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“I’m sorry, Carter. I didn’t mean to heave more shit on her back. She’s got enough to worry with as is. I rely on Lan too damn much when Belle is my responsibility.”
“You’re not hearin’ me,” he cuts me off. “It isn’t about doin’ too much for Belle, Mad. We love that kid like she’s our own. It’s about how Laney is processin’ everything.” He shakes his head to clear it, then stands and puts the coffee cups in the sink.
“We’ve had enough of the heavy tonight. You’re soberin’ up, but you need to put your ass on the couch and catch a few hours of sleep before goin’ home.”
“Yeah, okay. At least in the mornin’ I can make amends with Laney.”
Carter sputters out a sarcastic laugh. “Prepare to pay up, brother. That’s a tough shell to crack.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
JORDAN
I have no clue how kids get by on almost no sleep. Then again, maybe they slept well considering when I woke up this morning, I was laying scrunched up on the floor in our makeshift tent that encompassed my entire living room. Kenny and Belle were both stretched out like the King and Queen of the castle. I’m pretty sure at some point during the night I received a swift kick to the kidney and a jab to the jaw, courtesy of two horrible bedfellows.
I fueled Kenny and Belle with pancakes, protein-packed but not even trying to slide in sugar-free syrup—I’m pretty sure Belle has some kind of device that would have alerted her that the right amount of sugar wasn’t in that bottle. We cleaned up the tent, dressed for the day, and shot some hoops out back until Madden sent me a text.
>>Can you meet me with Belle down at the pier? I’m going to go for a run.
>Sure. We will meet you there. ??
>>Thanks.
Erin is still retching up everything that touches her stomach, so I decide to help her out by taking Girlie, the family’s three-year-old Golden Doodle, with us to the beach. I send Madden a quick text.
> Meet us over at the dog park.
>>Uhhhhhh ... why?
>>Girlie is playing.
Kenny, Belle, and I are sitting on the bench watching Girlie run around with a couple of other dogs. “I had fun with you and Ken-man, JoJo. I wikes sleepin’ over at your house.”
“I’m glad, sweets. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
She shoots me a finger gun and a wink, saying, “Otay, but next time, you sleep at my plwace. My daddy won’t mind.”
Ooooo-kay then!
A loud, piercing whistle pulls my attention away from Belle. I look in the direction of the noise to find Madden standing outside the fence.
“Daddy, look at Kenny’s doggy doo, isn’t she the prettiest?” Belle exclaims, walking over to him with Girlie following her. Even animals get caught up in that little girl’s whirlwind.
Madden looks at Girlie with a mixture of disgust and fear on his face. Is he afraid of dogs? Surely this big bad construction worker isn’t afraid of ‘man’s best friend’.
“Come on out of there, Belle,” he barks, “Daddy needs hugs. I missed you.”
Belle, making no move toward the fence, stands at Girlie’s side and strokes her back. “Know what I need, Daddy?” she asks, mischief in her eyes. “One of deese.” Jesus, I swear, every bit of color drains from his Madden’s face, and I have to take this opportunity to give him hell about it; he’s seen me sucking a banana for Christ’s sake.
“What’s wrong, Mad?” I tease and offer him a wink. “Scared of a little puppy?” That seems to snap him out of it. He makes eye contact with me, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that serious.
“You saying you want me dead, Jo?” he asks, and confusion seeps from me, what the fuck? As I open my mouth to say, what I have not a damn clue, he continues, “I’m allergic to dogs.”
“How did I not know this? I don’t remember him having any allergies listed on his medical forms.”
“You wouldn’t, darlin’. I’m allergic to cleanin’ up their shit and them randomly shovin’ their snouts where they don’t belong.” Madden pinches his eyes closed and visibly shudders, as if recalling a traumatic event.
“Damn allwerges,” comes from my side, where Belle stands.
