Page 13 of H & G Restorations

Chapter

Eleven

G retel stepped into the gorgeous red wood sauna.

It was simple but included all the perfect touches that she knew their Daddy would love.

She added a hook and hung a heart she’d created out of the scraps of the cedar left over from the building project.

Meticulously, she’d carved each of their names separated by interlocking hearts with Magnus in the middle.

It added the final touch to make it theirs.

“When are we going to show it to him?” Hans asked.

“Oh! You scared me. Shall we show him tonight when the workers are gone?” she asked, feeling her heart rate settle.

“I can’t wait to see the nursery. I’ve been so tempted to go look at it when Magnus is away but I couldn’t. He’s been so good about not trying to see ours.”

“I know. It’s tearing me apart. Let’s show him tonight and hope he shows us, too.”

“Smart. Let’s do it.” Hans pulled out his phone and texted his Daddy, asking if he could come to the site around six that night.

Gretel grinned when her phone rang as well. She loved their group text. It kept each of the Littles from feeling that there was some kind of secret communication. She didn’t want to feel jealous and Magnus did everything he could do to include them both.

“He’s going to be here at six,” she reported.

“Good. Hey. There’s a second message. Magnus wants to pick you up at ten for coffee. Just you and him,” Hans reported, meeting Gretel’s gaze. “I’m supposed to tell you.”

“That’s weird.” She almost dropped her phone when it buzzed with an incoming message. Looking down, she read, Tell Hans .

“I’m supposed to tell you that Daddy’s coming to take you for malts at two.”

“Just me and Daddy?” he asked.

“I guess.”

“He’s making a date with each of us separately but making sure we both know it. That’s fun. We’ll each have some individual Daddy time. You’ve only got six minutes.”

“Crap. My hair!”

As she went tearing out to run to the house, Hans followed at a more sedate pace. He circled the house to wait for Magnus. Exactly on time, the handsome man pulled up in his car.

“Hans! I’m glad I got to see you this morning,” Magnus said as he got out of the car. He stalked forward to wrap his arms around Hans and pulled him close to hug and kiss.

Hans had felt funny in the beginning of being open about their relationship in front of their crews who were working. Magnus had not allowed him to hide. He didn’t expose Hans’s secret Little side but taught him that people really didn’t care who you loved.

“I like this idea of having some alone time with you,” Hans admitted.

“It’s important for me to get to spoil each of you individually. We’ll see how this does and if you think it’s important to continue. I do, but I want to hear your opinion, too.”

“Hi, Daddy!”

The men turned to see Gretel with her hair neatly combed and lip gloss applied. She looked adorable to Hans. Throwing her arms around Magnus first, she kissed him lightly before treating Hans to a hug and kiss as well.

“Hi, Gretel. Are you ready for a coffee break?” Magnus asked.

“I’m so ready.”

Turning to Hans, she double checked, “You’re okay if I go with Magnus?”

“I’ll have my time this afternoon. Go have fun.”

He watched Magnus help Gretel into the car before he forced himself to turn and head back in the house.

There were a million small details to take care of and he wanted the house in the best shape.

He checked to make sure the decorative trim was dry.

Called the gingerbread, the lacy pieces would fit around the edge of the porch to give the house an almost candy-like appeal.

Thrilled that it was ready to go, Hans carefully nailed it in place.

It was easy work but had to be placed exactly correctly.

He filled in the nail holes to ensure nothing detracted from the allure of the quaint decoration.

He’d just finished and was moving the ladder out of the way when Magnus appeared.

He could see the delight on Gretel’s face as they pulled up. Magnus had to shake his finger at her to remind her to wait for him to open the door for her. As he swung the car door open, she burst from the car. Racing to Hans’s side, she threw her arms around him and bounced up and down.

“You got it up. It looks so incredible. How can that one thing make such a difference?”

“I thought you’d like this.”

“Like it? I love it! It’s like we get to live in a house made of candy. Like the storybook’s Hansel and Gretel.”

“I hope you’re not going to throw me in a hot oven,” Magnus said, laughing.

Hans and Gretel didn’t look at each other. They hadn’t even imagined that the story could have a parallel ending. “We’d never roast you alive, Daddy. That’s a horrible thought,” Hans said, trying not to give their secret away.

“I’m glad to hear that. Hans, be ready at two and save room for a malt.”

“I will, Daddy.”

The two Littles waved as he drove away. The minute he faded from sight, Hans asked, “Did you have fun?”

“I did. He took me to the coffee place and bought me a triple-chocolate latte. It was delicious!”

“That does sound good,” Hans said with a grin. Magnus couldn’t have chosen a better date with Gretel. She loved frou-frou coffee drinks.

“Then we talked about all sorts of things—the house, my life, my dream vacation, and you.”

“You talked about me during your alone time with Daddy?” Hans asked, astounded. “You didn’t tell him all my faults, did you?”

“No. I told him how important you are to me and how much I love you,” Gretel confessed.

Hans pulled her close and kissed her. “I love you, too. I’m so proud of us for being honest with each other that we both felt like we needed a Daddy.”

“Me, too. I’ve always felt like I could tell you anything. Like…” Her voice trailed off, making Hans nervous.

“Like what?”

“You missed a section of the gingerbread.”

“No way! Where?” He demanded, looking back at the porch. He watched Gretel walk up to a place where two porch supports met. Sure enough, there was a small gap there. Triumphantly, he pulled the piece from his pocket and waved it.

“Yes. I needed you. I had the piece but couldn’t find where it goes. Don’t move. Let me grab a hammer.”

Within seconds, he had it fixed. After dropping the hammer in his tool belt, he pressed a light kiss on her lips. “Thanks, partner.”

“Any time. Now it’s perfect.”

“Come find something else I’ve missed. I need to stay busy until two and my date with Daddy,” Hans urged.

At ten minutes to two, Hans stuck his head under the spigot to cool off and get some of the sweat off him. He carefully washed his hands and arms, trying to make himself presentable. Gretel had kept him busy as he’d requested. That made the time go fast, but he hadn’t meant to get so sweaty.

A large hand cupped his butt. Hans swung around immediately and let out a breath of relief when he saw Magnus. “That scared me.”

“I hope no one else pats your bottom,” Magnus said, looking serious.

“No one. Well, maybe Gretel if she’s goofing around. But no one else,” Hans rushed to assure him.

“I’m glad.” A smile transformed his face from serious to delighted.

Hans found himself grinning back at him. He loved spending time with his Daddy.

“Are you ready to go?” Magnus asked.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know if you even want to take me. I’m a sweaty mess,” Hans confessed.

“We’re not going anywhere fancy. I promised you a malt. Let’s go get you somewhere cool.”

“That sounds heavenly, Daddy.”

Within a short time, Magnus found Gretel to tell her he was stealing Hans and to nab a kiss from her as well. He buckled Hans securely into the passenger seat and they waved goodbye to Gretel standing on the porch. She playfully pretended like she was gnawing on the fancy gingerbread.

“She’s so much fun,” Hans said when they were out of sight.

“Gretel loves with all her heart and lives life to the fullest. It’s quite rare for a woman to have the skills she possesses. Your company is rare. To have two skilled craft people together on a job is amazing.”

“I’m lucky I found her.”

“And she feels the same way. I do as well. Look, there’s the place.”

“They have the best ice cream here,” Hans said, leaning forward.

A car speeding through a red light made Magnus brake suddenly, and he threw out an arm automatically to keep Hans safe. “Whew. That was close.” He patted Hans on the chest and continued on to turn into the shop.

Feeling his heart swell in his chest, Hans swallowed his emotions.

What an amazing Daddy whose first thought was to make sure that he was okay.

He followed Magnus in and they slid into a corner booth in the back.

With his brain running in a thousand different directions, Hans couldn’t decide what to order.

“Hi, guys. What can I get you?” a chipper waitress asked.

“I’d like a chocolate mint milkshake,” Magnus ordered.

“What’s the special?” Hans asked, hoping that it would sound good, so he didn’t have to decide between all the others.

“It’s a peach shake with real peach pieces,” she offered.

“Done. I want that. A large, please. And a glass of water,” Hans requested.

“Can I change my order?” Magnus jumped in before she could go put in their choices. “That sounds amazing.”

“You won’t regret it. They’re delicious.” Making a note on her pad, she headed to the front of the store.

“That was smart to ask for the special,” Magnus complimented.

“I was having trouble focusing on the menu. I’m a bit wound up to be here with you,” he confessed.

“I’m excited to be with you as well. Do you have anything you’d like to talk about?” Magnus asked.

“Could you tell me about yourself? I’d like to know more about you.”

“Of course. Jump in and tell me things about you, too.”

Magnus talked easily about his life and the things he loved.

It was easy to relax and learn about his life prior to buying his home.

By the time the peach milkshakes came, Hans had forgotten about being nervous and was having a great time.

Having his Daddy to himself was fun, but he found himself trying to remember different things to tell Gretel.

Slurrrp!!! Hans sucked up the last bit of deliciousness out of the fancy glass. “That was delicious.”

“The best milkshake I’ve ever had,” Magnus agreed. “Ready to go back to see Gretel?”

“Yes, please. Daddy, I have to tell you something. I really enjoyed having you to myself today, but I kept thinking about how much learning about you would have thrilled Gretel as well.”

Magnus leaned in and whispered confidentially, “Gretel said the exact same thing.”

“No way! She didn’t tell me that.”

“Good. She wasn’t supposed to. This wasn’t a test, Hans. I wanted to give you each a chance to have all my attention. What you all taught me is how much you love each other. I needed to know that. Let’s go back and find Gretel.”

“Let’s go!”