All Kidding Aside - Macy Blake Page 0,21

He pulled the tray keeping Gus in place out and lifted him from the high chair.

“You shouldn’t have done that. It sets a poor example for the others.”

Riggs scoffed. “You see anyone else with their eyes not on the food being prepared?”

Victor glanced at the other children and realized Riggs wasn’t wrong. Several adults prepared dishes of food at the main table and all the kids except Gus were watching them eagerly.

Gus, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content in Riggs’s arms. Not that Victor blamed him at all. They were pretty comfortable arms. Victor’s face heated, and he turned his attention away from bulging biceps and an adorable toddler to the rows of tables and chattering children.

Nick pointed to a couple of empty seats at a table on the other side of the room, so Victor touched Riggs’s arm and gestured. Riggs and Gus were apparently in deep discussion about something vitally important. Gus chattered and waved his hands around, only throwing around words Victor understood every few syllables. Bird featured prominently in their talk along with a lot of babbling.

Victor sighed and sat down on the empty seat. The children at the table immediately began staring at him and Riggs. He’d left Riggs the chair on the end so he had a little more room for his long legs. Riggs sat down and put Gus on his lap, still completely focused on the little guy.

It wasn’t cute. Or sweet. Or adorable. Or heart melting. Nope. It didn’t make Victor long for something he’d never in his life wanted either. Sure didn’t. At all. He was completely committed to his family and their business. He didn’t have a partner or children or dreams of settling down. His idea of a good time was yachting in the Mediterranean followed by a few weeks at a villa in Italy for good measure. Not… this.

“Bird!”

Victor turned his attention to Gus and found him reaching out his hands. He clambered over the table and onto Victor’s lap before Victor could form a protest.

“Gus, you shouldn’t do that. Use your manners.”

“Gus!”

“Yes, you are Gus.”

“Bear!”

“Yes, Riggs is a bear. When was the last time you washed your hands?”

Puteri popped into existence beside them. “All the children were cleansed prior to dinner. Puteri would not neglect her duties.”

Before Victor could assure her he wasn’t questioning her abilities, she’d snapped some sort of plastic bib thing around Gus’s neck and popped away again.

“Getti!”

“Is there a chance you could learn to speak in more than shouted one-word sentences, Gus?”

“No!”

Riggs cackled.

“Not funny, Bear.”

“I think it’s pretty amusing, Bird.”

Gus grinned and leaned into Victor, letting out a very lengthy sigh.

Moments later, giant bowls of spaghetti swimming in sauce were placed in the center of the table along with baskets of buttery garlic bread and bowls of salad. Nick let out a screeching whistle, which seemed to be the sign to start eating. The kids clearly knew the routine as they reached for the bowls and began serving themselves. Older kids helped younger ones manage the bowls and adults meandered between the tables, helping out as well.

“Getti!” Gus yelled happily and reached for the bowl as it was handed to Victor. There was no way Victor could manage the bowl as well as a squirming Gus, so Riggs took the bowl from him and served them. Gus immediately reached for a handful of pasta. Victor stopped him with milliseconds to spare.

“We are not heathens, Gus. Wait.”

“Bird?” Gus said as he pouted and stuck his lip out.

“Let me cut it up for you, and then you may use your utensils.”

“Getti?”

Riggs laughed again, and Gus reached for him with his pout still in place. Riggs took Gus in his arms but didn’t let him reach for the spaghetti on Riggs’s plate either. “We gotta wait on our bird to cut it up, Gus.”

Victor took the hint and cut the spaghetti on his plate into small pieces. His Italian friends would faint at the sight, but he had no idea how they managed to feed their children without making a total mess. He’d have to make a few phone calls later to learn— Wait. No, he didn’t need to do that. It was fine.

Once he finished, Gus dove toward him again. Victor scooped a small bite onto a spoon and held it out. Gus took it eagerly.

“You’re good at this,” Riggs said softly.

“I most certainly am not.”

“Yeah, Victor, you are. That kid trusts you completely.”

Victor fed Gus another bite and glanced around the room.