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His smile widened a bit, as if he were making a conscious effort to look sincere. Almost there. That smile almost went up to his gorgeous hazel eyes – but it wasn't quite there just yet. He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet
“My brothers and I were going to grab some lunch in a bit,” Gabe said. “I was wondering if you and the little guy wanted to join us?”
He turned to my mom and added, “And you're more than welcome to come along too, if you'd like. We'd love to have you join us.”
“No thank you,” mom said, casting a very pointed look at me, before shifting her eyes back to Gabe. “You three go and have fun.”
“Do I have time to shower first?” I asked.
Gabe turned back to me, and there seemed to be a shadow that passed through his eyes. A shadow of what? Lust, maybe? Did the thought of me showering do something to him, perhaps? Part of me hoped so, and I bit my lip, hoping he might say something flirty in return – just like old times. “Sure,” Gabe said. “Grayson and I will just play while we wait.”
Gabe ruffled my little boy's hair, and my son grinned up at him. It was a sweet sight, one I almost didn't want to step away from. “I'll be right down,” I said.
I hurried up the stairs, but I glanced back down over the railing and caught Gabe checking me out from behind. He smiled, then I smiled, a flirty little sparkle in his eyes, and we shared a moment where it actually did feel like old times again. A time before all the bullshit.
I continued up to my bedroom, feeling lighter and happier than I had in a long while.
***
Creekside Cafe had always been our go-to hangout, and as soon as I stepped inside, I saw that nothing had changed. The place was homey and cozy, with a large fireplace in the corner and pictures of the Colorado mountains on the walls. The cafe itself appeared to be made from stone.
The boys were sitting outside, by the creek and with a view of the nearby waterfall. The waterfall itself wasn't very big – especially by Colorado standards – but it was perfectly integrated into the downtown area, with restaurants and shops built up around it. It provided a nice, relaxing, somewhat scenic backdrop to lunch time conversations and strolling through town.
Evan stood first and pulled me into a tight hug. I embraced him and savored the feeling his body against mine. Jared stood next but didn't meet my eyes nor come in for a hug. There was an awkward, tense air between us.
“I'm sorry about last night,” he muttered.
“What happened last night?” Gabe asked.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head as a small sigh escaped me. “I'm sorry I freaked out on you. It's just – it's hard for me to realize you're all grown up, much less that you're fu – err – are sleeping with all my friends.”
I looked down at Grayson, kicking myself mentally for almost slipping up and saying a bad word in front of him. He picked up on things quickly, and the last thing I needed was for him to go around swearing because he's heard it from me. “Okay, now I really need to hear about this,” Evan said, laughing.
“It's probably not suitable conversation to have in front of a kid,” Gabe said, his voice stern, his gaze narrowing in on Jared. “Knowing my brother's exploits, I'm actually pretty sure it's not.”
“Nah, you're right,” I laughed.
I took a seat next to Evan, while Grayson sat between Gabe and myself.
“Hey, little man,” Jared said, ruffling Grayson's hair. “Good to see you again.”
My son stared up at Jared, his eyes wide as he took him in. He was usually a shy little guy, a little reticent and hesitant around people he doesn't know. He'd taken to Gabe rather quickly. It was surprising, but I hoped he would take to all of them fairly fast.
Grayson turned to me and said, “Why do they all look alike?”
That brought a laugh from the group.
“They're brothers, baby,” I said, pinching his cheek gently. “Remember when I explained about how families work?”
He nodded. “I want a brother.”
The waitress cleared her throat behind us, bringing us all to attention. My son's response made my heart ache, and as much as I wanted to talk about it, I wasn't entirely sure what to say. Not right then.
“Hi ya'll,” the girl said, a thick southern accent taking us all by surprise. “My name is Katie and I'll be taking care of you today. Can I get ya'll started with something to drink?”
“Water for me,” I said. “And a milk in a kid's cup, please.”
The waitress nodded, then went down the line. I was stuck in my head, no longer listening to anything that was being said around me. All I could think about was Grayson's request. It had always been my plan to have many kids, to have a large family like the Walkers' had. Chris had wanted that too and we'd talked about it often. Growing up as an only child, I hated not having a sister or brother. I never had anyone to play with, which was why I took to my neighbors the moment they moved in next door. It was like having brothers, in a way. I always envied what they had when I was younger, and never wanted my son to experience that. I wanted him to know the kind of camaraderie the Walker boys had.
