A Love Like Ours

8. BBQ

"Okay, Kelly and Stella can make it." Hailey says, bringing the phone down from her ear and putting it down on the mattress, looking over at Jay standing across the room.

He sends her a nod as he unclips the watch from his wrist, placing it down on the dresser. "That's good."

"Is that everyone then?" Hailey questions.

Jay thinks for a beat, mentally going down the list in his head before replying. "Yeah, I think so."

Hailey narrows her eyes as she folds her arms in her lap. "Are we sure we should be doing this? Is it setting the wrong example?"

"On what? We're allowed to have people over, and besides, it's only gonna be warm another week or so before the city freezes for the winter, might as well make the most of it," he jokes with a small shrug of his shoulders. "And like you said, Alfie's had his first full week at school with no tears and it would be a nice reward for him to spend time with the boys, and you know he loves grilled corn on the cob, he can have as much as he likes."

Hailey feels herself smirk. "I hope you know now you've said that that's all you're gonna be doing Saturday, just dispensing our toddler sweetcorn."

Jay shrugs again. "Oh well, as long as he's happy."

Jay makes his way over to the bed, sitting down on the mattress beside his wife and leaning back so he was sitting up against the headboard, and he sends her a subtle concerned look. "Are you sure you're up to having everyone over this weekend though?"

She knew why he was asking, it had only been three days since she had ended up in the hospital with three broken ribs as a result of catching a bullet to the vest, and it was still causing her a fair amount of discomfort, however she nods her head softly. "I'll be fine, but I promise to take it easy."

xxx

"Mae don't run up the stairs with those shoes on!" Jay shouted from the kitchen when he could hear the clicking noise going up the stairs from Macie's plastic heels hitting the wooden floor. The noise stopped instantly, just in time for Hailey to come into the house from the back yard with a small point behind her.

"The grills going nicely." She says as she slowly stepped over to the kitchen island.

Jay quickly knitted his eyebrows together in her direction. "Are you okay?" He asks, commenting on the breathlessness in her voice and the small wince on her face.

Hailey comes to a stop, leaning her hands against the marble top. "Yeah, the steps just took the wind out of me a little, I'm fine."

The two exchange a look between each other for a beat but they're both beaten from saying anything when Macie comes running into the kitchen, the loud clicking of her shoes making her presence known.

Jay sends his daughter a look. "What did I say about running with the shoes on?"

Macie walks over to the dining room as she replies. "Not on the stairs, but I wasn't on the stairs." She grabs hold of her cup sat on the table, taking a large gulp of water before putting it back down.

Hailey edges her chin forward, changing the subject as she cracked a smile at the sass their daughter had inherited from her father. "What are the shoes for?" She asks.

Macie shrugs. "Because Nate's coming round."

Jay stares at Macie through his eyebrows. "Look, I love Kelly and Stella, I love Nate but I've told you, no boyfriends until you're forty."

The five-years-old's face instantly scrunches up in disgust. "Boyfriend? Ew, no, that's gross."

Jay then nods. "I'll take that," he says with a smirk before tilting his head to the side. "Mace can you go check on your brother and make sure he's not making a mess?" He asks and it quickly sends her scurrying off toward the living room, disappearing around a corner.