“Nana Kaye brought dessert, so we’re all set in that department.” Ronan checked several items off on his clipboard list.
“Out of curiosity, what areyougoing to be doing?” Jude asked. He took Jace’s spot at the sink and was washing potatoes.
“He’s gonna boss us all around. What else?” Fitz asked with a chuckle.
“Don’t start, Cap. I was up late last night putting the little toys in the egg hunt eggs and then doing the rodent’s duty around the house.”
“The rodent?” Cope asked.
“Yeah, you know, the head honcho, the big cheese.” Ronan made rabbit ears behind Ten’s head.
“Ronan had a near fatal slipup in front of Everly yesterday. He almost revealed the true identity of Hop-a-long.” Ten barked a quick laugh. “There’s nothing quite like trying to backpedal with a psychic kindergartener.” It had been quite the situation, with Ronan commenting that he still needed to get the Easter Bunny’s work done for him.
“What did you do?” Cope asked.
“He abandoned me to handle things myself.” Ronan pouted.
“Poor baby.” Ten patted Ronan’s shoulder. “You did alright though.”
“Yeah, I just explained that I was talking about the organized egg hunt for the kids and not the bunny’s actual job. I think she bought it, but who knows.” Ronan shrugged.
“Dad?” Everly asked, walking into the kitchen with an empty juice pouch.
“Yes, little miss.” Ronan knelt down in front of his daughter.
“The kids wish they could have had an egg hunt like we just did.” Everly’s eyes were glassy. She looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
“They’re here today?” Ronan swiped at the lone tear that coursed down her cheek.
Everly nodded and wrapped her arms around Ronan’s neck.
“You know we’re doing everything we can to help them, right?”
“Yes, but we have to work faster.” Everly pulled back from Ronan, her damp eyes were on Fitzgibbon.
“What do you mean we have to work faster?” Fitz asked.
“I’m not sure. The kids are telling me we need to hurry, but they don’t know why either. You’re gonna help them, right, Uncle Fitz?”
“We’re doing everything we can, honey. I promise. The three of us are going to visit Miss Fairbanks’s husband in the morning.” Fitz pointed to himself, Jude, and Ronan.
“I want to come with you.”
Ronan’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t think that’s the best idea. He might have been the one who hurt Miss Fairbanks.”
“I understand that, Dad. I’ll be able to tell if he’s the one who hurt her. Just like Daddy does when he works with you. Please?” Everly’s steady gaze met Ronan’s head-on.
“We’ll talk about it, and I’ll let you know later, okay?” Ronan looked up at Ten, who nodded in agreement.
“Okay. I promise to work as hard as I can to help if you let me come with you.” Everly pressed a kiss to Ronan’s cheek and headed back into the living room.
“Fuck me with a chainsaw,” Ronan muttered, getting back to his feet. His eyes were on Tennyson. “What do you think?”
Ten sighed. He’d read nearly a hundred parenting books from the time they’d decided to have a baby through now. None of those books even remotely addressed a situation like this. “Well, there are take your daughter to work days in offices, but I can’t imagine taking my child into a coal mine.”
“What?” Jude asked, his trademark sarcasm gone.
“It wouldn’t be a question to send Everly to work with Ronan if he was an accountant or a used car salesman. There’s nothing inherently dangerous there, but the idea of sending her into a coal mine, a steel factory, or an auto mechanic shop would be an automatic no.” Ten shook his head. “I mean, I know her gifts are stronger than mine, but this man could be a murderer. A crafty one at that, if he’s gotten away with his crime for over fifty years.”
