Page 26 of Manny Included
He wasn’t sure how he felt about taking over Tony’s man cave.It seemed… disrespectful somehow.“Maybe you and I can look at the plans and see if we want to go ahead as planned or if we want to make any changes.”
Pete nodded, smiled over, the expression more than a little sad.“I know that everything will have to change.I understand.Every time we do anything new, it’s going to be hard for a while, I think.That’s okay, right?You just feel it and move on.”
“I think it’ll help if we make things our own.”Of course that was easy for him to say.He hadn’t been a part of Tony and Cindy’s lives the way Pete had.It would help him feel more at home here, but would it actually help Pete?“If you’d rather not…”
“We’re going to have to.We have to create a family.It’s obviously what they wanted from us.”
“All right.Then if you’ve got the plans we can go through them and decide what we want to do—for us and for the kids.”
“Sounds perfect.I feel a little stuck, you know?”
“Then we can get you unstuck.That’s kind of what I do, in a weird way.”
Pete chuckled softly.“Okay.I can handle weirdness.I’m a nanny.”
“I thought that meant you could handle snot and vomit,” he teased.
“And that’s not weird?”
He never would have guessed that Pete was funny.
He threw his head back and laughed, tickled.And if there was a tinge of hysteria to the laughter, he was going to ignore it.
The laughter eased.Pete grabbed the rest of his bear claw.“So, do you have a lot of work today?Would you like to have lunch with us, or are you going to be out?I haven’t quite learned your schedule yet.Although I have to say, Will is super helpful with that.He’s really easy to talk to.”
“He’s amazing.When I shook his hand after his job interview was over, he held onto mine, looked me in the eye and told me that he knew he was already at the bottom of the list because of his age, but fifty was not old and he planned to live another hundred years, not to mention if I gave him a chance I’d wonder why I ever even hesitated for a second.”Bay smiled, remembering the fierceness on the man’s face.“He told me not to mistake his lack of work experience in the last twenty years as a weakness, and he’d be willing to work for two weeks—with pay, he knew how much his time was worth and he was not doing a free trial—without signing anything to prove he was the man for the job.There was something about the look in his eyes and the firmness of his handshake.I told him he had a week to impress me.I knew in two days that I would never find anyone better.”
“That’s exceptional.”Pete shook his head.“I mean, really for both of you.For him for being so brave and you for paying attention.For trusting your instincts and having good ones.That’s very good.”
“Yeah.His partner, who’d been the breadwinner, got sick.Like badly sick, and he had to take over being the moneymaker on top of caregiver.His amazing organizational skills came in handy on both work and home fronts.And it was a long slog, but I’m happy to say Paul recovered.”Bay pondered Pete’s question about his schedule.“On the whole, I plan to be here, so I’d love to be included in lunch.I have to admit that there are days where if Will didn’t set lunch in front of me, I wouldn’t remember to eat.And if I’m on a call, just wave at me and make eating motions or something so I know it’s that time and I’ll come down soon as I can.”He knew he could get tunnel vision when it came to work.
“I think that’s great!Gives me a reason to make a lunch that’s something beyond hot dogs or chicken fingers and fries.Right?I try to get the little ones to have nutrition, but,” Pete shrugged.“Sometimes it’s a challenge, sometimes it’s not.They love fruit.”
“Well, I’m not a picky eater.Although I might balk at hot dogs and chicken fingers everyday,” he admitted.In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a hot dog.“I’m also happy to get something delivered anytime you don’t have the time to make lunch.Or if you just don’t feel like doing it.”Pete had a lot on his plate.At least they now had their dinners made for them thanks to Will’s organizing it.
“Thanks.I’m thinking about turkey subs today, and there’s spaghetti and meatballs tonight.The garlic bread looks amazing.”
“Love a good garlic bread.So do the kids tear apart the subs and eat bits, or do they get their baby mouths around the whole sub?”He was curious about that because so far, meals had been amesswhen it came to Flynn and Merida.
“Flynn will probably have a piece of cheese, some banana, and some crackers.Merida will have a sandwich—no crust—cut into four pieces, with a little bit of mayonnaise and cheese.No turkey.You and I will get subs.”
“Does Merida not like turkey?Or are the kids veggie or something?”Bay shook his head.He knew it wasn’t that, unless they were making hot dogs and chicken fingers without meat these days.He was also pretty sure he should already know this by now.
“Merida just likes a cheese sandwich.She’ll eat turkey, but she tends to take it out of her sandwich and eat it with her fingers.With the mayonnaise, it’s slimy, and cheese is just easier.”Pete rolled his eyes.“Stupid, but true.”
Bay chuckled at that.“So lots of things I might be putting all these big reasons for are actually just to make life easier.”
“When you have four kids, about ninety-five percent of the world is making life easier on somebody.”
“I will have to remember that.”He glanced at his watch.“Oh Shi-taki, I have to get to work.You know where to find me if you need me.”
“I do.I hope you have the best day.I’ll call you for lunch.Mustard or mayonnaise?”
Both sounded good.“Yes, please.”He gave Pete a wink and headed upstairs to get to work.
ChapterSix
Belle threw her book across the room, and it smacked Merida right in the face, causing the little one to scream.