Mannies Incorporated by Michael, Sean (phonics books .TXT) 📗

"She's coming." Mindy was tall and buff, much like her brother, not a shrinking violet at all.

"Where? Where?" Christian was pulling hard at Drake's hand and finally Drake just wrapped one arm around his waist and lifted him up as they headed toward Mindy.

"I see her!" shrieked the little boy.

"Christian!"

"MOMMY!"

Christian started struggling and kicking, fighting Drake hard. "MOMMY!"

Slayde teared up, and about that time Maggie saw her, too. "Mommy? Mommy, we here!"

When they were only a few yards away, Drake let Christian go, the little boy running right for her.

"Down, Unca Cake! Down!"

Drake took Maggie off his shoulders and set her down. Jenny curled into him, sleeping hard, and he hid his face in her neck as Mindy knelt down, arms open.

"This isn't cool, it's awesome," muttered Drake, arm going 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 her waist, Maggie in one arm, her other open for the baby. She was crying.

"Jenny, Mommy's home." He handed the sleeping baby over and Mindy's knees buckled, both Drake and Slayde catching her.

"Look at you, Momma." Drake grinned at her.

"Uh-huh. Home? I have to come back in tomorrow for paperwork and stuff, but I can head home now."

"Come on. We brought the manny-mobile." Drake winked at him.

"Butthead." He took Jenny back from Mindy, Drake grabbing her duffel.

"Come on, Minds. Let's get you home before we all melt in to the fu-- asphalt."

"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 him again.

"You know it." Mindy laughed, kissed Drake on the cheek. "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 was good at it, too.

"Oh, someone's cruising…" Drake growled at him.

Maggie laughed. "Uncle Cakey!"

"Mommy?" Christian tugged her hand. "What's a sidekick?"

"Apparently your Uncle Cakey."

"If the two of you are going to gang up on me, I'm going to have to put on my leathers and take out the motorcycle." Drake thought that was a threat?

"What a shame that would be…" Slayde gave him a wicked grin.

"You just want me to put my leathers on." God, the man 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, Mindy greeting people she knew, stopping periodically to touch Jenny's hair. Drake stayed close, grinning at Mindy, grinning at him.

"Sundaes, huh?" Mindy licked her lips. "What's for supper, Slayde?"

"Am I still on the payroll, lady?"

"Yep, six more months until I retire."

"Damn, then the kids want breakfast for supper."

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 ear and Mindy's eyes went wide. "Special waffles are when Uncle Drake kisses Uncle Slayde?"

"What? No!" Drake looked shocked. "No way."

Of course he usually got talked into it with a kiss or two from Drake, didn't he?

"No? Are you saying you don't kiss Super Manny, Officer Cakey?" Mindy was having too much fun with this.

"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 so much more peaceful now…" Slayde couldn't help the tease.

"You are so lucky the kids are here and it's too hot for push-ups," she informed him.

Now it was Drake who cracked up.

"There's a cold front coming tomorrow," he pointed out. "Good thing we've got the ice cream for today."

"Ice cream!" Christian hooted, doing a wild Watusi dance.

"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 van cooled off.

"Good thing the manny-mobile takes six comfortably," Drake noted as he climbed into the front passenger seat while Mindy settled in back with the kids.

"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, like either one of them was going to sleep alone. "My door has a lock, though…"

"God, I love that lock."

They pulled out of the parking lot, heading back out toward the house. Slayde looked up into the rearview mirror, where Mindy was talking to Christian, Maggie holding her hand.

Christian was talking a mile a minute, Maggie gazing at her like she might disappear any second.

Everybody was home. Slayde smiled, and for a second, he thought he could hear Jerry laughing, right along with Christian.

He met Drake's eyes and knew this family was forever.

Epilogue

Drake couldn't believe how quickly the last six months had gone. It had, though, and Mindy was officially retired as of this afternoon.

"Don't you think you have enough snacks, baby?"

Slayde was in full on Super Nanny mode -- the house was spotless, the drinks were sitting in tubs of ice, the kids were clean and dressed, and there were eight thousand home-made, gluten-free snacks.

Joey laughed at his question. "Drake, honey, Slayde's motto 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 enough food. 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 all puffy like that."

He flipped the man off. He couldn't believe the fucking nickname had stuck.

"Totally hot. Let me see the cake."

"I am not cake," Drake growled and pointed to the actual cake on the table. "That is