He chuckles. “Yeah… something like that,” he says and it piques my interest.
“Okay, well, we’re on our way back. We should be there in half an hour. Are the others back yet?” I ask Clay as I hand Morgan her phone and start the car then pull away from the curb.
“No, not yet.” He chuckles again, and I’m pretty sure I hear Shane laughing as well in the background. “Just get back quickly,” he whispers into the phone and hangs up.
“Well, that was odd,” I say, driving us through the city and back to my home.
“Can you guys picture Julian taking care of those kids?” Ronnie snickers in the back seat.
“No,” Morgan and I answer simultaneously, which makes us all laugh harder.
We pull up to the house twenty-five minutes later. Somehow, traffic was on our side, which is a rarity in New York, and the ride went smoothly. I park in front of the house, since all the parking spaces in the garage are taken, and climb out of the car.
Ronnie and Morgan quickly get to the trunk and retrieve all the dresses before making our way up the steps and into my home. It isn’t until we reach the living room that Clay’s laughter from earlier makes sense.
“Oh my…” Morgan murmurs while Ronnie snorts and I gasp.
Clay is standing with Theo in his arms while Trinity is lying on her stomach on a mat. Shane is sitting with one of my nephews in his arms, although from this angle I can’t tell which.
But what has us all giggling into our hands is Julian sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of Gracie as she places a tiara on his head and hands him a toy wand.
He’s removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves to his dress shirt. His face is a picture of a scowl mixed with the fakest and tightest smile I’ve ever seen him wear for the little girl.It’s epic. I’ll have to ask Shane later about those cameras hidden in the house, and if we got a clear shot of Julian. I want to keep this image forever.
One of us giggles too loudly and Julian’s head whips to us. He clears his throat, excusing himself politely to my niece, and hands her back her wand. He then manages to stand from the ground in a graceful way and walks over to us with that hard expression, no sign of fake amusement left on his face.
“We shall never speak of this. Am I understood correctly?” he says adamantly.
“Yup,” Ronnie says holding in her laugh.
“Very.” Morgan gives him big eyes, but her face shows just how funny she finds this.
He then turns his stern gaze to mine, waiting.
“Mhm.” I nod, sucking in my lips. “But umm…”
He sighs with annoyance and closes his eyes. “What is it?”
“You… you still have…” I point above my head as his eyes snap open to me.
He quickly rips it off his head and returns to Gracie. “Your crown, Miss Gracie.” He sets it on her head and bows as she curtsies him.
He returns toward us. “If you will excuse me, now that you all have returned, I believe I have fulfilled my juvenile obligations,” he says and walks off to I don’t know where with his phone in hand.
“Do you think he forces himself to talk like that, or it’s natural?” Morgan asks, watching him leave.
“If it is an act, that must be exhausting to do.” Ronnie laughs and takes all the dresses from our hands. “I’ll set these in your room for later, is that okay?”
“Yeah, of course.” I smile at her as she heads in the direction of my bedroom, then turn toward Shane as Morgan goes to her husband and children.
When I round the couch, I notice Maddox sleeping in his little rocker, which means Parker is the one in Shane’s arms. “Hi,” I whisper as I crouch down in front of my fiancé. His hair is slightly tussled, and he seems a bit exhausted. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. We had a mini crisis, and I smell like vomit and milk, but I think we’re okay now.” He nods, his eyes a little terrified.
I giggle lightly. “All the kids seem pretty fine to me. I think you did a wonderful job.” I place my hand on his knee.
“Don’t talk too quickly, Dante has a little bump on his forehead.” He makes a displeased face.
“What happened? And where is he now?” I ask, looking around for the little Hayes boy.
