of which she heard anymore.
A set of arms lifted her. She struggled to wake up, to play hostess. "Shh," a voice whispered. "I've got you."
"Jack?" She put her arms around his neck, leaned into his chest, which rumbled with amusement.
"No, honey, it's Rob. But I can call him if you want me to." She sighed as he laid her in the bed, pulling covers up under her chin.
"No, no, he won't come." She opened her eyes and saw Rob perch on the edge of the bed. Blake came up behind him, put both arms around his neck. She covered her eyes, hiding the inevitable tears. Jack had been scarce while her parents hovered, stopping in twice, only to back away, seemingly intimidated by Katie's small, needy self. Rob ran a hand down her face.
"He will. Let me call him."
"No!" She surprised herself with her vehemence. If he didn't want any part of her life anymore, well, fine. Screw him. She turned over. "Wake me up when she cries or my boobs may explode."
"TMI sister dear." Blake tugged Rob out the room.
Sara drifted off, her dreams a jumble of babies, pain, stress, and Jack.
"This is killing him you know." Rob sighed and leaned back into Blake's embrace as they watched Sara drift off again. "I should call him."
"What did you just say to me about coddling her?" Blake pressed a kiss to Rob's shoulder.
"I'm not coddling her. I'm trying to get her to talk sense. To let Jack in."
"It's a free country. Jack can drive over here and knock on the door just like the rest of us. Jesus, we have a frigging small town cocktail party out there already."
"I know." They stood for a minute. "But he feels shut out. Not needed. Although we can probably thank ourselves for that."
"What are you, Jack's therapist?"
Rob sighed. "No Blake. Don't be a dick."
"Sorry."
"You can't do this for her you know." Rob disentangled himself.
Blake stuck his hands in his pockets "I'm not. I'm just helping her. I'm allowed."
"I know. But, she is keeping Jack at arm's length and he is completely intimidated by the baby. Feels inadequate and helpless. And he's busy now, trying to manage the whole company. He's used to being needed. So he's channeling it into work."
"He is free to come over here anytime."
The doorbell rang. Rob chuckled. "And like that, he is summoned."
Sara mumbled and turned over. Blake pulled the blanket up under her chin, kissed her cheek. The sound of Jack's deep voice cut short as they closed the door to Sara's room.
By the time they wandered back into the living room, Jack had settled into one of the large chairs draped with cloth diapers. The tension that might normally have presented itself in a room containing two men who had once loved the same woman seemed blessedly absent. "Thanks for coming Jack," Blake took a seat opposite him. Rob shot him an odd look.
The tall man looked aggravated but nodded. "Sure. What's up?"
"I wanted us to talk about how we are going to handle Sara from here."
Suzanne shifted a little. Craig draped an arm around her shoulders. Blake stared at Jack a minute but the room stayed quiet.
"She wants to go back to work in a few weeks but I don't think Katie should go to a group daycare. So," He spread his hands apart.
"So what exactly are you proposing?" Rob's voice was tight. Blake didn't look at him.
"I was wondering if we could convince her to hire a nannie or something. She won't listen to just me."
"Blake, it's Sara's baby. She has made that infinitely clear to the rest of us. What part of it are you not getting?" Jack kept his voice light.
"I know but…"
Rob stood and walked out of the room, the anger trailing in his wake palpable. Blake shut his eyes a minute, then opened them. "I promised her I'd help with this. So this is me, helping, okay?"
Suzanne leaned forward and put a hand on his knee. He flinched, but she kept it there. "Blake, honey, I know you want to help her, but she's got to get through some of this on her own. Your need to smooth things out isn't helping her."
He stood and
A set of arms lifted her. She struggled to wake up, to play hostess. "Shh," a voice whispered. "I've got you."
"Jack?" She put her arms around his neck, leaned into his chest, which rumbled with amusement.
"No, honey, it's Rob. But I can call him if you want me to." She sighed as he laid her in the bed, pulling covers up under her chin.
"No, no, he won't come." She opened her eyes and saw Rob perch on the edge of the bed. Blake came up behind him, put both arms around his neck. She covered her eyes, hiding the inevitable tears. Jack had been scarce while her parents hovered, stopping in twice, only to back away, seemingly intimidated by Katie's small, needy self. Rob ran a hand down her face.
"He will. Let me call him."
"No!" She surprised herself with her vehemence. If he didn't want any part of her life anymore, well, fine. Screw him. She turned over. "Wake me up when she cries or my boobs may explode."
"TMI sister dear." Blake tugged Rob out the room.
Sara drifted off, her dreams a jumble of babies, pain, stress, and Jack.
"This is killing him you know." Rob sighed and leaned back into Blake's embrace as they watched Sara drift off again. "I should call him."
"What did you just say to me about coddling her?" Blake pressed a kiss to Rob's shoulder.
"I'm not coddling her. I'm trying to get her to talk sense. To let Jack in."
"It's a free country. Jack can drive over here and knock on the door just like the rest of us. Jesus, we have a frigging small town cocktail party out there already."
"I know." They stood for a minute. "But he feels shut out. Not needed. Although we can probably thank ourselves for that."
"What are you, Jack's therapist?"
Rob sighed. "No Blake. Don't be a dick."
"Sorry."
"You can't do this for her you know." Rob disentangled himself.
Blake stuck his hands in his pockets "I'm not. I'm just helping her. I'm allowed."
"I know. But, she is keeping Jack at arm's length and he is completely intimidated by the baby. Feels inadequate and helpless. And he's busy now, trying to manage the whole company. He's used to being needed. So he's channeling it into work."
"He is free to come over here anytime."
The doorbell rang. Rob chuckled. "And like that, he is summoned."
Sara mumbled and turned over. Blake pulled the blanket up under her chin, kissed her cheek. The sound of Jack's deep voice cut short as they closed the door to Sara's room.
By the time they wandered back into the living room, Jack had settled into one of the large chairs draped with cloth diapers. The tension that might normally have presented itself in a room containing two men who had once loved the same woman seemed blessedly absent. "Thanks for coming Jack," Blake took a seat opposite him. Rob shot him an odd look.
The tall man looked aggravated but nodded. "Sure. What's up?"
"I wanted us to talk about how we are going to handle Sara from here."
Suzanne shifted a little. Craig draped an arm around her shoulders. Blake stared at Jack a minute but the room stayed quiet.
"She wants to go back to work in a few weeks but I don't think Katie should go to a group daycare. So," He spread his hands apart.
"So what exactly are you proposing?" Rob's voice was tight. Blake didn't look at him.
"I was wondering if we could convince her to hire a nannie or something. She won't listen to just me."
"Blake, it's Sara's baby. She has made that infinitely clear to the rest of us. What part of it are you not getting?" Jack kept his voice light.
"I know but…"
Rob stood and walked out of the room, the anger trailing in his wake palpable. Blake shut his eyes a minute, then opened them. "I promised her I'd help with this. So this is me, helping, okay?"
Suzanne leaned forward and put a hand on his knee. He flinched, but she kept it there. "Blake, honey, I know you want to help her, but she's got to get through some of this on her own. Your need to smooth things out isn't helping her."
He stood and
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