Untamed (Thoughtless #4)(78)
Gibson was holding a jump rope out to him and saying, “Horsey!”
Alfred, trying to remain professional, told her, “I have no idea what you’re saying, Miss Hancock, but if you’d like to jump over your rope, I’ll gladly walk out to the patio with you.”
Undeterred, Gibson lifted the rope higher. “Ride, horsey.” Her tone of voice said something akin to Do what I said right now, damn it! My girl did not like being told no.
Slapping Alfred on the back, I said, “She wants a ride, A-Man,” then I plopped down on my hands and legs and let out a long neigh, complete with a snort and headshake. Gibson giggled at my display, then scrambled onto my back. I helped her loop the rope under my armpits and around my chest. The first time we’d played this game, I’d put the “rein” in my mouth. Big mistake.
Flicking the reins, Gibson shouted, “Yaw!”
I reared up a little, then obligingly took her for a stroll around the room. When we were finished, I plopped her onto the couch. She fell into hysterics and immediately asked for another turn. Squatting at the couch so we were eye to eye, I held up a finger. “In a minute. First, we need to have a chat, little lady. Why are you picking on Onnika?”
She only gave me a blank look, so I tried a different approach. “Do you like your sister?”
That got me a pout. “She’s mean.”
“Mean? How is she mean? All she does is sleep and shit. Errr, poop.” I looked around, but Alfred had left and Anna was still getting ready. Good.
Gibson only frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. I wasn’t sure if she was getting me or not, and I really didn’t know how to get a toddler to tell me what they were feeling, and I kind of didn’t want to. That whole emotional crap…it just made me uncomfortable. Anna should really be handling this.
“I’m sure she’s not trying to be mean, honey,” I reassured her. There. Parenting done for the night.
“She not share,” she stated, unmoved by my encouragement.
Gibson was usually the one stealing crap from Onnika, so I had no idea what she was talking about. “Share what? A toy? Bring it here and show me.”
I thought for sure she’d bring me her favorite doll or something, but she didn’t. She stuck her finger in my chest, and just like that…I got it. She was jealous. “Oh…well…” Damn it, I really wish Anna was the one doing this. “That’s not really Onnika’s fault, she’s just little and she needs more one-on-one care, but that doesn’t mean we care about you less. We don’t. You’re our firstborn, and Mommy and Daddy love you to Pluto and back, ’cause that’s the farthest planet…or moon, rock, whatever the hell they’re calling it now.”
Gibson tilted her head, and I knew I’d lost her. Touching my finger to her cheek, I made myself say, “We love you as much as we love Onnika, and you never need to worry about that. There is always enough to go around when it comes to family. Okay?”
She nodded and stretched her arms out for a hug. As I embraced her, I noticed Anna standing on the other side of the room, watching us in a tight blue dress that hugged her curves. She was smiling, so I figured I had done an okay job. Good. I did not want to have to be all mushy-gushy again anytime soon.
It took two hours to finish getting ready, prep Chelsey when she arrived with her kids, and say goodbye to Gibson, who suddenly didn’t want us to leave and was sobbing as we walked out the door. Anna looked worried in the car, so when Chelsey called me and let me know that Gibson was fine and she was braiding her hair, I relayed the message to her.
“That’s good,” she murmured, not looking relieved.
“Something up?” I asked, putting my hand on her knee. The smooth skin made mine tingle. Maybe we should skip out on this and go find a hotel. Have a little private party of our own.
“I was just…” She hesitated, then turned to me in the backseat with her. “Why do you never talk to me like that?”
Since I’d been picturing her spread out on a sea of white sheets, I needed a little help connecting the dots. “Like what?”
“Like the way you did with Gibson. I mean, I can’t even remember the last time you told me you loved me. It might have only been that one time, before we got married…”
I tried to think through our past conversations, but I couldn’t remember either, so I quickly gave up. It didn’t matter anyway. It was just a word. “You know I don’t like being all plain and predictable. It’s overused anyway.”
She thought about that, then shrugged. “Yeah, I know, but it would be nice to know what I meant to you every once in a while. Sex is really the only time you’re vocal about what you like.” She grinned in a cocky, playful half smile.
I ran my hand higher, to her thigh. Maybe we could just do it back here. Wouldn’t be the first time. “There’s a lot to praise during sex, especially sex with you.”
Her smile turned full and wicked, then she frowned. “Well, it would be nice to hear some ‘praise’ during the off times too.”
Shifting my focus to the road, I considered my options. I spoke them while I thought. “Well, I’m not doing the I love you, you complete me crap like Kellan does. It’s nauseating. But…how about…whenever I say, ‘Baby, you’re the bee’s knees,’ you’ll know what I really mean.”