Page 40 of Who’s Your Daddy (Dadcoms #1)

Cal

“ I don’t understand why you get to be Gomez,” Sully grumbles, repositioning the bald cap on his head again.

“Because”—I grin at our reflection in the row of doors ahead—“I have a better head of hair. You make a much better Uncle Fester.”

“Bullshit,” he grits out.

“Shhh, language.” Lola smirks as I hold the door open so that my Morticia Addams can enter the Halloween party at Murphy’s school.

My son is dressed as my son, because of course he is. T.J. wanted to be Cousin It. Because of course he did.

“Why couldn’t I have been the Frankenstein guy?” Sully tugs at his thick, boxy black costume.

“Just be happy T.J. didn’t assign you the role of grandmama,” Lola teases.

T.J. tosses his head back and cackles. “Aw, man. I should have.” He points across the room. “There’s Mom!” Without hesitation, he rushes toward Sloane, who has her hair in braids like Wednesday Addams.

“Even she got to pick the character she wanted.” Sully sags beside me .

“Cheer up, mate.” I elbow him. “Aren’t you trying to win over your wife?”

“Not sure it’s possible in this.” He plucks at the rough fabric of his robe, and with another beleaguered sigh, he follows after T.J.

It’s been two weeks since Lola and I officially started dating—and two weeks since we defiled Brian’s office—and I intend to celebrate tonight after the Halloween party.

Not in Brian’s office though because the way he looked at both of us for the entirety of last week, like he was trying to figure out how we made such a mess, has me wanting to keep Lola all to myself.

Lola comes over for dinner most nights and insists on cooking quite often, which we’re all bloody grateful for.

Her healthy, gluten-free meals are loads better than anything Brian makes.

After we read a little more of Murphy’s book to him each night, and he drifts off, I drive her home and spend a little time alone with her.

It takes bloody discipline to tear myself away from her night after night, but I never want Murphy to wake up and find that I’m gone.

Not that he has ever woken up calling for me. Regardless, I’m not taking any chances.

When a kid calls his name, Murphy lights up. “Can I go say hi? That’s Jase.”

“Of course. Yes. Right. Go.”

My heart clenches at the sight of my boy chatting with a friend. And when a whole group of children in costumes surround him, talking a mile a minute, making him laugh and smile, my eyes get hot.

I blink back the sting of tears. He’s got friends. And people.

Lola slips her hand into mine and squeezes. “You look tired.”

She pushes back my hair—temporarily sprayed a deep black for my role as Gomez Addams—then runs her fingers down my cheeks.

I sink into her touch. “Just emotional is all.”

It’s the truth, though, she’s right, I’m knackered. Murph and I have to be out the door by six thirty to make it to school on time, and my need for time with Lola alone means I’m not getting to bed until after midnight .

I can’t tell her that, though. If I do, she’ll insist I stay home rather than spending my nights with her. I’m unwilling to even entertain that thought. I like having her around. I wish she were around all the time.

My fish looked almost as done in as me this morning.

He wasn’t even swimming, just hanging out upside down like moving his fins was too much work.

I worried something was wrong, but my fears were assuaged when I checked on him after work and he was bright and chipper.

He must have snagged a nap this afternoon.

A few hours of sleep and he looked like a new fish.

His color is even brighter. I could have sworn he was more blue, but today, his scales have taken on a teal hue.

Who knew I’d be so good at taking care of plants and fish? It’s a good thing, since Murphy’s case still hasn’t been closed. I need all the evidence I can muster to prove I can care for him.

“You’re a good dad, Cal.” Lola watches me, those green eyes full of honesty. It’s the sweetest compliment I’ve ever received.

“If the two of you are done mauling one another with your eyes,” Sloane approaches, thumbing over her shoulder, “the party is in there.”

My sister-in-law looks far more weary than I do. She also looks pissed, though that’s to be expected when dealing with Sully. The glare she directs at him does throw me for a loop, though. I thought they were turning a corner.

I suppose it was wishful thinking on my part.

The door on the other side of the lobby is closed, though every time it’s pulled open, loud music thrums and lights flash.

“Ah yes, I do think Mrs. Addams and I would like to get our dance on.” I hold out my hand to Lola, and when she slides her fingers into mine, I fall into character and press a kiss to her knuckles, then work my way up her arm.

“Oh my God,” Sloane laments. “You two are?—”

“Adorable,” I offer.

She shakes her head.

“Amazing.” Lola breaks into the brightest of smiles.

Sloane rolls her eyes.

Sully grunts, fiddling with the cap on his head again. “Annoying.”

Sloane points at him. “Finally, something we can agree on.” With a shake of her head, she sighs. “Sorry, I’m being a bitch.”

“Yes, you really are,” Lola agrees.

Sloane shakes out her hands and bounces on her toes. “Okay, I’m done. Let’s go find sugar, maybe that will help.” She slips her arm through my doll’s and guides her toward the party.

Sully and I follow, because we’re nothing if not smitten with our girls.

In the UK, Halloween isn’t quite so over-the-top. The school’s PTO has pulled out all the stops. It’s unsurprising, if not cliché, that the PTO would put on such a lavish affair.

In one corner, I spot a film screen, complete with at least two dozen bean bags for the viewers.

“What’s the film they’re playing over there?”

“Oh, Hocus Pocus,” Lola says. “I loved that one.”

Sloane nods. “Great movie.”

“What’s it about?” I slip my hands in the pockets of my trousers and watch the scene playing out. The characters are at a party that looks a lot like this one, the lot of them dancing. I happen to like the music they’re playing better than what we’ve got on in here.

Lola shrugs. “There are three witches, and it all starts a hundred years or so ago, when they’re hanged for killing a child.”

Sully lets out a garbled curse. “That’s not appropriate for children.”

“It’s a Disney movie.” Sloane waves a dismissive hand.

Hmm. Then these women must be butchering the storyline. “Go on.”

“But they cast a spell. If a virgin lights their magic candle, they’ll come back to life.”

“A what?” I suck in a breath, clutching my chest, and scan the crowd for Murphy. Thank fuck he’s across the room running in circles with his friends instead of listening to this shite or watching this abomination of a film.

“Don’t be such a prude.” Lola sticks her tongue out at me.

“You said it’s a Disney film.” Sully’s normally surly demeanor is only intensified by the dark circles painted around his eyes.

Sloane sighs. “It is.”

“What happens after the witches are killed?” I ask. Surely the witches’ curse is reversed by a magical prince who blows rainbows out of his arse or some other nonsense.

“In present-day Salem, a virgin lights their candle. The witches return, but the only way they can stay alive is to suck out the souls of children.”

I stumble back, appalled, though Lola doesn’t notice.

“Right now,” she goes on, smiling at the film screen, “the witches are singing to put a spell on all the parents at the party. Once they’ve put them all to sleep, they’ll go fly and try to take the lives of all their children.”

“That’s abhorrent.” I straighten and scan the people around us. “Excuse me, who here is in charge of this film?”

Lola clutches the lapels of my pinstripe suit jacket and tugs me closer. “What are you doing?”

“The film must be turned off. These kids will have nightmares.”

Head tilted and lips twitching, Lola points at the children who are all smiling, as if they themselves are entranced by the singing evil witches. One of them is even clapping along. “Do they look like they’ll have nightmares?”

I straighten the knot of my tie, frowning down at her. “ I’m going to have nightmares.”

Lola nuzzles into my side. “I’ll keep you safe from the evil witches, I promise.”

“Cal!” Murphy barrels for me, his tone urgent.

Panic-stricken, I drop to my knees and inspect him, looking for injury. “What’s wrong? ”

With the biggest grin I think he’s ever worn, he shakes his head. “They’re doing a father-son relay race, will you do it with me?”

My heart stutters to a stop, then takes off at a run, pounding loud enough to drown out the tune of Monster Mash .

“You want me to do it with you?” I point to my chest, then look over my shoulder to be sure he isn’t speaking to someone else.

Murphy nods, his expression sobering. “Unless you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I so totally want to.” I yank him to my chest and press my lips to the top of his head.

The little bugger leans into me, I swear, and I tip back. Before I can land on my arse, I catch myself, my smile so wide my cheeks ache. Because my boy just asked me to do a father-son relay race with him. He may not call me dad, but this might be the best moment of my life.

“I can’t believe we didn’t win,” Murphy grumbles as we walk out of the party.

“I can’t believe my hair color came out in the bucket.” I wipe my face with a paper towel to keep the dye from further staining my skin.

When I wiped at my face after I dunked my head in the bucket of water and my hand came away covered in black streaks, I nearly screamed.

Lola laughed so hard she might have peed herself and declared me Zombie Gomez.

Sully pulls off his bald cap and shakes out his hair. “Perks of being Uncle Fester, I guess.” He holds out a fist to T. J., who bumps it.

Yes, the sod and his spawn beat us. Even Sloaney was screaming wildly for them in the end. Though when the award was handed out, and T.J. tried to bring her up to accept the schlocky little trophy, she waved him off, and as they stepped off the stage after, she slipped out.

“I’m just glad we got to play.” I ruffle Murphy’s hair.

Head tilted back, he gives me one of his half smiles. “I’ve never been to a family event at school before.”

On my other side, Lola hums. “Me neither.”

Grinning, I loop an arm around Lola’s waist and squeeze Murphy’s. “You know,” I say as I guide them to the car, “Madame E said the weirdest thing to me as we were leaving tonight.”

Sully glowers at me. He still doesn’t believe in her magic. It’s a pity, really. Bet she could give him help winning Sloaney back.

“What did she say?” Lola asks cautiously.

“She said she saw two ears and purring in my future.”

“Bloody hell,” Sully grumbles. “You are not getting a cat.”

Laughing, I snap my fingers. “Oh, that’s what she meant. I thought maybe you wouldn’t show up dressed as Mrs. Addams, Lola Caruso.”

She rolls her eyes but snuggles in closer. “I told you I would.”

Murphy blinks up at me. “Are you for real?”

Chin tucked, I arch a brow at him. “What?”

“You really didn’t know she meant cat?”

I shrug.

“I like kittens,” Lola says softly.

Murphy nods. “Kittens are cool.”

Hmm, they both like kittens.

My brother curses under his breath. “You’re not getting a cat.”

I smile. He’s right. I’m not getting a cat. I’m getting the best cat ever.