Even though he’s sitting on the floor with Jaime sitting opposite of him, I can tell he’s tall by the way his legs are stretched out. He’s young, maybe mid-twenties, and lean. Brown hair with blond streaks running through it and very tanned. He’s sporting a full beard, which seems to be popular nowadays. Good-looking guy, but that’s not what’s setting my hackles up.
It’s that he’s on the floor, playing with my kids, who look to be having a fucking great time.
Cannon is hanging on his back, his little arms wrapped around Josh’s neck, and Jaime is trying to crawl up his front. They’re all laughing and giggling, and my stomach cramps.
“Hey,” is all I think to say as I set the flowers on the armrest of the couch. I crouch down and hold my arms out to the kids. “Daddy’s home.”
My heart almost shrivels and dies when everyone goes still and gazes at me in surprise. Cannon looks at me with vague recognition, and Jaime eyes me shyly. I almost stand up and walk back out of my own house when finally, someone comes to their senses. Jaime releases her hold on Josh’s shirt to run to me. I scoop her up, take care not to squeeze her to death, and almost sob in relief when her arms come around my neck as she screams, “Dada”.
Oh, thank fuck. At least one kid likes me still.
But then Cannon’s got his arms latched around my leg, and I shift Jaime over to one hip while I bend over and pick him up to put on the other. Josh springs up from the ground, tugging his Northwestern t-shirt down a bit, and gives me a big smile.
Perfect white teeth too.
“Hey,” he says as he sticks his hand out for me to shake. “I’m Josh.”
I give a quick shrug of my shoulders and an apologetic look—not sorry at all—and say, “Sorry… hands full. I’m Zach. Good to meet you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Josh says as he stuffs his hands in his jeans pocket. “Um… Moira’s in her office wrapping up a call. I was just watching the kids for her.”
“Bet you didn’t think that was part of the job description,” I say dryly as I stare him down.
“Oh, I don’t mind. Cannon and Jaime are great—easy kids. I have a ton of nieces and nephews, so it’s all good.”
I nod and look down the hall, desperately willing Moira to come out of her office. We converted a spare bedroom for her once she got the job with Senpace.
“She got an emergency call from her boss,” Josh explains with a nod of his head toward her office.
Thanks, Josh… figured that one out on my own.
“Well, I’ve got everything in hand if you want to head out,” I tell him with a meaningful look that says, Get the fuck out; I’ve got plans with my wife.
He gets the message loud and clear, his face flushing red. “Sure… yeah. It was nice to meet you.”
With Jaime pulling on my hair and Cannon just watching the interplay with interest, Josh grabs a backpack off the recliner and slings it over his shoulder. He turns toward the front door just as Moira walks out of her office. Her eyes see him first, and she looks confused. “I just ordered pizza. I thought you were going to stay for dinner?”
Josh slides a guilty look my way, which really raises my hackles because what the fuck does he have to look guilty about? He says, “Um… Zach’s home so I thought I’d just head out—”
Moira’s head turns my way, mollifying me somewhat when her face lights with joy at seeing me there. She strides over to me while saying to Josh over her shoulder, “Nonsense. I invited you to eat dinner with us and you’re going to stay.”
I can’t help the grimace on my face as she goes to tiptoes, hands at my waist to brush a kiss over my lips. When she pulls back, she looks me direct in the eye, her back to Josh. “I invited Josh to dinner since I kept him late to work, and then he watched the kids while I handled a call with my boss. I hope you don’t mind.”
And in her eyes, I read her message loud and clear. I had better not mind.
I paste a smile on and slide my eyes over to Josh. “Of course, I don’t mind.”
“Excellent,” Moira says as her hand comes around and pats me on the ass. “I didn’t have time to cook, so it’s Pizza Hut tonight.”
“That will work,” I say, even as I shudder.
We eat pizza so fucking much that the thought of it makes me want to puke. I’d kill for something different… homemade. Hell, even some spider monkey over an open flame would be awesome now. I know, without a doubt, that part of my resentment stems from the fact that I still have more years than not of living in a society where the women subjugated and kept the men’s bellies filled with food after a hard day’s work of hunting and protecting the tribe. While I’m now modern in my thinking and truly believe that Moira’s work is as important as mine is, I can’t help but feel disappointed that we have to order delivery because my wife is too busy to cook dinner.
Christ, I’m a fucking caveman and I hate myself for it.
I lower the kids to the ground and head down the hall to our bedroom. “I’m just going to get changed.”
I hear Moira ask Josh, “Will you watch the kids for a minute?”