Cowboy Logic - B.A. Tortuga Page 0,64

into the family room with him.

Amanda came right to Ellie, her thumb in her mouth.

“Hey, Mandy-Pandy.” Ellie climbed on the couch, and Amanda crawled up next to her. “Did you miss me?”

Mason slipped easily into Darcy’s arms when Logic stood to come to him. “Oh God, thank you,” Logic said softly.

“Anytime. Come to the kitchen.”

Logic followed along, hand on the small of his back. “I owe you. Seriously.”

He winked. “I’ll collect later. How’s it going, Trav?”

“We forgot sour cream.”

“We have some,” Logic said. “Hey, buddy. I hear you got some RC cars.”

“I totally did. Dad and I are going to make a Transformer. Wanna help?”

“Sure.”

“Cool!” Travis boogied. “I’ll go help Darcy if you two wanna, you know, say hi.” Travis walked out, leaving him with his mouth hanging open. How did his kids know everything when he was feeling like an utter idiot? Still.

Logic chuckled, stepping right up close. “Hi. Did I say thank you?”

“You could say it more obviously.” He put his hand on Logic’s waist, feeling the heat of that hard body under the soft T-shirt.

“As many times as you’ll let me. Four kids is hard.”

“Mm-hmm. Start with a kiss.” God, he was getting demanding. And brave. All the kids were just in the other room.

“You got it, honey.” Logic drew him in, lips clinging to his, tasting him slow and easy.

They kissed deep, tongues tangling. Jericho knew they couldn’t take it too far; they had a bunch of kids to feed. Still, it was so damned nice to be able to do this, and it was like a fantasy of home.

Logic eased back. “Hey. Hello. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“It wasn’t like I was getting anything done with all the text reading I was doing.”

“Oh, shut up. Butthead.”

“The kids are tickled. I swear, we’re all starting to feel like family.” Was that too much? Pushing?

“We are.” Logic kissed his chin, his jaw, his cheek. “I want to be.”

“Oh God.” He took one more kiss, arms wrapped around Logic’s neck, putting everything into the contact.

He’d never felt this way about anyone.

Logic sighed into their kiss, one hand cupping his cheek.

“The chili should be heated up again. Do you want to put Mason down for a bit? Or the night?” He checked the clock on the stove.

“I’ll get him in his travel crib so he’s close, huh? I don’t want to put him upstairs.”

“Sounds good.” Pack ’n Plays were the best inventions in childcare since the bottle, maybe. Or the disposable diaper… He grinned, moving to pull out bowls and spoons, sour cream and cheese.

Travis came out to help, cleaning off the table without being asked. His good boy. Jericho thought he might just keep him. At least for a few more years. He couldn’t wait to make those cars into something amazing.

They got the little ones fed with mostly cheese and sour cream, Darcy about half and half, and Travis and them mostly chili. It was peaceful.

Real.

Mason snored, Travis and Darcy did dishes, and the younger girls and Doug all settled in to color and watch movies. Thank God for Disney. Really.

Neither of his children would have survived through toddlerhood without those movies. Neither one.

“So, can we do cars now?” Travis asked softly. Jericho thought he didn’t want Dougie to hear. He got it. This was big guy stuff.

“I think so. We’ll go to the table first, and Logic can come when Amanda’s asleep.”

Darcy was doing some craft thing on the sofa, one eye on Frozen.

“Cool. Thanks, Dad. I mean it.”

“I need to see what all you got for your money.” He grinned, and Logic winked at him from across the way as little Amanda crawled into her uncle’s lap for a snuggle.

He loved this—feeling like he wasn’t alone, like he was part of a couple. He’d always felt alone with Naomi. It hadn’t been all her fault; she’d had every right to be pissed at him. It was more than him being gay, though. She’d always been chasing the next high.

Logic made him feel like… like half of a whole.

Why the fuck he needed to fall for a guy who lived in California? No one knew. Like at all.

It was ridiculous.

He shook his head. Now was for Travis. He could feel sorry for himself later.

Hell, maybe he’d just feel sorry for himself Sunday afternoon when he had to let this fantasy go.

Chapter 20

Logic sat in the waiting room of the law offices of Morrow, Orbach, and Mooney. There had been another set of threatening phone calls, this