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She was due back today.
Daisy had already texted him that she was coming back.
He stumbled downstairs. Devil, Nathan, Tiny, and Lash were already sitting at the kitchen table while Dick worked the stove, humming.
“There’s no way you can be in a good mood.”
“Perks of not drinking, you don’t get a hangover,” Dick said. “Pancakes.”
“Ugh,” he said, groaning. The thought of food made him feel sick. There was no way he was going to be able to eat anything, which wasn’t good. “Tabby’s heading home.”
Devil nodded, sipping at his coffee.
“Morning, Daddy,” Nathan said.
“Morning, son.” He kissed the top of Nathan’s head and slid into the seat next to him. He had a bunch of crayons spread out across the table along with several sheets of paper. “What are you doing?”
“I’m drawing our family. There’s me and Mommy, and you.”
“What’s that coming out of her stomach?”
“That’s the baby.”
It looked like a monster. “I don’t think that’s how babies come out.”
“It’s going to come out though, right? Mommy is not going to like explode.”
“No, no, it’ll come out. I promise.”
“And Mommy will be okay?” Nathan asked.
“She’ll be great.”
Devil chuckled. “I can remember when you’d ask so many questions.”
Simon groaned. “Please, don’t remind me of anything.”
“You once asked me why one of the guys was going to lick a pussy cat.”
“I like pussy cats,” Nathan said. “Daddy, can we get a cat and a dog? Please, please. Please.”
He kissed his son’s head. “First, let’s get the right house, the baby, and you know, we’ll take it from there.”
“Mommy would like a doggy. I’ve seen her stroking them at the park. She loves doggies and she’s going to love them.” Nathan looked up at him with his big eyes.
“I’ll talk to Mommy.”
Nathan laughed. “I need to use the bathroom.”
His son climbed down and ran out of the kitchen.
“Does he know how to use his mom to get what he wants?” he asked.
“Be warned, kids are sneaky little devils,” Devil said. “You were the worst.”
“I was a lovely child.”
Devil snorted.
“Where did the time go?” Tiny asked. “One moment she was a baby, in my arms, the next, she’s grown and having babies of her own. It’s not right.”
Simon smiled. “I will take care of her, Tiny, sir, I promise.”
Tiny glared at him. “One day you’re going to have a daughter of your own. You’re going to watch her grow up, and there’s going to be a boy who will say the exact same thing to you. When that happens, and you believe him, come back to me then.”
“I’m having a daughter,” he said.
All eyes turned toward him.
“Tabitha and I were going to wait to tell you but we got the news a few weeks ago. Our baby is going to be a little girl.”
His hand was shaken and Devil clapped him on the back.
“Now there’s two girls for you to look after. You sure you can handle this?” Tiny asked.
“Did Ned Walker ask you the same thing?”
Tiny glared at him. “Good comeback.”
He chuckled.
Dick served up some pancakes. Simon didn’t want to eat, but the last thing he wanted was to be smelling like booze when his wife arrived. After finishing up two pancakes, he took a shower. Nathan had already run outside to play on the swings.
Once he was dressed and ready to face the day, he headed outside. He kept checking toward the main gate, waiting for his woman to arrive.
Tiny, Lash, and the guys were gathering up their supplies, ready to go. Not only had they had a celebration last night for the baby news, but there had also been a debrief over a mission two weeks ago. This one had required Felix and Teddy. They’d wanted a distraction, not stealth.
He glanced down at his leather cut. Tabitha had stitched the jacket from the bullet he took a few months ago. Letting her go to Fort Wills alone had been one of the hardest decisions he’d ever made. He missed her. Wanted her back. These feelings for her, they never went away, never expired. They only appeared to be getting stronger with every passing day, and he craved her more than anything.
Standing behind Nathan on the swings, he kept his gaze on the gate.
“Higher, Daddy.”
He smiled, loving whenever Nathan called him Dad or Daddy. It was one of the highlights of his day, and it never got old, never.
Nathan let out a giggle.
He didn’t allow his son to go too high. Was this what Devil felt with him? These shared moments that seemed to mean so much?
Up and down, he pushed his son, watching him giggle and squeal with glee, and he loved every second of it.
“Mommy!”
Simon grabbed the swing chain and brought it to a stop as Nathan jumped off and started to run toward the car.
Tabitha got out with a smile and picked him up, swinging him around. “I missed you,” she said, kissing his cheek.
