“Me!” Jimmy jumped up and down.
“You are so smart. I think you take after me.”
“Kid, you just got played,” John remarked, rolling his eyes at Jimmy. “I thought I taught you better than that?”
Henry stared John down. “Not as played as you’ll be when you find out you have to stop and buy us pizza on the way home.”
John’s face brightened at the words. “Joke’s on you. I was planning on getting second dinner tonight when I dropped you off anyway.”
“Yay, second dinner!” Jimmy bounced on his toes in excitement.
Oh God, Holly was going to kill him. “Just don’t tell your mother.”
“Speaking of Pumpkin. When is she coming home? I wanna see my little Peanut.” Henry glanced at his watch. “It’s not right for a grandpa to come all the way over here not to see his little grandbaby.” Henry narrowed his eyes on Ben. “Took you long enough to give me both of them.”
Ben didn’t know whether the pain in his neck was from the fall or having to deal with John and Henry all day. “You got your grandbabies, didn’t you?” Ben pulled out his phone. “Her text said any minute now. She left Emma’s a little while ago.”
“That Emma is a good one.” A lopsided grin appeared on Henry’s face.
“That she is,” John mumbled.
As if on cue, the front door opened to reveal Holly and a smiling Peanut happy to be in her mother’s arms.
“There they are!” Henry’s whole face lit up.
Ben watched Holly’s eyes jump to the ceiling before she acknowledged her dad. “Oh, whoa! Look, Peanut, it’s like it never happened. Well, other than the smell of fresh paint.”
“Nothing did happen. I told you we’d take care of it,” Ben joked, walking over to his wife and baby. He quickly gave her a kiss on the lips before kissing their baby on the head.
“Only ‘cause I was here to supervise. That idiot almost made another hole.”
John snapped his eyes to Henry. “I thought we agreed not to talk about that.”
“I didn’t agree to shit.”
Ben ignored the two children as he grabbed Holly’s attention. “How was your day, Sweetheart?”
“It was good. I no longer want to strangle anyone if that’s what you’re asking. How are you feeling?” She studied his body up and down. “Are you hurting?”
Ben’s eyes darkened. “If I say yes, will you kiss the spots I point to?”
“Told ya the mouth was awesome,” John chimed in, turning to face Jimmy.
“What?”
“Nothing,” John answered Holly before turning back to Jimmy with a wink.
Clearly deciding it was best to leave it alone for now, Ben watched as Holly focused wholeheartedly on her father. “Hey, Dad.”
As Henry tried to get up, Holly stopped him. “No, it’s okay I’ll bring her to you.” Holly moved over to her father before carefully placing Helen in his arms.
Henry ecstatic he held his grandchild in his lap, cooed at her. “There’s my girl. I missed you today.” Peanut’s face brightened as she listened to her Grandpa speak.
Before anyone else could say anything, John spoke. “Yeah, yeah, hi Holly, how ya doing? Great. Glad you had fun and don’t want to kill anyone anymore. How’s Emma? Did she say anything about me? Did you talk about me? Did I come up at all?”
John talked so fast Ben’s head spun.
“You sure did.” Instead of elaborating, Holly glanced around the room. “Wow, it looks really good in here.”
“Thanks! We worked really hard. As Uncle John and Dad fixed the ceiling, Grandpa Henry and I decorated. We left the Christmas ornaments for us to do together, though. Dad said we needed to do that as a family or you’d make him sleep on the couch.”
“Aww, that was sweet of him and also correct.” Holly kissed the top of Jimmy’s head. “Thank you.”
“Excuse me!” John interrupted.
“What?”
“What did you and Emma say about me? You can’t just leave it at that. I need to know.”
Holly got this mischievous spark in her eyes. “Oh, nothing. Or at least nothing to worry your little head about.”
John’s brows shot up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Holly’s smile went from ear-to-ear. “Exactly what I said.”
“Really, after all I did today, you’re just gonna leave me hanging like that? I thought I was your favorite.”
“Nope.” Holly shook her head. “Definitely not my favorite.”
“Boy, if I were you I’d quit while you’re ahead.” Henry bounced Helen on his good knee.
As John realized he was going to lose this battle, he grumbled as he kicked a dog toy on the ground. Holly’s eyes followed the toy as it landed at Waffles’ feet. Who was staring at everyone in the room like they were the enemy. “Who pissed him off?”
“That would be me,” Henry answered with a lopsided grin on his face. “He thought I had food and I didn’t.”
“That would do it.” Holly eyed her Corgi. “Didn’t we go over this already? No more treats. You’re on a diet.”
At the word diet, Waffles fell onto his back in a dramatic show as he whined.
“Nope, not gonna happen.” Holly stood her ground.
Waffles grudgingly got up and huffed as he made his way down the hall, but not before swinging his head back at Holly with daggers in his eyes.
“Glad I don’t have to deal with that tonight.” Jimmy watched as the annoyed Corgi grumbled as he walked away.
“What do you mean you don’t have to deal with that?” Holly turned back to Jimmy cocking her head. “Are you kicking him out of your room tonight?”
Jimmy’s whole face lit. “Nope! I’m havin’ a sleepover with Grandpa tonight and we’re gonna get second dinner!”
“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t tell her?” Ben groaned as he rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know why we bother. No one can ever keep their mouth shut around here.”
“That so?” Holly gave Ben a cross look.
“Yep, Uncle John is gonna take us to get more food before he drops us off at Grandpa’s.”
“Hmm.” Holly stared John up and down before turning her glare back on Ben.
“Yeah, the old man played the kid and pretended to play me, but joke’s on him. I’m always hungry.”
“We know,” everyone in the room said at the exact same time.
“Speaking of which, as much as I’d love to kiss up on my baby some more, it’s time for us to head home. We got a fun night planned with movies and snacks!” Henry kissed the top of Helen’s happy face one more time.
“Did you say snacks?” John’s eyes widened at the word. “You know what, my plans have just changed. Jimmy, how would you feel if you’re favorite uncle crashed your sleepover?”
“You just want the food,” Jimmy answered, giving John the once-over.
“Yeah.” John shrugged not denying it. “But we also get to watch movies together. I’ll even let you watch the ones your mom and dad won’t let you see.”