He bopped her lightly on the nose. “Hush.”
More guilt in her expression, but Jordan decided not to comment on it or push further. He had a plan, and he was going to stick to it. Or at least, he’d put the plan in place and had to trust that the rest of the Sextant would pull their weight. So, instead of worrying about something he couldn’t change, he poured a cup of coffee for himself, brewed her some tea, and then set about spending the rest of the day making sure she got as much rest as possible.
Because his woman had plans that evening.
Whether or not she liked it.
She was going to kill him.
They’d been married long enough for him to see that much in her face, but he simply ignored the glare and opened the door a little wider to allow Bec, Sera, CeCe, and Rachel in.
“Hi,” CeCe said, kissing him on the cheek and whispering. “Heather’s going to call. She’s in Berlin.”
He smiled. “Thanks for the assist.”
“Aunt CeCe!” Hunter yelled, dropping his pencil onto the kitchen counter and tearing through the room to hug Cecilia tight.
“Oof!” she exclaimed, teetering back on her heels before Jordan snagged her arm to steady her. “How did you get so big?”
“It’s my new heart!” he said, or really, yelled, sprinting back to the kitchen, but not before yelling some more—this time over his shoulder, “It makes me a superhero, CeCe!”
“I see that,” she said in what someone on the street might think was an indulgent tone.
But Jordan knew better.
Hunter was a superhero.
Less of the Hollywood variety and more of the real-life type. He’d been sick for much of his life, and it wasn’t until he’d received a heart transplant a few years ago that he’d been able to be a real kid.
It was still hard as hell to let him play sports and skid through the house, especially after Jordan had spent so much time at Hunter’s bedside, but Abby was the one who’d actually helped him see that his nephew wouldn’t be able to live a full life unless he loosened the protective hold a bit. He’d already been more son than nephew—Hunter’s biological dad and Jordan’s brother had died before he was born—and Abby, too, had given him the courage to adopt Hunter, to be a true family, and he was forever grateful for her.
And the woman thought she wasn’t doing enough?
Ha.
She’d changed his life for the better, made it something he was so damned thankful to be living, made it—
Perfect.
Even with her glaring at him from across the room.
“Where’s my little squishy?” Sera asked, hanging her coat on the rack and squeezing Jordan’s arm at the same time.
None of the Sextant—and somehow, he’d gotten in the habit of calling Abby and her friends that, even though it was a ridiculous name thought up after too many drinks and an ill-fated Google search—but regardless of that silly name, none of the women were still at guest status, as Abby liked to call it.
They strolled right in, Sera scooping up Carter and kissing his chubby little cheeks, CeCe moving to look at Hunter’s homework, Bec grabbing drinks from the fridge and snacks from the pantry, and Rachel carefully snagging Emma from Abby’s arms, ordering her to go upstairs for a nap.
“But—”
“But, nothing,” Rachel said, in her no-nonsense, efficient tone. “We want to chat and hang out, but not until you’ve slept a bit more.”
“I’m not tired—”
Except, Abby’s protest was cut short by a yawn.
Bec, who was setting a pile of snacks on the table, merely raised a brow. “Want to try that line with another group of dirty old ladies?”
Snorting, Jordan moved into the kitchen, grabbing some ingredients for spaghetti, one of the few meals he could cook—and the only one that would work for a large group that Hunter and Carter would both eat as well. But while the cooking was necessary, it was also part distraction.