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“Understand what?” JJ asked.
Gray grinned.
The older kids saw it as a game to follow their gruff, half-militant uncle, whereas the younger ones had the attention spans of goldfish. So this would definitely be interesting to watch later. Gray was suddenly glad Avery was filming.
“Fifteen minutes left,” Ryan said.
“I only need ten,” Darius replied. “All right, let’s go, troopers. Jayden, Abby, Ace—remember what I said.”
Gray narrowed his eyes. Okay, Darius was smart. He’d delegated. He was using the three who were over ten—because they could shoulder a bigger responsibility.
For the first time, Gray felt a little threatened. Besides, there were plenty of things Darius could give him from the crafts store, because while someone was always busy building the next project, whether it was a chicken coop or a shed, most of Gray’s projects took place indoors. With self-reliance as their mutual goal, he’d gotten into everything from soap-making and candle-making to making his own preserves, potato chips, lemonade, and even sewing.
Hell, Darius could probably build him a cabinet for whatever hobby Gray had in his damn sleep. With his hands tied behind his back.
Case, Ryan, and Avery followed Darius’s squad into the store, leaving Gray alone with Abel, Madigan, and Lincoln.
The silence was incredible.
“Can I see what you bought?” Abel walked over to the truck, while scarfing down a plateful of scrambled eggs.
“You make the rules, buddy.” Gray smirked. “For the record, remember when I hosted your bachelor party? The personal chef? The massages? This wasn’t it.”
“I clearly went to the wrong bachelor party.” Lincoln frowned.
“Thanks,” Madigan said.
Abel laughed. And he glanced at Gray. “It’s not over, is it? There’s all day tomorrow too.”
Yeah, but Ryan and Avery were in charge of that, for the most part. Or that was Gray’s impression.
Abel chewed on the inside of his cheek and looked hesitant. “I thought you’d like to include the kids in an activity.”
Fuck. A rock of guilt smacked Gray right in the face, and he reached out and squeezed Abel’s hand. “I’m just bitching, hon. This morning is giving me memories to last a lifetime—good memories. I’m stoked I get to share it with my kids.”
Abel looked relieved, thankfully. “Okay, good.”
Most of the guilt faded from Gray, and he turned the rest of it into determination to savor every moment. He hadn’t been lying. He was going to remember today for as long as he lived, and, more than that, his boys would remember it for a long time too.
“We should start packing up,” Madigan told Abel. “I’ll handle the grills. You take down the tape and stow away the coolers.”
“Yessir.”
Gray remained right where he was, still recovering from the shopping spree.
While Madigan brought out a bucket of sand to smother the heat, Lincoln leaned against the truck and lit up a smoke.
“Don’t tell Ade,” he said.
Gray snorted softly. As if she didn’t know he snuck a smoke from time to time. “Is that the marriage advice you’re sending me off with?”
He exhaled smoke through a smirk and grew pensive. “I reckon my advice is, don’t take advice from me.”
The man was selling himself short. He was a great husband and a great dad. Gray had basically grown up with Lincoln nearby for every teenage emergency.
“Took me a while to see it, but you’re good for each other,” he said. “I see a bit of myself in Darius—we’re not too different. Same as you share some traits with Adeline. And he and I need your type in our lives to live to the fullest. Someone who makes everything meaningful.”
Gray smiled. That felt really good to hear. “You both show your affection through countless projects.”
He chuckled. “Miles-long to-do lists?”
Gray nodded.
So did Lincoln. “Sounds about right.”
Darius had told Gray once that he used to “build to survive.” Build to have a place to sleep, build to make something functional, build to keep himself occupied. But these days, with Gray and their family in mind, Darius built for the future. He wanted everyone to be as comfortable as possible on their mountain, and many of the projects on his lists were to benefit someone else. Like the low fence along the stream—so the kids wouldn’t fall in. The new chicken coop, which made it easier for Jayden to do his chores with Darius on the weekends. The planting beds he’d built for Gray’s little medicinal garden. The barbecue area for summer evenings with the family.
Lincoln was similar with his work. While he’d hire someone to make changes around the house, he was building a legacy that would take care of his family for generations to come. Second Verse Studios was a big deal in the music industry, and Lincoln Hayes’s Wikipedia page was impressive. Case probably knew it by heart.
“I just know what it’s like to have someone who makes you wanna spend more time at home,” Lincoln admitted. “It’s the best damn feeling. It’s the right feeling, if you ask me. I don’t ever feel restless there. And I think Darius will agree with me—and that’s because of the poor souls we convinced to spend the rest of their lives with us.”
