Dad Bod (Under Construction 1)

How the hell are my friends so dumb?

“Turkey up already?” Laney asks as she rushes past us and into the house.

“Yep, Mav pulled it up.”

Jordan shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Great! Because banana puddin’ is so sacred to her Thanksgivin’ tradition, we get cold bird.”

“Oh darlin’, my bird’s always hot for you.” I waggle my eyebrows at her suggestively, and she smacks my chest.

“You’re incorrigible! Get in here and help me save dinner before we have a massacre on our hands!” Jordan laughs.

There hasn’t been any shoutin’ from inside, but when I make it to the dining room I see that Carter and Belle somehow miraculously saved the bird from its fall. The meat has been trimmed and neatly placed on the platter that graces the center of the buffet table. Carter and I carry the side dishes to the buffet while Belle helps Bryn and Jo set the table. I have no idea where Mav is, but I don’t hear any whimperin’.

In the kitchen, Laney is cryin’ over the mixer of her secret concoction that we all know and love as her famous banana puddin’. Carter sidles up beside her and wipes the tears from her cheeks, slicin’ bananas to help her out. How one fuckin’ banana managed to ruin her dinner is beyond me, and I sure as hell ain’t about to ask.

“Honey,” Jordan coos as she wraps her arms around my middle, “I think Mav has watched one too many old episodes of What’s Cookin’ with Paula Deen.”

I cock my brow and ask, “What the hell?”

She points into the kitchen. “He’s literally slatherin’ his hands with butter, Mad. The good kind. What the hell is wrong with our friends?” She covers her mouth with her hand to quieten the laughter.

“Dinner!” Laney calls out before I can reply.

“If we survive this holiday, I promise every one that comes after will be spent at our house. We can control the crazy a little better there,” Jordan promises with a wink.

“Wait, what?” I ask, following behind her.

It’s only been two weeks since Jo and I made it official that we’re a couple. That night, she came over for dinner, and together we waited on pins and needles to tell Belle. Finally, as we put my sweet girl to bed and tucked her in, I told Belly that Jordan was my girlfriend. I wasn’t exactly sure how’d take it, but her reaction completely knocked me on my ass and left Jordan in a mess of tears. Belle latched on to Jo’s waist and told her she was never letting go of her new best friend. Jo snuggled into bed next to Belle that night and rocked her to sleep, and I knew then I couldn’t go another night without Jordan in our home, as a family just as we should be.

I didn’t want to scare Jordan by asking her to move in right away, but I did feel her out over the next few nights. Each night was much the same. Jordan would come over for dinner, watch TV with Belle wedged between us on the couch. She’d help with Belly’s bedtime routine then read her a story after I tucked her in. And each night, Belle slept peacefully, her night terrors seemingly gone.

On the seventh night I finally propositioned her—move in with me. Make our house a home, be the missing piece to the Davenport family puzzle. She’d been hesitant about it and promised she’d sleep on it. Which she did, curled up against my chest each and every night. It’s been seven long and grueling days since then, each night our routine the same as the last.

Did she finally accept? Is she movin’ in?

“Daddy! The bird is gettin’ colder! What are you waitin’ for?” Belle yells, pullin’ me from my thoughts. I look up and notice all my friends gathered around the table, so I take my place between Belle and Jordan.

I look down at the plate Jordan prepared for me, then cock my brow in her direction. “What? We’ll work it off, Davenport.” She winks, leanin’ in closer. “In our bedroom.” There she goes again, hintin’…

“I know y’all ain’t about to dig into this dinner without a proper thanks,” Laney chides, then points at Carter and demands, “Bless the damn food.”

We bow our heads as Carter blesses the food, and I silently give thanks to the big man upstairs for breathing new life in me all those months ago. I feel a pinch on my inner thighs and look up at Jo, whose eyes are filled with so much love and happiness, and I’m fuckin’ thrilled that I’m the reason she smiles.

“You okay?” she asks, peeking at me from under her lashes.

“I’m great, darlin’.”

“Dig in, big man!” She winks and kisses my cheek.

Dinner is amazing, despite the turkey mishap. It still tastes good, and what Laney doesn’t know what hurt her. Her temper has finally ebbed into her typical smart ass, but that we can all deal with.

I persuade Carter to help me clean up the kitchen while the women retreat to the patio to enjoy wine and dessert. It’s only fair since they did most of the heavy liftin’.

“You saved my ass again today, Mad.” Carter claps his hand over my shoulder. The food is all put away, and the dishwasher is runnin’ its cycle.

“How’d Mav survive the day without passin’ out from the pain? I know his hand hurts like a bitch.”

“Why do you think that fucker dodged cleanup duty. He’s at the ER now.”