Page 36 of Manny Included

“It’s a deal.”

“What’s a deal?”Pete asked, returning with boxes of pizza.

“If we have cheesy garlic bread Belle will eat my cheesy parts.”

“Oh, well that’s a great deal.I’m glad that you all worked that out.”Pete grinned at them both, but the words were, while amused, not in the slightest bit mean.

“Picnic table or our laps?”Frankly, the tiredness was beginning to catch up with him, and Bay didn’t really want to have to move.That would involve getting up.

“I brought some paper plates.I think maybe all the kids should get out on the table, and then you can just stay where you are.Fair?”

“Not having to move sounds amazing to me,” he admitted.

Pete pulled over one of the little tables and put the pizza on top.Handed him a beer and a paper plate.“I’m gonna get the kids settled, and then I’ll come and sit in between everyone.”

“You sure that’s okay?I could move my ass—ets over to the picnic table.”He was just being a lazy slob.

“You sit, you’ve been working hard.”Pete actually touched his shoulder and electricity shot through him.

Whoa.He blinked and resisted touching the spot Pete had touched.Was he really that tired he was thinking stupid thoughts?

He accepted his plate with a couple pieces of pizza on it with a quiet, “thanks,” and took a bite.

The pizza was amazing.The beer was better.And the fact that everyone was eating and laughing and talking was kind of amazing, too.

He finished his two pieces, and his beer around the same time, and just sat there, letting the sounds flow around him, feeling… tired, sure, but also at home.

It was warm.Everybody was happy.He had fully expected to walk into a nightmare, and somehow, it was fine.

He thought just maybe he could get used to this.

Peter smiled over at him and he smiled back and nodded.And yeah, he definitely could.

ChapterEight

Pete ordered tacos, salsa, guacamole, and chips, some taquitos, and some churros.Add that to the beer, and it was going to be a great date night.

No, not a date night.

Adult night.Grown-up night.They weren’t dating.

He wasn’t allowed to date his boss, that was creepy and gross.He hated the idea that he was Bay’s employee, so he didn’t think about it much.

But the truth was, he was.

So he couldn’t have date night, even if he sort of wanted to.

Bay came downstairs.“I didn’t think Merida was ever going to stop saying, one more story, Bay-Bay, pllleeeeeasssse.”

“That little girl thinks that you are the king of the world.She loves the way you tell stories.She says that you have good voices.”Pete loved that for them.

“Yeah?”Bay’s expression got soft.“She’s a sweetheart.”

“She is.She’s your girl.”But this was adult time.Their time.

“But now you’re my boy, right?Supper, movies, adult talk?”

“Yes.Totally.Now it’s our time.”His cheeks were on fire.