Chapter 82 Double Meaning

Chapter 82 Double Meaning
DOMINIC POV:

I groaned and sauntered over to Eileen. I hugged her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. The spread of marinated meats on the kitchen counter.

I arched my brow curiously. 

“We’re preparing for a barbecue out back tonight,” she informed in a soft voice.

“And sleeping in tents?” I chimed in. 

Leigh perked up. “That’s a great idea!” she clapped her hands enthusiastically. “The girls can have some fun and get the whole experience without us having to drive all the way out.”

I nodded. Harry was too small, so we couldn’t go camping with him. 

“Do we have marshmallows?” I asked excitedly. 

As a child, I watched my friends doing fun things with their families and never got to do it on my own. Camping with the family and having marshmallows was one of those things. I envied kids with normal childhoods, so I wanted to give that experience to my kids. 

I was sure Leigh was the same. She spent a majority of her teenage years taking care of me. She had missed out on too much too. I owed her these experiences.

Eileen frowned. “I think we are out of it. I could go and grab a bag from the store.”

I waved her off. “I’ll arrange for someone to do it.” I kissed her cheek and then retreated. “I’ll help set up the tents and grill.”

I was mildly excited at the prospect of family night. 

She hummed and her eyes followed me until I could no longer see her. I made my way back to the living room, where the game of cards had turned violent. Someone had cheated, and from the shrieking giggles and accusations, it was Dan.

I shoved my hand inside my pocket and shook my head. 

One of the players, Bethany, was not taking the game seriously. Her cards were flipped and everyone could see. She clearly didn’t understand the rules. Leigh’s girls were the ones accusing Dan of cheating, who was vehemently shaking his head, swearing on his honor. 

“Does someone want to accompany me to the store?” I asked. 

Dan’s head whipped up and he stared at me pleadingly. “Take me!”

This humongous man who was unafraid in front of weapons was scared of these little girls coming for his cards. It was hilarious.

Lucy glared. “You can’t cheat and then escape! You must be punished!” she exclaimed.

She joined in on the fun, and I shook my head. Of course, she couldn’t handle four kids all at once. While Leigh’s girls didn’t need constant monitoring, they were still up to mischief all the time. Who said girls were calmer than boys? When they put their mind to it, they could do more damage.

I waved my hand. “How about I replace the cheater and we play again?” I prompted. 

Dan nodded with relief. He pushed off the floor before anyone could protest and sprinted to my side. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. 

I shrugged. “I’m sure going out is a bad option tonight, anyway. I’ll allow you to do the difficult work,” I assured him. “I’ll send you the list of items needed.” 

He was out of the door in no time. 

I plopped down in the middle of the game and the game began anew. Without the cheater involved, it was more peaceful. As peaceful as it could be, that is. 

Lucy glanced at me frequently. 

“Come on, ask.”

She smiled. “Do you think Greg can come over today?”

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. “He won’t have the time.”

Lucy groaned. 

For a moment I thought she was upset at me for ruining her plans, but she opened her mouth and grumbled, putting my worries to rest. 

“Arthur… I hope he stubs his toe every time he comes near any furniture.” She looked at the kids before sighing. I could tell she was on the verge of swearing. 

“Oh, he will,” I replied with a hint of satisfaction. 

She eyed me wearily. “You did something evil but I can’t prove it.”

I thought about that word carefully. “Well, it isn’t evil.” That was all I was willing to say.

Half an hour passed and we shifted to the open garden. The kids helped to put the tents up enthusiastically, and while there were minor bumps in the process, the tents looked good by the time Leigh and Eileen started to grill the meats and veggies.

The girls skipped away to help, while I busied myself with trying to figure out how to make a campfire safely. Thank god for Dan, though. He returned just in time to find me struggling and in macho fashion, started the fire safely. 

“I grabbed us some cheap beer… camping style,” he whispered conspiratorially. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure Leigh’s girls didn’t hear. They were particularly curious about the adult drinks and always wanted a sip. 

The kids huddled around the fire, with Dan entertaining them with mildly horrifying stories as we roasted marshmallows.

“Go, sit down,” Leigh told Eileen. She shook her head in response. 

“I just want to be busy,” she said softly. 

My heart squeezed. No matter how hard she tried to show she was alright, a part of her was constantly worrying. 

Seeing that the kids didn’t need me anymore, I walked over to the girls and tapped Leigh on the shoulder. 

“Go on, let me spend some time with my girl,” I told her softly. 

She gave him a knowing look before a smile bloomed on her face. She skipped away, leaving Eileen and I alone. 

“Give that to me. My male ego refuses to allow anyone else to grill meat.” I lowered my voice, sounding like a caveman. I nudged her gently and she giggled. Her shoulders shook as she swatted my arm.

“Stop it.”

Her voice was easy, the strain from earlier slowly dissolving. I took a deep breath and pried the tongs from her hands.

“Let me stroke my ego, please?” I asked her. 

She rolled her eyes and nodded. “Of course you want some stroking.” She bit her lip, her cheeks pinking. She glanced guiltily to the side and then sighed with relief. No one had heard her double entendre.