Rinse [manxman]

Chapter Five

"Get back upstairs," Dakota said as I traipsed into the kitchen. "You tossed and turned all night. You have to be tired."

I was exhausted. Even though Dakota was home and that typically helped me sleep, that little flashback ruined any chance of decent rest I had. I wasn't about to tell him that, though, so I just shook my head and went to the refrigerator.

"When you get used to waking up this early with the kids, it becomes habit." I collected the things I would need to make pancakes and let the door fall shut as I placed everything on the countertop. "I saw Lila going into the bathroom on my way down. Is she the only one awake?" I slid the pancake mix from the cabinet and plugged up the griddle.

"Farley was awake, but a little drowsy. Sophia is still asleep."

"Did you check—?"

"He still had a little temperature, but it's gone down."

I nodded and started to put all the ingredients into the bowl. "Well, if he feels like it, he can come down for breakfast, but he has to go back to bed. Does he still have water?"

"I got him a refill."

The batter stuck to the edges of the bowl as I mixed it. "Was he feeling better?"

"Didn't say."

"Did you ask?"

Dakota sighed. "I raised two kids before him, Blake. I know what to do."

"I know, but Farley's different. He's so stubborn, sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get him to tell you anything."

"Gee, wonder who he learned that from?"

I glanced over my shoulder to shoot Dakota a sharp look, and then turned back to the counter and poured some of the batter onto the griddle. "Probably from—"

"Pancakes!" Lila bounced into the kitchen, a grin on her face. "Chocolate chip ones?" she asked, propping her fists on her hips.

"Not this morning. I forgot to pick some up when I went to the store last."

She pouted at me.

I patted her head. "How about we put some cherries and whipped cream on them? Would that help?"

Lila tilted her head up, considering it for a minute before she nodded. "I think I could handle that."

I chuckled. "I'm sure you could."

"Why don't you run upstairs and wake Sophia up?" Dakota asked.

Lila peered around me at him and wrinkled her nose. "Nah."

I suppressed a snort and just smirked at the pancakes. When Dakota had left, she had only gone to school for a few months. After a few years of it, though, some of those kids had started to rub off on her. I'd had to deal with a little disrespect from her, but Dakota hadn't had that pleasure yet.

"Let me reword that, go wake your sister up."

She didn't seem any more willing to go, and as much as I wanted to watch Dakota squirm like I did the first time she acted that way, I wanted the morning to go smoothly. I tapped her shoulder, and she looked up at me.

"Go wake her or there will be a sudden recall on all presents addressed to little girls named Lila Hart."

Lila glared up at me, her lower lip pushed out a little as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Recalls like that aren't real."

"No, but gift returns are, and I have no problem—"

She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes before she left the kitchen. Her feet thumped against the stairs as she stomped up them to get Sophia.