Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)(96)

“She’s gross!” he shouted then immediately shared the reasons behind his opinion. “She gives sloppy kisses!”

“Only to you, honey,” Liza told him and her dancing eyes went to Faye before she went on, “Hopefully, she gives Detective Keaton other kinds of kisses.”

“All kisses are sloppy,” Robbie retorted with authority then finished, “and gross.”

“Trust your father on this, boy, they aren’t,” Boyd informed him with true authority that Robbie completely missed.

“They are,” Robbie disagreed. “I know ‘cause Molly keeps givin’ ‘em to me at recess and they’re gross.”

“Molly’s Robbie’s girlfriend,” Jarot shared then looked to his brother. “Molly and Robbie, sittin’ in a tree, k… i… s… s… i… n… g,” he sang, grinning an evil kid grin at his brother.

Chace was surprised that song endured but apparently it had.

Robbie leaned into his brother, face screwed up again but a different way this time, “Shut up, Jarot!”

“You shut up, Robbie,” Jarot shot back, leaning in.

“I’m having all girls,” Faye whispered and Chace swallowed down a chuckle but did it on an arm squeeze for Faye.

Then he called, “Yo,” and both boys looked at him. “Robbie, give me back my badge.” Robbie looked ready to decline this order until Chace removed his arm from around Faye again. After a quick head to toe of Chace whereupon he correctly ascertained Chace could take him, he then thought better of it and jerked Chace’s badge his way. Chace took it but didn’t flip it closed. Instead he showed it to them and asked, “This cool to you?”

Both boys nodded their agreement avidly, eyes aimed at his badge.

Chace flipped it closed and got their eyes aimed at his face.

“You’d be right. It is. Man has this, he doesn’t say girls are gross and he also doesn’t tell anyone to shut up. Even his brother. Even when his brother is teasin’ him. It’s cool because he’s cool. You don’t get one of these unless you can be cool. Now, can you two be cool?”

“I can be cool,” Jarot offered immediately and Chace reckoned he could but Robbie clearly had to think on this awhile.

“Robbie?” Chace prompted and Robbie looked at him.

Then Robbie proved he might be a cuss but he was an honest one.

“Maybe,” he answered.

“How about you be that way just for tonight?” Chace suggested. “No more callin’ your Aunt Faye gross.”

Robbie’s head tipped to the side again and he sought clarification, “Can I call her gross if she kisses me?”

“No,” Chace answered.

Robbie’s mouth moved around for a bit before he asked, “Can I fight with Jarot?”

“No,” Chace repeated.

Robbie’s mouth moved around some more as Chace buried his urge to laugh.

“Well, I’m bein’ cool,” Jarot put in at this point, back straight, voice haughty, looking down his nose at Robbie. “’Cause if I am, Dee-tetive Keaton’ll put a good word in for me when I become a cop. And the first person I’m arresting is,” he leaned toward his brother and finished, “you.”

“You aren’t arresting me!” Robbie shouted.

“I am!” Jarot shouted back.

“Jesus,” Boyd muttered.

“What’s with the shouting?” Silas shouted, walking into the room carrying his own beer. He stopped and looked down at his grandsons. “What? A man gets his shoutin’, fightin’ kids outta the house only to have his kids’ shoutin’, fightin’ kids come into it? Yeesh. Give an old man a break,” he said to the boys.

“But Jarot said he’s gonna arrest me,” Robbie defended himself.

“He probably will, you don’t clean up your act,” Silas returned. “A good time to start is now. Your grandmother’s settin’ the table. She could use some help.”

Faye made a move to get up at the same time Liza did but it was Faye who said quietly, “I’ll help, Dad.”

“You’ll sit your keister down, visit with your old man and the boys will help their grandma,” Silas returned then he looked down at Jarot and Robbie, his brows up, “Boys?”

Jarot shuffled out.

Robbie hesitated.

“Robert,” Boyd warned.

Robbie shot his Dad a rebellious look before he shuffled out too.

Chace returned his badge to his pocket and put his arm around Faye again.

Silas settled into another armchair.

“Just so you know, she might be quiet and she’s always been cute as a button but both of these hid the demon within,” Silas informed him, not leading into it even a little and Chace did his best not to stare. “There’s a temperament behind that hair, son. So, my advice, don’t catch it from Faye.”

“Totally,” Liza agreed.

“You guys,” Faye put in, shifting uncomfortably at his side.

“Don’t act all innocent,” Liza told her then looked at Chace, “She chased me around the house with scissors.”

“I did not!” Faye returned heatedly. “You did that to Jude.”