Page 62 of Let’s Be Real

“It’s endless. It must be why the babies sleep so much.” I nodded toward my niece, Ruby, who was passed out on my chest. “They’re building up a reserve for toddlerhood.”

Samantha stroked Ruby’s ebony hair. “If that’s the case, this one is going to be a locomotive. No one will be able to stop her.”

“Exactly.” I kissed the top of her warm little head. “She’s getting all the sleep now so she can terrorize the neighborhood later.”

Samantha glanced toward Roman and Shira, who he had tucked under his arm. “Or she could be like her mother. Gentle as a little lamb.”

“I’m glad I’ll be around to find out.”

She let her chin fall onto my shoulder with a sigh. “Me too.”

Kelly’s laugh drew my attention. She was getting along famously with Ben and Mazzy. While Adrian wasn’t amused—when was he ever?—they’d both taken her appearance at a family event in stride.

“How is she doing?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. I don’t really know her well enough to gauge her mood, but in the last two weeks, I’ve heard from her more than I have in my entire life. I’ve become her main emotional support, it seems. I don’t know how that happened.”

“Maybe because you don’t have ties to her old life.”

“You’re probably right.” Her fingers wrapped around my bicep, and she snuggled closer. “She’s looking this way. Act like you like me.”

I chuckled. “I do like you.”

“Yeah, but you know”—her eyes flickered to mine—“be my boyfriend for a minute.”

I tipped my chin down and caught her bottom lip with my teeth, giving it a nibble. She made a low whimpering sound, so quiet it almost got lost in the breeze, making the backyard trees tremble.

“You look really pretty today.” I kissed her as lightly as I could. “I should have told you that.”

“Thank you, Nate.” Her lashes fluttered as she came in for another, touching her lips against mine. “You look handsome as always. Well…holding the baby brings you up a good ten notches…”

I brought my forehead to hers. “Are they watching?”

“I heard Kelly say, ‘Awww.’ She’s buying it.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “How have you been sleeping?”

“Not as well without my koala.”

She chuffed. “You slept like shit when I was there.”

“I know.”

Her eyes opened, but we were too close to really focus on one another. “I think I should come over later. We never optimized.”

There were a million reasons why that was a bad idea, but I couldn’t think of any of them. I wanted her back in my bed. Pinned beneath me, whining for more. Or in my bathroom, bent in half with me behind her.

“Mmm. You could—”

Before I could finish, there was no longer a baby in my arms and a shadow above me blocked out the sun.

I looked up, finding Roman holding his daughter, a frown tugging at his mouth. “No flirting while you’re holding Ruby.”

Shira appeared beside him, smiling. “Does that rule apply to you too?”

My brother curled his arm around his tiny wife, bringing her into his orbit. “Of course not. I wouldn’t be able to follow it anyway.”

Shira blushed prettily. On the outside, you wouldn’t think they were a match, between their extreme height difference and Roman’s sternness to Shira’s shy sweetness, but two years of marriage hadn’t made them any less mad about one another. She gentled him, and he protected her from the harshness of the world.

Roman took his baby and wife, leaving Samantha and me alone. But not for long. Adrian sauntered over, his face blank.