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“Ice cream cake! Yes!”
I shouldered my way around Mav and Brady with a nod. They were too busy stuffing their faces. I found a spare slice of counter space in the kitchen and unloaded what I’d brought.
“You would think this would be too much food,” Bonnie grumbled.
“Not with this crew.” I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“Kayla sent over that vegan stuff she makes too. Somehow she makes it taste good. I’ll never understand it.”
I peered around for the telltale to go packaging from Sharkey’s. Erica and her husband Jake had expanded the old bar on the lake into a barbecue and restaurant. I’d steal away their chef, Kayla, if I could manage it. The girl was a wonder in the kitchen. Somehow she made vegan and carnivore fare with equal exceptional quality.
I spotted my favorite corn fritters and made a mental note to grab some before they were gone.
“You ready for retirement, Grandma?” I opened the freezer hoping for a spare inch, but I settled for putting the cake in the fridge. It wouldn’t be in there long enough to melt.
She preened. “I’ve been ready. Erica keeps me hopping with my grandson. And of course, Sam and my new angel, Caden will fill this old heart to bursting.”
“Old?C’mon.” I bumped her hip.
Bonnie was our resident workout queen. Ever since the yoga studio had opened, she’d traded her senior Zumba classes for a yoga mat and looked better than most twenty-year-olds.
She slapped my arm. “Not too old for you, charmer. And now that I’ve got two Dispatchers to train, they just might be able to cover one of me.”
I laughed. She wasn’t bragging. Bonnie had single-handedly kept the CCPD humming along for as long as I could remember. I set out the deli platter and rolls. “I better grab one of those empanadas before they’re gone.”
“There’s a line to hold Caden, so you better eat fast.”
I was good with that. There were plenty of people at this shindig who wanted a turn with the little bundle of seven pounds.Sevenpounds. He was the size of a large puppy but infinitely more fragile.
Nope.
To distract myself, I filled a plate and made the rounds as I plowed through my plate of food. I hadn’t eaten all day. Sunday was paperwork and reset day since The Mason Jar was only open for dinner. Mav and Van were a welcome distraction as I listened to them bust Brady’s balls about being less than helpful during his daughter’s current ear infection.
The big, bad cop turned into a puddle when his daughter was sick. Or when she smiled at him. I’d witnessed that one firsthand. It was hard to believe a little person could tie so many men in this town into knots.
Then again, I was actively avoiding the newborn taking center stage by the Christmas tree, so who was I to say a damn thing. I was about to melt back into the forest of McNeills to hide when my brother zeroed in on me. He waved me over.
Jared was sitting on the arm of the loveseat where Gina was feeding the baby. A large blanket was draped over her shoulder for a bit of privacy.
I swallowed hard and straightened my shoulders. It was just a baby. And otherwise occupied so I didn’t have to hold him right now. It was perfect timing.
Then I could let all the ladies chomping at the bit for some baby time to take their turns.
Easy peasy.
“Unca Mase!” I heard the squeal before I felt the impact of Sami, my niece, hit me at the knees.
I set my mostly empty plate down and snickered when Lola snagged it and trotted off, tail wagging proudly. This little one, I could handle. I swooped up Sami and hooked her onto my hip. “What’s up, buttercup?”
She patted my face. “Cake.”
I winced at her sticky fingers. “How did you get into the cake already?”
“Unca Bray!”
“Typical.” All the cops were called uncle these days. Sami may have come into our lives without security, but she was thriving with all of us around her these days.
She bowed back. “Down!”
