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A Very Xander Halloween 3

©2020 Anne Mercier

LINCOLN

“Kiki want candy!”

I look up at the ceiling, praying for some divine intervention. “Not again with this kid.”

“Kaid want candy, too!”

“Me too!” shouts Konnor.

“And me!” shouts Killian.

“You four will be the death of me if your mother finds out,” I tell them. They all just smile as I reach into the bowl of candy on the shelf above the TV.

“She not,” Kiki replies.

“From your lips, kid,” I mutter. “Let’s see. Snickers, Milky Way, Twix—”

“Twix!” all four yell at the same time.

“Can’t blame you there. That’s some caramel and cookie goodness.” I hand out the candy bars.

“Too bad your trainer won’t let you have any,” Ethan adds.

I nearly jump out of my skin. I look where he’s leaning against the doorjamb chuckling, and I scowl.

“Don’t do that. Christ. I thought you were Lucy.”

Ethan strides forward. “You’re lucky I’m not.”

“No kidding.”

Ethan gives the kids a stern look. “You can’t keep doing that to your Uncle Linc. It’s not nice.”

Kiki pouts. Aw hell.

“I nice.”

“Not when you try to scare him with your mojo look,” he adds.

Kiki’s face reddens a bit and the three boys scowl.

“Shit. Now you did it,” I whisper.

“Kiki nice!” she shouts.

That kid has a set of lungs on her that’s only rivaled by the newest addition to the household: Tera and Xander’s daughter Josie. She can wail the house down when she wants to. Good thing she can’t get mojo by osmosis or some shit. We’d be in serious trouble. What am I saying? We already are!

“Kiki,” Ethan begins with a chuckle, “you know and I know you’re only nice when you want to be.”

She dips her head, her chin touching her chest as she smirks. “I nice.” This she whispers, looking cute as can be. Fucking hell, this kid. She’s good.

“No make Kiki sad,” Kaid tells Ethan.

Ethan points at him. “Don’t you start. None of that works on me.”

Kaid laughs. The two other boys join in.

“I no hurt Unca Linc,” Kiki says, giving me an earnest look. With all of her manipulations, how can I trust this not to be another one?

“Not yet, anyway,” I reply.

“Me just play,” she says.

“Yeah?” I ask, still cautious because, this kid!

She nods. “Yep.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and sink to the floor, then lying flat on my back. The relief is hella crazy. She’s just a tiny thing with a great big fucking personality.

She toddles over to me and giggles before crawling on my chest. She rests her hands on my cheeks and gives me a loud smacking kiss.

“Kiki love you.”

Well, shit. My heart just melted—just like the chocolate all over her hands. I pause. Fuck it. It’s worth it.

“I love you too, kid.”

She sits up on my chest, bounces and claps. “Yay!”

“This would normally warm my heart and make me cry, but I’m more concerned with who gave them the candy.”

Lucy. Fuck. I’m busted.

“Kiki no have candy,” she says holding out her hands—her chocolate-covered hands.

“You’re not helping things, kid,” I tell her.

She looks at her hands, her eyes going wide. “Oops.”

“Yeah, oops,” I chuckle.

“Unamused mother standing right here, Chuckles. You get the joyous task of washing their hands and faces and then wiping all the chocolate off the furniture—as well as your own face,” she says with a smirk.

When she walks away, I look at Kiki, Ethan, and the boys.

Well worth it.

JESSE

“You’re in the doghouse man,” I tell Linc.

“Worth it,” he responds, eating some yogurt and granola shit his trainer swears by.

I lift a brow. “You’re not afraid of my wife?”

“Oh, I’m afraid of your wife, but I’m more afraid of your daughter,” he admits around a bite of food.

I nod. “I can see that.”

He points his spoon at me. “The only reason you’re more afraid of Lucy because she holds the key to the vault, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

I chuckle. “The vault.”

He shrugs, watching me as he chews.

I think about what he’s said. Shit.

Linc nods. “Mhmm. You be on the receiving end of those looks your pretty little girl gives.”

Xander walks into the kitchen. “Dude. Keeks is my girl, but there are times she scares the shit out of me.”

Linc points his spoon at Xander.

“All this fucking mojo. What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?” I ask them, seriously.

Kadi walks in in her dance gear and heads to the fridge. She grabs a sports drink, cracks the top, and drains half of it. Then she looks over at me.

Hell. I put a five-spot on the table.

As she walks out of the kitchen, she picks up the cash without breaking her stride.

“You’re in a bad way if you’re swearing more than Linc,” Xander tells me.

“Where’s Tera and Josie?” I ask, hoping to change the subject that’ll haunt me later.

“Taking a nap. Josie was extra hungry the last two days which meant Tera was up when Josie was up because there wasn’t enough milk in the tata’s to pump so I could help out. She eats so much, Tera has to eat extra,” Xan says while he makes a sandwich.

“You make her bacon?” Linc asks.

“Yep. Plus I go out and get her favorite bacon burgers, bacon donuts—which I find disgusting, and anything bacon I can find. I guess the craving isn’t over yet. She puts bacon in her ice cream.” He shudders.

“She had Ethan go out and get her chocolate covered bacon,” Linc announces.

Xan cringes. “Disgusting, but if it’s what she wants, who am I to say otherwise?”

“I mean,” I start, “she doesn’t say shit to you about putting ketchup on your eggs.”

“That’s fucking delicious,” he defends.

Linc smirks as he drinks his protein shake.

I give him a look. “It’s repulsive.”

“No, what’s repulsive is him putting ketchup on his fucking fish sticks. Who does that?” Linc asks.

“Oh, hell, I forgot about that. Now I lost my appetite.”

“Jesse,” Linc begins, “admit the truth. You lost your appetite when you realized your kids’ mojo scares the hell out of you.”

“God damn it, man. I’d forgotten about it, catalogued it for later. Why? Just why, you fucker?” I ask.

He chuckles. “Because you’re the father of the KQuads. If the rest of us live in fear, you need to join us.”

“Not everyone lives in fear of them,” I start, but even as I say the words, I wonder if they’re just me lying to myself.

Linc puts his dish in the sink then stops at the table on his way out. He claps a hand on my shoulder.

“Denial. It’s not just a river in Egypt.”

Hell.

XANDER

It’s time. I’ve been hyped all day, but now Josie’s up from her nap and so are the KQuads. Kadi’s already dressed and ready to go. Tera and I just finished getting the remaining kids decked out and we’re read.

“You guys ready?” I ask.

They all shout, “Yes!”

“Kadi Girl, go give the intro.” She nods and runs out. “Babe, go take a seat.” I give Tera a kiss and the kids giggle.

With Josie strapped to my chest, I can’t help but be reminded of those four who I used to carry just like this, only front and back. They’re growing up too damn quick.

“It’s my esteemed honor to announce and participate in today’s festivities,” Kadi announces.

I walk in with the kids behind the curtain I rigged up earlier. I’m sure everyone’s wondering what the hell is happening, but this one, this performance, is going to be something pretty damn special.

I pull the string and the curtains open just as the music begins. Jailhouse Rock by Elvis. We’re all standing behind fake jailhouse bars. Yeah, I planned this one for a while.

We’re all decked out in black and white striped onesies—the old jailhouse uniforms—the caps, and our black and white Chuck Taylors. We all start dancing and lip syncing. They’re all quick studies—but Kadi’s outdancing us all. She’s got that leg shaking thing down pact. She can also do the leg shake and slide like The King used to. I’m trying not to dance too jarringly with Josie strapped on tight. Last thing I want is for her to puke up her third lunch of the day before she gets her supper in an hour. Tera wouldn’t appreciate it.

This one, this one got Cage smirking and tapping his foot. God, I remember him when Lucy and Jesse got married in Denny’s, how drunk he was, shouting, “True love prevails!” What a night. What a fucking beginning to BFD and it’s far from over.

When the song ends, it automatically segues into Hound Dog and Noodles and Sauce come running out, howling on cue. If any music is playing, they start to howl. Personally, I believe they’re singing. Their howls get the best of the kids who start howling with the dogs. Kadi and I dance together, shaking our feet, holding hands at arm’s length, just like they did back in the day. Then we grab one another’s other hand, she twirls under our arms and back out, then we let go of the second arm and start all over again. She taught me how to dance like this.

Another Elvis song comes on and everyone else starts to dance with us, Noodles and Sauce howling. The laughter in the room eases the tightness in my chest that’s been there since the night that was supposed to be Lucy’s premiere but ended up in blood shed. The house has been tense—even though we try not to be. No one knows what’s going to happen, but I keep reminding them, it’s the here and now that matters most. Tomorrow can take care of itself.

I’ve got plans to make with Lucy after this. When The King is sighted on a plane, the hunt must continue.

Stay tuned.

Happy Halloween, Rockstars!

Anne xoxo

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