chair across the room. Sara knew something was up between them, but shoved the green-eyed monster down underneath the piles of guilt she hauled around regarding Craig and Jack.
"What are you anyway, the baby whisperer? She's been screaming at the top of her damn lungs since she got up at like, six a.m. today."
"Probably just a fresh set of hands did it." He put an arm around her, kissed her hair. She felt good there with him, but in a way that was somehow altered. She looked at Suzanne.
"I'm happy for you guys." She said, leaning forward to look into Suzanne's eyes.
"Thanks," the woman said, ever the cool cucumber Sara remembered from the time she'd spent as her brother's hot and heavy, just-widowed girlfriend.
The doorbell rang again, making Katie startle and wave her tiny arms around in dismay. Sara left Craig to comfort her, as only he seemed able to do, and answered it. Blake and Rob stood, bottle of red wine and Chinese takeout in hand. Ignoring the part of her that had hoped for a different face at the door, she smiled and let them in. Blake frowned at the sight of Suzanne, but Rob guided him into the kitchen.
"You know, you gotta get over this. Did our recent problem not teach you anything?" Rob popped open boxes, found a few juice glasses. He produced a corkscrew from his pocket and poured four glasses. Blake pulled the greasy containers from bags and rustled around in another box for utensils.
"What? We worked through it. I'm over it."
Before he could blink, Rob grabbed him, held him close, pressed firm lips over Blake's. He sighed and wrapped his arms around the man who'd saved him from himself, years ago.
"There. That's more like it, no?" Rob smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. Blake had never felt better. The fact that the woman who'd broken his young heart sat out there in his own sister's living room, likely on the verge of a relationship with the guy who could possibly be the father of his niece, weird. But no longer under his skin, like it might have been once. Blake shook his head.
"Our soap opera continues." He pushed Rob away, opened all the containers and found paper plates Sara must have bought as a stopgap until she could get unpacked. He watched Rob's broad shoulders, his strong back and had to stop himself from reaching out for more. "I love you." He contented himself with this.
Rob turned. "I know. Now let's go play uncle a while, get it out of our collective systems."
"Already on it." Blake loved holding Katie. Between him and Craig, they formed a two-man front against the afternoons and evenings of colic that had developed in the previous weeks. Content and happy, he plucked Katie off Craig's lap, patted Sara's head and smiled at Suzanne before whisking the baby back to her room.
He took a deep sniff of Katie's head. Closed his eyes as she batted at his face, her perfect face breaking into a grin. "I love you," he whispered.
He turned, observed the tall man leaning in the doorway. "You know," Rob smiled and took Katie from his arms, did a quick efficient diaper change, and laid her in the crib. "You gotta let her work through some of this herself." Blake lingered, watching as she rooted around, settling herself for sleep. His chest constricted at the sight. He couldn't really explain why. Rob put an arm around him, kissed him. "Your sister I mean. Not your niece." Blake sighed and stepped away from his lover.
"Damn Rob. Is there anything I can do right relative to my sister in your eyes?" Anger surged through him. Rob stood, his blue eyes calm.
"Yes. You can." He took Blake's hand and pulled him close again. "Sorry. I'm just over reacting again. Let's go feed everybody."
Blake took one last look at Katie, and followed Rob back to the kitchen.
Sara watched him go, observed the give and take between her brother, his lover, and his former lover. Suddenly so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open, she leaned over on Craig's shoulder. He and Suzanne and Rob chatted, none
"What are you anyway, the baby whisperer? She's been screaming at the top of her damn lungs since she got up at like, six a.m. today."
"Probably just a fresh set of hands did it." He put an arm around her, kissed her hair. She felt good there with him, but in a way that was somehow altered. She looked at Suzanne.
"I'm happy for you guys." She said, leaning forward to look into Suzanne's eyes.
"Thanks," the woman said, ever the cool cucumber Sara remembered from the time she'd spent as her brother's hot and heavy, just-widowed girlfriend.
The doorbell rang again, making Katie startle and wave her tiny arms around in dismay. Sara left Craig to comfort her, as only he seemed able to do, and answered it. Blake and Rob stood, bottle of red wine and Chinese takeout in hand. Ignoring the part of her that had hoped for a different face at the door, she smiled and let them in. Blake frowned at the sight of Suzanne, but Rob guided him into the kitchen.
"You know, you gotta get over this. Did our recent problem not teach you anything?" Rob popped open boxes, found a few juice glasses. He produced a corkscrew from his pocket and poured four glasses. Blake pulled the greasy containers from bags and rustled around in another box for utensils.
"What? We worked through it. I'm over it."
Before he could blink, Rob grabbed him, held him close, pressed firm lips over Blake's. He sighed and wrapped his arms around the man who'd saved him from himself, years ago.
"There. That's more like it, no?" Rob smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. Blake had never felt better. The fact that the woman who'd broken his young heart sat out there in his own sister's living room, likely on the verge of a relationship with the guy who could possibly be the father of his niece, weird. But no longer under his skin, like it might have been once. Blake shook his head.
"Our soap opera continues." He pushed Rob away, opened all the containers and found paper plates Sara must have bought as a stopgap until she could get unpacked. He watched Rob's broad shoulders, his strong back and had to stop himself from reaching out for more. "I love you." He contented himself with this.
Rob turned. "I know. Now let's go play uncle a while, get it out of our collective systems."
"Already on it." Blake loved holding Katie. Between him and Craig, they formed a two-man front against the afternoons and evenings of colic that had developed in the previous weeks. Content and happy, he plucked Katie off Craig's lap, patted Sara's head and smiled at Suzanne before whisking the baby back to her room.
He took a deep sniff of Katie's head. Closed his eyes as she batted at his face, her perfect face breaking into a grin. "I love you," he whispered.
He turned, observed the tall man leaning in the doorway. "You know," Rob smiled and took Katie from his arms, did a quick efficient diaper change, and laid her in the crib. "You gotta let her work through some of this herself." Blake lingered, watching as she rooted around, settling herself for sleep. His chest constricted at the sight. He couldn't really explain why. Rob put an arm around him, kissed him. "Your sister I mean. Not your niece." Blake sighed and stepped away from his lover.
"Damn Rob. Is there anything I can do right relative to my sister in your eyes?" Anger surged through him. Rob stood, his blue eyes calm.
"Yes. You can." He took Blake's hand and pulled him close again. "Sorry. I'm just over reacting again. Let's go feed everybody."
Blake took one last look at Katie, and followed Rob back to the kitchen.
Sara watched him go, observed the give and take between her brother, his lover, and his former lover. Suddenly so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open, she leaned over on Craig's shoulder. He and Suzanne and Rob chatted, none
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