Page 168 of Colt

“Yeah?”

“Why do you have a bruise on your neck?”

Lainey guffaws.

A literal guffaw, like it’s the most hilarious thing ever that my son is asking about the hickey she just gave me during a very athletic round of sex. The one we ended up having on her stairs because we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.

Thing is her laughter is contagious. Or maybe it’s just knowing I shouldn’t that makes me laugh all the harder.

It hurts to hold it back, but I still give it the old college try.

“It’s”—I gasp—“work. From work.”

Dean makes a face. “How did you get a bruise on your neck from work? Did a horse kick you there?”

“Sure,” Lainey says, her eyes watering. “I saw it.”

“And you’re not mad about it?” Dean asks.

I shake my head, my sides aching. “Nope.”

“Wow. Okay. Be careful next time, would you?”

That’s it.

I burst out laughing and so does Lainey. Dean, thank goodness, thinks we’re just laughing at his funny line. Which we are. Partly.

“Will do, Dean.”

The elementary school is about a mile from downtown, so we drive to Main Street to get our hot chocolate. It’s absurdly delicious on a cold day like this one. Then we head home, where I hang with Dean while Lainey finishes up some work.

The second five o’clock hits, I’m popping off the tops to a pair of Shiners and handing one to Lainey.

“Was gonna roast a chicken and some vegetables for dinner,” I say. “Sound good?”

Looking up at me, she smiles. “Sounds perfect. How can I help? And no, I’m not going to just sit here while you cook, so give me a task. How about I chop up whatever vegetables you have?”

“Why? Because we’re both bringing home the bacon and now we’re gonna cook it together?”

Her smile deepens, touching her eyes. “Exactly.”

“If you insist.”

“I do.”

So I light a fire, turn on some music, and we start cooking together while Dean watches an episode of LEGO Star Wars in the family room.

We chat about everything and nothing while sipping our beers. Turns out cooking is a lot more fun when you’re doing it with another person.

The chicken is absolutely delicious if I do say so myself. Sitting at my little kitchen table with Dean on my left and Lainey on my right, I notice how easily the conversation flows now.

Go figure. Dinnertime is actually pleasant all of a sudden.

Things really do change fast.

Then it’s bath time for Dean and PJ time for Lainey. She has a drawer in my room now, and it’s mostly filled with cozy stuff for hanging at the house.

The three of us line up on the couch for a good snuggle. We watch an episode of Planet Earth, and then Lainey and I put Dean to bed.