“I can’t believe everyone bailed on me. Now I understand why some moms at daycare put their kids on leashes.”
We’d chuckled about that in that past because we’d seen them at Walmart. I’d suggested that we tie the kids to Duke and let him take them for walks. I could only imagine the chaos if he decided he had to off a squirrel.
“You better get in there, or the moms will have stolen all the good candy. If you see a Snickers, Butterfinger, or a Heath Bar, snag it for me.”
“What? You don’t like your gum?” Greg asked as he stepped inside.
Just then, another batch of trick-or-treaters showed up.
“Trick-or-treat!”
“Who knows the first lesson?” I asked.
“Stick ’em with the pointy end,” a little monster told me.
“Good. You’ve passed the test. You may select something from the magical jack-o’-lantern.”
Four young kids stuck their hands into the plastic bowl all at once.
“What do you say?” their mom asked.
“Thank you!”
I reached in and tossed her a Hershey’s Kiss.
“What do you think, Buddy? Should we go see kittens?” I asked Duke when they’d left.
He happily followed me into the house.
◊◊◊
When I opened the door to my abode, Precious darted out. She must have needed a break. Pam had wanted to see the kittens, so she’d come with me. Duke was mysteriously missing in action. He realized his frenemy had taken over our apartment. Duke had slept in the boys’ room when I’d traveled. I figured he could sleep there tonight.
We checked the crate, and the kittens were sound asleep in a collective ball. I’d done a quick Internet search and discovered that they were blind and deaf at this age.
Pam sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to hers. She wanted to talk.
“David,” she said as I joined her.
It seemed like we had fallen right back into our old pattern.
“Yes?”
“Do you love Coby?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love Little David?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love Peggy?”
I took a moment to think about it.
“Yes.”
“Do you love Carol?”
“Yes,” I said without having to consider it.
“Do you love Scarlet?”
That was a good question. I didn’t know Scarlet other than when I’d met her in Alabama and since she’d moved here last week.
“Not yet.”
“Is it the same with the boys and Ashley?”
“I think so. I know Ashley only a little better than Scarlet. Them moving here will help me get to know them better,” I explained.
“Do you love me the best?”
I chuckled.
“Of course I do,” I said as I put my arm around her.
We heard the door open, and Precious ran in and checked on her babies. Then she came to me and hopped up on my lap. Peggy walked up the stairs and checked out the kittens. She turned and gave Pam a measured look.
“David told me he loves me the best,” Pam said to tease Peggy.
“I don’t know about that. When he makes love to me, he does a pretty good job,” Peggy shot back and then turned to me. “You willing to show her how good you can be?”
Mr. Happy almost knocked Precious off my lap. I felt her claws in my thigh, so I had to pick her up and put her on the floor before she did some real damage. Precious saved me from doing something I probably would regret. It allowed the big brain to put the brakes on before clothes started to come off.
“Tracy said the next time you fell off the wagon, she had to be involved. Should I give her a call?” Pam asked.
Peggy giggled when she saw the expression that came over my face.
“He acts big and tough, but we all know who’s in charge of his relationship … Brook. She has this ‘stupid boy’ wrapped around her little finger,” Peggy observed.
My first thought was ‘I’m in charge,’ but couldn’t deny that I loved Brook. I was currently unhappy with the whole trying to kick me in the balls episode and how easily Destiny had gotten her to believe I’d strayed. She hadn’t come trick-or-treating with us because she and Destiny went to dinner to talk things out. I did appreciate that Brook was trying. She and I still needed to talk, though. If she didn’t trust me, we had bigger issues than I’d realized. I didn’t want to be in a relationship where I constantly had to prove myself. It would be better to part as friends.
Mr. Happy voted for that. He had a valid point since I was about to pass up a foursome with three of my favorite girls.
“She’s in charge as much as I allow her to be,” I said to defend myself.
The laughter from both girls was uncalled for. Pam got out her phone.
“Should I make the call, Mr. In Charge?”
Peggy sat down on my other side and put her finger under my chin to force me to look at her.
“If you love us, shouldn’t you at least kiss us?” she asked reasonably.
Mr. Happy was being sly and had no comment. The big brain was occupied trying to figure that out when Peggy kissed me. It was a tender kiss that promised so much more. When our lips parted, two hands twisted my head so I would kiss Pam. Her kiss about curled my toes.
Thank God I heard someone open my door. My girlfriend came in, giving the other two girls a look. She quickly figured out what they were up to.
“With him as virile as he is, I would think you would have learned your lessons.”
