Page 25 of Manny Included
“Well, you need a partner for romantic dinners,” he noted dryly.“And I’ve been pretty damned focused on the business.”Maybe too focused.He could have come to visit Tony far more often than he had, but he’d always been in the middle of some deal.
“So, what do you do exactly?It seems that it’s very exciting, and that you do a very good job at it.”
Ah, exciting?He wasn’t sure about that.Busy?Yes.Stressful, absolutely.All-encompassing, totally.Exciting?Rarely.
But it made him feel pretty good that Pete thought he was exciting.Interesting.
“I buy and sell companies.Pick ’em up while they’re down, revamp, refurbish, sell them while they’re back on the top.”And he was damned good at it.
“Wow,” Pete chuckled softly.“You must think that I’m the most boring person ever.I just watch other people’s children.”
Shit, Pete did more than watch other people’s children.He cared for these kids, loved them, and helped to raise them.
“You’re turning babies into people who are going to go out into the world.Sounds pretty important to me.”He made money, Pete shaped people.Not to mention, there was no way he could do what Pete did.This week had proved that.
As far as he was concerned, Pete was kind of a little miracle worker.
A hot, gentle, sexy little miracle worker.
He was going to go to hell for thinking things like that.But he was just a man after all, and there was no question Pete was hot.
“These are good doughnuts,” he said so that he wouldn’t say any of the hot and sexy stuff out loud.
“I thought we deserved a treat.I try not to indulge too much, but I do love a sweet fried bread.”Pete leaned close as he said that, his chest warm against Bay’s arms.
Merida came down off the sofa and padded over.“Me too?”
“Of course.I told you I got you some little ones.”He handed her a little donut hole that was un-iced.
Such a smart son of a bitch.
“Such a cute doughnut for a cute girl.”Bay gave her a smile.He was pretty sure they were friends now.
“Sank you.”She blushed and wiggled happily, then ran off with her donut to plop back down in front of the TV.
“Oh, someone’s very happy with you!”Pete winked at him, and he had to fight not to roll his eyes, but he was pleased.
“I’m glad at least one of them is.”
Pete shook his head, gave him a little shrug.“I think you’re doing great with them, especially considering the situation, which is at best just okay, right?”
“Yeah.I just feel so awkward.I don’t deal with kids.Like at all.And I don’t know how to talk to them or comfort them or anything.”He shrugged, too.It was what it was and they’d either work it out or they wouldn’t, and he’d be paying for therapy for a hundred years to fix whatever he screwed up.
“You haven’t had eight years of practice like I have.I’ve had those years and a degree.And sometimes I still get it wrong.”Pete offered him a wry grin.“Sometimes, all you can do is all you can do, right?”
“Yeah, you’re not wrong.I’m just not used to not being on top of everything, you know?”He was on the top of his game at work.And the boss at that.
“I do.And I promise to try to keep on top of everything for us as best I can.”
Pete was genuinely the sweetest guy that he’d ever met.It was strange.
Maybe he should get Will to pick him up a gift card or something.No, that seemed impersonal and weird.
Honestly, the guy probably needed a break more than anything, but that was something he couldn’t give Pete.Especially if the man refused to let him hire a part-time nanny.
He finshed his dutchie and debated grabbing another one.He needed to buy some gym equipment.“Hey, if I bought a home gym, we could put it in the basement, eh?I think there’s room.”
“Of course there is.There’s a room behind where the media room was going to be.That was going to be Tony’s man cave.I don’t see why it couldn’t be a gym.There’s a bathroom down there and everything.A shower even.I think that he intends it—” Pete sighed.“I think he intended it to be one of the kids’ bedrooms when they were teenagers.”