kid hanging around his neck.
*
Three hours later, after Aidan had eaten his body weight in grilled burgers, the best potato salad he’d ever had and Sally’s cherry cobbler, he glanced around the spacious patio. The grownups were still gathered at the table talking while the little kids fought mightily to stay awake, but failed miserably.
Five-year-old Jake, the oldest of the kids, had decided to take a trip down the jungle gym slide and had promptly tossed his cookies. Without batting an eye, Cameron rushed him into the house to clean him up.
For some reason, all the efficient family activity reminded Aidan of Ellie and her ability to keep things running smoothly under any circumstance. Of course, everything lately reminded him of the woman waiting for him back home on Alleria. He couldn’t wait to go home and get her naked. There wasn’t a question in his mind but that she would want the same thing.
A few minutes later, Jake came running outside in fresh pajamas and shocked the hell out of Aidan by climbing onto his lap. Now the little guy was sound asleep in his arms. Talk about a sneak attack. Aidan couldn’t quite fathom how all these protective feelings for this scrawny little guy had cropped up.
Was this the kind of emotional stuff that dads went through? he wondered. Was this what he’d signed on for with Ellie? No, he realized quickly. If Ellie said yes to his offer tomorrow, Aidan would one day become a dad in name only. He would be there for financial support and the occasional family gathering. He rubbed his chest absently, relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with these overwhelming feelings of fear and concern and love and—
“Here you go.” Cameron handed him a heavy crystal glass of single malt scotch. “Don’t worry about waking up Jake. I swear that kid can sleep through earthquakes and enemy fire.”
Cameron sat and both men sipped their drinks in companionable silence, watching the activity around them.
“Time for jammies,” Brandon’s wife Kelly announced, and scooped tiny Robbie up off the lawn, where he’d been speed crawling, trying to make his escape. The kid put up a halfhearted fuss but after a moment, he laid his head on Kelly’s shoulder and closed his eyes.
“This one’s zonked out, too,” Adam said, and carried T.J. into the house. His wife Trish was already inside taking care of the latest addition to their family, two-month-old Annabelle.
Cameron shook his head. “Never thought the day would come when there’d be more kids than adults at a Duke brothers party.”
“The kids are great,” Aidan said, and took a sip of scotch.
Cameron laughed. “Spoken like a die-hard bachelor determined never to have any of his own.”
“Hey, I meant it,” Aidan protested, then shrugged sheepishly. “Is it that obvious?”
“I recognize the code words.” Cameron relaxed in his chair. “Kids are great as long as they’re someone else’s, right?”
Aidan chuckled. He might’ve been guilty of uttering those very words on more than one occasion. Oddly enough though, tonight he had liked the feel of Jake, trusting and sound asleep, tucked up against him. Wow. He couldn’t believe he’d just had that thought.
“I was never gonna have any of my own, either,” Cameron said. “None of us were. Hell, my brothers and I made a sacred pact when we were young. No marriage. No kids. Ever.”
Aidan frowned at the familiar sentiment. “So what happened?”
“Julia happened,” he said simply. “And Jake. Mom had something to say about it. Come to think of it, my brothers added their two cents’ worth, too.”
“Sounds like a united front. What’d they all say to change your mind?”
Just then, Julia stood and eased little Jake off of Aidan’s lap and into her arms. “I’ll take him in to bed.”
Cameron jumped up. “Let me do it.”
“No, you stay and talk to Aidan,” she said, and reached up and kissed him before walking away.
Aidan took another sip of
*
Three hours later, after Aidan had eaten his body weight in grilled burgers, the best potato salad he’d ever had and Sally’s cherry cobbler, he glanced around the spacious patio. The grownups were still gathered at the table talking while the little kids fought mightily to stay awake, but failed miserably.
Five-year-old Jake, the oldest of the kids, had decided to take a trip down the jungle gym slide and had promptly tossed his cookies. Without batting an eye, Cameron rushed him into the house to clean him up.
For some reason, all the efficient family activity reminded Aidan of Ellie and her ability to keep things running smoothly under any circumstance. Of course, everything lately reminded him of the woman waiting for him back home on Alleria. He couldn’t wait to go home and get her naked. There wasn’t a question in his mind but that she would want the same thing.
A few minutes later, Jake came running outside in fresh pajamas and shocked the hell out of Aidan by climbing onto his lap. Now the little guy was sound asleep in his arms. Talk about a sneak attack. Aidan couldn’t quite fathom how all these protective feelings for this scrawny little guy had cropped up.
Was this the kind of emotional stuff that dads went through? he wondered. Was this what he’d signed on for with Ellie? No, he realized quickly. If Ellie said yes to his offer tomorrow, Aidan would one day become a dad in name only. He would be there for financial support and the occasional family gathering. He rubbed his chest absently, relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with these overwhelming feelings of fear and concern and love and—
“Here you go.” Cameron handed him a heavy crystal glass of single malt scotch. “Don’t worry about waking up Jake. I swear that kid can sleep through earthquakes and enemy fire.”
Cameron sat and both men sipped their drinks in companionable silence, watching the activity around them.
“Time for jammies,” Brandon’s wife Kelly announced, and scooped tiny Robbie up off the lawn, where he’d been speed crawling, trying to make his escape. The kid put up a halfhearted fuss but after a moment, he laid his head on Kelly’s shoulder and closed his eyes.
“This one’s zonked out, too,” Adam said, and carried T.J. into the house. His wife Trish was already inside taking care of the latest addition to their family, two-month-old Annabelle.
Cameron shook his head. “Never thought the day would come when there’d be more kids than adults at a Duke brothers party.”
“The kids are great,” Aidan said, and took a sip of scotch.
Cameron laughed. “Spoken like a die-hard bachelor determined never to have any of his own.”
“Hey, I meant it,” Aidan protested, then shrugged sheepishly. “Is it that obvious?”
“I recognize the code words.” Cameron relaxed in his chair. “Kids are great as long as they’re someone else’s, right?”
Aidan chuckled. He might’ve been guilty of uttering those very words on more than one occasion. Oddly enough though, tonight he had liked the feel of Jake, trusting and sound asleep, tucked up against him. Wow. He couldn’t believe he’d just had that thought.
“I was never gonna have any of my own, either,” Cameron said. “None of us were. Hell, my brothers and I made a sacred pact when we were young. No marriage. No kids. Ever.”
Aidan frowned at the familiar sentiment. “So what happened?”
“Julia happened,” he said simply. “And Jake. Mom had something to say about it. Come to think of it, my brothers added their two cents’ worth, too.”
“Sounds like a united front. What’d they all say to change your mind?”
Just then, Julia stood and eased little Jake off of Aidan’s lap and into her arms. “I’ll take him in to bed.”
Cameron jumped up. “Let me do it.”
“No, you stay and talk to Aidan,” she said, and reached up and kissed him before walking away.
Aidan took another sip of
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