Page 6 of Nothing to This

Lowering back into his seat, the caught JD surrendered to his fate.“Yes, Sproutette?”he asked, opening his mouth to pop the ear Sky had attempted to deafen.

Their daughter was arranging her remaining pasta into a row, not letting any pieces touch, and then eating them in order.“Are mermaids good?”

“Are mermaids good?”JD asked and glanced at her for direction; she gave a discreet nod.“Uh, yes, Sproutette.Mermaids are excellent.I love mermaids.”

Kye blew a raspberry.

“Kye,” Rylee warned.“We don’t mock each other’s interests.Your sister doesn’t make fun of your mural, does she?”

Each of the children had chosen murals for their bedroom walls based on things they loved.

“Mermaids are for girls,” Kye said.

JD’s head tilted.What was he thinking about?His children’s reactions to each other or the seashell bikinis?

It was left to her to play parent.“If Daddy likes mermaids, that should be proof enough for you, son, that mermaids are not only for girls.Daddy’s not a girl, is he?”Perfect opportunity to have a little fun.“I tell you what, sweetpea,” she said.“If everyone clears their plates, Daddy will watch allThe Little Mermaidwith you, Sky.How does that sound?”

Her daughter gasped, glittering with excitement.“Really, Daddy?In my bedroom?You’ll watch the mermaids?”

JD took his turn to glare at her, but she just plastered a grin on her face.She always wished he’d spend more quality time with the kids and wouldn’t snub the opportunity to encourage him.

“He’ll watch the mermaids,” she said, blinking at him with innocence.“You did say you were free tonight, right?And you want to embrace your daughter’s passions.”

“Maybe I could take Kye to the park, toss the ball around and—”

“It’s too late for that,” she said.“Kye will watch the movie with you.”

Though her son would bluster and gripe, it wasn’t such a hardship for the little guy.He sang the songs and quoted the dialogue just as well, if not better, than Sky.Whenever she noticed him singing along, she’d never point it out or make him self-conscious, it was too sweet to interrupt.

Seeing their children happy and enjoying themselves was the greatest pleasure for any parent.As it should be for JD too.He’d stood up to presidents, met monarchs, and been locked in merciless negotiations with some of the most ruthless executives.He’d face any of those situations and come out on top.Yet thinking about watching animated movies with a pair of four-year-olds made him tug at his collar.

Rinsing her hands, she dried them again and went to stand next to where he was sitting, facing him.

Propping her ass against the table, she bent over to loosen his tie.“The Great Mr.Jamison Dawes,” she murmured.Sliding the tie free of his collar to toss it over her shoulder, she unfastened the top two buttons of his shirt.“Afraid of bedtime?”

“Me?Afraid?No, I’m not afraid.I do this all the time.”

Had he forgotten how well she knew her children and their routines?All their routines, even those that didn’t happen under her roof.

“Your mom doesn’t let them watch movies at bedtime.Usually, I don’t either, but since you’re here, I’ll allow you to rebel with them.”She leaned forward to whisper.“I won’t tell your momma, I promise.”

Sky climbed off her chair, drawing the parents’ attention from each other.Their little one reached up to take her empty plate from the table and went past them into the kitchen to put it into the open dishwasher.Amazing.

“Can we have popcorn, Mommy?”she asked.

So much for their little bellies being full.

“Yes,” she said, going to her daughter to crouch to her level and kiss her.“Sky, sweetpea, you’re a good girl for putting your plate away.Are you trying to impress Daddy?”

“Daddy need to know the plate washer,” Sky said, touching Rylee’s hair.Her tresses always fascinated her daughter.“He didn’t know.”

“And Daddy will need to know where it is, so he can put his dirty bowl in the dishwasher, that’s true.Good thinking, Sky,” she said.Standing to smile at him, she ran a hand down their daughter’s hair.“When was the last time Daddy did any kind of chore?”

JD didn’t answer and probably didn’t appreciate her smirk, though he didn’t let it show.Funny how they kept locking eyes in a battle to maintain their poker faces in front of their children.

“Grama makes him,” Kye said.

Ha!She snorted a laugh.“Your mom?”she asked.“Your momma makes you do chores?Oh, and I thought I couldn’t love that woman more.”