To Have It All(53)

When we got back to the apartment, I busied myself making guacamole, of all things, while Waverly sat in a chair in front of Pimberly and tried feeding her mashed sweet potatoes. Pimberly squawked and pushed Waverly’s hand away every time she tried to put a spoonful near her mouth.

“She won’t even try them,” Waverly whined.

Walking over to them, I bent down so I was on their level. “Feed it to me. Maybe if Pim sees me eat them, she’ll try them.”

Waverly stirred the potatoes before spooning out a heaping scoop and feeding it to me.

“Oh . . . that’s so . . . yumm . . .” I had to pause as the flavor hit me. I liked sweet potatoes, but this stuff tasted like ass.

“It’s so yummy, isn’t it?” Waverly preened, reminding me I was supposed to be helping.

“Oh, yes,” I choked out as I forced myself to swallow some of it. “Did you make this, Mommy?”

“Yes, I did,” she informed me as she lifted one brow, warning me not to insult her dish, “and you love it, don’t you?”

“Love?” I pondered while smiling brightly for Pim, nodding my head. “Love is a strong word, but it’s definitely different.”

Pimberly grasped the bowl on her tray and slid it closer to her. Scooping the orange mush out with one hand, Waverly and I went silent in anticipation. She was going to try it. It didn’t matter if she used the spoon or her hand as long as she ate it.

Pimberly examined the orange mush stuck to her hand, sneered at it, then whipped her hand in my direction, flinging the mush, covering me. My right eye was sealed shut, some of the mush having landed on it, and she’d managed to get it in my hair and on my shirt. Waverly roared with laughter, and then Pim followed.

“Is that funny?” I laughed, wiping at my eye.

“So funny,” Waverly agreed, her face red.

Taking the bowl from Pim, I scooped some in my hand. “Is this funny?” I asked Pim in a sing-song voice.

“What are y—” Waverly tried to get away, but it was too late. I smeared the potato down the side of her face sending Pim into hysterics.

We were all laughing as Waverly stood on her good foot and put both hands in the bowl before smearing them down my face. We wrestled each other while we bellowed, I made sure not to go too far with her ankle hurt, but before I knew it we were on the floor, our bodies wracked with laughter, the bowl empty and upside down beside us.

As we lay beside each other, trying to calm down, I took inventory of the kitchen. Could one sweet potato really create this much mess? Damn.

Waverly raised her head and looked at Pim. “She’s a smart girl, that one. She just figured out a way not to have to eat her sweet potato.”

“We got played,” I feigned disbelief.

Hopping back up to my feet, I took Waverly’s hands and pulled her up. She held the counter for balance as I got Pim out of her high chair. “We all need a bath.”

“What a waste,” she noted as she looked at herself, and then at me. “She didn’t even get a bite.”

Glimpsing down at Pim, I murmured, “You owe me one, kid.”

When I looked back at Waverly, she was glaring at me. “I make excellent mashed sweet potatoes.”

“That’s why Pim refused to eat them, and they’ve ended up all over us and this kitchen.”

Quirking a sassy brow at me, she warned, “Watch it, Max. I may need you to wash this shirt for me, too.”

She was flirting with me, threatening to pull another stunt like the night before when she took her shirt off in front of me.

“Is that a threat?” I questioned.

“Maybe.”

With Pim in my right arm, I bent down and grabbed Waverly’s legs, folding her over my shoulder.

“Put me down, Max,” she screeched as I hoisted her up. She had a death grip on the back of my shirt as if it would somehow save her if she fell. “You’ll drop both of us!”

“No, I won’t,” I grunted as I laughed. Briskly, I walked us through the living room into the master bathroom before sitting Waverly on her feet near the sink so she could use it to balance herself. Her face was flustered, and her shirt had ridden up making her look out of sorts.

“Have you lost your mind?” she hissed as she tugged her shirt down. “You could have dropped Pim.”

“I would have dropped you before I dropped her,” I insisted. Still holding Pim, I opened the shower door and turned it on. Swinging the door open wider, I motioned to Waverly. “Go on in,” I instructed her.

Scowling at me, she said, “I’m not getting naked in front of you.”

“Who said anything about getting naked?” I smirked. “We can get that shirt washed while it’s still on you.” Before she could question me, I wrapped an arm around her waist and walked all three of us in, making sure to hold Waverly under the water the longest. The water was cold, and she howled as she fought me to let go of her.

Finally, I caved, “Okay, okay, calm down.”

“Let me go,” she yelled.

“Okay, but hold my shoulder for balance.” Her hand clutched my upper arm as she put her full weight on her good foot. Her chest was rising and falling with each labored breath she took, and her ponytail was a sopping mess hanging off the back of her head. I reached around her and adjusted the knob making the water warmer.