didn’t have to be today or tomorrow or even the next day because I intended to end up in Logan’s bed for a long, long time to come.
Chapter Eleven
Logan
“It’s okay, baby,” Creed whispered as I gripped his hand.
I nodded, not wanting my stress to affect Jakey, but based on his solemn eyes and pursed lips, I wasn’t doing a great job of hiding it.
“Kuncle Wogan,” the little boy whispered, holding his arms up to be lifted.
I forced my lips to curve into a semblance of a smile as I picked him up, and he wrapped his legs around my hip on my right side. Once he settled in close, I held my left hand back out to Creed. “I’m ready.”
Creed squeezed my hand, then said, “They’re going to love you guys.” His gaze slid back and forth between Jakey and me.
Bobbing Jakey soothingly, I asked, “You ready to make new friends, buddy?”
Skeptical blue eyes met mine as he practically strangled me with the arm wrapped around my neck. As we approached the front door, his other hand rose up and rubbed my beard.
Creed flashed us both one last encouraging smile before knocking on the front door and opening it. “We’re here. You guys are decent, right?”
The adorable man from the bar appeared at the entranceway, frowning at Creed. “Don’t talk like that around the little one,” he scolded.
Creed glanced at me and Jakey again, rolling his eyes. Then said, “Logan, Jakey, I’d like you to meet my best friend in the world, Shane. Shane, these are the two amazing boys I’ve been telling you about.”
Shane’s brown eyes widened comically as they tracked from my feet all the way up my body. I had to be a foot taller than the slight man. “Boys?” Then his gaze rested on Jakey with a soft smile. “I’ve so been looking forward to meeting you, Jakey.” Quickly, his gaze darted back to my face, panicked. “Both of you, of course.”
An unexpected chuckle worked its way up and out of my mouth, and my whole body started relaxing at the fact he appeared just as nervous as me. “Don’t worry. We didn’t officially meet, but I did see you at the bar. I’d be more interested in meeting Jakey, too. He’s the coolest kid in town.”
Jakey scrunched his nose at me, obviously unimpressed, then went back to looking around curiously as Shane led us into the dining room. “Conrad will be right back in. Davis has him manning the grill today.”
Sounding horrified, Creed asked, “Will it be edible?”
I instantly remembered the tall, good looking older man as he strolled into the room with an ice bucket in one hand and a pitcher of what looked like lemonade in the other. He shot Creed an unimpressed look as he set the items on the table. “I’ll have you know that your brother’s become quite the grill master.”
“It’s true,” Shane said.
Davis moved to me and Jakey and held out his hand. “I’m Davis. Please don’t pay any attention to the rest of them today. They can get a little crazy.”
“Logan.” I shook his hand.
Then he held his considerably larger hand out to my nephew. “We’re so happy you’re here, Jakey. Shane went and bought you all kinds of things to do.”
Jakey eyed Davis’s hand with trepidation, but surprisingly, laid his hand on top of it in a lightning-fast motion before curling back into me and grabbing my beard.
“I heard you like fish and boats?” His gaze moved straight to Shane, and the man beamed proudly that he had my little one's attention.
Jakey nodded shyly against my shoulder.
“Well, I have coloring books and crayons, and a puzzle with a pirate ship we can do, and I bought Finding Nemo because I heard you like it a lot. Oh, and this picture book that has all different sea creatures with pictures and facts.”
Jakey relaxed against my side, unsuccessfully suppressing a grin.
“Hey, you’re here,” an excited voice said behind us.
Creed walked over and slung his arm around the shoulders of the man who was obviously his brother—two matching pairs of blue eyes stared at us. “Logan and Jakey, meet my brother, Conrad,” he said.
Jakey snorted, drawing our attention. I had no idea what he was thinking, but he giggled as his eyeballs bounced between the brothers. Then he fixed his gaze back on Shane.
Shane shimmied where he stood. “I’m so going to be his favorite.”
“Challenge accepted,” was Conrad’s cocky reply.
By the time lunch ended, I felt more comfortable than I