Outside of that, though, I didn’t have a freaking clue what I was meant to do about putting him on her bed.
Deciding it’d be okay so long as I was there, I picked him up and let him walk around Layla while I got into bed on the other side, sliding in behind her.
“Don’t get too used to this, buddy. Layla might not want you up on the bed again.”
When he sat down and looked at me like I was nuts, I wondered if maybe I should have a nap. I’d hardly slept the last two nights because I was so worried about her, and apparently it was making me hallucinate about canine facial expressions.
“How about this—you might fall off and break a leg, and then she’ll cry all day and be sad?”
This time, he whined and curled up in front of her, making sure his back was pressed against Layla’s abdomen. Wrapping my arm around her waist and putting my hand on top of his head, I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.
Three hours later…
I’d received the 911 text from Jack and had let him in the back of Layla’s house, but I’d already told him I wasn’t going to lie if anyone asked me where he was. Then again, they’d probably figure it out once they asked Hurst and Linda if he was at theirs. Where else could he sneak off to? His sons would test the limits of his sanity within five minutes, and Colette knew that, so there was only Layla’s house.
While he had a nap on the couch, I made her my mom’s chicken and rice soup recipe, and Zeus provided me with some entertainment.
He was roughly three months old and was all ears and feet, but Jeremy had said carrots were good for him, so I’d put one on the ground for him, assuming he’d eat it. It never occurred to me to chop it up or just give him a slice, and later on, once I figured that out, I’d be relieved that he never ate the whole thing. However, at this moment, he was hitting it, biting it, pouncing on it, and just enjoying the hell out of life.
What he didn’t do was yap or bark, almost like he knew Jack and Layla needed some sleep.
The couch Jack was lying on wasn’t that far away from the entrance to the kitchen, so I could hear his soft snores perfectly. They were vastly different from Dad’s, who sounded like a pissed off grizzly at night and could be heard through walls.
That’s why, when I heard a high-pitched, almost whining mosquito-like noise that went on for a while, I automatically looked down at Zeus, expecting to see him begging. Instead, he was looking toward the living room with his ears in the air, his head tilting from side to side as he listened.
A sudden loud, brisk snort-like snore followed and was cut off with a “What? Who said that?” and it all made sense.
The noise had been what me and my brothers had referred to as kids as a mosquito fart.
“Do you want some soup, Jack?” When I didn’t get a response, I decided to send out my new buddy. “Zeus, go and check if Grandpa wants soup.”
The little guy looked at me like I was nuts. Maybe it was because of what we’d just heard—Jack farting himself awake—or perhaps it was because I called him Grandpa? Who knew.
Putting the lid on the pot, I gave in and did it myself.
“Jack, do you want some soup?”
He turned his head and looked at me through tired eyes. “What kind is it?”
“Mom’s chicken and rice.”
Jack sat up and swung his feet around. “Oh, I love that soup. Do you make it as good as she does?”
I told a little lie. “Absolutely.”
I’d never made it before, but who’s to say it wasn’t as good as Mom’s?
He yawned and got to his feet.
“Did the little guy crap in the house?” he asked, waving his hand in front of his face.
This time, instead of lying, I just sent him a small smile and went up to check on Layla.
Only three weeks ago, I’d been desperately trying to figure out how to get her to talk to me, and I was in deep shit for outing our marital status to her family. So much had happened in that time, and now I’d gotten her a dog, had helped her dad out after he’d pissed her mom off, and I was looking after her while she was sick.
It was her twenty-seventh birthday tomorrow, and although I had to work during the day, I’d planned to surprise her with a candlelight picnic in the backyard at the house. Unfortunately, due to bodily fluids, an ongoing police investigation, and the fact she was sick, that wouldn’t be possible, but I was hopeful Zeus would help me start making the day special for her.
Although, if Colette ever caught up with Jack, we might need to move to a hotel or something after this house became a crime scene, too.