Cody grinned at TJ, who stood shaking his head at Arthur. “Arthur! Is that it?”
“Well, he’s here, so he’s alive and he looks okay, so zombies or military?”
“Isn’t there a game with both?” Cody followed Arthur into the living room, waved at Toni, who was struggling to stand, then went into the family room. “I haven’t played on a console in years.”
“What have you been doing?” Arthur sat and picked up the controller, then shouted, “Lincoln! Cody’s here. He’s back from the dead!” Cody burst out laughing. They didn’t care that he’d been gone for four years. “You can watch me if you haven’t played in a while. Don’t want you to get me killed. I spent hours getting this far in the game.”
TJ walked in with Macy balanced on his hip and Toni next to him. “Hey Toni. Hi Macy! You were a baby when I last saw you and your mom and dad hadn’t picked a name yet.”
Macy stuck her thumb in her mouth, her dark hair curling over her shoulders. Cody noticed they had the same shape eyes, similar color, too. The Paarman genes running through them, only he wasn’t a Paarman anymore, and he had no regrets changing his name. When he’d made the decision to come back for TJ he’d known who he wanted to share a name with.
Carter came in from the kitchen and Lincoln pushed past everyone. He stood next to Cody, looked him up and down, then looked at the monitor and shouted, “Behind you! Shoot him!” Jumping up and down, he pointed to the monitor. “He’s going to kill you!”
Cody grinned. “It’s great to be here.”
“They’re not usually so rude when we have guests.” Carter gave the boys a stern look.
“He’s family.” Arthur shot something on the game, then fist bumped his brother. “Take that, you piece of…poop.”
“Oh, good catch,” Cody murmured.
Arthur grinned. “I’ve had to change them all. Like they don’t swear around us, but we’re not allowed to swear around them because we’re kids.” He rolled his eyes again, then hit Lincoln when he tried to take his controller. “Get lost. You’ve got your own.”
Toni sighed. “Want a drink, Cody?”
“Water, please.” Cody stood and walked over to TJ, smiling at Macy. “Hey Macy. I like your hair. It looks like mine and we have the same eyes too. Look.” Cody pointed to his eyes. “Your dad and Cass are brothers.”
“Unc Cass your daddy?”
“Hmm.” Cody gave her a closed lip smile. “Yeah. Something like that.”
“Come through to the kitchen.” Arthur and Lincoln screamed at the monitor. Carter stared at them, sighed, and shook his head. “We’ll be able to talk in there because these two don’t know how to behave in front of guests.”
“They’re family, so we don’t have—Kill it! Shoot it more!”
Cody tickled Macy, earning a small giggle, and then she held her arms out and next thing he knew, he was holding her. So small and light, but she stared up at him with wide blue eyes and Cody couldn’t help but smile at her. “What do you like to drink?”
“Choccy milk.”
“Oh, the good stuff. I like vanilla milkshakes best.”
Macy shook her head, her curls bouncing around her shoulders. “Choccy milk is best.”
“Macy, get off him. Let Cody sit down.” Macy stuck her thumb in her mouth, looked at Cody, then nestled her head on his chest. At that moment, Cody had a vision of him and TJ with a little girl of their own, and quickly shoved it away. No chance that was happening. Well, not for a very long time.
Sitting where Toni indicated, Cody juggled Macy until he found a comfortable position to hold her. Placing his water in front of him, Toni stroked his hair, then Macy’s. “Child friendly words, please.” Pulling the chair out for her, Carter waited until she sat and rested a hand on her extended stomach.
“How are you feeling?” TJ asked.
“Much better than I was. Thanks for helping out. I know you’ve had a lot going on with work.” Toni sighed and ran a hand over her belly. “I’ll be glad when I give birth, and we are absolutely not having any more. I am done.”
“Want me to have the kids this weekend? I know things got all mixed up.”
“You had what, two weekends off in how long? And you had the three of them and you were working all those hours as well. At least things have slowed down a little.”
“I’m here now.” Cody moved Macy slightly, but she didn’t react. “I don’t mind having the kids when TJ is working.”
“I look at you and remember the surly teenager, then you say something like that, and it reminds me you’ve grown up.” Toni smiled. “I’m glad you came back. I might have said that once or twice.”
