Page 4 of Daddy Detectives: Episode 2
“Yes. Why don’t you guys come for dinner? Layla and Jason are coming this evening, too. It’ll be nice to have the whole family together. And of course we can’t wait to see the babies again. How about six-thirty?”
“Sounds great. We’ll be there.”
“Tyler? Is everything okay?”
I know she and Martin worry about Ian. They’re afraid something will happen to undo all the progress he’s made. “Everything’s fine—Ian’s fine. But there is a matter we need your help with. We’ll see you tonight.”
After ending the call, I head back upstairs to find Ian stretched out on our bed, his arms wrapped around my pillow.
He might actually be asleep, so I’m quiet as I sit on the edge of the bed and wait to see if he stirs. He doesn’t make any sounds, but I see his body tensing. “Ian?”
There’s no response.
He’s stress-sleeping. I’ve learned this is his way of blocking out whatever’s bothering him. I turn off the light in the room and lie down next to him. Research on Rhonda Mitchell—if indeed she’s who we think she is—can wait. Right now, this is where I need to be.
I lie against him, spooning him from behind. My arm goes around his waist, and I pull him in tight against me. He makes a sleepy sound and sighs when I press my lips to the back ofhis head. When he links our fingers together, I realize he’s not actually asleep. He’s just in classic Ian avoidance mode.
“Your mom invited us to dinner tonight at 6:30. Your sister and Jason will be there, too.”
He makes a noncommittal sound.
“Please try not to worry,” I tell him. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” His voice is muffled by his pillow.
“Then who?”
“Our babies. I keep imagining them in the same situation I was raised in.” He shudders.
I tighten my hold on him. “That willneverhappen.”
“I don’t understand how anyone could do that to a child—leave them alone for hours at a time, in the dark, with little to no food, nothing but water to drink.” His voice breaks. “They’resohelpless.”
“Shh.” I kiss his shoulder before pressing my nose into the crook of his neck and breathing in his scent. When I trail soft kisses along his sensitive neck, he groans quietly.
I’ll never let anyone hurt my family.
I lie beside Ian for a good part of the afternoon, my arm securely around his waist in an effort to reassure him he’s not alone. The emotional scars from his early childhood run deep. Even though the Alexanders gave him all the love and acceptance a child could need, those wounds still lurk in his psyche. It doesn’t take much to bring the nightmares back. The fear of being trapped, of being alone in the dark, of being hungry. He remembers what it felt like to be hungry. It boggles my mind that someone with his resources could harbor such basic fears. As his husband, my job is to make him feel safe. Secure. Loved.
I try not to dwell too much on the horrors of his past because when I do, my anger gets the best of me. And I won’t be any good to Ian if my emotions are tied up in knots.
I’m so warm and comfortable that I end up dozing off for a while. It’s not until Ian stirs that I wake up.
“Looks like nap time is over,” he says as he sits up with a groan. “I’m coming, buddy.”
I sit up, too, and lean against the headboard as I watch Ian pick up our son and cradle him in his arms. He pats Will’s back and bounces him gently as he presses his lips to the baby’s forehead. “Who’s Daddy’s sweet boy?” he croons softly.
My chest tightens at the sight of the two of them, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion.
I’m a father.
We both are.
And we’re responsible for these two tiny lives.
I never dreamed I could have this in my life, and I owe it all to Ian.
Chapter 2 – Ian
