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A baby—her baby—let out a wail that must have reached the waiting room where she knew her brother was likely wearing a groove in the floor. Choosing Tad to be her birthing partner had pissed Jack off in the extreme and set them back a few steps in their relationship rehab. But her brother needed to recognize that having her own agency in this, in all aspects of her life, was paramount.
“Fuck, he’s got a set of lungs on him,” Tad said, awe deepening his voice. “Sounds just like his mouthy mom.”
Jules raised a weak hand to smack him, only to let it fall away. She had nothing left to give.
Or, so she thought until she sawhim.
Her fresh-born baby, out in the world, wrapped in a blanket and looking oh-so-innocent. The pretty nurse Tad had not flirted with placed the child against Jules’s chest and her jellied arms locked naturally in place to cradle the helpless bundle. Predictably, her stupid heart melted into a puddle of love and hormones while protectiveness pounded in an unrelenting build through her bloodstream.
A big head, no neck or hair, distended torso, wrinkled skin—alien and yet instantly recognizable as her flesh and blood. Large, soft blue eyes stared at her, seeking connection, making no apologies.
Oh, he was his father’s son, all right.
Pushing that evidence down deep, she re-focused on the new, beating heart in her arms as he found a rhythm with the one inside her chest.
“Thanks, Jules,” she heard beside her.Tad.She’d almost forgotten he was there.
Her son blinked the biggest eyes Jules had ever seen and tried to shift his gaze to the source of the voice. Tad met him halfway, with his face hovering close, giving the little guy his first taste of Italian perfection. Lost in each other, her two guys forged a bond she hoped would last a lifetime.
“Thanks for what?” she managed to husk out.
“For letting me be a part of this.” The reverence in Tad’s tone caught her off guard.
Leaning in, he kissed her sweaty forehead with warm, firm lips, then dropped a gentle kiss on the soft crown of her baby boy’s head.
The pleasure was all hers, though the way her vision blurred seemed to contradict that. Demon’s fist shot out and grabbed at her hair in vain.
“He’s going to be a great pitcher for the Cubs,” Tad said with a chuckle, ghosting over the serious moment from a few seconds before.
“Footie, Tad. You’ll have to teach him the sport of his ancestors.”
“I’ll teach him everything he needs to know. How to score with girls, how to appreciate the finest wines—”
At her raised eyebrow, he laughed. “In moderation and not until he’s at least fifteen. Hey, he’s part of the Italian culture now. And if he’s got Jack riding him hard, he’s going to need a cool uncle.”
Uncle.And that’s all Tad would or could ever be. She had spent twenty-three years on planet Earth wishing for a family to love and accept her, hoping she might one day be the center of someone’s world. Reconnecting with Jack and finding acceptance in the bosom of the DeLucas was the best thing to ever happen to her.
Well, the second best thing. Her gaze fell to her bonny baby boy and she let go of a happy sigh.
Acting on this inconvenient attraction to Tad would only put her newfound stability at risk. She had responsibilities now and they trumped her treacherous hormones. Men would come and go, butthis—she looked down at her new focus, the precious heart beating outside her body—this was the love of a lifetime.
One
Eighteen months later …
Tad DeLuca ground his teeth so hard he risked bone dust shooting out of his ears.
“It needs a part,” came the latest utterance from under the hood of the pizza oven.
Four little words that signaled a screwing over of the major variety was about to take place. Compounding the insult, the speaker, complete with abundant ass cleavage and just-for-show tool belt, crawled out from behind the oven, butt first, and adjusted his waistband.
Too late, dude; you’re already the clichéd repair guy who can’t seem to find a pair ofjeans—or a belt—to fit him.
“That’s what you said last week,” Tad said patiently. Really patiently. “You installed the…”
“Temperature regulator.”
“Temperature regulator, and said that should be it.”
