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Pressing his lips together in a thin line to keep himself from laughing, he thought it over for a full two seconds before nodding eagerly. “When you put it like that, how could I possibly refuse?”
“You can’t.” Shaking his head, Bas adopted a somber expression and a robotic inflection to his voice. “Resistance is futile.”
That did it. Losing the battle, Kai threw his head back and laughed right from his belly. Bas could be such a goofball, and it was quickly becoming one of his favorite things about the guy. Honestly, he couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so much or so often. Maybe Melissa was right. Perhaps he would keep him.
Composing himself, he plucked at his pale pink tee and examined his baggy cotton pants. “Give me a minute to change.”
“You look great.” Bas took the black sweater jacket off the hook by the door and tossed it to him. “Come on, darlin’. Let’s go.”
If Bas didn’t care, neither did he. At least he was actually wearing underwear for a change.
“Fine.” He pulled on the jacket and zipped it halfway. “I still need shoes.”
“If you must.” Bas sighed dramatically. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
Kai turned away to hide his smile. The man thought he looked beautiful in old, worn-out pajamas. He admired the work he did, and no matter how bad the day had been, Bas could always make him laugh. Even when he tried like hell to push him away, he didn’t bend or break. He pushed right back.
Bas Diaz was different from anyone he’d ever met, and certainly unlike the men he’d dated in the past. If he wasn’t careful, he just might fall in love with him.
six
“That’s twelve even.”
Bas passed a twenty between the front seats to the cab driver. “Keep the change.” Sliding out of the backseat, he waited on the curb for Kai to join him. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“You make it sound like we’re going to battle.” He closed the cab door behind him and flipped up the collar of his burgundy peacoat. “It’s just dinner.”
“You obviously don’t know my nieces.” The second week of November had ushered in the coldest temperatures of the season, forcing Bas to trade in his zippered hoodie for a thicker leather jacket. “Trust me, dinner…battle…basically the same thing.” He tucked his hands into his pockets to warm them but stuck his elbow out to the side in offering. “Shall we?”
His sister’s place wasn’t much to look at from the outside. The duplex’s brown paint had faded and chipped over the years, giving the entire building a feeling of forlornness and neglect. A rickety swing hung from one side of the wooden porch, the chains rusted and the cushions sun-bleached to a dingy yellow. Plywood covered the door and windows on half the building, suggesting the other unit hadn’t been in use for some time.
Still, it was clean, safe, and most importantly, Annette and the girls didn’t have to share it with twenty other people. He’d had to sell his pickup to afford the deposit and the first month’s rent, but he didn’t regret it for a second. After setting up the utilities and buying a houseful of second-hand furniture, there had even been enough left over for school supplies for his nieces.
Of course, Annette had read him the riot act when she’d found out, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of her and the girls spending even one more night in that women’s shelter. Twice, he’d offered to move them in with him, and twice, she had declined.
Glancing at Kai from the corner of his eye, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back his smile. His sister was proud and stubborn, just like someone else he knew. Unlike Kai, however, Annette was a single mom of three. So, every penny she earned went to food, clothing, and childcare for her daughters.
The screen door squeaked when he pulled it open, and he made a mental note to bring a can of lubricant for the hinges on his next visit.
“Olive oil,” Kai said from his side. “Cheap and effective, and I bet your sister has some in the kitchen.”
Smiling, he leaned in for a chaste kiss. “Brilliant.”
Kai’s cheeks stained visibly in the dim porch light. “Yeah, well—”
Whatever he might have said was interrupted when the main door opened to the screams of bouncing, giggling girls.
“Uncle Bas! Uncle Bas! Do you like my new dress?” Maria, the middle girl, had just turned six the previous week, and all things in her world revolved around frilly dresses and pretty hair bows.
“Uncle Bas, I got a 100 on my spelling test today!” The oldest, Angie, brandished a sheet of paper at him with a clearly marked red A at the top. She was undoubtedly the smartest kid in her fourth-grade class.
His youngest niece, Sophie, bypassed him completely and ran straight to Kai. “Hi.” Her little smile lit up her entire face. “I’m this many,” she declared, holding up four fingers. “Do you want to play dolls? I’ll let you be the pretty one.”
Laughing, Bas swept the brat into his arms and placed a smacking kiss on her cheek. “Okay, okay, back up so we can get in the door.” Once inside with the door closed and locked behind him, he scanned the living room for his sister. “Where’s your mom?”
“In the kitchen,” Maria answered as she twirled in circles that made her dress fan around her. Then she stopped abruptly and stared up at Kai. “I’m Maria. What’s your name?”
If Kai was put off by the noise level in the room, he didn’t show it. Grinning, he crouched down on the floor and offered his hand. “I’m Kai. It’s very nice to meet you, Maria. I like your dress.”
