Isaiah did so much for Mark and the kids, it was only natural to want to do something for him, right? Mark stopped at the store on his way back home, then let himself into the quiet house. He had a few hours before he’d need to pick up the girls, and it was more than enough time to tackle the bathroom. He could still remember when his parents had remodeled the master suite—putting in the huge soaking tub and walk-in steam shower with multiple heads. Danielle had clearly had some work done during the past few years—changing the paint from cream to teal and updating the cabinet hardware and fixtures.
Emotions welled up in his throat as he saw Danielle’s makeup still on the vanity, Cal’s shaving stuff. The master bed was still unmade, like the occupants might be back at any time. Triage. Assess. Evaluate. One step at a time. He fell back on his training, breaking down the impossible into a series of steps he could complete without falling apart. Strip the bed. Fresh linens from the hall closet. Pick up and put away all personal items lying around. They could sort through the belongings at a later date, but hidden away in the closet was better than leaving them out where each glance could be a fresh slap of grief.
He did the same thing in the bathroom. Fresh linens. A quick clean so it smelled like cleaner not Dani’s perfume, then putting all the items on the vanity in a box so Isaiah wouldn’t have to see them. Later, Isaiah would probably want Cal’s watch and cufflinks, but right now, Mark wanted a neutral space for him.
Running close for time, he set up the rest of his surprise, then hurried to get the girls. It was his first time doing pickup without Isaiah, and they fussed a bit about where Isaiah was. Understandably, they didn’t handle changes in their routine well, always looking for reassurance that he and Isaiah were coming back. Hell, Mark had felt similarly adrift after his own parents died, and he’d been in his twenties. It was no wonder that the kids were having some difficulties. He quadruple-checked their buckles—he’d given less attention to parachute rigging before—and promised them they could watch TV when they got home.
“What do you want for lunch?” he asked as he pulled into traffic, far more careful than usual.
“Fish sticks!” Zoe demanded.
“Sure.” That much cooking even Mark could do, and he was just getting a baking sheet loaded with fish sticks and French fries into the oven when he heard voices in the driveway.
Isaiah was back with Mark’s SUV, and he was followed by a truck driven by a guy Mark had seen at the funeral. Another guy hopped out of the passenger side. Mark checked on the girls and their video, then popped his head out of the patio to say hello.
“You back? Need me to take Liam in here with the girls?” he asked.
“Sure. He’s asleep.” Isaiah unsnapped the car seat carrier from the SUV and brought it over to Mark. “These are my old roommates, Tony and Lonzo. We couldn’t quite fit everything in one load so they followed me over.”
Mark waved at the guys before accepting the car seat. Tony was tall and buff, the kind of muscles that came from hours at the gym with the accompanying spray-tan and streaked hair. Lonzo was closer to Isaiah’s height and slightly built.
“How’s your neck?” he asked Isaiah. “Maybe you should take the kids, let me help unload?”
“It’s fine. Worrywart.” Isaiah patted his arm before heading back to his friends. “We’ve got this.”
Well okay then. Duly dismissed, Mark took the baby into the house. He got Liam settled in his crib for a nap, then returned downstairs, checked on the girls, and served their lunch. Through the open patio door, he could hear Isaiah and his friends joking.
“Man, you’ve got a sweet ocean view here.” Lonzo’s voice was higher than Isaiah’s deep timbre.
“Ha. He only cares about the view of all that SEAL candy jogging on the beach. Am I right?” Tony had a heavy New York accent.
“I’m here for the kids.” Isaiah sounded tired.
“No more hookups? Ike, how you gonna live?” Tony laughed, but Mark didn’t. He scrubbed hard at the kitchen counter. Of course, a guy like Isaiah was going to chafe at living with Mark. It was only a matter of time. He needed sex and partying.
He didn’t catch Isaiah’s reply because the guys took another load of boxes into the garage. When they came back, Tony was still running off at the mouth.
“You should come out Friday night. Get a sitter or something. It’s been too long since we really hung out.”
“I can’t leave the kids,” Isaiah said.
“What he really means is that he’s not hooking up with you again. He’s over his ill-advised crush.” Lonzo laughed as the guys collected more boxes from the back of the SUV.