Going Down Easy (Boys of the Big Easy #1)(62)

Dinner was, as usual, a loud, messy, happy event. The grilled hamburgers made the peas tolerable, according to Stella, and both kids ate everything. Then, Cooper, the sweetheart, said that he would love to wait about an hour before eating his ice cream for dessert. Because Addison and Gabe were fully on board with another hour of time together, they simply shared a look and agreed that Cooper had a great plan. Including the part where he suggested that he and Stella could spend the hour playing swamp-boat tour-company owners in Stella’s room. Stella didn’t have any stuffed alligators, but she had plenty of stuffed animals that could be alligators with the right noses and tails made out of construction paper.

The whole game sounded like something that would take even more than an hour in Addison’s estimation, and she happily turned over the construction paper, kids’ scissors, and tape.

Once they were happily coloring and cutting and jabbering about their swamp-boat company, Addison and Gabe made their way downstairs. And nonchalantly headed straight for the laundry room.

Gabe had the table pushed against the door and his shirt off by the time Addison had her shoes kicked off and the first few buttons of her shirt undone. She paused to take in the sight before her. She reached out and ran her hands over his chest and shoulders. She loved the way they bunched as he moved to touch her back, finishing the job she’d started on her buttons.

“I’m so glad our kids get along and can keep each other busy,” Gabe said, pushing her shirt off her shoulders and reaching for the bra clasp between her breasts. He freed the mounds and took them in hand, thumbing the tips that immediately stiffened and shot sparks of heat and need to her core.

“Me, too,” she said, arching closer, needing more pressure and friction . . . pretty much everywhere.

“They’re good for each other,” he said.

“Mmm-hmm—” She broke off with a gasp as he bent and took a nipple into his mouth. Her fingers curled into his hair, and she marveled at the way his tongue could turn her into a quivering pile of sensations almost instantly.

“We’re good for each other, Ad,” Gabe said against her breast, licking again before bringing his lips back to hers.

She agreed. But she didn’t want to stop the kissing to tell him. They were all good for each other. They were all good together. Thoughts of the kids together upstairs, laughing and planning and playing, went through her mind. Stella had always made friends easily, but there was something about Cooper that seemed special. Stella was almost protective of him, Addison realized. Stella was always making sure Cooper was beside her. She waited for him if he was lagging behind. Sure, she sometimes gave him a heavy, put-upon sigh, but she always waited. It had been so important to her today that Cooper pet the alligator. She’d given him a pep talk as they’d driven to the dock and had then literally held his hand as he’d touched the animal. And she’d insisted on buying him a flashlight. She’d been willing to use her own money for it, in fact. And he’d clipped that little plastic alligator to his belt loop immediately and hadn’t taken it off since.

She pulled back from Gabe. “Did you know Cooper is afraid of the dark?”

Gabe blinked down at her, clearly surprised she’d cut off the kiss. Frankly, she was a little surprised, too.

Gabe shook his head slowly as her comment sank in. “No, he doesn’t have a problem with the dark. We use night-lights because he gets up to pee at night,” Gabe said.

Addison frowned. “Well, I don’t think he’s afraid at home, no. But there’s something at day care that makes him nervous.”

Gabe pulled back. “What are you talking about?”

She took in his naked chest and felt a flash of regret go through her. Dammit. They weren’t going to have sex in the laundry room tonight, either. “I’m worried about Cooper.”

It hadn’t fully hit her until she said those words out loud, but it was true. Something had been nagging at her since the gift shop, and she couldn’t shake it. Now, thinking about how protective Stella was, Addison knew she needed to figure out what was going on. “I’m sorry, but it just hit me when you mentioned how good Stella and Cooper are together,” she said.

Gabe searched her eyes for a moment. Then he blew out a breath and reached behind her. He snagged her bra and handed it to her. “This laundry room is such a good idea. Why can’t we pull it off?”

Addison tugged the straps up her arms and closed the little hook in front. “Because we’re parents.”

He nodded and bent to grab his shirt. “Okay, what’s going on?” he asked as he shrugged into it.

She pulled her shirt on, too, buttoning as she said, “Stella said that he’s collecting flashlights because he’s worried about the dark at day care.” She frowned. “Does that make any sense? He’s not there when it’s dark, is he?”

“No. Never.” Gabe was frowning, too.

“Has he ever been there during a storm or something when the lights might have gone out?” she asked. That would make some sense.

Gabe shook his head. “Not that I can think of. Not recently.”

“Well, maybe it was a while ago?”

“He started collecting the flashlights about a month ago.” Gabe ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t even know he had them all. When I asked, he said that he got the first one from Stella. She said you had it at home and never used it. Then I guess he took the one off Mom’s key ring. And then started collecting others.”