The Shepherd (The Game 6)

“Not even at all.” I was busy trying to make Kyla laugh. She bounced on my thigh and dared to let go of my shoulder every now and then; I bet it wouldn’t take more than a couple weeks before she took her first steps. “I can multitask.” I growled playfully against Kyla’s cheek before spooning up some mouthwateringly good stew. “See, when I boil potatoes, they come out like my pop can eat them without putting in his dentures.”

Sloan snorted in amusement. And I noted that he didn’t disagree with me.

“I didn’t boil these.” Archie was amused too. “I diced them, seared them, then threw them into the stew the last two minutes.”

Oh.

However he’d cooked them, they were fantastic.

“Huh.” Sloan sat back in the chair next to me and wiped his mouth. “Maybe you can teach me to cook better. My kids aren’t impressed.”

“Unless there’s a grill involved.” I felt the need to intervene. We weren’t completely useless. We made the best grilled cheese sandwiches too.

“I would love to.” Archie sat a little straighter and smiled to himself, visibly pleased. They were both relaxed now, and that certainly pleased me.

“Bam-bam!” Kyla babbled, cocking her head at me. “Bam-bam?”

“What’s a bam-bam, love? Huh?” I poked her chubby cheek.

“Isn’t that clear, Sir?” Archie grinned and rose from his seat. “She wants her tiger. I’ll be right back.”

Right, obviously. Bam-bam was tiger.

“Dada, bam-bam!” she yelled after Archie.

He hollered back from inside the house. “I’m fetching your bam-bam, darling!”

Nothing could wipe the grin off my mug. “One day, I’mma tell you how I won that tiger for your daddy. Because he was a lousy shot.”

Sloan leaned in and kissed my cheek.

I side-eyed him.

“Seems like it was just yesterday Jo was this age,” he murmured. He touched the baby girl’s cheek, to which she plopped down on my lap and started chewing on her foot. “She’s gonna love Kyla.”

Without a doubt. She still got mad sometimes that Loki was a boy.

“Do you miss these little ones?” I wondered.

He grinned and shook his head. “They’re cute as fuck, but I’ve been there four times. I’m good.”

I chuckled.

He dropped a kiss on my shoulder. “You were born to be a dad though, Shep. If you tell me one more time you’re too old, I’ll beat your ass.”

I snorted. He could try.

Then I turned serious, as I watched Kyla watch me with so much wonder in her blue eyes. “I don’t have an urge to be a biological dad. If I get to be there—if I get to be a part of your brood and Kyla’s upbringing, I’m happy.”

With that said, Archie seemed to want more, and I was hardly gonna say no.

I didn’t dare think that far, though. I reckoned even I had limits.

“Hey,” Sloan said quietly.

I turned to him, and he closed the distance and kissed me.

Would that ever get old? Christ, I was aware of how new this was; I wasn’t a stranger to a honeymoon phase. But I couldn’t imagine I’d see a day when I didn’t feel extremely grateful anymore.

“Bam-bam!”

I rumbled a laugh and broke from the kiss, and Archie reappeared with the stuffed animal.

“Here’s your bam-bam, Kyla.” Archie tossed her the little tiger, and she was pleased as punch. “Sloan, I was thinking. Since Greer is leaving us in a few hours, would you like to have dinner together and maybe dish about him?”

I could only smile at him. It meant more than I could say that he was making an effort.

But I could tell by Sloan’s apprehensive expression that I wasn’t gonna like his answer.

“I would,” he said, clearing his throat. “Unfortunately, I think it would be smarter if I went back to DC today. And before Greer flips his lid—” he offered me a look of warning “—it’s only because I have my kids tomorrow from noon, and then Carol, their mother, picks them up again on Monday.” He paused and seemed to wait me out, see if I had a response, but believe it or not, I could calm my tits every once in a while and hear him out first. “I propose we all have dinner together in town on Tuesday. It’ll give me a couple days to talk to Carol and…I don’t know, get my shit sorted.”

“Quit at the auto shop and start packing up your apartment.” I nodded soberly. Important shit. Thank fuck he had a month-to-month lease. “You’ll find a better job in Winchester in no time.”

Sloan humored me and squeezed my hand.

“Right. That.” He smirked and faced Archie again. “You mentioned Kyla had day care on Tuesday?”

“That’s right. Her last one in DC, I suppose.” Archie sent me a quick smile.

I liked where this was going. I could postpone my first evening, my first night, with these two together, as long as it meant they were giving up their crap in DC, be it apartments and bosses or day care.