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When she rejoined them, there was the heavenly smell of melting cheese in the air. Father and son were standing at the stove, looking in through the glass. “About ten more minutes,” Bull told his little guy. “We should start making the salad.”
Isabella took a seat at the kitchen table. “What are we having?”
“Mac and cheese!” Luke yelled, running to her for a big hug.
“Yea, mac and cheese to go with the fried chicken you made.” Bull watched the tender moment. “You look nice.”
Isabella tickled Luke. The little boy’s laugh was so infectious that she couldn’t help herself. “Thank you. I wanted to look good for my men.”
He gave her a wink, then beckoned to Luke. “Come on back over here and give me a hand with this salad, you little varmint.”
“I want Bella to make it with me,” Luke replied.
“I think Daddy wants to make it with you.”
“No, that’s okay,” Bull told her, bringing things over to the table.
Isabella looked up at his face. “Are you sure?”
Bull kissed his boy on the top of his head. “I’m sure.” Next, he kissed Isabella on the head. After checking the contents of the oven, he leaned on the island and just watched Isabella and Luke. The boy sat on her lap at the table while they tore salad greens and added other vegetables. This felt like the absolute definition of domestic bliss to Bull. Luke had taken to the woman he loved right away. Any fears he’d had about her fitting into his life melted like the cheese in the oven.
After supper, Bull retrieved the ‘wished for’ surprise from the closet. “I’ve got something for you, Luke,” Bull whispered into his son’s ear, after hoisting him into the air, spinning him over his head, and bringing him back down, tucked near his face.
“Daddy!” Luke’s squeal joined the reddening of his face, as if the joy of being lifted and held by his dad was just too much for his little body. He couldn’t even process yet that he had something else special coming. The hug was enough.
Bull carried him into his bedroom and Isabella followed. Seeing Bull with his son like this made her want to be still, to soak it in. There was so much tangible love in the air she could feel it.
On the bed was a big box, wrapped in bright blue paper. Bull dropped Luke on the bed so he could crawl around and examine his gift.
“Daddy!” he squealed again, and wriggled over to the box. He stood next to it, and put his hands down on it, claiming it. He had to look up and be sure. “This is for meeeeeee?” The e in me stretched deep and long for such a little boy.
“Yessir, it is. Why don’t you open it up?”
Luke’s eyes grew huge and he started tearing into the paper, tossing little specks of blue into the air.
Isabella leaned against Bull’s shoulder to watch, a happy smile on her face. Luke ripped and he ripped and he ripped, eventually falling exhausted by the side of the box. There wasn’t any paper left, just a big thick cardboard box that said Luchesse. A lot of adults wouldn’t know what to do with that word, and Luke was just as impassibly stumped by it as anyone. “What is it?”
“Let me help you, Son.” Bull pulled the flaps out of the sides so the top could pop open. He placed Luke’s fingers under the lid so he could do it himself. Luke wasted no time throwing it open.
“Wow!” Luke gasped. In the box lay a small pair of fine leather boots, brown with silver threads weaving a pattern on the side, just like Bull’s. There was also a small leather belt with Luke embossed along the back, just like Bull’s.
“Oh, my goodness!” Isabella helped him take the items out to inspect them. “Look, I think there’s more.”
The little boy dug deeper and found a belt buckle and a cowboy hat. Luke picked up the hat, looked up at his dad, who was wearing the exact same hat. He breathed in, and a little tear came to his eye. “Daddy…” he whispered this time.
Bull swung over and picked him up. He spun him again and put the hat on his head. “What’s wrong, pal? Don’t you like it?”
Luke touched the brim of his own hat, and then touched the brim of his dad’s. “I’m like Daddy now?”
Bull smiled. “Yes, Son. Just like your daddy.”
Luke erupted into giggles and squeals, pawing down toward the bed to claim the rest of his goodies.
Sitting Luke down, Bull pulled off his tennis shoes and slid the boots on, pulling his little toddler jeans down over them like they should be. He hooked the buckle onto his son’s belt and laced it though the loops of his pants. Then, he stood him up.
A little off-balance, Luke stumbled forward, kicking with each step, but caught on quickly and stomped around the room.
“How does he look?” Bull asked Isabella.
