“Shea.” Jake sounded impatient, like he had when they first met, before Shea knew the real man. “Running ranch hands is different than tangling with the real-estate market in New York City. There you only deal with horses and cows. Real-estate agents are sharks.”
Quickly seeing his dream dying, Shea folded his arms. “Well, I’m not gonna let this slip through my fingers just ’cause I can’t be there. I’m gonna trust Pedro. I’ve worked with him for over ten years. He’s not gonna lie to me.”
“You’re being stubborn,” Jake argued. “It would be stupid to take a place sight unseen.”
“Hey, now.” Shea poked a finger at him. “You can call me stubborn, and I’m okay with that. But don’t be callin’ me stupid. That ain’t nice.” He glared at Jake, who worked his jaw, then dropped his gaze.
“You know I don’t think you’re stupid. It was wrong of me to say that. But you have to listen to us.” He huffed out a breath and drummed his fingers on the chair. “Okay, I have an idea. Why don’t I look at it for you?”
“Why’re you a better judge than Pedro? I mean, I know him better than I know you.”
Jake quirked a brow. “Do you, now?”
Shea grew warm. “Not like that.” He grinned at Jake and poked him. “Don’t be stupid.”
The tension eased, and Oliver rose from the chair. “Okay, everyone. Who’s ready to eat?”
* * *
They left Oliver and Melissa’s house around eight o’clock that evening, with a half-asleep Stacey and an exhausted but happy dog. Jake had already put Stacey in the car and buckled her seat belt. Kiss lay at her feet.
When Shea opened the car door, Melissa whispered in his ear, “He was so happy today, happier than I’ve seen him since Stacey was born. And I know it’s because of you.”
“They’re very special people. And thank you for opening your home to me.”
She put a hand over his. “It was our pleasure.” Her lips curved into a smile, and to his surprise, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for seeing the real Jake.”
“I truly enjoyed the day. Thank you for your hospitality.”
She sighed. “God, I could listen to you all night.”
He chuckled, and they got in the car and drove away. The ride took almost an hour due to traffic and an accident, and it was after nine when they stopped in front of Jake’s building.
Sergie turned around. “Oh, sorry, Jake. I thought the gentleman was coming back to your place. Do you want me to keep going?”
Jake met Shea’s eyes over his daughter. “No, it’s okay.”
“You’re gonna need a hand, anyway. Lemme help you take everythin’ upstairs. You carry Stacey, and I’ll grab the dog and the bags.” Melissa had given Jake some of the leftover food, plus an extra peach cobbler she just “happened to bake.”
Already carrying Stacey over his shoulder, Jake stopped to allow the doorman to assist him, and Shea felt foolish. Of course Jake would live in a building with someone to help.
“I’d like it if you came upstairs with me. If you want to, of course.”
Shea’s heart galloped as if he were riding Rambo at top speed. “Okay, right behind you.”
They didn’t speak on the elevator ride, and Jake left him in the living room while he put Stacey to bed. Having foresight, Jake had brought Stacey’s pajamas with him, and Melissa had given her a bath. And being tired out as she was from the long day, she didn’t even wake during the ride home. The dog too, drank some water and followed Jake into Stacey’s room.
When Jake came out, his face was as bright as the morning sky. “She held me around the neck. As if she wanted to maybe hug or kiss me. She hasn’t done that in almost two years.”
Shea crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed Jake. “That’s like a miracle, then. The perfect ending to a perfect day.”
“Yeah.” Jake held his face. “Stay with me? We can make it a perfect night.”
Chapter Twelve
It had taken him so long to get to this point, to even contemplate bringing another man into his life, and even more importantly, into his daughter’s world. And now, in the span of two days, Jake not only brought Shea into his apartment, but wanted him to stay the night. Asking him to stay was an extension of the perfect days they’d spent together. Was it quick? Maybe, but there was something so natural about being together—the three of them—that Jake didn’t see asking Shea as a risk.
And from the expression on Shea’s face, he was as surprised as Jake by the sudden turn of events. He licked his lips, adorably nervous, and Jake, who’d wanted to kiss him all day but didn’t because either Stacey or his friends were around, swooped in for the kill.
