last hour and she's not the biggest fan of the
Oz-man.“
“Look, Jesse!“ she giggles, bounding forward
to me. “I've got a pink cast!“
“Perfect for you, Luce.“
She nods. “I need white, silver, and gold
markers. I'm going to decorate it tomorrow.“
“Do you need me to go get that for you?“
“No, no,“ she says, patting my chest.
“Damian's going.“
I bite my tongue and Ben smirks. Fucker. He
knows that this pisses me off majorly. And I know that Lucy's still
pissed beyond belief–right now she's just high and feeling no
pain.
When she starts singing again, this time
singing Shock the Monkey , Xander sighs, “Thank Christ.“
“Seriously,“ Sera agrees.
I know what the monkey song means and I'm
already reaching for her before she tries climbing my body. I lift
beneath her thighs and she wraps her legs around my waist and her
good arm around my neck.
“I broke it, babe,“ she tells me, waving her
cast in front of me.
“I know, love. It'll be okay.“
She yawns.
“When was the last time she had any pain
medication?“ I ask.
“They gave her something just before we left
so she should be good for four to six hours. The doc also gave her
these,“ Xander tells me, holding out a prescription bottle.
I whistle. “Heavy stuff, “ I tease. Tylenol
with codeine is not heavy stuff but for Lucy it is.
“She broke these two bones.“ Sera shows me on
her own hand as Lucy rests her head on my shoulder, her breath
wafting across my neck. It's such a welcome sensation that my heart
beats faster and hurts a little. I hate that she's hurting like she
is and it's because of me.
I nod to Sera.
“They had to kind of maneuver one of the
bones a little to set it straight so her hand is a bit numb now
too.“
“Okay. Let's brush your teeth before you go
to sleep, baby.“ I know how obsessive she is about her oral
hygiene. Brushing three times a day and flossing every morning. The
woman is something else.
“Mhmm,“ she murmurs. “I don't like icky
teeth.“
Kennedy snickers.
“Shush up,“ she tells him with a slur and a
giggle.
“God, she's cute,“ he admires.
I nod and head toward the bathroom. There's
not a whole lot of room to maneuver so I set her on the small
counter space by the sink. Sera comes in with Lucy's toothbrush and
toothpaste.
“Thanks.“
She nods, lips in a firm line. It must be the
way their family physically expresses disapproval without hitting
someone. I know she's holding back. Ben coaxes her into the other
room and I hear him talking to her. More than once my name is
mentioned and harsh whispers filter into the bathroom. Xander
closes the door, arms crossed over his chest.
“On- ey ,“ Lucy sings around the
toothbrush. I smirk.
“Spit, babe,“ I instruct.
“Spitters are quitters,“ she tells me around
a mouth of toothpaste and I can't help it. I laugh loud and
hard.
“That they are, but not when it's
toothpaste.“
She nods and spits.
Xander's behind us, leaning against the door,
laughing so hard tears are streaming down his cheeks. He's bent
over at the waist, gasping for air.
Lucy cocks her head to the side. “What's
going on Xan my man?“
He gasps for air. “Just laughing, Luce my
goose.“
What the fuck? What the fuck is that
“my“ shit? And little nicknames. I frown. I want to growl, but I
don't.
“Turn that frown upside down, Jesse my
bestie.“
Aw hell. Well that sure made up for it all,
didn't it?
“You did it for me, Wife my life.“
“Aww, that's so sweet,“ she slurs, then pats
my cheek. “It's just too bad you don't really mean it.“
I meet Xander's eyes in the mirror and he
frowns.
“Rinse, Cupcake.“
She swishes and spits. “Look, I'm a quitter
again,“ she giggles.
I smirk, trying hard to put the awkward
moment behind us as easily as she did—for now.
“I'm so sleepy, Jesse,“ she murmurs, pressing
her head against my chest.
“I know, baby. Let's get you ready for
Sleepyland.“
“I like
Oz-man.“
“Look, Jesse!“ she giggles, bounding forward
to me. “I've got a pink cast!“
“Perfect for you, Luce.“
She nods. “I need white, silver, and gold
markers. I'm going to decorate it tomorrow.“
“Do you need me to go get that for you?“
“No, no,“ she says, patting my chest.
“Damian's going.“
I bite my tongue and Ben smirks. Fucker. He
knows that this pisses me off majorly. And I know that Lucy's still
pissed beyond belief–right now she's just high and feeling no
pain.
When she starts singing again, this time
singing Shock the Monkey , Xander sighs, “Thank Christ.“
“Seriously,“ Sera agrees.
I know what the monkey song means and I'm
already reaching for her before she tries climbing my body. I lift
beneath her thighs and she wraps her legs around my waist and her
good arm around my neck.
“I broke it, babe,“ she tells me, waving her
cast in front of me.
“I know, love. It'll be okay.“
She yawns.
“When was the last time she had any pain
medication?“ I ask.
“They gave her something just before we left
so she should be good for four to six hours. The doc also gave her
these,“ Xander tells me, holding out a prescription bottle.
I whistle. “Heavy stuff, “ I tease. Tylenol
with codeine is not heavy stuff but for Lucy it is.
“She broke these two bones.“ Sera shows me on
her own hand as Lucy rests her head on my shoulder, her breath
wafting across my neck. It's such a welcome sensation that my heart
beats faster and hurts a little. I hate that she's hurting like she
is and it's because of me.
I nod to Sera.
“They had to kind of maneuver one of the
bones a little to set it straight so her hand is a bit numb now
too.“
“Okay. Let's brush your teeth before you go
to sleep, baby.“ I know how obsessive she is about her oral
hygiene. Brushing three times a day and flossing every morning. The
woman is something else.
“Mhmm,“ she murmurs. “I don't like icky
teeth.“
Kennedy snickers.
“Shush up,“ she tells him with a slur and a
giggle.
“God, she's cute,“ he admires.
I nod and head toward the bathroom. There's
not a whole lot of room to maneuver so I set her on the small
counter space by the sink. Sera comes in with Lucy's toothbrush and
toothpaste.
“Thanks.“
She nods, lips in a firm line. It must be the
way their family physically expresses disapproval without hitting
someone. I know she's holding back. Ben coaxes her into the other
room and I hear him talking to her. More than once my name is
mentioned and harsh whispers filter into the bathroom. Xander
closes the door, arms crossed over his chest.
“On- ey ,“ Lucy sings around the
toothbrush. I smirk.
“Spit, babe,“ I instruct.
“Spitters are quitters,“ she tells me around
a mouth of toothpaste and I can't help it. I laugh loud and
hard.
“That they are, but not when it's
toothpaste.“
She nods and spits.
Xander's behind us, leaning against the door,
laughing so hard tears are streaming down his cheeks. He's bent
over at the waist, gasping for air.
Lucy cocks her head to the side. “What's
going on Xan my man?“
He gasps for air. “Just laughing, Luce my
goose.“
What the fuck? What the fuck is that
“my“ shit? And little nicknames. I frown. I want to growl, but I
don't.
“Turn that frown upside down, Jesse my
bestie.“
Aw hell. Well that sure made up for it all,
didn't it?
“You did it for me, Wife my life.“
“Aww, that's so sweet,“ she slurs, then pats
my cheek. “It's just too bad you don't really mean it.“
I meet Xander's eyes in the mirror and he
frowns.
“Rinse, Cupcake.“
She swishes and spits. “Look, I'm a quitter
again,“ she giggles.
I smirk, trying hard to put the awkward
moment behind us as easily as she did—for now.
“I'm so sleepy, Jesse,“ she murmurs, pressing
her head against my chest.
“I know, baby. Let's get you ready for
Sleepyland.“
“I like
Similar Books
