Come Back Around

by BA Tortuga

  Even Alejandro laughed then, so Mat had to brazen it out, laugh along. He had to admit, he felt a little bit like a stud. This was what the older married guy did at weddings, right? Provided an example?

  Maybe his example was tarnished, but it was an example. Story of his life. Now he only had to bide his time to get back to Reid.

  Alej’s phone buzzed, and he reached for it, cracking up when he saw the image that popped up. “Guys, look at my bride’s hot bachelorette party.”

  He turned his phone, and there was Jennifer, Reid, and the girls, piled up in the bed.

  “They’re watching The Little Mermaid.”

  “I thought they were going out to camp?” Tod said.

  “That’s tomorrow. Her work friends can’t get here before then, and Mateo and I have a big family supper with our uncles.”

  “Ah. Well, that’s so cute.”

  Mat wanted to groan. Cute, and making Reid unavailable.

  “I think you should invite Reid to our supper, Mateo.”

  “Oh, that’s a good idea.” Devious, but Frank and Markus loved Reid….

  “Right? I’m brilliant. He’s family, after all.”

  “He so is.” Yeah, okay. He would guilt Reid into it. The girls would be there. The uncles. Alej. They would have the numbers to keep Mama quiet.

  He wanted to pump his fist in the air, but he settled for a quiet “woo.”

  “And they say girls are devious.” Austin was all grins. “You guys are evil.”

  “All’s fair in love and war, right?” He hoped.

  Tod nodded. “Fuck yeah, man. Take your chance and run with it.”

  That was it. He was going to do it right this time. And he would take Reid with him.

  Chapter Eleven

  “DADDY! Daddy, I want pancakes! Chef Geoff says I can help if I want to. Daddy, are you awake? Can you take that thing off your leg? Where’s Papi?”

  “Did someone feed y’all espresso?” He tried to blink awake.

  “Daddy!” Dani wailed at him from across the room. “I need help! I’m all stuck.”

  “Coming!” Stuck? Stuck where?

  When he found her in the little bedroom, she was tangled in her sweater, her face obscured.

  “Coming. Coming. Chill, girlfriend. It’s a little cool out there this morning, huh?” How the hell had she managed that?

  “Did you have a sleepover, Daddy? Is that why Papi isn’t here?” That was Luce, watching them from the door.

  “Papi had a party, and we watched Moana with Jennifer last night, remember?” Had Mat not come home last night?

  “Okay. He’s not in his room.”

  “Well, that’s okay. He gets up early.” He didn’t want to stress this, dammit. “I’ll text him for you.”

  “’Kay! See if he wants mancakes!” Dani bounced around him in a circle.

  “Be careful of Daddy’s foot, baby. Please.”

  “Mancakes!” the girls hollered, Luce joining her sister. “Mancakes! Mancakes! Mancakes!”

  “Hey!” He tried to step away, and naturally, he tripped. Flailing, he cried out, sure he was going down.

  “Girls!” Strong hands caught him, Mat right there. “Daddy’s already hurt.”

  “Matty.” Oh thank God. “Good catch.”

  “I was on my way to see what we all wanted for breakfast.” Mat put Reid’s arm over his shoulders. “Bathroom?”

  He looked at two very quiet little girls. “Please. I think pancakes might be welcome.”

  Are you okay? Do you regret yesterday? Can we do it again?

  “I’ll call up and see if they need a sous chef.” Mat winked at Luce. “I got you crutches.”

  “You did?” He looked over, surprised and pleased.

  “I did. I went down to Glenwood as soon as the medical supply opened.” Mat walked him to the bathroom. “You got it? I’ll get them finished dressing.”

  “I do. Thank you. Did… did you have fun last night?”

  “It was okay. The guys are nice, even if they make me feel old.” Mat grinned. “Your party looked way more fun.”

  “Little Mermaid. Moana. Then? The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a blast.”

  “Jen sent pics.” Mat patted his ass, leaving him to do his thing.

  “Traitor girl,” he muttered, but what he really focused on was that touch, that pat.

  He got all washed up and used the doorframe to lever himself out to the main room.

  “We’re going to go make pancakes, Daddy!” Dani looked over the moon. “Me and Sister both!”

  “Oh?” God. Okay. “Let me get dressed.”

  “Wear the blue shirt, Daddy. Papi likes that one.” Luce looked… downright devious.

  “Does he?” He could do that, but how on earth did she know?

  “He does. He always says ‘Daddy looks great in blue.’” She nodded firmly.

  “Oh, that’s very nice. It’s nice to have someone say something like that about you.”

  “It is! He always tells me when I wear blue. He says I look as good as you do in it.” She beamed. “Pancakes, Daddy. This is serious.”

  “Right. Serious. Sorry.” Jesus Christ.

  He hobbled in to get dressed, leaving the door open so he could hear the kids. Mat was back a few minutes after that, carrying a pair of aluminum crutches.

  “Hey, querido. Try the height.”

  “Thank you, darlin’. Seriously.” He took the crutches, nodded. “Perfect.”

  “I thought so.” He got a broad wink. “You think we can hobble up?”

  “I can.” He hoped.

  “I’ll help.” Mat shot him a look that told him all sorts of things. Mostly “hello, sailor” sorts of things.

  “I’ll let you.” It felt like they were having a conversation underneath their words.

  “Like to hear that.”

  “Papi! Let’s go!” Luce was dancing in place.

  “Go on, darlin’. I’ll follow along after. It’s okay.”

  “If you need us to stop, you holler.” Mat took both girls’ hands, leading them out.

  Pretty man. He stood there, watching his family walk away. They made his heart swell with pride, which he’d always thought was like a literary hyperbole. No, it was true.

  Mat looked over his shoulder. “Come on, querido. Now, hmm?”

  “Right.” Okay. Crutches. God, it had been high school the last time he was on them. He knew he looked like a drunken bear, dancing around the gravel paths like an idiot.

  Mat led him up the path, giving him incentive to get to the kitchen door with that tight, fine ass in Wranglers.

  “My sous chefs!” The chef beamed, the rainbow dreads tied back with a silver lamé bandana. Wow. That was worth the price of admission and clomping up the relatively new-looking ramp.

  “Chef!” Luce saluted, and Dani went to attention.

  “Morning, dads.” Geoff grinned. “Sit. I’ll get coffee.”

  “Dani is Lucia’s baby sister,” he warned. He wasn’t going to allow any knives or heat.

  “I bet she would be exceptional helping Tiny make orange juice. The juicer needs a steady hand.” Geoff pointed out a cheap, safe-looking plastic juicer he would bet was there just for these situations.

  “I can help!” Dani stood up, and a mountain of a man stepped forward. Her little eyes got huge, and she pushed into Reid’s arms. “Daddy?”

  “Hello, Mr. Tiny, how are you?” He smiled and held out one hand to shake, hoping to calm her fears.

  Tiny engulfed his hand in one huge one. “Good. Good. I got to gather eggs this morning, which always makes me smile.”

  “Really? You have a chicken coop?” Reid made bawking noises, and Dani started giggling.

  “We do! Those hens give us a lot of help.” Tiny winked at Dani. “All you have to do with me is squeeze oranges, kiddo.”

  “Do you want me to do it, baby?”

  Her little face scrunched up, and she shook her head. “No. No, Daddy. I do it.”
r />   “Okay.”

  Tiny took her hand. “Okay. Can you come with me?”

  “My name is Daniela Louisa Harris-Porter.”

  Reid loved how she said “harrisporter” all run together.

  “I’m Tiny McLeod. Pleased to meet you.”

  Her face got even more twisted. “What’s your real name?”

  “Dani! Not nice!”

  “No, no, it’s cool. My real name is Seamus Angus McLeod.”

  “Wow! That’s so cool.” Lucia clapped her hands. “My name is Lucia Domenica Harris-Porter. See? We all have long names.”

  “Right? I got nicknamed Tiny by my big brother years ago, and it stuck. Are you ready to juice oranges, Dani?”

  “I am! Do I just hold it while the thing spins?”

  “And push it down. We’ll do the first few together.”

  God, these were good people. Reid could see why Jen loved it.

  Matty’s hand landed on the small of his back, rubbing in tiny circles. Oh. He took a deep breath, then let it out.

  “You look good, querido. Delicious.” The whisper made him shiver.

  “I’m not breakfast,” he murmured, but Reid knew better. He would be a meal for Mat in seconds.

  “I don’t believe that for a minute.”

  “Oh.” He loved this. Just loved it. Mat was almost predatory. Like when they were dating. That focus was amazing. The stunning bastard made him silly.

  “You left marks on me.”

  He had to grin. He knew that. How could he not remember that?

  “The guys gave me hell.” Mat’s grin turned wry.

  “Oh.” Dammit. “Was it bad?”

  “Nah. In fact, I think they were all impressed, but don’t feel weird if you get some looks.”

  “Fair enough. I doubt they’ll know me.”

  “I’m sure Alej will point you out.” Mat winked. “You don’t blend with that foot.”

  “You mean it’s not my general studliness?”

  “Oh, for sure. I love that part.” Those fingers traced the waistband of his sweatpants.

  Goose bumps started where Mat’s fingers danced on his skin. Oh, Mat was going to make him hard. That was bad here in front of everyone, right? He reached back to catch Mat’s hand. “Be good, darlin’.”

  “I don’t want to, querido. I’m tired of being good.”

  “Daddy! Daddy, I made a pancake!”

  “You rock, baby girl.” He glanced over, smiling at how carefully Geoff had thought out the pancake-maker situation. Luce had one of those kids’ pancake presses away from the stove, while Geoff was working a three-burner griddle.

  “Good morning, son. Girls. Reid.” Patricia notably left him for last.

  “Patty.”

  She sniffed the air dramatically. “Oh, pancakes? Lucia, are you making them for me?”

  “No. These are for Daddy and Papi. You can have the next ones, though.”

  Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.

  Mat just hooted, taking away the need for him to worry. “Good morning, Mama. How are you this beautiful morning?”

  “Hmph.” Patty glared at both of them, but she was fighting a smile.

  “’Uelita! ’Uelita! Daddy weared his blue shirt so Papi would think he was pretty!”

  Reid was going to beat Dani. Goofy girl.

  “Well, of course he did.” She shook her head. “What are you making, bebe?”

  “Oranges!” Dani looked like she was fixin’ to fly over the moon with joy.

  “My talented girls.” Patty took the cup of coffee handed to her, smiling at Geoff. “Is it okay we’re in your kitchen, Geoff?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I don’t mind at all.”

  “They’re beautiful.” She took out her phone and snapped a few shots. “For me to remember them.”

  Reid didn’t roll his eyes. Nope. Not him. No eye rolling. She acted like they didn’t live in the same city and didn’t see them for lunch at the plaza once a week.

  That little voice of reason that he couldn’t seem to squash whispered, You did send the girls to Orlando for three months, man.

  “They really enjoyed Disney. My parents wanted to visit with them before Lucia starts kindergarten this fall.” Be careful, Reid. You’re walking a slippery slope.

  “Mm-hmmm.” She gave him a look only a jealous grandparent could achieve. “We’ll take a minute this week to talk about spring break, no?”

  He started to agree, when Mat’s hand stroked his back. “Sí, Mama. We need to make some plans, eh? Me and Reid.”

  Her eyes went wide, the fake lashes so big, Reid was afraid she’d hurt herself. “You and Reid, hmm?”

  “Uh-huh, and I won’t have you making trouble.” Mat gave her a mock stern look.

  “I would never cause trouble, mi’jo. Never.” Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Reid knew better. Patty wasn’t evil at all, but she could stir up shit when it would be better to let it go.

  “Good. Pop is coming, right? Luce, make sure you make a huge stack for Pop-Pop.”

  “He is. I texted him to let him know that his grandgirls were making breakfast.” She beamed across at the girls. “They’re getting so big.”

  He almost told Patty about Jen’s news, but that wasn’t his to tell. No, Alej and Jen would do it in their time, and the joy on the grandparents’ faces was theirs alone.

  Mateo? He might have to tell his lover. His girls’ father. His Mr. Right. Christ.

  “Querido? Where are you?”

  “Right here with you, darlin’.” He shook it off. “Can I do anything?”

  “No. You can sit on your butt.”

  Geoff nodded easily. “Would you like a footstool?”

  “No. No, thank you. That’s awful kind of you to ask.”

  Geoff refilled his coffee, barely missing a beat in pulling out pans of bacon and flipping pancakes. Tiny took platters off to the dining room then, while Geoff took pains to show Lucia how to plate like a chef.

  Dani carefully brought one glass of juice over at a time, managing not to spill until her grandfather walked in. “Pop-Pop!”

  Orange juice and glass crashed and splashed, and she burst into tears.

  “Oops!” Pop swung into action, dancing her around like the cowboy he was. “Did you get it on you, baby?”

  “I sorry! I breaked it!”

  “I will clean it for you, Dani-belle. I will.” Lucia was a good girl, but there was no way he was going to let his five-year-old clean up glass.

  “No, ma’am.” Mat shot up to grab a dishtowel. “You stay where you are. No glass for you.”

  “That was very, very super-kind of you to offer, though. Thank you for thinking of your sister.” Reid worked hard to assure his girls grew up to be decent people.

  “You’re a good egg.” Mat winked at Luce, then Dani. “And thank you for apologizing to Geoff and Tiny.”

  “I didn’t mean to. Promise.”

  “Of course you didn’t. People drop things.” A young man, maybe twelve or thirteen, came through. “I’m the clean-up guy. I’ve got this.”

  “Thanks.” Mat backed off to let the kid work, coming to sit with him again.

  “Can I have some of your juice, Dani?”

  “I can make more!” Dani did love her Pop-Pop beyond all things.

  “Oh, let’s share and eat. I want to go for a walk this morning and look at wildflowers, and I need company.”

  “I like flowdies.” Dani let Pop put her in a chair.

  “I like walks, Pop-Pop. Can I come too?” Luce was on her last nerve, Reid could tell.

  “You can. I think we need to get some food in both of you. Should I flip pancake-ays, honey girl?” Pop drank some juice before trading places with Luce, who came and held her arms up to him, more like Dani than her more mature self.

  “I’m tired, Pop-Pop. Cooking is hard.”

  “Is it? I let Abuelita do most of it, but I like to make breakfast.” Pop picked her up and swung her around as he had Dani. “Have some
juice. It will get all your blood swimming upstream again.”

  “Ew! No bloods.”

  “No? Okay, let’s eat and we’ll take your ’Uelita for a walk.”

  “Aye, like I’m a dog, viejo.”

  Pop laughed, and Mat chuckled, petting Reid until pancakes and bacon arrived. Then they were all too busy eating to talk.

  Reid wasn’t sure how much Alejandro had to drink that he wasn’t here this morning.

  He started grinning when the thought hit him that he knew exactly why Jen wasn’t here.

  “What’s so funny, baby?” Mat asked low.

  “I’ll tell you later. It’s a secret.”

  “I like those as long as you share.” Mat’s fingers were a little sticky now, but they felt good on his arm.

  “You know it. I promise.”

  “Good deal. We going back to the cabin? I know you’re not up to wildflowers.”

  “No, walking sucks right now. I’d love to go back with you.” There were a lot of things he’d love, to be honest.

  “Woo.” The little hoot drew a stare from Patty, but she didn’t say anything.

  He looked back, but he kept it easy. He couldn’t blame her. If someone broke up with one of the girls, that person would be wrong, no matter what. That was a parent’s job.

  Mat just rubbed his arm a little more, then popped his last piece of bacon into his mouth. “That was good, ladies and gents.”

  “It was excellent. Thank you all.”

  Luce smiled at him. “I’ll make you pancakes at home, Daddy. Can we invite Papi for the first time?”

  “Yes, baby. We can.” Because if nothing else, he wanted the girls to see them together.

  “Okay. Pop-Pop! Come on.” Looked like Lucia was done being tired.

  Patty cast her eyes upon them like only Mexican mamas could—that combined confidence that she could disintegrate you with one well-aimed chancla or fix anything on earth for you with her love alone.

  He smiled, trying not to be smug that Mat was sneaking off to be with him….

  All of the sudden, Patty stopped, smiled, and patted his hand. “I will pray for my boys.”

  Oh, if she’d hexed him, he was going to shit a pink Twinkie.

  She took Dani’s hand, and waved at them, smiling with all the wisdom in the world. “All my boys.”

  Reid blinked. Was that—oh. Maybe she liked the direction of the wind? He sure hoped so.