Isabella squealed and clapped her hands. “Yay! Daddy…Daddy, look!”
Her look was so animated, I couldn’t help but smile. “I know, Bella. You’re a lucky girl.” I winked at her and she turned her attention back to the presents.
Derren laid them on the floor for her, but Isabella hesitated. “It’s okay, pumpkin. You can open them now.” Derren smiled, but Isabella was now focused on the task in hand. The only sounds were her ripping the paper off. She was practically shredding them.
“So how’s business, Dean?”
I smiled at Derren. He was friendly towards me now. I didn’t know how much of that was just tolerance, or whether he was actually warming up to me.
“Doing good, thank you. We’re expanding to the west coast so, all-in-all, it’s not bad at all.”
Derren smiled and it looked genuine. “That’s great news.”
My property business had somehow taken off. I think the market recovering helped. Between Scott Cooper and I, we’d set up a little goldmine. Not that I needed to. With virtually all my investments gone in the UK, Tyler and I were set for life. There was no need for us to ever work again. Tyler still did, though. She was devoted to her job as a kindergarten teacher. It worked well for us because she worked whenever the kids were at school. I suppose, despite the fact we didn’t have to work, we both needed to.
I left Humphrey with the rest because I felt I at least owed him something, but Tyler and I never had to worry about a thing. Our kids never had to worry about a thing.
“And Tyler… How is work?”
Tyler smiled. “Good, Dad.” She was about to elaborate, but Isabella squealed.
“Mommy! Daddy! Look!” She held up the latest Barbie that had a bag she always wanted. They were hard to get. According to Tyler, she couldn’t find it anywhere.
Tyler looked shocked. “How did you…?”
Derren tapped his nose with his finger and winked. “A Grandfather never reveals his secrets.”
Later on that evening, Tyler was inside the house with Jeremy, Isabella, Tara, and her parents, whilst I sat drinking a beer with Jimmy.
I took a swig. “So, how’s Tara with her pregnancy?”
Jimmy sighed with a smile. “It’s a fucking bitch, man. Every time I touch her, she practically growls at me. It’s fucking scary.”
I laughed, thinking how similar Tyler and Tara were. I guess I was lucky because she was only in her second trimester and she wouldn’t leave me alone. Hell, who would complain about that? I knew it wouldn’t last, though. She would eventually get heavier and more uncomfortable, but I would be there. All I could do was hold her hand and pray that she wouldn’t cut my dick off. Even thinking about it made me wince.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
I shuddered. “Nothing… I just had an unwelcome thought, that’s all.”
Jimmy laughed. “Women are fucking scary, aren’t they? Give me a little chump beating all levels of crap out of me any day, but Tara?” Jimmy shuddered.
I laughed. “I said something similar after you knocked on the door, but that was about Tyler’s parents.”
“What about Tyler’s parents?” Tara was standing in the doorway, Tyler right behind her. Both looked eager for my answer.
I straightened up. “Nothing.”
Tyler walked out and came to sit on my lap, Tara did the same to Jimmy. She wrapped her arms around me, snuggled her head into my neck, and bit me.
Fuck me, she was a little vixen. And, as per usual, my dick reacted. Tyler obviously noticed because her eyebrow rose. She was in so much trouble later. And, to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Life was just as it should be right now.
“That’s not what you were telling me earlier.” Jimmy raised his eyebrow.
I was going to kill him. In fact, if Tyler wasn’t on my lap and Tara wasn’t on his, I would have wrapped my hands around his fucking scrawny little neck.
I glared at him and he shrugged. “Hey, if I’m going down, I may as well bring you with me.”
Tara stared at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
I laughed and winked at Jimmy. He was dead.
Jimmy made a kissy sound at Tara. “Nothing, sweetheart. I love you.”
Tara placed her hand on his face and pushed him back. “Please.”
I laughed even harder.
“Bitchface,” Jimmy sneered.
“Douche fag.”
“Arse licker.”
“Knob jockey.”
“Dick breath.”
“Turb burglar.”
Tyler covered my mouth and sighed. “Would you two cut it out!”
We all laughed, as I snuggled my head into my Rosey’s neck. I was the happiest fucking man alive.