Page 11 of Peer & Coco

Chapter 4

"Look at you, champ." Coco set Tyr on his feet in the middle of the room, holding on to his hands. "Let's walk one more time, so when your pappa comes home, you can surprise him. Sound good?"

Tyr plopped down on his diapered butt and reached for one of his toy cars. She straightened, not faulting him for not wanting to walk. Ever since he'd stepped away from the couch and walked halfway across the living room, she'd tried to urge him to keep going.

"Okay, sweet face," she said softly. "Play with your toys."

She backed away and sat on the couch, slouching on the cushions. It was almost nine o'clock at night. On a work night, she'd be full of energy at that time.

After a day with Tyr, she was mentally and physically exhausted. She had no idea how other women with children kept going day after day, never letting down their guard.

Tyr, while barely mobile, could escape a room faster than a rabbit. He had the uncanny ability to fall over backward as if his head was too heavy at times. Luckily, she caught, held, ran, and surrounded him all day, keeping him from getting hurt.

It wasn't easy.

It was the hardest job she'd ever had.

She owed her mom a phone call. It couldn't have been easy raising her, two stepsons, and a stepdaughter, all singlehandedly, while working full-time.

Tyr crawled over to her and pulled himself to his feet. She smoothed the blond, almost white, hair half covering his forehead.

"You are going to grow up to be quite the stud," she murmured. "Like your pappa."

Lately, Peer hadn't even taken time to use his good looks to entertain the ladies at The Fire Ring—employees and customers alike. He'd stepped into fatherhood and forgot himself. Understandably so, but she missed the easy-going, more talkative, and flirtatious man who'd tended the bar.

"Pa pa pa pa?" Tyr searched the room, balancing on his feet and holding on to her leg.

"He'll be home soon." She leaned to the side, reaching into her back pocket.

Her phone wasn't on her. She looked around the room. Where was the last place she used it?

Earlier, she'd confirmed the call from her hairstylist while at Lizzy and Roar's house during her visit. Had she left it over there?

No, she remembered setting it down to take Tyr into the bedroom to change his diaper. It must be in the kitchen.

The door handle jiggled. She looked at Tyr and gasped in mock surprise. "I wonder who that is?"

Tyr's knees bent, and he straightened as if jumping, though his feet never left the floor. He lifted his arms to her as the door opened and Peer filled the room.

"There's your pappa." She smiled, meeting Peer's gaze. "You surprised me. We were just talking about you."

"You didn't get my text?"

She scooted and stood from the couch. "I only realized a moment ago that I set my phone down somewhere. I think it's in the kitchen."

"No worries." He opened the coat closet and shoved his duffle up on the top shelf.

She stepped into the kitchen, read his text, and warmth filled her. There was something about how he always called or texted to check up on her that had her reacting as if there was more going on than being roommates.

Exhaling harshly to stop herself from thinking of Peer in a different way, she reminded herself that all his messages and conversations centered on Tyr. That she was a female and it was natural to care more about someone she shared a home with and he was a male—a male who tended to see her as a co-worker who just happened to sleep in a bedroom in the house, much like he was used to staying at the clubhouse with people sleeping in another room.

"Coco," bellowed Peer from the other room.

She startled at the urgency in his deep voice. Heart pounding, she ran out of the kitchen and straight to him. "What's wrong?"

He held his arms out to his side and stared down at his feet. She followed his gaze, looking at Tyr holding on to Peer's leg, making sure he wasn't hurt, though he made not a sound.

"Is he okay?" She raised her gaze to Peer. "Are you okay?"