Playing for Keeps(79)

Epilogue




Ten years later.....

"But, Dad, we're going to starve!" Cole complained, again, as he sagged to the ground, doing his best to look like he was dying. Of course eight year old Elizabeth and five year old Joshua copied their older brother, dropping to the ground right beside Jason's feet and doing their best to out pout the other.

Jason chuckled as he added more burgers and chicken to the large stainless steel grill he'd bought and set up yesterday.

"Don't you love us, daddy?" Elizabeth asked, adding just the right amount of lip trembling while Joshua over did it. Jason sighed, throwing more hot dogs onto the grill. He was going to have to work on looking pathetic with his youngest son again it seemed. An amateur pout like that could mean the difference between Haley feeling sorry for all of them and baking some delicious treat to shut them the hell up or her rolling her eyes and ignoring them.

"I so hungie, daddy," Joshua said, using the baby voice that he knew his parents were suckers for.

Jason looked down at his children and did his best not to laugh at their over exaggerated pouts. They were so damn cute, but that was to be expected since they were his kids. All three of them took after him in height, dark hair and appetite, but they all had their mother's beautiful emerald eyes, cute little noses and the ability to brighten up a room with their smiles.

Pursing his lips in indecision, he looked around their large backyard for his little grasshopper. When he didn't find her among their guests he stepped back and craned his neck to look through the kitchen's double glass sliding doors. He spotted his parents, a few cousins and uncles but no little grasshopper.

When he looked back at his kids he wasn't too shocked to find them already back on their feet, looking ready to pounce. They knew the drill after all.

"Take this plate," he said, grabbing a plate off the large picnic table he had set up as his work station, "and go hide. Make sure you share, because if I hear any whining I'm not doing this again." He threw another cautious look over his shoulder before loading up the plate with three large barbeque chicken legs.

"After you're done make sure you get rid of the evidence and, Cole," he said, looking over his shoulder at his oldest son who was licking his lips hungrily, "make sure your brother and sister remember to wash up this time."

The last time they snuck food at a party, Cole innocently denied eating the double chocolate birthday cake. Haley would have probably bought the story if Elizabeth and Joshua hadn't been covered from head to toe in chocolate frosting. Then again he wouldn't have been caught if the kids hadn't rated his ass out.

He handed the large plate to Cole. "Pick a better spot this time," Jason warned his son.

Cole nodded. "Can we have some-"

"Jason Bradford!" his mother said, drawing their attention towards the house. They all swallowed noticeably when they spotted Haley standing next to his mother with her arms crossed over her chest and her cute little brows arched.

"Please tell me you're not already sneaking food," his little grasshopper said on a tired sigh.

"No, of course not--run kids! Run!" Jason yelled even as Cole took off towards the woods with his brother and sister hot on his heels.

His mother let out a long suffering sigh as she walked over to the table and picked up the small box of baby wipes and three juice boxes from one of the large coolers and headed for the woods.

Jason gave Haley the grin that still got him out of parking tickets and unlimited free samples at the grocery store. Haley simply stared at him, pushing her glasses back up her nose with one finger.

"I love you?" Jason said, trying not to laugh as Haley tried to look stern and failed miserably.

"They're my cupcakes, you greedy bastards!" they heard his father yell from the kitchen.

Haley's lips twitched as she said, "Between you, the kids, and your father, I don't think there will be enough food for everyone."

"But they were starving, my little grasshopper. The poor things were barely able to move from hunger," he said, trying to look and sound innocent as he shifted closer to the grill so that she wouldn't see the plate of chicken bones he forgot to hide.

"Those poor things conned Mitch out the two plates of peanut butter cup bars that Mary made, twenty minutes ago," Haley informed him, chuckling.

"They what?" he yelled, causing everyone around them to jump. He ignored them as he turned a glare in the direction his children headed off to. The sense of betrayal hit hard. Not only had they conned the soft hearted Mitch out of delicious baked goods that were meant for him, but they failed to give him his customary cut of the action, fifty percent.