Just One Thing (The Alexanders 6)

Bennett grinned. “I guess a tour of that barn is not on the agenda then, huh?”

Grady had some soft fuzzy toys that he produced so the boys could watch the kittens play. While they were occupied, Bennett turned to her with a smug expression.

“What?” she finally asked.

“Nothing. Just that things are going well. And you were nervous.”

She laughed. “I was, a little bit. But I shouldn’t have been. You’re great with them, really patient.”

“Having three annoying younger brothers has finally paid off.”

Katie smiled since his statement was obviously teasing. It was obvious to anyone that the Alexander brothers were a tight bunch. He pulled her into his arms and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

When she pulled back she noticed Hunter watching them closely. He hadn’t exactly been bowled over by the idea of her dating, she could tell. Maybe she should say something to him.

But Bennett took the decision out of her hands when he suddenly announced, “Dinnertime. Let’s go eat!”

?

Watching Katie with her children warmed his heart. The warmth stayed with him even as they herded the boys to his loft to eat the dinner his mom had brought over. The boys scarfed down the fried chicken and mashed potatoes like they’d never had food before.

Afterward, he showed the kids some of the soil samples their mom helped to care for and gave them a tour. They thought sleeping in a loft was the coolest thing ever. Normally it would have felt strange to have people in his private space but Bennett found he didn’t mind this time.

His cold lab had never felt more like home.

While Katie was showing Matthew the soil samples that contained the worms, Bennett noticed Hunter getting closer and closer. Quiet and introspective, the little boy had been the hardest of the two children to win over but also the one who reminded Bennett the most of himself.

“So you live here all by yourself?” Hunter asked.

Bennett looked around. He guessed from a child’s perspective, it was a strange place to live. There were no couches or comfortable furniture. The only television was the one upstairs in the loft. It probably looked awful to a kid.

“I do. I’ve lived here for almost ten years now.”

Hunter’s eyes rounded. “Whoa. That’s a long time.”

Bennett chuckled. Ten years to a child probably sounded like forever. Just then there was a knock on the door and Mark stuck his head inside. By the gleeful smile on his face, he’d heard from Julia that Katie and the kids were there.

“Does anyone here want ice cream?” Mark came in and placed a plastic carton of ice cream down on one of the tables.

While Matthew immediately raced forward, Hunter hung back hesitantly. Katie noticed and glanced at Bennett worriedly. He motioned for her to go ahead. Then he knelt down so Hunter wouldn’t have to strain to see him.

“You don’t feel like ice cream right now? It’s okay. We can save it for later.”

Hunter kicked at the ground before glancing over at Bennett. “My dad is supposed to take us for ice cream soon. But he might forget. He does that a lot.”

Katie had talked about her frustrations with her ex-husband’s work schedule before. He wasn’t going to pretend he understood how hard it was to balance work and family since he hadn’t had that privilege yet. However, he sincerely hoped his family would always know that he valued his time with them more than anything else.

“I’m sorry about that, buddy. Sometimes adults mess up things, too. But that’s not your fault. Your mom told me you’re a great kid."

Hunter glanced over at his mother. “She did?”

Bennett was suddenly filled with empathy. He may not know what it was like to deal with divorce but he definitely understood wondering if your parents were proud of you. He took a chance and placed a hand on Hunter’s shoulder.

“Your mom is very proud of you, Hunter. And even though your dad forgets things sometimes, I’m sure he’s proud of you, too.”

The smile on the little boy’s face was better than any prize.

Just then Katie walked up. “The ice cream is really good. It’s homemade.”