“Me and my best friend, Evan, like to go fishin’ at the lake. Dr. Krane introduced us because we both have bad hearts.”
Mine twisted again. I shoved it down, refusing to go down that path, and continued smiling as I listened to the cute kid go on about his friend. “He goes to a different school, our moms always take us to each other’s houses, so it’s no big deal. And my mom and dad finally let me get Snap,” he said with an annoyed roll of his eyes. “So now we can send messages on our iPads.”
“You know not to accept any requests from anyone you don’t know, right?”
Yeah, I went there. Too many freaks out there to let that one slip by.
He sighed in exasperation. “Of course, I know. My mom told me like a million times.”
“She sounds pretty smart.”
“Yup. Best part about me and Evan?”
“What’s that?”
Josiah grinned. “I’m taller.”
6
Kale
As soon as I left the office, I headed straight for Rex and Rynna’s house. After spending the day meeting some of my new patients, I had this itchy feeling.
Needing to hold my godbabies in my arms. Feel them whole and healthy and strong.
Which was crazy, considering the day had left me feeling more fulfilled than I’d ever imagined and entirely wrecked at the same time.
I pulled into the gravel drive of the family’s little house. The larger house across the street that Rynna had inherited from her grandmother was currently undergoing a full renovation. As soon as it was finished, they’d sell this place and move over there since they needed the room.
I bounded up the porch steps, Milo barking like crazy as he hopped up and pawed at the window.
The door flew open before I even made it there, Frankie Leigh barreling out. The kid was wearing the black tutu I’d given her for her birthday over a pair of shorts and a sweater, her brown hair just as wild and free as her spirit. “Uncle Kale, Uncle Kale! Yous came to see me. What you been doing? I’ve been missing you!”
I scooped her off her feet, tossed her in the air as she squealed with delight. I hugged her close. “I’ve been missing you, too. How’s big girl school?”
“It’s so, so fun! I learned all my letters, and I can write my name. You want to see?”
“You know I do.”
I set her on her feet, and Frankie was rounding the couch and flying down the hall before I closed the door. Rynna was bouncing Ryland by the dining room table, looking a little frazzled, the tiny baby boy facing out and releasing all these tiny, gurgled cries as he attempted to stuff his whole fist into his mouth.
Rex was in the kitchen making dinner.
I grinned at him. “About time you made yourself useful . . . what are you making me? Just don’t burn it because it actually smells delicious. I mean, seriously, what miracle is this? Last time I checked, your specialty was pizza from a box.”
He tossed me a middle finger with his hand still wrapped around the paring knife he was dicing potatoes with. “Don’t even start, man. My family needs a good dinner, and the last thing my Rynna needs is to go worrying about making dinner after she’s been taking care of the kids all day.”
With an exaggerated sigh, she kissed the top of Ryland’s head. “Who would have thought taking care of an infant would be a hundred times harder than running a diner all day? I’m not complaining, but I think I could sleep for a week straight. Thank God Nikki decided to take the general manager position. I don’t even know what I’d do right now if I had to go in and oversee things.”
Nikki hadn’t been in love with her previous job and had jumped on the opportunity when Rynna had suggested she come work at Pepper’s Pies.
Rynna knew she wouldn’t be able to devote as much time to the diner once she had Ryland, and she wanted someone she could trust to handle the little diner that had been her dream, her grandmother’s legacy.
It had been a good transition for both of them.
I approached her, dropped a kiss to her forehead, and ran a tender hand over Ryland’s head. He leaned into it, the kid loving the contact, a sweet coo coming from his mouth. “No one until they’re standing right in your shoes, that’s who.” I lifted my hands for Ryland. “Here, let me take him for a while. Looks like you could use a break.”
She beamed at me as she shifted Ryland into my hold. “You’re a godsend.”
I quirked a brow. “You mean a god?”
“You wish, asshole.” Rex was eager to supply. “And it’s about time you showed up for Uncle duty.”
“Hey, I’ve been busy, man.” I held Ryland’s teeny body against my chest, bouncing him lightly.