together last night, my ass,” she hisses.

I ignore her.

“What do you say, sweetheart?” Sully calls. “Do you think we can make it work?”

Sully’s good, I’ll give him that. And if T.J. and I weren’t sleeping in the same room, I could wear one set of pajamas to bed rather than sweltering in layers.

“Yeah, I think that could work,” I agree.

“Yes!” Murphy and T.J. yell in unison.

“This is going to be awesome,” T.J. adds.

Pouting, Cal asks, “But what will we do with the race car bed?”

“I’m sure I can find a family in need,” Lo comforts him.

Under his breath, Brian says, “Yup, one with a toddler.”

Once breakfast is ready, we sit at the table, and each of us talks about which present we loved most.

When we’ve finished, T.J. drops his fork and frowns at me, his little mind working. Finally, he eyes Sully. “Did you get Mom anything?”

I cough out a laugh. This boy may be bouncing off the walls most of the time, but he can be so sweet and thoughtful. “Yes, your father gave me a beautiful gift this morning.”

Brian scowls and Cal’s eyes light up.

“Not like that, you fools,” I mutter. “It’s in the bathroom.”

T.J.’s head tilts. “Dad got you a toilet?”

I giggle. “No. He decorated my stall.”