Page 63 of Protecting Addison
“Well, if I’ve learned nothing else, it’s not to count on anything staying the same,” MacGyver told him. “Not too long ago, I was as single as you, and now I’m happily married with four kids.”
Flash snorted. “I’m still not sure how that happened.”
“You want to come over and hang with us tonight?” MacGyver asked impulsively.
“Nope. No way will I be the seventh wheel,” Flash told him.
“You wouldn’t be.”
“Yes, I would. Enjoy the evening with your family, MacGyver. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“All right. But if you change your mind…”
“I won’t. Later.”
MacGyver glanced at his watch and realized it was later than he thought. He quickly closed his laptop and cleaned up the area. He was the last to leave, and he made sure there was no sign of the mess he and his teammates had made while making their final preparations for the mission.
He picked up Artem and Borysko from their school first, then Yana, and lastly swung by the middle school to get Ellory.
To his delight, she was in a very good mood. It was a relief that apparently Chrys had backed off picking on her, which went a long way toward improving the preteen’s mood.
“I heard from my dad again today,” Ellory told him with a huge smile.
“Yeah?” MacGyver wasn’t thrilled that Brady had been texting Ellory, but he couldn’t exactly forbid the man from talking to his daughter. Besides, it made her happy.
“Uh-huh. He said that when he lived in Washington, DC, he met the president once!”
MacGyver highly doubted that, but he nodded anyway.He’dmet more than one president. He didn’t brag about it; it was simply one of the many things he’d done.
“He’s also been asking when he can see me again. Do you think Mom will set it up soon?”
MacGyver’s belly rolled. He didn’t even know why the thought of Ellory seeing her father again bothered him so much. He and Vogel hadn’t hit it off, which was kind of an understatement, but he hadn’t done anything that would make him or Addison outright forbid him from seeing his daughter again. They’d agreed to follow Ellory’s lead in whether or not she was interested in furthering the relationship with her father. And it seemed she was eager to do just that.
“Ricky?”
“Sorry. I’m sure she will.” This felt like as good a time as any to let the kids know he wouldn’t be around for a while. “Although, I won’t be able to go with you guys this time. You know that mission I’ve been planning? Well, it looks like I’ll be headed out in the morning.”
There was dead silence in the car.
MacGyver looked in the rearview mirror and met Artem’s gaze.
“I’m gonna need you to step up, buddy. Help Addy with some of the housework, watch after your brother and sister…you do that anyway, but maybe keep an extra eye on them.”
Artem nodded.
“And, Borysko, I want to know at least ten new English words you’ve learned when I get back.”
“Okay, Ricky.”
“Yana?”
The little girl refused to look at him. She was staring out the side window with a little pout on her lips.
“Are you mad, Yana?” MacGyver asked her softly.
He realized he should’ve waited to have this conversation until he wasn’t driving when tears began to drip down her little face.
“Ricky, gun. Run. Sad!”
