He sighs while nodding. “Yeah, Dad got fucked over bigtime. That sounds good to me, the kids will be at school, so they won’t be underfoot.”
“Just the grandmothers,” I say, snickering.
“Yeah, and I’m sure they’ve noticed some things so that’s not too bad of an idea for them to be here,” he muses.
“I agree.”
Chapter Seven
Dex
I’m rather impressed at how Jolie seems to be taking everything in stride. I know it’s only been a week, but she’s already redone the closets in each of the kids’ rooms, she reconfigured the one in my room, and now she’s making lists of other things that need to be done around here to make things more accessible and manageable. Since it’s nice out, I figure I’ll take the kids outside and while they play, I’ll work in the yard since it’s gotten a bit overgrown.
“Gonna cut the grass and trim the bushes. Why don’t you bring that list outside and sit on the porch and relax? Abuela and Nonna have already cleaned the house and surprisingly, the laundry’s under control for once.”
She giggles then says, “That’s because when I was redoing the closets, I went through and culled out everything that was too small. Anniston’s stuff is currently in totes in the garage since they’re still too big for Arya, but all three of them need some additions to their wardrobe.”
“Then today we’ll putter outside and tomorrow, I’ll take y’all shopping. Better let Abuela and Nonna know in case there’s anything they need,” I reply. “Come on, I already have a pitcher of lemonade and a cup full of ice waiting for you.”
Standing, she grabs her notebook and pen while smiling at me. “Thanks, Dex, that was thoughtful of you.”
“I’ve got the Nerf guns,” Thad shouts as he wildly runs through the house. I hear the back door slam and start laughing.
She glances at me with mirth in her eyes, saying, “Looks like we might be battling before you get to do any yard work.”
I shrug because spending time with them while having fun isn’t a hardship. “It’ll get done at some point. I think they need this, don’t you?”
I mean, I’ve been out of the house for a long time, and I’m a grown-ass man, but I miss my parents, so I’m sure the kids are missing them even more because they’re all so young. I briefly think of the information Ms. Davis gave me for a grief counselor and make a mental note to reach out and make an appointment on Monday. Just like Jolie, I have a list that continues to grow about everything around here that I need to take care of before I head out for my next contract.
“I think we all do,” she admits. “I’m going to let Abuela and Nonna know to start their list for tomorrow’s adventure then I’ll be outside.”
“We’ll be waiting,” I tease, smirking at her.
“Girls against boys? Y’all are so going down,” she retorts.
She gives me a huge smile and I feel my breath catch in my throat. She’s a beautiful woman, but when she smiles, she’salmost incandescent. Despite the short time we’ve been married, I’ll be hard-pressed to remember that this is a marriage of convenience, especially with how my body reacts whenever she’s nearby. I’ve had control of my cock for a very long time, but when Jolie is in my sight, it reacts as though I’ve just seen aPlayboyor something. Granted those are tame as hell, but that’s what Brock and I drooled over when we were kids after he would lift them from his dad. Porn itself does nothing for me and I think that has more to do with the fact that it’s obviously fake as hell. Most of the actresses have so much plastic and filler in their bodies that they don’t really jiggle like a woman should when she’s being fucked from behind or bouncing on a dick.
Holding out my hand, I lace our fingers together as I walk her toward where I can hear my grandmothers talking in the unique language they’ve created for themselves. It’s a combination of all three languages, which means it can get confusing at times. As she walks toward them, I veer to the back door and bound down the porch steps hollering, “Okay, where’s my Nerf gun?”
The battle was long and ferocious, with a lot of laughter, a few tears when Arya tripped over her own two feet and skinned her knees, and encouragement from Abuela, who was shucking corn to be canned. Jolie played for a little while but feigned being tired although I suspect it has more to do with her leg than anything. I’ve noticed she has a special insert for one of her sneakers, but today, she was outside in her flip-flops. I’m proud of the fact that the kids didn’t ask her about the scars that are evident on her leg. They’re faded, of course, since she was so young when the accident happened, but it’s still obvious that she suffered an injury of some sort.
“Can I help, Dex?’ Thad asks as I pull out the mower.
He’s a bit young to be using the mower, but I can show him the right way to do things, starting with checking the spark plugs and making sure the blades are sharp enough.
“I’ll do the actual mowing, but before we start, there are a few things you should always do,” I tell him. “First, always check the yard to make sure nothing has blown into it from someone else’s house. Pick up any limbs or branches that might have fallen down, and make sure you wear the proper footwear.”
“So, you can’t cut the grass barefooted?” he questions.
“Absofuckinglutely not,” I retort. At his startled look, I tone it down a little. “Sorry, buddy, I’m used to the roughnecks I work with, and I shouldn’t use that kind of language around you or the girls. They may hear it, but it’s our job to protect them from that, okay?” He nods, so I continue. “I had another friend in high school who lost all of his toes on his left foot except for his big toe due to running over his own foot because the mower hit a rock. That’s one reason for checking the yard. Another friend almost got hit by a hubcap that flew into the yard from a passing car once.”
“So, always pay attention,” he mumbles to himself as though he is adding it to a mental list. “Got it!” he exclaims, grinning at me.
I can see he favors me and wince when I remember the growth spurt I hit right before I turned thirteen. Looks like another deep freezer is necessary as well. Maybe two. I’ll ask my grandmothers because they may want to organize them a certain way. Come to think of it, I may as well get another fridge just for drinks, especially with summer nearly upon us.
“Alright, let’s go check the yard, buddy. Girls, come and help Thad,” I call out since they’re sitting on the porch chilling with Jolie and my grandmothers.
“Do you want me to help?” Jolie asks.
