Cowboy Logic - B.A. Tortuga Page 0,63
me?” She looked at him like he’d kicked her dog.
“I did.” He raised his eyebrow at her. “I threw away a bean from your brother’s nose. I am at my limit, kiddo.”
“That’s really gross,” she shot back.
“Boys are gross. I should know. I’ve been one all my life.”
She giggled at him, shaking her head. “Do you think my homework is frozen yet?” They’d put her papers in the freezer to finish drying them out. Then they would copy them so she could finish.
“Let me check. Can you please find your sister?”
“Is she still hiding?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” She was pretty good-natured, really. Maybe he would let her have a little glass of Coke. Later.
He grabbed up Mason, who was trying to escape his high chair. “Hey, wiggle worm. Where you going?”
“Cookie!”
He shook his head. “You just had a cookie.”
“Cookie!”
“Nope.” He noped Mason too. Today was his day. “Paw Patrol.”
“Puppy.” Mason started kicking and wriggling harder. “Puppy!”
Yes. Puppy. Jesus, he had a headache. “Have you found Amanda, Darc?”
“No. She’s not where I thought.”
“Okay, come sit with Mason a minute? Sit on him?”
She giggled again but did as told, and Dougie went with them. Right. Amanda.
“Mandy,” he sang. “How I love you…”
Come on, sweet baby.
Her little giggle came from under the sofa in the front room. Oh, thank God.
“Where could she be? Is she in the coat closet?” He knew he had maybe three minutes before Dougie stuck something else somewhere, so he had to get her in there on the couch. “We’re going to snuggle and watch Paw Patrol together, and I need my baby girl there.”
She crawled out on her own. “Here I am, Unca!”
He gasped. “There she is!”
“You finded me!”
“Yes. Wanna come watch cartoons with us?” God, his head hurt.
“Pwease.” She held up her arms, so he lifted her, his back reminding him how long he’d been out of the gym.
The guys were going to ride him like a prized pony.
He’d much rather have Jericho ride him.
“Okay, Unca Logic?” Amanda patted his cheeks, and he realized he’d stopped walking.
“Sorry. Okay, baby. Let’s go. Everybody into the pool.”
She grinned. “What pool?”
“Just a figure of speech.” He took her to the couch, ready to cry. He was never going to survive tonight.
Chapter 19
The texts started coming in about the time chores were done.
Poor Logic seemed to be losing his mind.
Here Jericho came, saving the day.
Poor desperate man.
“Kids? Wanna go see Logic and the littles over at the Whitehead ranch?”
“Sure!”
“Totally!”
Oh, good. No arguments. Life was so much easier without arguments.
“Get some stuff together, huh? We may have a slumber party.”
“Can I bring those cars I got?” Travis asked.
“Sure, but the robot is a bit big.”
“Just the cars. I can work on them anywhere.”
“Sure, son. You want to grab your colors, Ellie?” His baby girl had opinions on crayons. Strong opinions.
“Yes. I don’t have to share with Manda?”
“No. She has hers there.” Thank God Dougie liked colored pencils. Though they weren’t allowed near his nose.
“Thank you, Daddy. I’ll grab my pillow and my bear.”
“Sounds good.” He got a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt, then tossed them in a bag. Deodorant and a toothbrush he had at Logic’s. Wasn’t that a hoot too?
He was looking forward to this—enjoying a normal evening with Logic and the kids. Not that he didn’t adore Bailey, but the only emergency here was Logic’s sanity.
The PI was watching Morrow, and so was Dave. This was going to be fun.
They loaded in the truck, and he stuck the chili in the toolbox. No spilling on the kids. Cornbread, onions, cheese. Logic said he would provide dessert, so even if that was Mason’s cookies it was all good.
The house smelled like chocolate chip cookies when he walked in, and the wrappers of three slice-and-bake logs sat on the table. Good man.
“Hey! Where is everyone?” He called out, leaning to scratch dog ears. Well, he didn’t have to lean for the monster dog, but still.
“We’re having night-night bottle.”
Lord, Mason was too old for that, but Bailey had dealt with so much…
“Okay.” He held up a shh finger to his kids. “Trav, can you get the chili on the stove to heat up? Ellie, come on and see if Logic needs help.”
“Yes, Daddy.” She tiptoed