Now smoke rose from the grills where Reid and Hutch flipped burgers and bratwurst. The smell of grilled meat, fresh corn, and watermelon that the girls had cut up earlier filled the air.
Jaxon stood with a beer in his hand and watched the scene in front of him. For the first time all day, some of the tension in his shoulders eased. He was with his family, and they had his back. He had to admit, it was a little easier to relax behind the walls of this subdivision.
Ravage stood beside him with his own beer. “I heard you did good today at the station. You didn’t kill either the General or Thorne.”
Jaxon arched a brow. “It wasn’t for lack of desire, believe me. How did you even hear about that?”
Ravage didn’t answer, just leveled him with a knowing stare.
“It wasn’t easy,” Jaxon finally said. “The General knows exactly how to push my buttons. He mentioned the SUV. He mentioned Tazzy’s tires. Even admitting to knowledge of the protest that, by allrights, he shouldn’t know. Basically, he knows we’re watching him, and he doesn’t care.”
Law walked over and clapped Jaxon on the shoulder. “We’re all watching now. He’ll slip up eventually. They always do.”
Sawyer stepped up. “I have Mike Winters and his crew out at Tazzy’s place right now. He’s a home security specialist, and so far I’ve been impressed. You’ll have secure doors and a top-notch camera security system by tonight. He’ll be back tomorrow to take care of the windows and anything else you want.”
Across the yard, the real entertainment had started. The Musketiaras had discovered the box of water balloons someone had brought out for the Littles. What began as a few playful tosses had turned into an all-out war.
Tazzy led the charge with a bright pink balloon in each hand. Her laughter rang out clear and loud as she dodged behind a tree and fired at Georgia.
“Take that!” Tazzy yelled. Her aim was terrible, but her enthusiasm made up for it. She nailed Hutch square in the chest instead of Georgia. Water exploded across his shirt.
Hutch looked down at the wet spot and shook his head with a grin. “You’re going to pay for that later, little girl.”
Tazzy stuck her tongue out at him and ran behind Jaxon for cover. “Save me, Daddy! Hutch is trying to get me!”
Jaxon couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his mouth. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. “You started this war, Darkling. Now you’ve got to finish it.”
She looked up at him with sparkling eyes full of sass. “I never start something I don’t finish! Watch this!”
She darted out from behind him and launched two balloons at once. One hit Breezy in the shoulder. The other balloon sailed wide of Bliss and caught Sawyer right in the back of the head. Lele cheered like her team had just won the Super Bowl.
Sawyer turned slowly with water dripping down his neck. But instead of looking at Tazzy, he was speaking to Lele. “Half-Pint, you’re in so much trouble.”
Lele squealed and ran behind Connor, who just laughed and shook his head. “Don’t look at me.”
The water balloon fight grew louder and messier. Tazzy’s shirt was soaked through, and her hair stuck to her cheeks in wet strands. She was a mess, but one very happy mess.
Jaxon watched her with a deep sense of pride swelling in his chest. This was what he’d fought eight years to get home to. This freedom. This joy. This chance to watch his girl be silly and safe with her friends.
When the last balloon burst and the girls finally called a truce, Jaxon walked over and scooped Tazzy up in his arms. She was dripping wet and giggling so hard she could barely breathe.
“Time to eat, Darkling,” he said against her ear. “You’ve had enough excitement for now. There’s still the Easter egg hunt after lunch.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a wet kiss to his cheek. “I won, Daddy. Did you see?”
“You did,” he agreed as he carried her toward the tables. “And now you’re going to let Daddy fix you something to eat.”
He set her down long enough to grab a plate and load it up with a burger, some grilled corn, a small pile of carrot sticks, and a few strawberries. Then he sat down and pulled her straight into his lap so she could eat while staying close. Tazzy settled against his chest with a happy little sigh and opened her mouth when he offered her a bite of burger.
Around the big picnic tables the rest of the group had gathered. The Littles were still buzzing with energy while their Daddies tried to get them to eat something besides cookies and watermelon.
Georgia leaned over and grinned at Tazzy. “Did you see Hutch’s face when I got him right in the stomach? He looked so surprised!”
Hutch shook his head with a smile. “You’re lucky I like you, Peaches. Next time I’m keeping score.”
Winnie giggled from Reid’s lap. “I got Reid twice! He tried to run, but he’s too slow.”
Reid raised an eyebrow. “Too slow? I let you win, Tinkerbell. Don’t get cocky.”