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“Well, we’re both alive,” Tess says, walking into the kitchen and setting the car keys down on the counter.
“Did Zee crash into anything?” Hannah asks.
“No, he did great.”
“How about you?” I ask, arching my brows. “You need a drink?”
She laughs. “A Diet Coke will do.”
Zane comes into the kitchen. “Dude, that car is so sweet.”
Tess scoffs. “Not as sweet as my ’97 Caravan, though.”
“It’s a classic,” I say as she comes over to kiss me.
“Classic piece of shit,” Zee mutters.
“Hey,” Tess scolds him lightly. “That piece of shit gets us from point A to point B.”
“And the engine only caught on fire once,” Hannah says.
She means it in defense of her mom’s van, but I give Tess a concerned look. “Your engine caught on fire?”
She waves a hand. “I had a fire extinguisher, it was fine.”
We’re going to talk about that later. I know she doesn’t like taking help from me, but she needs a better vehicle. The Caravan is way past its prime.
“Zee, your job today is going to be grilling with me,” I say.
I haven’t made him do any of his work hours in a while, and I don’t really plan to make him do much work. Instead, I’m using the time to teach him things every man should know.
“What do I need to do?” he asks.
“Wash your hands and I’ll show you how to season the meat.”
I have to leave on another road trip in the morning, and I’m not looking forward to it. It’s fun having Tess, Cam and the kids here. Weekdays are a flurry of school, work, dinner and activities, but at least I get my nights with Tess. I’ll be on the road for five days, which feels like forever.
About an hour later, the seven of us sit down in my dining room for dinner.
The interior designer I hired to furnish my house chose the modern, dark wood rectangular table in here, and the chairs are upholstered with light-gray leather. The walls are decorated with black-and-white vintage photos of hockey arenas and a bookcase is filled with white dishes no one ever uses.
I didn’t use this room at all before Tess and her family moved in. It felt like a room from a designer magazine, nice, but not lived in. Now, this is the place where all of us come together when we’re all home for dinner.
“No, you can’t use a fork for salsa,” Cam tells one of the boys.
Tess walks into the room, looking at Zee and smiling. “This steak looks amazing.”
“Where are the hard shells?” Hannah asks. “There are only soft shells.”
“You only use soft shells for fajitas,” I answer.
“Tate!” Sam scowls at his brother. “You’re a cocksucker.”
“Whoa,” Cam cuts in, her eyes wide. “We do not say that word.”
“I heard Zee say it while he was playing video games.”
Tess gives Zane a weary look and he shrugs. “What? I’m fifteen, not eight.”
