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."It'll change." Assuming the ten thousand pregnantwomen standing around didn't just spontaneously givebirth."Okay.I'm holding you to that." Drake made a faceas Maggie's hands went around his neck and strangledhim.Slayde snorted.Drake was just cranky because they'dbeen up late being pervy.It was kind of amazing.Drake grabbed Maggie's hands and put them up onhis head, wincing as she pulled at his hair."Come on,Mindy.We need to see you."The soldiers started coming off busses and the crowdimmediately started moving forward, pressing."Christian! You hold on to one of us the whole time.""I've got him." Drake's hand grabbed up Christian'sand his lover pressed closer to him, keeping themtogether.Slayde searched the crowd, grinning as one familyafter another came together."This is cool," murmured Drake."Like, really.""Yeah.Yeah, it's the good part, coming home.""Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" Christian wasjumping next to Drake."Where's Mommy?""We're looking, Christian." Drake was scanning thecrowd."She's coming." Mindy was tall and buff, much likeher brother, not a shrinking violet at all."Where? Where?" Christian was pulling hard atDrake's hand and finally Drake just wrapped one arm221 around his waist and lifted him up as they headedtoward Mindy."I see her!" shrieked the little boy."Christian!""MOMMY!"Christian started struggling and kicking, fightingDrake hard."MOMMY!"Slayde teared up, and about that time Maggie sawher, too."Mommy? Mommy, we here!"When they were only a few yards away, Drake letChristian go, the little boy running right for her."Down, Unca Cake! Down!"Drake took Maggie off his shoulders and set herdown.Jenny curled into him, sleeping hard, and he hidhis face in her neck as Mindy knelt down, arms open."This isn't cool, it's awesome," muttered Drake, armgoing around him for a quick hug."It's amazing." He might be crying a little."Yeah." Even Drake sounded a little choked up.Then Mindy was on them, Christian holding on to herwaist, Maggie in one arm, her other open for the baby.She was crying."Jenny, Mommy's home." He handed the sleepingbaby over and Mindy's knees buckled, both Drake andSlayde catching her."Look at you, Momma." Drake grinned at her."Uh-huh.Home? I have to come back in tomorrowfor paperwork and stuff, but I can head home now.""Come on.We brought the manny-mobile." Drakewinked at him."Butthead." He took Jenny back from Mindy, Drakegrabbing her duffel."Come on, Minds.Let's get you home before we allmelt in to the fu-- asphalt."222 "There's stuff for ice cream sundaes at home, too!"Slayde had the day all planned out."That's our Super Manny." Drake winked at himagain."You know it." Mindy laughed, kissed Drake on thecheek."It's so good to see you, Drake.""Yeah, you too, Minds."If Slayde wasn't mistaken, Drake was misting up."He's like a Super Manny Sidekick.Officer Cakey."Drake wasn't the only one who could tease, Slayde wasgood at it, too."Oh, someone's cruising& " Drake growled at him.Maggie laughed."Uncle Cakey!""Mommy?" Christian tugged her hand."What's asidekick?""Apparently your Uncle Cakey.""If the two of you are going to gang up on me, I'mgoing to have to put on my leathers and take out themotorcycle." Drake thought that was a threat?"What a shame that would be& " Slayde gave him awicked grin."You just want me to put my leathers on." God, theman was a terrible tease.And of course he did.Christ.The man was stunning."You think?" Mindy was laughing at them.Drake stuck his tongue out at her.They wandered together, the six of them, Mindygreeting people she knew, stopping periodically to touchJenny's hair.Drake stayed close, grinning at Mindy,grinning at him."Sundaes, huh?" Mindy licked her lips."What's forsupper, Slayde?""Am I still on the payroll, lady?""Yep, six more months until I retire.""Damn, then the kids want breakfast for supper."223 Drake laughed."Special waffles!"The kids took up the call, and started chanting,"Special waffles!""What in the world are special waffles?"Maggie grabbed Mindy, started whispering in her earand Mindy's eyes went wide."Special waffles are whenUncle Drake kisses Uncle Slayde?""What? No!" Drake looked shocked."No way."Of course he usually got talked into it with a kiss ortwo from Drake, didn't he?"No? Are you saying you don't kiss Super Manny,Officer Cakey?" Mindy was having too much fun withthis."I am going to kick both your asses," growled Drake."Bad word!" shouted Christian.Drake rolled his eyes."When we get home."Mindy started laughing, hard."Oh, I'm so glad you're home, Mindy.Things are somuch more peaceful now& " Slayde couldn't help thetease."You are so lucky the kids are here and it's too hot forpush-ups," she informed him.Now it was Drake who cracked up."There's a cold front coming tomorrow," he pointedout."Good thing we've got the ice cream for today.""Ice cream!" Christian hooted, doing a wild Watusidance."Lord." Drake shook his head and they got to the van.Thank God.It was air conditioned.Mindy got Jenny buckled in, Drake got Maggie in,Christian buckled himself in, and Slayde got the vancooled off."Good thing the manny-mobile takes sixcomfortably," Drake noted as he climbed into the front224 passenger seat while Mindy settled in back with thekids."You're having way too much fun with this, man."Drake grinned at him."Payback.""You get to help Christian with his chocolate sauce."He knew from payback."Oh, someone wants to sleep alone tonight."They both chuckled, and he winked over.Right, likeeither one of them was going to sleep alone."My doorhas a lock, though& ""God, I love that lock."They pulled out of the parking lot, heading back outtoward the house.Slayde looked up into the rearviewmirror, where Mindy was talking to Christian, Maggieholding her hand.Christian was talking a mile a minute, Maggie gazingat her like she might disappear any second.Everybody was home.Slayde smiled, and for asecond, he thought he could hear Jerry laughing, rightalong with Christian.He met Drake's eyes and knew this family wasforever.225 EpilogueDrake couldn't believe how quickly the last sixmonths had gone.It had, though, and Mindy wasofficially retired as of this afternoon."Don't you think you have enough snacks, baby?"Slayde was in full on Super Nanny mode -- the housewas spotless, the drinks were sitting in tubs of ice, thekids were clean and dressed, and there were eightthousand home-made, gluten-free snacks.Joey laughed at his question."Drake, honey, Slayde'smotto is there are never too many snacks.""Hush and chop radishes." Slayde looked exhausted,with hummus and cheese dip on his shirt.Drake put his hands on his hips."No.There's enoughfood.And if we run out someone will go get chips."Trevor carried in a huge cake, putting it on the table."You have to admit that's hot, Joey, when Cake gets allpuffy like that."He flipped the man off.He couldn't believe thefucking nickname had stuck."Totally hot.Let me see the cake.""I am not cake," Drake growled and pointed to theactual cake on the table."That is cake
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