Page 11 of Nothing to This

JD intercepted the dish to pull it from Kye’s reach.“I think you’ve had enough, buddy.”

“It’s time to wash up,” she said, carrying the daycare bag over to hang it on the hook by the front door.“Mommy will clean up breakfast.Show Daddy where your bathroom is and he’ll help you.”

Sky took his hand to tug him from the table.

“Daddy doesn’t know how to—”

“They’ll show you,” she said to what might have been mild panic.“Don’t let them drown or get scalded.Just be an adult, JD.”The trio disappeared down the hall.“Everyone, brush your teeth!”

Hoping they’d get along okay, the extra half hour she’d allowed should be enough, even if JD took his time with them.It would be a baptism of fire, but she wasn’t Grama and wouldn’t swoop in to save him.Unless she smelled smoke or saw blood, she was staying out of there.If he wanted to move in and be Daddy for a while, that was exactly what she’d expect of him.

***

Forty minutes went by and still she waited for them to emerge.What were they doing in there?Something that wrought lots of movement and hilarity.The bathroom door had opened a while ago and she’d thought they were done and ready.Before she’d got there, little footsteps disappeared back into the room and the door closed again.

Checking her watch, worry rose.Time was getting tighter by the second.

Against her better judgment, and despite her aversion, she headed to the end of the hallway and opened the kids’ bathroom door.

What the…?Water spilled every which way, including onto the floor near where Kye sat sticking foam letters to the tile.Sky was the one in the tub, swimming and sloshing around.JD, on his knees and shirtless, leaned against the side of the tub, his arms in the water up to his elbows.

His shirt was in a sopping heap in the corner.Even from her distance away, it was obvious his pants were wet.Not that she really needed to see to know, their daughter was adventurous in water.

Hmm, wow.She cleared the laugh from her throat with a cough.Restraining her amusement should get her a damn Oscar.Her babies were incredible.

Opening the closet just outside the bathroom, she grabbed some towels.

“Okay, fun’s over,” she said, crossing to Kye to pick him off the floor before going around JD to pull the plug.

Sky screamed and lunged up to throw herself at her daddy.

Setting Kye on his feet, she dried him off.“Quickest way to get Sky out of the tub is to pull the plug.She thinks she’s going to be sucked down.”

JD was behind her, so she only saw his shadow move when he stood up.“Daddy won’t let anything happen to his mermaid.”

Smiling, she wrapped her boy in a dry towel.“Go put on the clothes I laid on your bed, baby,” she said, kissing Kye and turning him around.“Come here, Sky.”

JD put Sky down to be dried off.Once her daughter’s skin was drip free, Sky’s hair got a towel dry.

Only one towel remained.She started to hand it off to JD, except one look at him shirtless had her pulling it back.

A smile crept onto her lips.“Wow, you’re ripped,” she said, surprised by the definition in his torso.Touching his pec, she drew a finger to his sternum and down.“Were you always this ripped?”

“I own a fitness company,” he said.“I get all sorts of equipment for free… Working out clears my mind.”

She stopped examining his torso to meet his eye, her finger motionless.“Defined, delicious, finessed.”

One corner of his mouth rose.“Excuse me?”

Casting off the memory, her hand dropped.“Nothing.”

Sky took her hand in both of hers.“Daddy helped to wash my hair.”

“Yeah, and it’s damn near impossible to wash a girl’s hair in the tub.Who knew how tough it was to get shampoo out?”

She shouldn’t be tickled that their daughter had taken advantage of the rookie but couldn’t help it.

“When I said wash up, I meant hands and faces, and they have to brush their teeth.”