“You know I’m just me, right? This whole persona you have in your head isn’t actually a thing.”
She tilted her head and smiled pityingly at him, amused that he didn’t see himself the way she saw him. “Handsome? Check. Charismatic? Check. Sex god? Check. Nice and funny and supportive and good with dogs? All the checks.”
A flush appeared on his cheekbones, and he brushed a thumb along the curve of her cheek. “Well, that explains some things I guess, because I’m sleeping withThea freaking Blackwellon a regular basis. Cheerful? Check. Smart? Check. Competent and creative? Check. The sexiest woman I’ve ever been with and also very good with dogs? All the checks.”
Did he really see her that way? After years of girl-next-door invisibility? Now she was the one blushing—and the one about to deliver bad news.
“Unfortunately, Thea freaking Blackwell needs to get dressed and head out. I promised Dave I’d come over and meet the new baby today.” She sat up, feeling only a little self-conscious that she was naked with the sheet pooled in her lap. “Do you… maybe want to come along?”
“Sure,” he said easily. “I need to pay homage to the child myself.”
After a quick round of showers and coffee, Thea insisted they stop at a party store to pick up a dozen pink and white helium balloons to go along with the gifts she’d assembled, and then they were headed to the Chiltons’ house.
“Are you much of a baby guy?” she asked as they drove.
“I have zero experience with babies.” He drummed out a quick rhythm on the steering wheel. “You?”
“I appreciate babies, but they also make me nervous.” When Belly was born, Peter had made it clear that he wasn’t comfortable with Thea holding her new little sister, and she’d internalized that distrust. But oh, she loved babies’ bright eyes and grasping fingers and impossibly soft skin. She smoothed her sweaty palms down the front of her dress and bit back a sigh at yet another example of her messed-up fear/longing response.
When they arrived at the Chilton house, he jumped out first and walked to her side to help her navigate the big step-down from the cab in her strappy sandals, and her heart throbbed at his thoughtfulness. She grabbed the huge gift bag from behind the seat, then shoved the bundle of balloons into his fist.
“I’d better not float away like the house fromUp,” he warned as they walked up the porch steps.
“I’d pay to see that.”
They stood side by side before the front door, but neither made a move to knock.
“Are we supposed to ring the doorbell, or will that wake the baby?” she whispered.
He shrugged. “Newborn etiquette is a mystery to me.”
“We’re a terrible pair,” she said with a laugh.
“Nah. We’re a great team.” He slid an arm around her waist, and something warm ignited in her chest when he grinned down at her. “You’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours. If things get pukey in there, we bail.”
“Deal.” She smiled back, overwhelmed at the idea that they’d become a team. But before she could analyze the big scary swirl of emotions the idea generated, Dave solved the knock/don’t knock dilemma by throwing open the front door.
“Friends! Come on in.” He looked exhausted and elated at the same time, and his Ramones T-shirt was covered in a number of mysterious stains. “Lucille just woke up from her nap.”
They followed him inside, and it was immediately clear that although this was her first visit to the house, Aiden was a frequent visitor.
He tied the balloons to the staircase banister and wobbled one of the rungs on the railing. “I still need to fix this.”
He spoke more to himself than to Dave, whose lids had drifted shut as he leaned against the wall in the hallway, yet the father of three immediately jostled into motion and said, “Sure.” Thea couldn’t tell if it was a response to what Aiden had just said, but Dave pushed his fingers under his glasses to rub his bloodshot eyes and said again, “Sure.”
“Okay, buddy. Let’s meet the kid.” Aiden took Dave by the shoulders and steered him down the hall toward the family room, where a glowing Ana cradled a tiny scrap of humanity in her lap and the two other Chilton kids were busy pelting each other with Legos.
“Hi, guys!” Ana spoke softly, her hand cupping the baby’s head. “This is Lucille.”
Thea walked directly over to the baby, who was almost too small for her to contemplate. “She’s beautiful!” She reached out a tentative finger and stroked it along the baby’s soft cheek.
“She really is.” Ana looked down at her daughter with such focused love that Thea might as well have ceased to exist for a moment. Then her friend looked up and offered her a tired, radiant smile. “It’s good to see you. Andhim.” She nodded meaningfully to where Aiden was crouched to examine the Lego structure that Zeke and Dara were building. “Who knew he had it in him?”
“Right?” she said. “I almost hate to disturb them, but I brought gifts.”
At the wordgift, two pairs of kiddie ears perked up, and they abandoned their plastic bricks to crowd around her. She handed over two wrapped packages, and the pair whooped as they opened their oversized sketchpads and marker sets.
“Okay, you two,” Dave ordered. “Let’s keep it quiet for your new sister.”
