Read Online All A Heart Needs B&N by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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and yet very much right in others.
Jessica gave him a smile as more Callaways squeezed into the space and moved even closer to him. "We always seem to be in the middle of a crowd," she said.
He nodded, his jaw tightening, as he gazed down at her. The last time they'd been in the middle of a crowd she'd kissed him.
Her eyes darkened as she read his mind. "You don't have to worry. I can behave myself,"
"I wish I could say the same," he muttered. "I have to get out of here."
"Sean—"
"You don't want to stop me, Jess."
She stared back at him and then shifted so he could get past her. As he hit the hallway, he heard the group in the kitchen burst into an off-key but noisy rendition of Happy Birthday.
* * *
After escaping the kitchen, Sean thought about leaving the party entirely, but apparently not everyone was in the kitchen. His father was standing by the front door talking to his Uncle Kevin, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with either of them. He slipped into the guest room looking for some quiet and found his older brother, Aiden, changing his baby daughter's diaper.
His tension evaporated as he watched Aiden wrestle with his squirming and very happy three-month-old daughter, Chloe. Chloe was taking great delight in kicking her father's hands away as he tried to wipe down her bottom.
"Well, isn't this a picture," Sean drawled. "How the mighty have fallen. From rebel smokejumper to poop scooper."
Aiden had his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, a towel over one shoulder and a bottle of baby powder in his hand. He shot Sean a dark look, but when he turned back to his daughter, he was nothing but sweet. Aiden fastened the diaper and pulled up his daughter's leggings. "There you go, princess, all done," he said to the baby, then swung her up into his arms. As he turned to Sean, he added, "Just for the record, dealing with this kid is far more difficult and also far more exciting than jumping into a raging forest fire."
"Really?" he asked doubtfully.
"Trust me, one day you'll know."
"Yeah, we'll see about that. So fatherhood is going well?"
"Better every day," Aiden said with a nod. "I'm finally feeling like I know what I'm doing, at least some of the time."
"Chloe is getting big," Sean said.
"And more fun. She smiles and laughs, and her eyes light up when she sees me."
"She's a good looking kid."
"All Sara," Aiden said, referring to his wife.
As Aiden cradled the baby in his arms, Sean was touched by the tender protectiveness he saw on his brother's face. "You really are different now, Aiden. You look happy, content, a family man. Quite a change from the guy who used to like to walk on the wild side."
Aiden tipped his head. "I had to grow up some time. I wasn't sure I'd be a good husband or father, but falling in love with Sara, and now this little girl, has changed all that. I'd kill for them. The love I feel is overwhelming. I never imagined that it could be like this. I was the guy who had to jump out of planes to get his heart pumping, who had to break rules in order to know he was pushing the limits. Now all it takes is for Chloe to smile at me, and I am over the moon."
"I can see that. I kind of miss you as a troublemaker though. I liked it when you and Dad were fighting; it took the heat off of me." Second in the line-up of siblings, Aiden had been the first one to really test their father. He'd been a hell-raiser. And while he'd gone into firefighting, Aiden had left the city fire department to become a smokejumper, which hadn't pleased Jack. But Aiden hadn't let anyone stop him from doing what he wanted to do. In many ways, Aiden had been his role model. But his brother had definitely changed.
Aiden grinned. "Sorry, but I'm a responsible husband and father now. You're on your own. What's going on with you and Dad?"
"The usual."
"He's disappointed and you're pissed off," Aiden said with a knowing nod. "I remember those days well. You're never going to win, you know. Jack Callaway won't ever
Jessica gave him a smile as more Callaways squeezed into the space and moved even closer to him. "We always seem to be in the middle of a crowd," she said.
He nodded, his jaw tightening, as he gazed down at her. The last time they'd been in the middle of a crowd she'd kissed him.
Her eyes darkened as she read his mind. "You don't have to worry. I can behave myself,"
"I wish I could say the same," he muttered. "I have to get out of here."
"Sean—"
"You don't want to stop me, Jess."
She stared back at him and then shifted so he could get past her. As he hit the hallway, he heard the group in the kitchen burst into an off-key but noisy rendition of Happy Birthday.
* * *
After escaping the kitchen, Sean thought about leaving the party entirely, but apparently not everyone was in the kitchen. His father was standing by the front door talking to his Uncle Kevin, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with either of them. He slipped into the guest room looking for some quiet and found his older brother, Aiden, changing his baby daughter's diaper.
His tension evaporated as he watched Aiden wrestle with his squirming and very happy three-month-old daughter, Chloe. Chloe was taking great delight in kicking her father's hands away as he tried to wipe down her bottom.
"Well, isn't this a picture," Sean drawled. "How the mighty have fallen. From rebel smokejumper to poop scooper."
Aiden had his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, a towel over one shoulder and a bottle of baby powder in his hand. He shot Sean a dark look, but when he turned back to his daughter, he was nothing but sweet. Aiden fastened the diaper and pulled up his daughter's leggings. "There you go, princess, all done," he said to the baby, then swung her up into his arms. As he turned to Sean, he added, "Just for the record, dealing with this kid is far more difficult and also far more exciting than jumping into a raging forest fire."
"Really?" he asked doubtfully.
"Trust me, one day you'll know."
"Yeah, we'll see about that. So fatherhood is going well?"
"Better every day," Aiden said with a nod. "I'm finally feeling like I know what I'm doing, at least some of the time."
"Chloe is getting big," Sean said.
"And more fun. She smiles and laughs, and her eyes light up when she sees me."
"She's a good looking kid."
"All Sara," Aiden said, referring to his wife.
As Aiden cradled the baby in his arms, Sean was touched by the tender protectiveness he saw on his brother's face. "You really are different now, Aiden. You look happy, content, a family man. Quite a change from the guy who used to like to walk on the wild side."
Aiden tipped his head. "I had to grow up some time. I wasn't sure I'd be a good husband or father, but falling in love with Sara, and now this little girl, has changed all that. I'd kill for them. The love I feel is overwhelming. I never imagined that it could be like this. I was the guy who had to jump out of planes to get his heart pumping, who had to break rules in order to know he was pushing the limits. Now all it takes is for Chloe to smile at me, and I am over the moon."
"I can see that. I kind of miss you as a troublemaker though. I liked it when you and Dad were fighting; it took the heat off of me." Second in the line-up of siblings, Aiden had been the first one to really test their father. He'd been a hell-raiser. And while he'd gone into firefighting, Aiden had left the city fire department to become a smokejumper, which hadn't pleased Jack. But Aiden hadn't let anyone stop him from doing what he wanted to do. In many ways, Aiden had been his role model. But his brother had definitely changed.
Aiden grinned. "Sorry, but I'm a responsible husband and father now. You're on your own. What's going on with you and Dad?"
"The usual."
"He's disappointed and you're pissed off," Aiden said with a knowing nod. "I remember those days well. You're never going to win, you know. Jack Callaway won't ever
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