“Har har. Those of us who didn’t get yelled at all day don’t get to be mean.”
“What exactly do youthinkhappens to me at a practice?”
“Oh, fuck off,” Rowan said, but it lacked any heat. In fact, Jordy would say he sounded fond.
Warmth filled Jordy’s chest, and he smiled. “Come on. Let’s go sit on the couch and watch some of your bad TV, and you can tell me what you like on your pizza.”
“Pizza?”
“Yes. I’m ordering because you’ve done enough meal prep. Unless you’d rather something else? It doesn’t have to be pizza.” Jordy settled onto the couch and tossed Rowan the remote. “So, what’s it going to be?”
By the time the pizza arrived, Rowan had found an episode ofCSI: Torontoand snuggled under a throw blanket. His muscles were slowly relaxing, and he looked kind of adorable curled up in the corner of the sectional. Especially when his nose wrinkled every time the TV showed anything gross.
It wasn’t a bad way to end the day, regardless of the way things started. Jordy could get used to this.
ROWAN STUMBLEDout of his room the next morning in search of caffeine. He’d fallen in love with Jordy’s stupidly expensive pour-over set and would grieve its loss once he inevitably moved out.
Gem liked to mock of him for his un-English morning routine, but Rowan figured his Canadian genes must be responsible for his coffee taste, because he refused to start the day with anything but a properly brewed cup.
Five minutes later, he sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee and noodling around on his phone, when soft feet shuffled into the kitchen.
An adorable sleep-rumpled Kaira wandered in, rubbing her eyes. She paused in the doorway when she caught sight of him, her eyes wide. Rowan held his breath and prayed not everything was ruined after yesterday’s disaster. What if she still hated him? What if she threw another fit?
Kaira broke the stalemate when she shuffled enthusiastically in his direction and crawled into his lap. Or attempted to. Rowan did most of the heavy lifting to make thathappen, as her limbs were clearly still sleepy. Thankfully, they managed to get her arranged in his lap without any disastrously placed elbows or knees.
Once she’d curled up under his chin, the last of yesterday’s tension melted away and relief and affection filled Rowan’s chest. He murmured into her hair, “Good morning, poppet.”
Kaira hummed and snuggled closer. The sharp contrast to her usual behavior surprised him—he’d never seen her so quiet or so snuggly—but since she didn’t look upset, he figured he should take advantage while it lasted.
Fifteen minutes later, he was glad he had. She was wiggling in his lap and chattering away as if she’d absorbed his caffeine through osmosis, clearly having left all of yesterday’s grumpiness in the past.
“Why do you sound different from other people?”
“I grew up in England. It’s another country.”
“Does everyone in England sound like you?”
“Sort of. Some people do.” Rowan wasn’t sure how to explain regional accents to a six-year-old.
“Do you like pancakes?”
“Yes?”
“Daddy makes the best pancakes. We should ask him to make some.”
“Maybe when he gets up.”
“He probably went to the gym. He goes really early.” She swung her legs, little heels bumping against his shins. “Do you like to make sand castles?”
Rowan blinked. “I’m not sure I’ve ever built one.” His parents hadn’t been keen on beach vacations, at least not with their kid in tow.
Kaira stilled and stared at Rowan with eyes wide and mouth open. “Never?” Clearly Rowan had committed a faux pas. “Sandcastles are the best! We should go to the beach and build one. Daddy can show you how.”
“What am I showing now?” Jordy strolled into the room dressed for the gym in an Under Armour T-shirt and shorts that strained around his thighs and biceps. Had Jordy bulked up recently? If clothes could talk, these would probably beg for mercy.
“Sand castles! Rowan never made sand castles at the beach! His daddy didn’t show him how, so we should show him. Can we take Rowan to the beach?”
Jordy headed to the fridge to grab a bottle of Gatorade. “It’s getting a bit late in the year for a trip to the beach, peanut. Rowan and I will keep an eye on the weather and our schedules, and if we can, we’ll go, but Rowan’s sand castle education might have to wait until next year.”
