"Now see what you've done you big ape."
"Not to worry ice cream's on me."
I'm not stupid; I know she was thinking of ways to shoot me down; probably a little over cautious after being burned by the asshole sperm donor.
If the way to a man's heart is his stomach, then the way to a woman's is her little darlings.
I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing, or worst yet, what had gotten into me, but something was going on here.
As a man accustomed to following my gut, I couldn’t just walk away. When I left my house this morning I was mad as fuck at the world, now things seem to be looking up.
It’s been a while since I’ve been on this side of the great divide, I’m usually the one being hunted; it might be fun doing the pursuing this time.
I'm about to play this game right and see how far it takes me. Maybe Gunther was good for something after all; he'd netted me a hot young cutie. Fucking dog.
Chapter FOUR
LAURIE
I watched as he herded my kids together, and his dog, and they just walked ahead of him like nothing, huh.
I didn’t stop to ask myself why I was letting this happen. I wasn’t really afraid, in fact I felt completely relaxed around him, which made no sense whatsoever because my first impression had been that he was crazy.
But I do have a thing about honesty, and if he wasn’t that, then he really was the craziest son of a bitch I’d ever met.
I’m not one to be swayed by good looks, though he did have those in spades. That’s not the reason I was following him out of the park like a lamb to the slaughter though, no.
There was something about him that made me feel, safe. I have no idea what that was about. It could be his height, the way he seems to block everything else out when he’s standing close.
It could be the way he looked at me just then when he was telling me about my ass. Like he would devour me if we were alone.
I don’t think anyone has ever looked at me with so much heat before, it made me feel just a little weak, which is probably not such a good thing. Once bitten twice shy, doesn’t seem to hold up too well under his brand of hotness.
When we reached the ice cream- parlor, which was just a little ways outside of the park, he tied his dog and bent at the knee and spoke, like he expected the animal to understand what he was saying. Then again, the way Gunther turned his head to the side and watched him, maybe he did.
He hadn't said one word to me while we were walking, other than to finally exchange names; no he was very slick, he talked to the boys the whole way here and they loved it.
That was another thing, the way my boys just fell in line for him, that’s a first. He’d gone from gruff and mean to friendly in the blink of an eye and my two little men were eating it up.
After opening the door for us, I was a little confused when he just walked up to the counter before asking what they wanted.
But I felt my heart give a little when he walked back towards us with a bowl with what looked like water, and went outside to his dog. After some more neck scuffing he was back.
"Okay boys time to wash our hands, lets go." Oh this was gonna be good, finally my boys will put mister big shot in his place.
Everyone knows little boys hate water, mine especially. Imagine my surprise, and yes, a little hurt, when my two traitors fell in line and walked off; with a compete stranger that I'd just met in the park.
What kind of mother are you? I hurried after them and stood right outside the door; anyone coming this way might think I’m a pervert because I had my ear pressed to the door.
"Okay Garret my man, you first; wow you really like the dirt don't you lil man, you sure you left some in the park?" I heard the water running and I don't know what was going on in there, but there were lots of giggles and then I heard Dmitri's little voice saying 'do me, do me.'
"Okay sport you're up." And they were off again; were my boys starved for male attention? My dad is basically the only one they know and he spends lots of time with them when he can, but sometimes lots of time would go by if dad's too busy.
I couldn't think about that now though, because they were coming out, but later I’ll have to revisit that thought. Not that there was much I could do about it.
After the fiasco that I had made of my life, I was bound and determined to make something of myself for me and my boys, and falling into bed with every Tom Dick and Harry I meet, just to find them a father figure, wasn’t part of that agenda.
They came through the door and he stopped short when he saw me. I was about to explain myself, but the look he gave me told me he understood.
"Hey look who's here." He smiled at me while once again herding the boys back into the parlor. He took us to a table in the corner, where someone had set up two high chairs; I looked at him questioningly.