Page 59 of Love At Close Range

“Give it to ’em. I won’t have a problem going to straighten some shit out if need be,” Lennox replied before taking a drink.

Rhyse laughed and went back to eating while I watched the two of them. That was happening more lately. I would catch myself watching without even realizing I was doing it. They hadn’t had enough time together for their relationship to feel as comfortable as it already did, but somehow it was. Lennox wasn’t overdoing the father thing, and Rhyse wasn’t treating him like somebody he had just met. They joked, argued, and talked like they were figuring each other out without making a big production out of it.

The years Lennox had missed still bothered me if I let myself think about it for too long. Seven years was a long time. Neither of us could fix that, though. All Lennox could do was be here now, and so far, he was doing exactly that.

“You staring,” Lennox acknowledged, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“I was not,” I lied.

“You were, but it’s all good. I be doing the same shit.” He smirked.

By the time we finished eating, Rhyse had somehow convinced Lennox to let him order cheesecake after I had already told him he was too full for dessert. Four bites later, he pushed the plate away like I knew he would.

“I’m full,” he announced.

“I told you not to get it because you’d already had enough, but I see you neither or your father know how to listen.” I rolled my eyes.

Lennox reached across the table and pulled the plate toward himself and picked up the fork. “I got it,” he said as he started eating the cheesecake.

I laughed and shook my head as he finished the cheesecake in an attempt to save Rhyse. I thought it was cute, but he better not try that shit again.

It was close to nine by the time we left, and all that energy Rhyse had at dinner disappeared before we made it halfway home. I turned around when the back seat got too quiet and found him asleep with his head tilted against the window.

“All that mouth finally wore him out,” I said.

“You gone get up off my boy, Ree,” Lennox laughed.

“Your boy is a handful,” I countered.

Lennox smiled as he glanced in the rearview mirror. A few minutes later his hand settled on my thigh, and I looked down at it before placing mine over his. I didn’t think about what it meant or what we were doing. I just left it there for the rest of the ride.

When we got home, Lennox carried Rhyse upstairs while I grabbed our things from the car and locked up. By the time I made it to Rhyse’s room, Lennox had him sitting on the edge of the bed half asleep while helping him out of his clothes.

“Come on, man. Help me out,” Lennox told him as he pulled his shirt over his head.

“I’m tired,” Rhyse mumbled as he held his arms up.

“I can see that,” Lennox laughed as he undressed him.

Rhyse lifted his arms so Lennox could finish getting him changed before he immediately tried to climb under the covers.

“I’ll brush my teeth in the morning,” he mumbled.

“Absolutely not. Get up,” I fussed as he groaned.

“Ma…” he groaned.

“Don’t Ma me. You ate steak, fries, cheesecake, and drank lemonade. You are not going to bed with a nasty mouth,” I fussed.

“Aye, man. Come on. I’ll go with you,” Lennox offered as he ushered Rhyse across the hall to the bathroom

That was apparently all it took because he dragged himself out of bed and followed Lennox into the bathroom without another complaint. I stood there shaking my head because somehow his daddy had gotten more cooperation in a few weeks than I had gotten in years.

A little while later, Rhyse was finally asleep and I was in my bedroom taking off my jewelry when Lennox came in. He closed the door behind him and walked over to where I stood at my dresser, sliding his arms around my waist from behind.

“You enjoyed yourself tonight?” He asked before kissing the side of my neck.

“I did,” I simpered.