“Oh.” Marlee sounded disappointed. He didn’t want to disappoint. “Thank you for helping with Lothario and taking pictures of Luke.”
“Hey, man, stay for dinner,” Eli said. “We’ve got plenty.”
Sadie appeared in the living room entryway wearing a black Eats Grille apron that matched Eli’s.
“On that note, I’ve got to get home to Dad.” Jennifer laid Luke in the bassinet beside the sofa. “Call me if you need me.”
“They’ll be calling in like ten minutes,” Sadie said.
So things weren’t going exceptionally well for the new parents?
“I’ll follow you out.” Sadie began untying her apron.
Jennifer snatched her purse. “No, you stay. Enjoy dinner.” She grasped Marlee’s hand. “I’m so sorry I have to run, but you’re doing great. Remember, poop is totally normal.”
Sadie pulled the apron over her head. “I have to get home and check out some case law anyway and, yes, poop is totally normal. What happened with Luke in the kitchen?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Luke is perfectly fine.” Jennifer put on what Roman knew to be a mother’s you’re-going-to-listen-to-me expression. “But honey,youspend entirely too much time working. Enjoy your friend. Your brother. Bond with Luke.”
Sadie scowled. Clearly very reluctant, she slipped the apron back on.
“Roman? We’ve got space for one more at the table,” Eli said. His eyes were bloodshot, worse than the aftermath of Jase’s old desert parties.
Sadie nodded enthusiastically behind her brother.
“Stay,” she mouthed.
Well, with that kind of invitation…
“I’d love to,” Roman replied.
Jennifer leaned over to hug Marlee. “I promise you’ll be fine.”
Marlee didn’t look so certain. Eli didn’t look certain. Sadie definitely didn’t look certain.
What the hell had he just agreed to when he agreed to stick around for dinner?
“Do you know anything about babies?” Marlee asked Roman as Jennifer closed the front door behind her.
He shook his head slowly. That would be a no. He knew that they were cute, and he enjoyed looking at them from a distance. Sort of like an exotic lion cub. Don’t get too close or anything because… Yeah, no.
“Darn,” Marlee replied. “Maybe I should call Babushka. She probably knows lots about babies.”
Negative. Roman was up to his eyeballs in Babushka.
“He seems content now.” Roman dipped his forehead toward where the child in question slept.
“That’s now.” Sadie waltzed toward him. “Give him ten minutes. He’s like a miniature-sized tyrant. We should definitely call in additional help.”
Roman was happy to eat with them, but… “Look, if you’re calling in the Babushka reinforcements, I’m heading out. No offense, I just need to be able to find my phone tomorrow and I like the airinmy tires.”
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Sadie asked, pulling him to the side.
“What’s up?” He looped his fingers in the pockets of his jeans.
Sadie moved in, whispering without moving her lips as though there were a lip reader nearby who might catch what she was saying. “I’m being held hostage. I need you to get me out of here before Marlee shows me her boobs again.”
“Marlee is showing you her breasts?” he whispered back. Was that a best-friend thing he never knew about? Because he’d totally want to know about that kind of thing.
