Harper took a mouthful and then stuck her tongue out. Bits of lasagna dropped back down onto her plate, and Justin wanted to wince at her bad manners.
“Too hot?” Del asked her.
“It’s stinky,” she said firmly, eyeing him as though she was trying to goad him into a fight.
“Oh, that’s because there’s garlic in it,” Del said easily. “My nonna was from Italy, so there’s kind of a lot of garlic in it. You know what garlic does, right?”
Harper eyed him warily.
“Keeps away the vampires,” Del said.
“There’s no such thing as vampires,” Harper said.
“See?” Del said. “It’s working.”
Harper’s face screwed up as she fought what might have been a smile and won. She scowled and glowered down at her plate. Then, after checking Del wasn’t watching, she ate another mouthful.
Justin caught Del’s gaze over the rickety table, and Del winked at him.
Just…just an acknowledgement that he’d teased Harper gently into eating, but it went straight to Justin’s cock. He flushed again, and shifted uncomfortably, and ate a forkful of lasagna that just melted in his mouth it was so good. He almost closed his eyes and groaned, but Scarlett made an indignant sound because she was missing out, so Justin fed her some too.
“Do you like it, Wyatt?” Del asked.
Wyatt chewed silently.
“He likes it,” Harper said grudgingly.
Del looked to Justin.
“Wyatt doesn’t like to talk,” Justin said.
Del didn’t comment on that. He only nodded and reached out to tousle Wyatt’s dark hair. Wyatt stopped chewing long enough to flash a shy smile at him.
It was, Justin realized as he ate, the first meal he’d had with the kids without a tantrum from Harper or Scarlett screaming on his lap.
* * * *
Del hung around as Justin got the kids showered and into bed, and Justin really wasn’t sure why. Not only did he hang around, but he even read Harper and Wyatt a story while Justin was dealing with Scarlett. After he put Scarlett in her crib, his shirt still damp from wrestling her out of the bath, Justin followed Del into the kitchen. Del ran water into the lasagna tray in the sink.
“I can scrub that,” Justin said.
“Leave it,” Del said. “I’ll let it soak here for a bit, then take it home and put it in the dishwasher.”
“Thanks for tonight,” Justin said. “It was really nice.”
And there were enough leftovers in the refrigerator for tomorrow as well, which was a weight off his shoulders. Maybe if he didn’t have to worry about getting dinner ready he could actually get a start on the cleaning in the morning.
“It’s no problem,” Del said. “I like cooking for people, and I miss it when I don’t get the chance to do it very often. I’m a chef.”
“Oh.”
“I even had a TV show on cable some years back,” Del said in a tone that suggested there was something funny in the statement, but Justin didn’t know what. “Then, after me and my ex broke up, I decided it was time to finally write my own cookbook. I figured the peace and quiet in Enterprise would be just what I needed.” He flashed a rueful smile. “And, of course, I lost my restaurant in the divorce.”
“Sorry to hear that.” Justin carried a glass over to the sink.
“How about you?” Del asked. “What’s your story, Justin?”
“Um.” Justin turned and leaned on the counter. “I don’t really have a story, I guess. I was born here and grew up here, and I’ve been living in Pendleton for the last four years, working at a supermarket.” He flushed again. “I was supposed to be getting my GED, but then all this happened. I’m going to try and get some work around town, but most people around here won’t want to hire an O’Dwyer.”
Del pressed his mouth together into a line for a moment. “Are you okay for groceries and stuff in the meantime?”
Justin felt a chill of humiliation. “Yeah. The kids’ social worker got us some stuff from the food bank, and I should be getting payments for the kids coming in as soon as the paperwork goes through.”
“What about rent?” Del asked.
“My family owns this place,” Justin said. “My uncle does. Steve.”
Del nodded. “Is he around?”
“No. He’s over in Snake River,” Justin said. He fought down the sudden burst of panic inside him. He hoped Uncle Steve never got out. “In prison. I haven’t seen him in a while. That’s how all of us O’Dwyers end up, you know?” He tried to twist his mouth into a smile. “In prison or in the morgue.”
“That’s rough,” Del said with just the same kind patience in his voice as always.