“No skin off my nose. Ain’t me gonna make those ‘ho’s run for their lives on their stripper shoes, it’s Hawk,” she muttered, sticking her head out the door but doing it performing a side-to-side scan like she, too, was a commando checking that the coast was clear. Then she looked back at me, “Though, wouldn’t mind bein’ in on that operation.”
I grinned.
Elvira grinned back then forged across the breezeway.
Obviously, the coast was clear.
“Baby,” Mitch called softly as he guided us into the breezeway.
I looked up at him to see he was looking down at me.
“The time to talk with Billy is now. He’s tired but I don’t want him in bed stewin’ on this shit. I want him in bed breathin’ easy.”
I nodded my agreement.
Mitch wasn’t done.
“I’m gonna lead the discussion. You trust me with that?”
Like he had to ask.
“Of course,” I answered.
“Good,” he muttered, his eyes leaving me and going straight as we neared Derek and LaTanya’s door.
“Mitch,” I called, slowing and in doing so, he slowed too.
“Yeah?” he asked looking back down at me.
My arm around him gave him a squeeze.
“Best day ever, baby,” I whispered.
I watched the preoccupation shift from his eyes as they lit with that light I’d been seeing all day.
Then he repeated, not in a question, “Yeah.”
Then he guided us into Derek and LaTanya’s apartment so we could get our kids.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Men Don’t Have Moments
We got the kids home, leaving Elvira behind to give the scoop to Derek, LaTanya, Bray and Brent. I struggled with Billie’s loose limbs and dead weight body getting her out of her clothes, into her PJs and tucked into bed with her pink teddy while Mitch got Billy into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth.
Mitch was pouring me a glass of wine while I lit candles when we heard Billy come out of bathroom.
My eyes went to Mitch to see his on me then, his eyes not leaving me, he called, “Bud, come into the livin’ room for a minute, yeah?”
I finished with the candle as Mitch moved out of the kitchen with my glass and a bottle of beer for him. Billy appeared in his loose shorts and tee at the mouth to the hall.
Mitch stopped on his way to my new, super-awesome couch (and yes, I got the one from Penny’s window, I asked for it and she felt it agreed with her “vision” so there it was, in my living room).
“I know you’re tired, Bud, but we gotta talk about something before you hit the sack. You cool with that?”
Billy, his head tipped back, his eyes on Mitch, again looking fifty, hesitated a moment before he nodded.
“Couch,” Mitch ordered softly.