Peter tugged Ian’s shirt again.“No salsa for dwagons!”
Okay.He was confused.But that was okay, because he was going to read them the book, right?Right.
Victoria came thundering back down the stairs, sounding like a herd of elephants.“Dragons Love Tacos!”she yelled, waving the book over her head.
“Tori.Love.Inside voices, please.”Ian sighed and rolled his eyes.“She’s not the best at that.”
“It’s okay.I’m not trying to sleep right now.”He gave Ian a wink.“So do guys want to come sit on the bed while I read to you.I just need you to be careful of my leg.”
“Are you sure?”
“We’ll be good, Daddy!”Tori announced, at the top of her lungs, while Peter just nodded.
Okay, cool.He shifted so they had room to sit up with him by his upper body, and patted the bed.“Do you guys need help getting up?”If they did, that was going to be on Ian.
“Daddy will do it.”Tori looked at her father and held her hands up.“Me first.”
“You first.Right.”Ian eased her up on the bed, then reached for Peter, who looked terrified.
“It’s okay, son.I promise.He won’t bite even a little, and I’m right here.”
Peter glanced at him and at his sister, eyes huge.
JP had to admit, that hurt.He knew the kids didn’t know him because they hadn’t even been a year old when he’d been traded, but surely he didn’t seem like a monster.“I don’t bite,” he agreed.
“‘mere brudder.I ‘tect you.I’mstrong.”Tori curled her arms and made a muscle.
“Look at that,” JP said, hoping he sounded suitably impressed.
Obviously it worked, because she beamed, and Peter came to sit beside her.Those were his babies, and this was the first time he’d read them a bedtime story.
He sucked.
He read the book with some voices.The thing was funny and he wound up laughing more than once.
Tori watched him, focused and laughing with him.Peter started flagging early, his eyelids going heavy.
Soon the little boy was sleeping, resting hard against his side and hip.
Wow.That was an incredible feeling, the trust, the sweet, warm body snuggled against him.Why hadn’t he insisted that Ian come with him to Florida again?
Why had he let everything fall apart?
None of it made sense.
By the time the story was done, Ian was dozing in the chair, and Tori rolled her eyes.“Silly boys.”
He chuckled.“I’m a boy too,” he reminded her.Of course he was probably the silliest of all for reasons she didn’t even know.
“Oh.”She shrugged.“I read now?”
“You can read?”
“Uh-huh.”She grabbed the book.“Dragon hungry for the chicken-bird.Dragon eat the taco.Fire!”
He laughed again, her version almost better than the actual book.“Very good,” he told her.He was supposed to encourage the reading, right?
She beamed at him.“You like hamburgies or tacos?”
