suit. “Me, too,” Nevvie said. She snuggled in between them. “I love you guys.”
Tyler, then Tom kissed her good-night before kissing each other. “Love you, too. Both of you,” Tyler said.
“Love you, baby girl,” Tom echoed. “And you, Evil Genius.”
Nevvie giggled again as she closed her eyes. “We’ll have to practice being quiet in the RV,” she said.
Tom snorted. “I think we’ve got the gag technique down pat.”
Chapter Two
Nevvie left the boys with Tom and Tyler and took off by herself early the next morning before the day turned hot. She made a stop at a florist, then drove to the cemetery where her dad, Michael Barton, was buried.
She found her way to his grave and sat in front of it. With tender care, she tucked the flowers into the small plastic vase she’d picked up at the office and then poked it into the ground in front of the granite marker.
“Well, Daddy,” she said. “Our attorney found Mary.” Nevvie couldn’t bring herself to call her “Mom” anymore. “I hope I’m doing the right thing by finding her.” She laughed. “You wouldn’t believe what Tyler did.”
She spent the next half hour talking, laughing…crying. When she finished, she reached out and stroked his name carved into the sun-warmed stone. “I know I was adopted, but you’re my Daddy. I love Andrew, don’t get me wrong, and both me and Tommy call him ‘Dad.’ But you’ll always be my Daddy.”
She kissed her hand and touched it to his name. “I’ll let you know how it works out, Daddy. I love you.” She stood, brushed off her pants, then slowly walked back to her car.
* * * *
After lunch, Nevvie, Tyler, and Tom left the boys with Eddie and Pete and headed to the RV dealership for their two o’clock appointment to learn how to drive the RV. Tyler drove them in the new Pilot.
“How’s the ride back there, love?” Tyler asked Nevvie as he caught her gaze in the rearview mirror.
Tom, in the front passenger seat, poked him in the shoulder. “Eyes on the road, mister. No one’s arguing the fact that it’s a nice car. We just can’t believe you bought it without talking to us first.”
“Or the RV,” Nevvie added. “ Or the trailer.”
Tyler pulled in to the RV dealer’s parking lot. “But loves,” he insisted, “we’ll have the trip of a lifetime. Not to mention, now with the boys getting bigger, the RV will make things easier when we go up to visit Mom. We did say we wanted to spend more time with her and Tom’s sisters.”
Tom looked over the back of the seat at Nevvie. “I think he’s grasping at straws.”
“He is,” she agreed. “But that is a valid point.” She poked Tyler in the shoulder. “Next time, however, talk to us first. Okay?”
Tyler grinned. “Right! Not a problem.” He leaned in for a kiss from Tom, then Nevvie. “Now, let’s go have our lesson.”
* * * *
An hour later, Nevvie and Tom’s nerves were shot. Clueless Tyler, however, had the time of his life and remained totally oblivious to the discomfort of both his partners and the instructor regarding his driving skills.
While Tyler was talking to the salesman, who looked more than a little rattled after Tyler’s lesson, Tom leaned in and whispered in Nevvie’s ear.
“Do you believe he actually managed to drive that damn thing home yesterday? Who the fuck let him have the keys?”
She blew out a breath. “I know. I’m surprised he didn’t kill anyone.”
“You and me drive this thing, baby girl. He doesn’t get behind the wheel. Ever again. Ever .”
“Agreed.”
“Well?” Tyler looked at them expectantly. “What did you think?”
Nevvie and Tom pasted on fake smiles. “You did…great, Ty,” Nevvie lied.
“Yeah,” Tom echoed. “Unbelievable.”
“That’s the truth,” Nevvie muttered under her breath just loud enough Tom could hear her.
He nudged her with his elbow. “Shh!”
Tyler studied them. “All right, I’ll admit perhaps I’m not