Page 55 of Nothing to This

“Broke up with him?”Brenna asked from her place on the couch.“Give me details.You broke up with him?Like it’s over?”

Sitting on the floor at the coffee table in JD’s office, she divided the various food items they’d picked up from the market.

“I don’t know,” she said, nudging her friend’s knee with her elbow, glaring up to silence her.

Brenna rolled her eyes in apology as the office door opened.JD came striding in with Greg behind him.

Noticing them, the men stopped.

JD crooked a brow.

She smiled and licked her fingertip.“Conference room two is free.”

“So is my office,” he said and headed for his desk.“Or it’s supposed to be.What are you doing in here?I thought you ate with the kids every day.”

On reaching his desk, he pulled out the chair and two little roaring people leaped out from underneath.Doing his fatherly duty, and probably because he was a little taken aback, he put a hand to his chest and gasped, pretending they’d really terrified him.

Sky laughed.

Kye jumped up and down.“Did we scare you, Daddy?Were you scared?”

“Terrified, Sprout,” JD said, picking up his boy while Sky climbed into his seat.“How are you doing today?”

“This is a big office,” Sky said, pushing against the desk to spin the chair.

“Sweetpea, stop spinning, you’ll get dizzy,” she said, shifting onto her knees to reposition the paper plates on the opposite side of the table.“Come over here and eat, please.Daddy has to work.”

JD caught the back of the chair to stop it from spinning and put Kye down.Their son ran across the room, seeking his plate.

Sky climbed up to stand on the chair to reach for her father.Picking her up, JD pressed a kiss to her cheek.When he tried to put her down, she locked her arms tighter around his neck.

“Daddy, who is that man?”Sky asked.

Damn, talk about tenacious.Their daughter’s feisty spirit would get her into trouble one of these days, especially if she aimed it outside of the family.But her confident little girl would stand her ground and get herself out of any messes she got herself into; Sky’s wits were impeccable.

“That’s Daddy’s friend Greg,” JD said.

“Is my daddy your boss?”Sky asked.

Brenna laughed out loud; she tried to be more discreet about enjoying Greg’s obvious discomfort.Reaching over the table, she straightened Kye’s plate and gave him a napkin.

“Uh, yes,” Greg said.“Your dad is everyone’s boss, honey.”

“He’s not the boss of Mommy.”

Brenna laughed even louder and slapped a hand onto her shoulder.“That’s right,” Brenna exclaimed.“We know who wears the pants in their household.”

Greg didn’t know where to look or what to say, poor guy.

She pushed up, bracing her hands on the coffee table to sit on the couch.

“Sky, that’s enough.Come over and eat with your brother, please.”

She pressed a long, sloppy kiss to her father’s cheek as he put her on her feet.JD was too polite to wipe the slobber from his face, though there was probably a part of him that liked bearing his daughter’s mark.

Sky came over to get her lunch plate.She ignored her daughter’s grumbling about the salad and gave her a napkin.Leaving the kids with their aunt, she carried a plate and a napkin to JD’s desk.She put the sandwich down and moved in close to wipe away Sky’s kiss with the napkin.

“I liked that there,” he said, resting a steadying hand on her waist.