“You’re pretty good at that, old man,” Jonah said softly.
“I’m not old and I had two kids.” Atlas bubbled up a little and out came…spit-up on Eli’s T-shirt. “Whoa. Thanks, buddy.”
“Bet Meredith never did that,” Jonah teased. “Miss Perfect probably never spit up in her life. And if she did, she took your shirt and did the laundry.” He blew out a breath. “Speakingof my flawless, disciplined, and successful sibling—does she know?”
Eli nodded, not wanting to push back on the low-key antagonism that Jonah always felt toward his younger sister. “I called her last night, and she is very worried. She loves you more than you can imagine.”
Jonah looked suitably chastised. “Well, she’s safe in the knowledge that she’s still the architect superstar kid who never went astray, while I am the unemployed, cursed single father.”
Eli’s eyes shuttered. “Please don’t say that, Jonah. You’re about to start a fantastic culinary program and you arenotcursed. You’re just scared.”
“Ya think?” Jonah choked. “Petrified is more like it. I’m terrified of Carly’s parents and I’m sure I don’t have a clue how toraise a child. And don’t get me started on culinary school. How can I do all this, Dad? Maybe I should let them take Atlas.”
Eli tightened his grip on the tiny body in his hands, the very words unthinkable to him. “First of all, no one knows how to raise a child. It’s hit or miss, mistake after mistake, followed by failure and sleepless nights.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Actually, it is the most fun you’ll ever have,” Eli replied. “Second, they’re Atlas’s grandparents. I have no doubt they want what’s best for him, and that is you, his father.”
“Dad, I’m?—”
“Andthird,” he powered on, refusing to let Jonah argue with that, “you’ll go to culinary school as planned. A million parents have gotten degrees and not very many of them had a house full of family all willing and able to help with the baby.”
The speech made Jonah sink into the chair a little. “Yeah,” he begrudgingly agreed. “I just wish I knew more than one song, but thatSunshinething is all I remember Mom singing to me.”
That made Eli smile. “You’ll learn songs and tricks and patience and everything you need to know. We’re here for you, every minute.”
“I guess,” he said. “But Carly’s parents?—”
“Arenottaking this child,” Eli insisted, punctuating that with a kiss on the baby’s head, then looked up. “What are they like, anyway? What are we dealing with?”
“I don’t know them that well,” he admitted. “They live in Northern California. Carly has a sister, too, but she wasn’t that close to her.”
“You’ve met them all, I take it?”
He nodded, looking straight ahead, as though remembering. “They came to see us for a couple days after Atlas was born,” he said. “It was cool, I guess. We were fine. I mean, they probably didn’t think I was some kind of catch, but they thought culinary school was interesting. Then…” His voice faded and his whole expression changed…and crumbled.
“I assume they came again after the accident,” Eli said gently.
He managed a nod. “It was so sad, man. Obviously, they were out of their minds with grief. The sister, her name’s Rori, came, too. They all wanted to pack up Atlas and take him.”
Eli sucked in a breath. “Three on one? How did you manage to not let them?”
“I told them I would call the cops. There was…kind of a scene. It was bad.” His voice cracked.
“I’m sorry, Jonah.”
He swallowed and dug for composure. “Anyway, they finally left and said they’d be back with a lawyer and court orders and blah blahblah. The minute they were gone, I packed what I could, and hightailed it to the airport, and here I am. The runaway unemployed father who kidnapped their grandchild.”
Eli made a face, realizing it was a truly bad situation. “You didn’t kidnap him. He’s your son. They’ve never questionedthat, have they?”
“No, no. Carly and I were solid before she got pregnant, and for most of her pregnancy. I was here for a couple of months when she booted me out because I didn’t have a job.” He gave a humorless smile. “That was the last problem of mine you solved. Do you sense a pattern here?”
“I sense parenthood,” he said simply. “Parents help their kids out of binds no matter their age or how bad the bind. Have you called them to tell them Atlas is safe and sound?”
“I texted Rori and told her I took the baby to my family and he was fine. She never answered, but she saw the text.”
“Can you reach her parents? What are their names?”
