“I can just give Youth Line the money,” Robbie said. “Like, at this point, that’s the only thing I’m still in it for. And then my schedule for the whole summer opens right up. Amuchmore stable environment for a minor child, really.”
“Only if you get him some really good headphones.”
Robbie cackled. “God, I don’t know, part of me thinks he deserves it. This whole thing was his idea, you know. His and Imogen’s. Matchmaking. Theyshouldbe traumatized for meddling.”
“Yeah, Imogen kind of spilled the beans about that.” He curled onto his side again and tucked his hands under his pillow. “We could arrange some light payback. Make sure he’s there when the gallon tub of lube arrives from Amazon. Leave an empty condom wrapper in the couch cushions.”
“Tempting. But let’s try not to scandalize the poor CAS people who are going to be showing up at random-ass times to make sure I’m not waging a campaign of terror on my kid.”
Finn sighed gustily as if about to commit himself to some great trial. “Fine. I won’t try to give the ick to my new stepson.” Then his mouth dropped open with dawning horror. “Oh God, stepson?”
Robbie laughed at him. “I did mention that I come with a kid….”
Finn poked him in the ribs. “It’s—it’s different thinking ‘my boyfriend has a kid’ than ‘I’ll be that kid’s stepparent when Iput on this ring.’” He spun the ring around the chain and eyed it with surprise, as if it were offering him adoption papers.
“Well,” Robbie began, running his hand up Finn’s back and into his hair so he could scritch Finn’s scalp the way he liked, “I have it on good authority that Sawyer isn’t in the market for a stepparent, though he wouldn’t be averse to me having a cool boyfriend, which now that I think about it was an unsubtle seal of approval for you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, he said something about a boyfriend that was fun to hang out with.”
Finn leaned into his touch and tilted his head back to catch Robbie’s eye. “Iama hoot on movie nights.”
“Only on movie nights?”
“Well…” Finn stretched, and Robbie was suddenly aware of the naked harlot in his bed.
He rolled them over, Finn on his back, and settled on top of him. “So. It’s settled, then. We’ll throw next week—fail on a technicality—and then I can focus on getting custody of my kid and you will have all the time you need to coach sassy preteens instead of aging hockey players.”
Finn hummed. “And after?”
“After?”
“Yeah.” He eyed Robbie from beneath lowered lashes. “After the kids have gone to bed. You gonna be good to me?”
“Oh, sweetheart, you won’t believe how good I can be.”
By the timeSawyer returned for dinner, Robbie and Finn were clean and flirting in the kitchen as they prepped dinner. Robbie had backed Finn up against the counter and placed his hands onit to either side of his hips. Judging by the way Finn smirked and curled his fingers around the neck of Robbie’s shirt, he didn’t have any complaints.
And then Sawyer walked in and froze in the kitchen doorway. “Robbie? Finn?”
“Hey, kiddo,” Robbie said casually and flashed a smile at Sawyer, though he didn’t straighten out of his loom over Finn. “How’s Imogen?”
“Imogen? Oh, yes, of course, let’s talk about Imogen and not at all about the fact that I found you canoodling in our kitchen after you said you were just friends!”
“Robbie?” Finn said seriously, catching Robbie’s eye to impart this wisdom. “I think you need to look into the sex ed at Sawyer’s school. Clearly he’s lacking key knowledge if he thinks this counts as canoodling.”
Sawyer spluttered and Robbie laughed. “That’s—I—I know what sex is! Is that what canoodling means? Ick!”
Robbie laughed harder.
He also stepped away from Finn so he could look Sawyer in the eye. “Good question. You should look it up in a dictionary. Also, when I saidfriendship, I wastryingto tell you to mind your own business since Finn and I hadn’t talked about telling you or anyone else anything.”
“Finn totally agreed with the friends with benefits thing,” Sawyer cut in, outraged. It occurred to Robbie he was raising a drama queen. Oh well, kid came by it honestly.
“Yes, well, there was clearly some miscommunication on our parts that is none of your business, but, uh, do as I say and not as I do and always be clear and direct when defining the relationship.”
Sawyer gaped.
