Page 32 of Daddy’s Pursuit (The Daddy Guard #1)

Chapter Thirty-Two

It was later that day when a very tired Jack arrived at Auntie Athena’s to find a party going on in the backyard.

A giant, inflatable waterslide had been erected and Littles wearing only tankini tops and swim diapers were having a blast as they zoomed down it and splashed into the landing pool.

Trevon was at the grill, flipping burgers and hot dogs. Auntie Athena and Auntie Caroline were passing out juice boxes, and telling Littles to be careful as the laughing, shouting cuties turned the scene into near pandemonium.

“Daddy!” Iris said. She was at the top of the slide, waving furiously.

“Come on, cutie. Let me see you go down that thing,” Jack called up.

Laughing, she slid down, coming up out of the water with a shout as she jumped over the short, bouncy wall and toward Daddy.

“Slow down. You’ll trip and fall,” Jack said.

She looked as if she was about to jump into his arms when she stopped suddenly. “I’ll get you all wet.”

“I don’t care,” he said.

“But you’re in your dress shirt and tie.”

He laughed. “I still don’t give a damn.”

“Language!” Auntie Athena called out.

Some of the Littles who’d heard laughed along with Iris and Jack.

What he’d said was true in more ways than one, he noted silently.

He didn’t give a damn about getting wet. But he wasn’t sure he gave a damn about being a cop anymore, either. This whole thing with Frank had really made him reconsider things.

Was it time for a change?

He’d worry about that later. Right now, there was a party to enjoy and a cutie to love.

Iris jumped onto him, wrapping her soaked legs around his waist and kissing all over his face.

“I brought a friend,” Jack said.

“Benson!” The Little laughed as the dog trotted off the patio and deeper into the yard. “Do you want to go home, Daddy?” Iris asked. “I know you’re exhausted.”

“Nah. But I will catch a nap here. You keep playing.”

“Are you going to eat first?”

He shook his head. “Just save me some.”

They kissed. “No more going to weird parties, right?”

She giggled. “No more going to any parties. Unless Auntie throws them.”

“That’s more like it,” Jack said. “I sure love you, babygirl.”

They kissed.

“I love you, too, Daddy,” she said. “I was so scared!”

“I know. Me, too. But everything worked out and you’re safe with me. Now, I’m going to go sleep for a bit and I’ll be back out later. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Wanna come home with me?”

She giggled. “Uh-huh.”

“Wanna move in with me?”

Iris giggled some more. “Uh-huh.”

“Hey, you’re taking my sweet girl!” Athena said.

“Sorry,” Jack said. “But don’t worry. You can babysit her five days a week while I’m at work.”

“Deal!” Athena called from on the patio where she continued to distribute juice boxes.

Was it, though? Did Jack want to keep going to work? True, he’d have to get a job. He wasn’t going to just sit around all day. But maybe he didn’t want to keep going to that job.

Again, he told himself that was a problem to worry about later.

He kissed his sweetie once more, placed her feet on the ground, and then turned to head into the house. That nap was going to feel good.

Yet suddenly, as he caught the aroma of the cooking meat atop the grill, heard the sounds of the laughing, shouting Littles, and thought of Iris behind him, he wasn’t so tired.

All he wanted was to be with at that party, with the people he loved.

He wanted his brothers there, too. Pulling out his phone, he sent a text to the group thread, letting them know what was going on.

It only took seconds before everyone had responded that they were coming.

With a smile, he put his phone in his pocket, then kicked his shoes off, peeled out of his dress slacks, and ripped his shirt and tie right off, leaving just his boxer-briefs on.

“Daddy!” Iris laughed. “What are you doing?”

“Oh my goodness!” Athena said with a laugh.

“Damn. He’s gone crazy,” Trevon commented. “Knew it would happen eventually.”

Jack just looked at his babygirl, smiled, and said, “I’ve got the whole night to sleep. Right now, I’m gonna do that slide. It looks like one hell of a time.” He said that last part louder and then looked over at Athena and stuck his tongue out.

“Language!” Athena said, pointing at him.

He winked at Iris, took her hand, and then started running toward the inflatable.

The other Littles cheered, chanting “Jack Daddy! Jack Daddy!” as the two scrambled to the top.

It was the perfect summer’s evening.

Little did he know that later that night, something would happen that would change the trajectory of his—and Iris’s—life forever…